The Remaining Verses of Election


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There remain several verses that speak of the elect in the New Testament. Considering all that we have studied we can confidently know that they have nothing to do with the Calvinistic idea of predestined to salvation or damnation. Furthermore, in almost all the cases, understanding them to be a reference to the Jews, God’s chosen people, is warranted.

Let us briefly consider those remaining. When Jesus spoke of God avenging in Luke 18:7, “His own elect who cry out day and night to Him,” Jesus was talking about the Jews.

Romans 16:13, “Rufus, chosen in the Lord,”
may be speaking of him being Jewish. This would make the most sense given that of the many other (obviously) believing brothers and sisters in the chapter, only Rufus is called elect.

Why would Paul refer to only him as being elect, if the Calvinistic definition of election were true?
Were the others not also heirs of eternal life?

Understanding that elect/election is not salvation and is generally a reference to the Jews the passage makes complete sense.

It must be noted that Priscilla and Aquila, from Rome, were also Jewish and yet were not called elect.

Could it be that because Paul had nothing else to say about Rufus that he simply stated that he was chosen/elect in the Lord?

Ephesians 1:4, “just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,

This ought to be viewed considering the chosen people, Israel. We know that Paul travelled to Ephesus and there spent three months reasoning with the Jews in the synagogues (Acts 19:1-8). Thus, Ephesians seems to be once again, for “the Jew first and then the Gentile” paradigm.

Colossians 3:12, Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering;
The mention of elect here in Colossians is probably also a reference to Jews.

Colossae was in Asia (minor) and we also know that Paul first entered the local synagogue wherever he went in order to persuade the Jews first. Thus, his letter to the Colossians, located in Asia is most likely a letter written in the principle of “Jews first and after that the Gentiles.”

This is confirmed by looking at the Jews present on the day of Pentecost.
Acts 2:5-11, And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. 6 And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. 7 Then they were all amazed and marvelled, saying to one another, “Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born? 9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.

The letter to the Thessalonians is also a letter to the Jews first and then the Gentiles. In Acts 17:1-2, Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. 2 Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures,

With this in mind, we can see why Paul would saying 1 Thessalonians 1:2 & 4, “we give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers… knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God.

Once again, election is not Calvinistic in its definition, but Jewish. Likewise, in Titus 1:1 Paul speaks of the faith of God’s elect which very possibly was a reference to the faith of the Jewish people.

When Apostle John wrote in his second letter at 2 John1:1, “the elect lady and her children…” The term elect would point to a reference to someone ethnically Jewish. The salutation also points to someone who is ethnically Jewish.
2 John 1:13, “The children of your elect sister greet you.”

The final mention of the elect is found in Revelation 17.
Revelation 17:14, “These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.

We have seen that the elect and chosen does not refer to the Calvinistic concept of election. We have also seen that elect in the New Testament almost always refers to Israelites. When the Lord Jesus comes back his entourage will absolutely include Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their seed. The question, however, is will Gentiles also be among that group?

Given the fact that we Gentiles are grafted into Israel (Romans 11:24) and enjoy blessings that come with that, we can be confident that we will be in that number returning with the Lord.


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