This is by far the Calvinist's favourite passage to use to shore up their theological beliefs. Context is important. Therefore, it is important that we examine the verses leading up to this passage as they reveal that Paul is reflecting on the problem of evil and suffering in our world since the beginning.
"For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now." Romans 8:20-22
Paul is not talking primarily about salvation in this passage, as Calvinists have interpreted it. Rather, he is talking primarily about the way in which God is healing the whole creation. By approaching this passage the way the Calvinist has, they end up skipping over Romans 8:18-27, which is about the renewing of creation. Again, context is important. The Calvinist needs to learn this important lesson.
In Romans 8:28, the Greek verb οιδα ("we know") is a perfect active indicative form of the verb, which indicates a knowledge gained by observance or remembrance of the past. Paul is saying that believers know, from God's past dealings with those who love Him, that He has a mysterious way of working things out for the greatest good. As Hebrews 12:1 tells us, "we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us." By observing the stories of the saints of old, we can rest in the knowledge that this is true. For example, consider Joseph. What his brothers meant for evil, God was able to take and redeem for good. God has been doing this for generations, so we can take comfort in this. We (believers) know what is true of God because we can observe it from the past for those who have loved Him.
Verses 28 and 29 shift the focus to providing comfort for those in suffering by reminding them to observe God's faithfulness to those who have loved God throughout history. This truth is not applicable to everyone, but an observation for "those who love God," those who are "in Christ."
According to heretic John Calvin, God is the author of evil deeds:
"...how foolish and frail is the support of divine justice afforded by the suggestion that evils come to be, not by His will but by His permission...It is a quite frivolous refuge to say that God otiosely permits them, when Scripture shows Him not only willing, but the author of them..."
God does not cause occurrences of evil for His purposes. "Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone" (James 1:13). Rather, God redeems occurrences or moral evil for a good purpose, just as He did with Joseph. Calvinists should really learn how to read and pay attention to language. "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive" (Gen. 50:20). This agrees with the proverb: "The mind of man plans his way, but Yahweh directs his steps" (Prov. 16:9). God redeemed their evil intentions and used them for a good purpose. God did not determine their evil intentions and then determine to clean up His previous determination. That is nonsensical and utterly ridiculous.
Observe this correct statement from Calvinistic preacher John MacArthur:
"But God's role with regard to evil is never as its author. He simply permits evil agents to work, then overrules evil for His own wise and holy ends. Ultimately He is able to make all things—including all the fruits of all the evil of all time—work together for a greater good."
The focus of Paul's observation is on the saints of old, those from the elect nation of Israel who were called to fulfill God's plan to redeem His creation from its groans and sufferings. This does not mean that the truth being revealed is not applicable to those of other nations. It simply means that what is proven to be true of God by observing His dealings with those called out from Israel throughout history will also be true of anyone who follows and loves the God of Israel. By reflecting on God's past dealings, we can know what to expect in His future dealings.
"Those God foreknew" is not talking about knowing something ahead of time. This reveals Paul's focus on the saints of old: those saints God knew previously. Paul is seeking to provide evidence of what he has just said, and this focus continues for the next three chapters. Calvinistic preachers like John Piper are dishonest regarding the various options for the meaning of προγινώσκω:
Option #1: God foresaw our self-determined faith. We remain the decisive cause of our salvation. God responds to our decision to believe.
Option #2: God chose us—not on the basis of foreseen faith, but on the basis of nothing in us. He called us, and the call itself creates the faith for which it calls.
These preachers ignore and overlook the most basic meaning of this word, which means "to know previously." The same Greek word is used by Paul and Peter in the following passages:
"So then, all Jews know my manner of life from my youth up, which from the beginning was spent among my own nation and at Jerusalem; since they have known about me for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that I lived as a Pharisee according to the strictest sect of our religion." Acts 26:4-5
"You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness." 2 Pet. 3:17
Clearly this word can be (and is) understood simply as knowing someone in the past, as in knowing those saints of old previously. God "foreknew them" or "knew them of old" or "knew them previously." Why do Calvinists insist on playing mental gynmastics and avoiding the simple context? Paul is telling the Christian believers he sent to Rome to plant a congregation that because we have seen how God worked all things to the good for those whom He knew before, we know that He will do the same for those who love and obey Him now. Paul is simply referencing those saints from the past whom God had known and faithfully cared for throughout the generations.
"Paul was not referring to some prior knowledge in the mind of God before creation. Nor was He speaking about predetermining their fate. He was referring to those whom God knew personally and intimately, men like Abraham and David.
The term 'foreknew' does not mean to have knowledge of someone before they were conceived. The verb προέγνω is the word for 'know' (in an intimate sense) with the preposition προ (before) prefixed to it. It refers to having an intimate relationship with someone in the past... Literally, we could render Rom. 8:29 as follows: 'For those God formerly knew intimately, He previously determined them to be conformed to the image of His Son.
The individual saints of old, with whom God had a personal relationship, were predestined by Him to be conformed to the image of Christ. That is, God predetermined to bring their salvation to completion by the sacrifice of Christ on their behalf." —Tim Warner
Paul began speaking about the futility and suffering that has come into the world due to the fall of humanity into sin (vv.20-22). He then comforts the lovers of God in his audience by reminding them of God's trustworthiness for those who have loved Him throughout the generations. Paul reminds his readers that God will redeem the suffering an evil for a good purpose in their lives just as He has done in the lives of those known previously. It is these people (Israelites who loved God in the past) who were predestined to be conformed to the image of Christ.
N. T. Wright states:
"Here is the note of hope which has been sounded by implication so often since it was introduced in 5:2: hope for the renewal of all creation, in a great act of liberation for which the exodus from Egypt was simply an early type. As a result, all that Israel hoped for, all that it based its hope on, is true of those who are in Christ."
In verse 30, Paul explicitly uses past tense verbs. When writing these words, Paul and his readers (including you and I) had not yet been glorified. Paul clearly does not have in mind the future glorification of all believers. The past tense suggests Paul is referring to former generations of those who loved God and were called to fulfill His redemptive purpose. Calvinists must explain away the use of past tense verbs: "Glorified is in the past tense because this final step is so certain in God's eyes it is as good as done."
This is known as reaching, because in Romans 8:17 Paul does not speak of glorification as a past and completed action in reference to the believers in his day. Contrary to what many Christians believe today, our glorification is qualified upon the conditioned of our perseverance until the end, which numerous passages express. If it was "as good as done" due to God's predetermination, then why would Paul (or Jesus, or the rest of the New Testament) make such a qualification and use the future tense of the same verb? Moreover, Paul speaks of our eager expectation of glorification in verses 22-25. Are we to believe that Paul shifts from speaking of glorification as a future hope for those who persevere to speaking of it "as good as done" for those who have not yet been glorified?
If you, as a Calvinist, object to προγινώσκω referring to the saints of old who loved God, then you should consider Paul's use of the same word three chapters later:
"But as for Israel He says, "ALL THE DAY LONG I HAVE STRETCHED OUT MY HANDS TO A DISOBEDIENT AND OBSTINATE PEOPLE." I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew." Rom. 10:21-11:2a
Paul continues to make his case:
"Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? "Lord, THEY HAVE KILLED YOUR PROPHETS, THEY HAVE TORN DOWN YOUR ALTARS, AND I ALONE AM LEFT, AND THEY ARE SEEKING MY LIFE." But what is the divine response to him? "I HAVE KEPT for Myself SEVEN THOUSAND MEN WHO HAVE NOT BOWED THE KNEE TO BAAL."" Rom. 11:2b-4
Nothing in this or any other text supports the concept of God in eternity past pre-selecting certain individuals out of the mass of humanity for irresistible and effectual salvation. Since Romans is written to veteran "Gentile" Christian believers Paul had selected from the various congregations he had planted and sent to Rome in order to establish a congregation there, it would make sense for him to comfort them by referring to the faithfulness and trustworthiness of God with regard to the saints of old (i.e., men like Abraham and David).