Romans 8:30

Moreover. Greek de, here perhaps better, “and.”

Predestinate. See on v. 29.

Called. This call is given by the preaching of the gospel, as in 2 Thess. 2:14, “Whereunto he called you by our gospel.” The usage of the verb “called,” like that of the adjective “called” (see on Rom. 8:28), seems here to be limited to effectual calling. The context clearly indicates that the reference is to those who have responded to God’s call. This divine call is the first great step in personal salvation, and response to the call constitutes the experience of conversion. The “calling” expresses the divine authorship of that experience and the sovereign power by which we are summoned.

Justified. See on chs. 3:20, 28; 4:25; 5:1.

Glorified. Jesus said, “The glory which thou gavest me I have given them” (John 17:22), but the experience of full glorification is yet to come (Rom. 8:18). Although this event is still future, Paul uses the past tense “glorified,” as he does for all the other verbs in this sentence, “did predestinate,” “called,” “justified.” This may reflect the fact that in God’s eternal counsel the whole process, with all its stages, stands complete (see Eph. 1:4–6). Another explanation may be found in the timelessness of the Greek tense here employed. Regarding the verbs as timeless permits the following translation, “Those whom He predestines He also calls; those whom He calls He also justifies; those whom He justifies He also glorifies.”

Whichever explanation is adopted, Paul’s purpose in this verse is to express the certainty of the progressive stages in the process of being conformed to Christ. The first step is the call. If this is obeyed, it brings with it justification and all that that experience implies. Then, if the Christian continues to allow God to work out His good purpose for him (see Rom. 11:22), the inevitable result will be glorification. One might expect Paul to have mentioned sanctification as one of the stages, but it is sufficiently implied as a consequence of justification and a necessary condition for glorification.