BIBLICAL CONCEPT: The counsel of God
1) Vocabulary: Boule - Counsel, purpose, design.
2) Acts 2:23; (JC) delivered up by the predetermined (fixed) counsel and foreknowledge of God.
Conclusions: 1. God’s counsel was carefully accomplished (fixed, v. 23a). 2. God’s counsel was carefully guided (foreknowledge, v. 23a). 3. God’s counsel included His foreknowledge of human volitional activity (v. 23b). 4. God’s salvation plan was carefully, historically accomplished (vv. 22-24).
3) Acts 4:27-28; Gentiles and Jews gathered against Jesus to do whatever Thy hand Thy counsel predestined to occur.
Conclusions: 1. God’s counsel included human volitional activity (vv. 27-28a). 2. God’s counsel was carefully accomplished (v. 28b, predestined = marked out). 3. God’s counsel and its careful accomplishment of our salvation gives confidence to even persecuted Christians (vv. 29-31).
4) Ephesians 1:11; Given an inheritance, predestined (marked out) according to His purpose, Who works all things after the counsel of His will.
Conclusions: 1. The counsel of God includes our reward (inheritance, v.11a). 2. God’s counsel was carefully accomplished (v. 11a, marked out). 3. God’s counsel was carefully guided by His purpose and will (v. 11b). 4. God’s counsel glorifies Himself (v. 12b). 5. His counsel included human volitional activity (v. 13a). 6. God’s counsel gives confidence to the Christian (vv. 13b-19).
5) Counsel summary: In eternity past, the Triune God of the Bible carefully designed a salvation plan guided by His foreknowledge and included human volition. This counsel (purpose, design) glorifies God and gives confidence to Christians: Salvation, history and our inheritance are not arbitrary, but carefully planned.