because those whom he gave his first recognition he also foreordained to be patterned after the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

15. (a) How, according to God’s foreordination, will the government of His new order be harmonious in itself? (b) How, by God’s action, will those in this government be “righteous”?

¹⁵ Note that those called are, regardless of whoever they might individually prove to be, “foreordained to be patterned after the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.” This requires and ensures that they will all be Christlike as sons of God. Thus God foreordained that the government of His coming new order should be a harmonious government, not divided in itself, not at disagreement within itself.