In whom we also are called by lot, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things according to the counsel of his will.

“Paul earnestly endeavors on all occasions to display the unspeakable loving-kindness of God towards us, to the utmost of his power. For that it is impossible to do so adequately, hear his own words. "O! the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God; how unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past tracing out." (Rom. xi: 33.) Still, notwithstanding, so far as it is possible, he does display it. What then is this which he is saying; "In whom also we were made a heritage, being predestinated?" Above he used the word, "He chose us;" here he saith, "we were made a heritage." But inasmuch as a lot is a matter of chance, not of deliberate choice, nor of virtue, (for it is closely allied to ignorance and accident, and oftentimes passing over the virtuous, brings forward the worthless into notice,) observe how he corrects this very point: "having been foreordained," saith he, "according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things." That is to say, not merely have we been made a heritage, as, again, we have not merely been chosen, (for it is God who chooses,) and so neither have we merely been allotted, (for it is God who allots,) but it is "according to a purpose." This is what he says also in the Epistle to the Romans, (Rom. viii: 28-30.) "To them that are called according to His purpose;" and "whom He called, them He also justified, and whom He justified, them he also glorified." Having first used the expression, "to them that are called according to a purpose," and at the same time wishing to declare their privilege compared with the rest of mankind, he speaks also of inheritance by lot, yet so as not to divest them of free will. That point then, which more properly belongs to happy fortune, is the very point he insists upon. For this inheritance by lot depends not on virtue, but, as one might say, on fortuitous circumstances. It is as though he had said, lots were cast, and He hath chosen us; but the whole is of deliberate choice. Men predestinated, that is to say, having chosen them to Himself, He hath separated. He saw us, as it were, chosen by lot before we were born. For marvellous is the foreknowledge of God, and acquainted with all things before their beginning. But mark now how on all occasions he takes pains to point out, that it is not the result of any change of purpose, but that these matters had been thus modeled from the very first, so that we are in no wise inferior to the Jews in this respect; and how, in consequence, he does every thing with this view. How then is it that Christ Himself saith, "I was not sent, but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel?" (Mat. xv: 24.) And said again to his disciples, "Go not into any way of the Gentiles, and enter not into any city of the Samaritans." (Mat. x: 5.) And Paul again himself says, "It was necessary that the word of God should first be spoken to you. Seeing ye thrust it from you and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles." (Acts xiii: 46.) These expressions, I say, are used with this design, that no one may suppose that this work came to pass incidentally only. "According to the purpose," he says, "of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His will." That is to say, He had no after workings; having modeled all things from the very first, thus he leads forward all things "according to the counsel of His will." So that it was not merely because the Jews did not listen that He called the Gentiles, nor was it of mere necessity, nor was it on any inducement arising from them.”

“Above, the Apostle set forth the abundance of grace which he himself and the other apostles received from Christ. But lest anyone should believe that they had received it by their own merits, he therefore consequently shows that they received it freely, called by God not by their own merits. Now this part is divided into three: for first he sets forth the gratuitous calling; second, the voluntary predestination of God, at the place "predestined according to his purpose," etc.; third, the end of both, at the place "that we should be unto the praise of his glory," etc. He says therefore: I said that grace of this kind superabounded in us, and that in Christ all things were restored. "In whom also," that is, through whom — Christ — "we have been called by lot," that is, not by our own merits, but by divine election. Colossians 1:12: "giving thanks to God and the Father, who has made us worthy to share in the lot of the saints in light," etc. Psalm 30:16: "In your hands are my lots." Now for the understanding of this, it must be known that many things happen among men which seem fortuitous and contingent, and yet are ordered according to divine providence. A lot is nothing other than an inquiry into the divine providence concerning some contingent and human matter. Whence Augustine, commenting on that verse of Psalm 30:16, "in your hands are my lots," says that a lot is not something evil, but in doubtful matters it seeks out the divine will. Now there is a threefold sin to be avoided in the casting of lots. First indeed, the sin of superstition; for every vain and unlawful religious observance is superstition. The sin of unlawful superstition is therefore incurred in lots when in them some pact is entered into with demons. Whence it is said in Ezekiel 21:21: "The king of Babylon stood at the parting of the way, at the head of two ways, seeking divination, mingling arrows. He questioned the idols, he consulted the entrails." For to mingle arrows pertains to divination by lot, and to question idols pertains to superstition; and there divination by lot is condemned among the sins pertaining to superstition. Second, the sin of tempting God is to be avoided. For as long as a man is able by himself to do something and to know what he ought to do, if he then seeks by lot from God, or in some other such manner, what he ought to do, he tempts God. But when necessity presses, and he himself cannot be helped by himself, then he lawfully inquires of God what he ought to do. 2 Chronicles 20:12: "since we do not know what we ought to do, this only remains to us, that we direct our eyes to you." Third, the sin of vanity is to be avoided, which occurs if we inquire about things useless and not pertaining to us, as for instance about future contingent things. Whence it is said in Acts 1:7: "It is not for you to know the times or the moments, which the Father has placed in his own power." According to this, therefore, a lot can be taken as threefold, namely a certain divisory kind, a certain consultory kind, and a certain divinatory kind. The divisory kind is when some, dividing an inheritance and unable to agree, cast lots — showing, for instance, a ring, or a piece of paper, or something of the sort — saying: whoever it falls to, he shall have this portion in the inheritance. And lots of this kind can be cast lawfully. Proverbs 18:18: "The lot suppresses contradictions, and it decides also among the powerful," that is, among those wishing to divide. The consultory kind occurs when someone, doubting what he ought to do, consults God, casting lots. It is said in Jonah 1:7 that when that storm came upon the sea, they consulted God, casting a lot, so that they might know by whose sin that storm had come. And this manner is lawful, especially in cases of necessity and in the elections of secular powers. Whence they make little rolls of wax, in some of which they place certain papers and in some not, which they call "bussuli," so that those to whom the bussuli with the papers come may have votes in the election. But this, before the coming of the Holy Spirit, the apostles did even in a spiritual election, Acts 1:26, when the lot fell upon Matthias; but this, after the coming of the Holy Spirit, is no longer lawful in the aforesaid elections, because in doing this one would do injury to the Holy Spirit. For it must be believed that the Holy Spirit provides good pastors for his Church. Whence, after the coming of the Holy Spirit, when the apostles elected the seven deacons, they did not cast lots; and therefore in no ecclesiastical election is it lawful in this manner. The divinatory lot, however, is an inquiry concerning future things reserved to divine knowledge alone. And this always has vanity mixed in, nor can it occur without the vice of curiosity. Since, therefore, a lot is nothing other than an inquiry into things which happen from the divine will, and grace depends on the divine will alone, hence it is that the grace of divine election is called a lot, because God, in the manner of a lot, according to hidden providence, not from anyone's merits, calls through interior grace. Then, when he says "predestined," etc., he sets forth the voluntary predestination of God, concerning which it is said in Romans 8:30: "whom he predestined, these he also called." The reason indeed for this predestination is not our merits, but the mere will of God; on account of which he adds "according to his purpose." Romans 8:28: "We know that for those who love God, all things work together unto good, for those who according to his purpose are called saints." Now that he predestined according to his purpose, he proves, because not only this, but also all the other things which God does, he works according to the counsel of his will. Psalm 134:6: "Whatever things the Lord willed, he has done." Isaiah 46:10: "My counsel shall stand, and all my will shall be done." But he does not say "according to will," lest you should believe that it is irrational, but "according to the counsel of his will" — that is, according to his will which is from reason; not according as reason implies discursive reasoning, but according as it designates a certain and deliberate will. Lastly, he touches on the end of both, namely of predestination and of calling, namely the praise of God. Whence he says "that we should be unto the praise of his glory, we who before hoped in Christ," and through us, who believe in Christ, the glory of God is praised. Isaiah 55:12: "the mountains and the hills shall sing praise before God." Now the praise of the glory of God, as Ambrose says, is when many are gained to the faith, just as the glory of a physician is when he gains and cures many. Ecclesiasticus 2:9: "You who fear the Lord, hope in him, and in delight mercy will come to you."”

“In whom also we have obtained an inheritance,.... Or a part and lot; that is, have obtained one in Christ, in his person, and in his fulness of grace, in the blessings and promises which are in him; or have obtained to be the Lord's clergy, or heritage, to be his portion and inheritance; or rather to have an inheritance in him by lot, meaning the incorruptible and eternal inheritance of glory and happiness in heaven; to which elect men are chosen in Christ, and are begotten to a lively hope of through his resurrection from the dead; and which his righteousness gives a right unto, and his grace a meetness for; and which is now in his hands, and will be given to them through him: and this is said to be obtained by lot, as the word signifies, in allusion to the land of Canaan, which was divided by lot to the children of Israel; and to show that it is not by works of righteousness done by men, but by the sovereign disposal of God; and that everyone shall have his share, and that certainly; for this is not designed to represent it as a casual, or contingent thing. The Alexandrian copy reads, "in whom also we are called"; and so the Vulgate Latin version, "in whom also we are called by lot"; and the Syriac version, "in him", or "by him we are chosen", which agrees with the next clause: being predestinated according to the purpose of him, who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: predestination is not only to sonship, but to an inheritance; it not only secures the grace of adoption, but prepares and provides an heavenly portion: and this act of predestination proceeds according to a purpose; according to a purpose of God, which can never be frustrated; and according to the purpose of "that God", as one of Stephens's copies reads, that is the author of all things but sin; of the works of creation and of providence, and of grace and salvation; and who works all these according to his will, just as he pleases, and according to the counsel of it, in a wise and prudent manner, in the best way that can be devised; for he is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working; wherefore his counsel always stands, and he does all his pleasure: and hence the inheritance which the saints obtain in Christ, and are predestinated to, is sure and certain.”

“In whom - Christ Jesus; also we - believing Jews have obtained an inheritance - what was promised to Abraham and his spiritual seed, viz. the adoption of sons, and the kingdom of heaven, signified by the privileges under the Mosaic dispensation, and the possession of the promised land, but all these privileges being forfeited by the rebellion and unbelief of the Jews, they are now about to be finally cut off, and the believing part to be re-elected, and put in possession of the blessings promised to Abraham and his spiritual seed, by faith; for without a re-election, they cannot get possession of these spiritual privileges. Being predestinated - God having determined to bring both Jews and Gentiles to salvation, not by works, nor by any human means or schemes, but by Jesus Christ; that salvation being defined and determined before in the Divine mind, and the means by which it should be brought about all being according to his purpose, who consults not his creatures, but operates according to the counsel of his own will, that being ever wise, gracious, and good. The original reference is still kept up here in the word προορισθεντες, being predestinated, as in the word προορισας Eph 1:5. And as the apostle speaks of obtaining the inheritance, he most evidently refers to that of which the promised land was the type and pledge. And as that land was assigned to the Israelites by limit and lot, both of which were appointed by God so the salvation now sent to the Gentiles was as expressly their lot or portion, as the promised land was that of the people of Israel. All this shows that the Israelites were a typical people; their land, the manner of possessing it, their civil and religious code, etc., etc., all typical; and that in, by, and through them, God had fore-determined, fore-described, and fore-ascertained a greater and more glorious people, among whom the deepest counsels of his wisdom should be manifested, and the most powerful works of his eternal mercy, grace, holiness, goodness, and truth, be fully exhibited. Thus there was nothing fortuitous in the Christian scheme; all was the result of infinite counsel and design. See on Eph 1:5 (note).”

“In Christ we also are called by lot; i.e. to this happy lot, this share and state of eternal happiness, (he seems to speak with an allusion to the manner by which the lands of a temporal inheritance was distributed to the Israelites, in Palestine) that we (ver. 12) who are saved, may be to the praise of his glory; might praise God for ever in the kingdom of his glory; particularly we Jews, who before hoped in the Messias to come, and also you Gentiles, who now having heard the gospel, have believed in Christ, and who, together with all Christians, have been now sealed as it were with the holy Spirit of promise; i.e. by the Spirit promised, and all those spiritual graces which are an earnest and pledge, which give us an assurance of our future glory and happiness. For our redemption from our sins, and in order to the acquired possession, to the possession of that glorious happiness which Christ, by his incarnation and death, hath acquired for us. (Witham)”

“In whom--by virtue of union to whom. obtained an inheritance--literally, "We were made to have an inheritance" [WAHL]. Compare Eph 1:18, "His inheritance in the saints": as His inheritance is there said to be in them, so theirs is here said to be in Him (Act 26:18). However, Eph 1:12, "That we should BE TO . . . His glory" (not "that we should have"), favors the translation of BENGEL, ELLICOTT, and others, "We were made an inheritance." So the literal Israel (Deu 4:20; Deu 9:29; Deu 32:9). "Also" does not mean "we also," nor as English Version, "in whom also"; but, besides His having "made known to us His will," we were also "made His inheritance," or "we have also obtained an inheritance." predestinated-- (Eph 1:5). The foreordination of Israel, as the elect nation, answers to that of the spiritual Israelites, believers, to an eternal inheritance, which is the thing meant here. The "we" here and in Eph 1:12, means Jewish believers (whence the reference to the election of Israel nationally arises), as contrasted with "you" (Eph 1:13) Gentile believers. purpose--repeated from "purposed" (Eph 1:9; Eph 3:11). The Church existed in the mind of God eternally, before it existed in creation. counsel of his . . . will-- (Eph 1:5), "the good pleasure of His will." Not arbitrary caprice, but infinite wisdom ("counsel") joined with sovereign will. Compare his address to the same Ephesians in Act 20:27, "All the counsel of God" (Isa 28:29). Alike in the natural and spiritual creations, God is not an agent constrained by necessity. "Wheresoever counsel is, there is election, or else it is vain; where a will, there must be freedom, or else it is weak" [PEARSON].”