On Supralapsarianism

This is not mine. I found this on a forum about it. Hopefully, however, this helps people understand it a little more further.

"Supralapsarianism is the doctrine that God decreed both election and reprobation before the fall.

The term "supralapsarianism" comes from the Latin words supra and lapsus; the decree of predestination was considered to be "above" (supra) or logically "before" the decree concerning the fall (lapsus).

Supralapsarians consider God's ultimate goal to be his own glory in election and reprobation.

The object of predestination, according to supralapsarianism, was uncreated and unfallen humanity.

The logical order of the decrees in the supralapsarian scheme is:

(1) God's decree to glorify himself through the election of some and the reprobation of others;
(2) as a means to that goal, the decree to create those elected and reprobated;
(3) the decree to permit the fall; and
(4) the decree to provide salvation for the elect through Jesus Christ.

Or, the Supralapsarian five-step view

1. The election of some men to salvation in Christ and the reprobation of the others. (Double election)
2. The decree to create the world and both kinds of men.
3. The decree that all men would fall.
4. The decree to redeem the elect, who are now sinners, by the cross work of Christ.
5. The decree to apply Christ's redemptive benefits to these elect sinners.

Or, the five-step Supralapsarianism of Gordon Clark

1. The election of some sinful men to salvation in Christ and the reprobation of the rest of sinful mankind in order to make known the riches of God's gracious mercy to the elect.
2. The decree to apply Christ's redemptive benefits to the elect sinners.
3. The decree to redeem the elect sinners by the cross work of Christ.
4. The decree that all men should fall.
5. The decree to create the world and all men."