수련회 끝나고 큰 아이 준영이가 마지막 이 부분을 이해를 못했다고 질문을 하는데, 사실 저도 이해 못했었거든요. 검색해서 찾아 보았습니다. 혹시 저희 가족처럼 이해하기 어려우셨던 분들을 위해서 올립니다. 자료에 오류가 있으면 교역자님들이 교정 부탁드립니다. ^^

"What are infralapsarianism and supralapsarianism?"

The word “lapsarian” comes from the Latin word lapsus, which means the “doctrine of the Fall.” The prefix supra means above, while the prefix infra implies below. So the perspective of the former is “before the Fall” while the perspective of the latter is “after the Fall,” or in lieu of the Fall.

Infralapsarianism (“after the lapse”) puts God’s decrees in the following order:

(1) Creation
(2) Fall
(3) Election and Reprobation
(4) Atonement for the elect
(5) Salvation for the elect

Infralapsarianism focuses on God allowing the fall and providing salvation.

Supralapsarianism (“before the lapse”) puts God’s decrees in the following order:

(1) Election and Reprobation
(2) Creation
(3) Fall
(4) Atonement for the elect
(5) Salvation for the elect

Supralapsarianism focuses on God ordaining the fall, creating certain people for the sole purpose of being condemned, and then providing salvation for only those whom He had elected

Here is a statement of Supralapsarianism:

John Calvin writes: “...God has chosen to salvation those whom He pleased, and has rejected the others, without our knowing why, except that its reason is hidden in His eternal counsel.” (Concerning the Eternal Predestination of God, p.53)

Calvin explains: “When God prefers some to others, choosing some and passing others by, the difference does not depend on human dignity or indignity. It is therefore wrong to say that the reprobate are worthy of eternal destruction.” (Concerning the Eternal Predestination of God, pp.120-121)

In other words, Reprobation is just as unconditional as Election.

Calvin adds: “If what I teach is true, that those who perish are destined to death by the eternal good pleasure of God though the reason does not appear, then they are not found but made worthy of destruction.” (Concerning the Eternal Predestination of God, p.121)

Calvin writes: “…the reason why God elects some and rejects others is to be found in His purpose alone. … before men are born their lot is assigned to each of them by the secret will of God. … the salvation or the destruction of men depends on His free election.” (Calvin’s New Testament Commentaries: Romans and Thessalonians, p.203)


Both views teach the Biblical fundamentals:
(1) that predestination is double and includes both election and reprobation;
(2) that it is eternal and unconditional (i.e., that God chooses and rejects without regard to personal merit, but solely according to His good pleasure - Eph. 1, Rom. 9);
(3) that God eternally decreed the fall of man and the coming of sin into the world; and
(4) that God decreed all things for His own glory.

Both teach, then, that predestination is eternal and is in that sense before the actual historical event of the fall. Both also teach that in history redemption follows the fall and the coming of sin into the world. Christ's cross is the remedy for sin. The question only concerns the order of God's decrees, about which Scripture says nothing.

Infra­lapsarianism also emphasises the Biblical truth that election is gracious by seeing Christ even in God's decrees as the answer to and remedy for sin with its order: creation, fall, election, Christ (cf. Rev. 13:8). Note though that infra­lapsarianism does NOT say that election follows the fall in time (that would be Arminianism), but only in God's decree.

Nevertheless, the question is too speculative and abstract. Scripture says nothing about the logical order of God's decrees and it is, therefore, a matter of little importance and ought not be a matter of strife or division or a test of orthodoxy among Christians.

The fact is that God's decree is ONE, just as God Himself is One. It is, therefore, we believe, unnecessary to talk about order in the decrees and to try to separate and arrange them in some order.

We should emphasize that Christ is "before all things" as supra­lapsarianism does. This is very important. But we should also emphasize that election is gracious and reprobation just, as does infra-lapsarianism. That is equally important.

Emphasizing these two things we will not be, strictly speaking either supra- or infra-lapsarians, but will merely be keeping to those things that are revealed and leaving the secret things, the things God has not revealed, to God Himself.


인문학 소양이 부족한 탓인지 100%저도 이해할 수 있는 건 아닌데, 일단 두 이론에서 말하는 하나님의 창조와 인간의 타락과, 구원의 결정 등에 대한 순서 차이만 알아도 무엇을 강조하고 있는지 훨씬 이해 하기 편한 것 같아요. infra-lapsaianism은 겉보기에 꼭 아르미니안 주의 같지만, 그것은 또 아니라고 하지요.

이번 수련회를 통해서 성경을 제대로 공부하고 알고 읽으면 성경이 정말 꿀보다 달다는 것을 경험할 수있겠구나 하는 생각을 했습니다. 공부할 게 너무 많기는 하지만, 평균 수명도 늘은 데다가 인쇄술 발달을 넘어 시공간을 초월해서 훌륭한 텍스트에 쉽게 접근 할 수 있는 시대에 살고 있으니 정말 행복한 시대를 살고 있다고 말할 수 있을 것 같아요. 이 은혜로 제 삶이 성령의 열매가 가득한 삶이 될 수 있기를 기도합니다.