For whom he did foreknow, he also did
predestinate to be conformed (σύμμορφος) to the image of his Son, that he might
be the firstborn among many brethren. (Rom 8:29)
Commenting
on σύμμορφος (“conformed”), we read the following from TDNT:
Through Christ the σῶμα τῆς ταπεινώσεως is in the resurrection σύμμορφος τῷ σώματι τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ Phil. 3:21. Believers
will have a share in His appearing ἐν δόξῃ: σὺν αὐτῷ φανερωθήσεσθε ἐν δόξῃ, Col. 3:4. We are συγκληρονόμοι Χριστοῦ, and therefore συνδοξασθῶμεν, R. 8:17. He is the ἐλπὶς τῆς δόξης, Col. 1:27. This means
that when the NT refers to the eschatological participation of believers in δόξα this is simply part of
the general statement of salvation history concerning the connexion and
parallelism between the resurrection of Christ and the resurrection and new
aeon of believers. Participation in δόξα, whether here in hope or one day in consummation,
is participation in Christ. (Gerhard Kittel, “Δοκέω, Δόξα, Δοξάζω,
Συνδοξάζω, Ἔνδοξος, Ἐνδοξάζω, Παράδοξος,” ed. Gerhard Kittel,
Geoffrey W. Bromiley, and Gerhard Friedrich, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI:
Eerdmans, 1964–), 250.)
.
. . in R. 8:29:
οὓς
προέγνω, καὶ προώρισεν συμμόρφους τῆς εἰκόνος τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ, εἰς τὸ εἶναι αὐτὸν
πρωτότοκον ἐν πολλοῖς ἀδελφοῖς. As in the classical expression σύμμορφος is used here with the
genitive. Basic in interpretation is the term εἰκὼν τοῦ θεοῦ, which is controlled by Gn. 1:26 f. and is
to be understood in the light of 2 C. 4:4, 6 → II, 395, 25 ff. Christ is God’s
image. Believers are caught up in the Christ event and become copies of God’s
Son. The term πρωτότοκος ensures His uniqueness
and superiority, for they are fashioned after Him. The words in συν- point everywhere to
fashioning in accordance with the Christ event. The context in which the saying
occurs speaks of the new eschatological creation in which Christ is God’s image
and which reaches its goal when believers are made conformable to the likeness
of Christ, cf. Col. 3:9 f.; Eph. 4:24. This fashioning is the redemption of the
body and glorification. It is thus the end of the process which begins with
calling and justification. United with Christ, man acquires a share in what
Christ is and is thus made like Him, so that God’s purpose as Creator attains
its goal.
That this includes a transformation of the being of
man may be seen from Phil. 3:21. σύμμορφον refers here to the body and it corresponds to → μετασχηματίσει. Christ will change
the body, i.e., man in his whole existence, → IV, 759, 2 ff. Man is subject to
death (R. 7:24), is without δόξα (R. 3:23), and is thus far from Christ in his
earthly existence, 2 C. 5:6–8. By the transformation man acquires in his
corporeality the same form as that of Christ’s glorious body. This is again
based on the union of those who hope with Christ, Phil. 3:10. It is made
possible by His power (κατὰ
τὴν ἐνέργειαν …).
By this transformation the believer is made conformable to the image of the
Son, R. 8:29; → II, 396, 26 ff.; VI, 877, 3 ff. The statement corresponds to
what is said in R. 8:23, 29. Hence it does not have significance merely for the
martyr. The transformation itself is based on συμμορφιζόμενος τῷ θανάτῳ αὐτοῦ, Phil. 3:10. In view
of the present participle συμμορφιζόμενος it is not possible to refer this to baptism.
With R. 8:17—συμπάσχομεν—one is thus to think
in terms of Christ’s sufferings even to the point of martyrdom, which is
endured in prospect of resurrection from the dead: εἴ πως καταντήσω εἰς τὴν ἐξανάστασιν τὴν ἐκ νεκρῶν (Phil. 3:11). The line
of thought brings us to the same conclusion as 2 C. 4:14 f. Changing into the
same form as the exalted and glorified Christ is based on union with the form
of the earthly appearance of the suffering and dying Lord, and it again
expresses a fellowship of destiny with Him, → n. 90. (Walter Grundmann, “Σύν - Μετά with the Genitive, Συναποθνῄσκω, Συσταυρόω,
Συνθάπτω, Σύμφυτος, Συνεγείρω, Συζάω, Συζωοποιέω, Συμπάσχω, Συνδοξάζω,”
ed. Gerhard Kittel, Geoffrey W. Bromiley, and Gerhard Friedrich, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament
(Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1964–), 787–789)
In Louw-Nida, Greek-English
Lexicon of the New Testament Based on Semantic Domains (2d ed.) provided
this definition of the term, showing that, it is not outward appearance merely,
but also transformation to the nature of Christ ("Christifiation"):
58.5 σύμμορφος, ον: pertaining to that which has a similar form or
nature - 'similar in form, of the same form.' προώρισεν συμμόρφους τῆς εἰκόνος τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ 'he set them apart in
order that they might be similar in form to the nature of his Son' Ro 8.29; σύμμορφον τῷ σώματι τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ 'of the same form as his glorious body' Php 3.21.
In
the case of Ro 8.29 it may be necessary in some languages to translate 'he set
them apart in order that they might be like his Son,' and in Php 3.21 it may be
necessary in some languages to translate 'having a glorious body like his.'