Arminius's comments on Romans 8:29

"For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. - Romans 8:29

   Romans 8:29 a very important passage of scripture when it concerns predestination and its meaning is vital. So what does Arminius have to say on this particular verse he first starts by laying out two views that explain what foreknowledge means in this verse. So the first view Arminius explains is "whom He foreknew," i.e. whom He previously loved, and affectionately regarded as His own" and the second view is "others say that foreknowledge, or prescience of faith in Christ, is here signified." Arminius knows people like William Perkins would accept the former but reject the latter interpretation of foreknowledge in Romans 8. But Arminius has a goal and that is "it shall be demonstrated that God can "previously love and affectionately regard as His own" no sinner unless He has foreknown him in Christ, and looked upon him as a believer in Christ." So he is trying to harmonize both interpretations of foreknowledge "harmonize with it most completely so that the former cannot be true without the latter."

  Now Arminius points to three verses to prove his point the first one is the famous Ephesians 1:4 and 6 "God acknowledges, as His own, no sinner, and He chooses no one to eternal life except in Christ, and for the sake of Christ." "He hath chosen us in Him," (Ephesians 1:4); "wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved," (verse 6). Then he goes on to cite (Romans 8:39) "Nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."  And 2 Corinthians 5:19 "God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself." So Arminius is showing how integral Christ is in election since he goes on to say "For, if God could will to any one eternal life, without respect to the Mediator, He could also give eternal life, without the satisfaction made by the Mediator." Then he goes on to cite John 3:16 and explain it as "But the love, here spoken of, is not that by which He wills eternal life, as appears from the very expression of John for he interposes faith in Christ between that love and eternal life." Arminius continues by saying "But no one is in Christ, except by faith; for Christ dwells in our hearts by faith, and we are engrafted and incorporated in him by faith. It follows then that God acknowledges His own, and chooses to eternal life no sinner, unless He considers him as a believer in Christ, and as made one with him by faith."

  To prove his point Arminius cite John 1:12 "As many as received him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name."  And he goes on to explain this by saying "But to those, to whom He gave this power, and to them, considered in one and the same manner, He also decreed to give this power, since the decree of Predestination effects nothing in him who is predestinated, and there is, therefore, no internal change in him, intervening between the decree and the actual bestowment of the thing, destined and prepared by the decree." Then two more pieces of scripture are cited "They which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham." (Galatians 3:9.) "Without faith it is impossible to please him." (Hebrews 11:6.) So he concludes to say the person who says foreknowledge of faith in this verse is not wrong as long as they don't mean "the assertion that the faith, referred to, results from our own strength and is not produced in us by the free gift of God." Then Arminius makes another argument from "whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of He Son." Arminius points out that "No one is conformed to the image of the Son of God if he does not believe on him. Therefore, no one is predestinated by God to that conformity, unless he is considered as a believer, unless one may claim that faith itself is included in that conformity which believers have with Christ which would be absurd, because that faith can by no means be attributed to Christ, for it is faith in him, and in God through him; it is faith in reference to reconciliation, redemption, and the remission of sins. It is true, also, since it is the means of attaining that conformity."

    Now since this is in the context of his examination of William Perkins he knows an objection that would be made. "They, who are predestinated to be justified and to become the sons of God, are also predestinated to believe, since adoption and justification are received by faith."  But Arminius denies the consequence of that statement by arguing "If adoption and justification is received by faith, then they, who are predestinated to be justified and to become the sons of God, are, of necessity, considered as believers. For that, which is destined to any one by Predestination, will certainly be received by him. And as he is when he receives it, such he was considered to be, when he was predestinated to receive it. Therefore, the believer alone was predestinated to receive it. From which I again conclude, that no one is chosen by God to adoption and the communication of the gift of righteousness, unless he is considered by Him as a believer." And Arminius recognize that the word "foreknowledge" is used in other parts of scripture for the purpose of God but that doesn't mean "it can not signify prescience of faith."

  So in conclusion here Arminius gives a heavy Christ centered view of predestination since he focus everything on faith in Christ. By arguing that God can not love anyone to eternal life outside of Christ because if that's the case Christ is not necessary for salvation. And I do think Arminius does give a great explantation on Romans 8:29 from an Arminian perspective. Everything I cited from Arminius is from 

An examination of the treatise of William Perkins concerning the order and mode of predestination I would recommend everyone to read this. Since it gives you his most through critiques if the Calvinist scheme of predestination since he is examining Perkins which can be found here for free http://wesley.nnu.edu/arminianism/the-works-of-james-arminius/volume-3/examination-of-a-treatise-on-predestination/