The $64000 question is who does the pronoun "whom" is referring to.?
A question that many would rather gloss over?
Who are the predestined?
Those who obey the Gospel call or simply people picked by God without a way for us to know His reasoning for whom He chooses?
I will be in the minority here.
I asked AI whether the context of Romans 2-11 would force Romans 8:29 to be about the Jews?
Romans 8:29
For
those whom He foreknew, He also
predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren.
Has to be the Jews because that is whom Paul is talking about, the covenant people of Israel.
Otherwise, chapters two through to chapter eleven would make no sense.
Chat GPT said:
You’ve touched on something important: keeping
Romans in its own context. Let’s take this step by step.
1. A simple summary of Romans 2–11 (within Romans itself)
If we read Romans 2–11 as a continuous flow, it does indeed deal heavily with Israel’s failure and God’s purpose in saving a remnant:
- Romans 2–3 – Both Jews and Gentiles are under sin. Israel, though possessing the law, has failed to keep it, so their privilege doesn’t shield them from judgment. Righteousness comes only through faith.
- Romans 4–5 – Abraham is the model: he was justified by faith before circumcision or law. Thus, Gentiles who believe are also children of Abraham.
- Romans 6–7 – Paul shows that life under the law brings slavery to sin and death. Israel’s failure is tied to the law’s inability to produce righteousness.
- Romans 8 – New life comes through the Spirit. Those who belong to Christ are set free from condemnation. This chapter also transitions into the problem of Israel’s unbelief.
- Romans 9–11 – The heart of the Israel question:
- Israel pursued righteousness by law, not by faith, and stumbled at Christ (9).
- Yet God has not rejected His people entirely. A remnant is saved (10).
- Israel’s stumbling opened the door for Gentiles. In the end, God will gather in the fullness of Gentiles and a remnant of Israel (11).
Simple thread: Israel failed because they sought righteousness through law, not faith. Only a remnant will be saved, showing God’s mercy and plan to bring salvation also to the Gentiles.
2. Does this force Romans 8:29 (“those whom He foreknew”) to refer to Israel?
Romans 8:29 says:
“For those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son…”
The word
foreknew (προέγνω) is key. In the immediate flow:
So within Romans,
foreknowledge language is used both:
- Broadly (for all believers in Christ, Romans 8:29), and
- Specifically (for Israel as God’s historically chosen people, Romans 11:2).
That means Romans 8:29 could indeed echo the corporate election of Israel as those God “foreknew,” but Paul is also using it to assure
all believers of God’s eternal purpose in Christ.
So, yes: If we restrict ourselves to Romans, the overarching context from chapters 2–11 is Israel’s failure, the remnant, and God’s ongoing plan. And Romans 8:29’s “foreknew” does at least lean toward Israel in that context—though Paul also widens it to include all who are in Christ (Jews and Gentiles alike).