Our questions include, how did we arrive at our doctrines? Does the Bible really teach what we think it teaches? Why do churches do what they do? What is the biblical basis of church leadership structure? Why do certain traditions get entrenched?
It's easy to be spoon fed the conventional wisdom, but it's an entirely separate thing to search these things out for one's self. In the past we have read the Bible with these unexamined understandings and interpreted what we read through those lenses. We were lazy about our Bible study, assuming that pastors and theologians were telling us the truth, but we rarely checked it out for ourselves.
Therefore, these Rethinks are our attempt to remedy the situation.
We should note that we are not Bible scholars, but we believe that one doesn't need to be in order to understand the Word of God.
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Introduction
Many Christians believe that God predestines people for salvation, that before the beginning of time He selected the destiny of every person. Those He chose for salvation are known as The Elect. Further, some Christians even go so far as to say all of our lives are predestined, including every event and every decision.
Generally speaking, this doctrine came out of the Reformation and especially, the teaching of John Calvin in the 1500s. His teaching is roughly summarized with the acronym TULIP:
- Total Depravity
- Unconditional Election
- Limited Atonement
- Irresistible Grace
- Perseverance of the Saints
Predestination comes from Unconditional Election, that is, everyone God has purposed to be saved will be saved, unconditionally. In addition, Irresistible Grace is also connected, because it means that God's predestination cannot be resisted or thwarted. And Perseverance of the Saints ties in as well. It means because God chose the saved they cannot fall away or lose their pre-ordained salvation.
And, since The Elect are a specific number of people, the atonement is limited to them. Finally, God does the whole work in saving The Elect because of the complete lack of ability for The Elect to participate in their salvation.
Our Premise
The premise of our argument is that predestination has been misconstrued by Calvin and those who follow his doctrine.
We believe that God does not predestine everyone. Predestination, in our view, is a status that applies only to a part of Israel, specifically, the remnant, also known as the children of the promise (Romans 9:8). These are those Jews who are descendants of David and also, they are those who believed Jesus and were saved. These were predestined, and these were The Elect.
Based on this premise, there are no Elect alive today.
What follows is our attempt to connect the remnant of Israel to The Elect, that the two are synonymous.
The Remnant
There are many references to the remnant in the Bible. We need to understand that the concept specifically applies to the reminder of faithful Jews:
Joel 2:32 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call.Jeremiah 23:3 I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and will bring them back to their pasture, where they will be fruitful and increase in number.Jeremiah 50:20 In those days, at that time,” declares the LORD, “search will be made for Israel’s guilt, but there will be none, and for the sins of Judah, but none will be found, for I will forgive the remnant I spare.
There are many times in the OT where God delivers a remnant from destruction because they repented, or that a small number remained faithful. And, as we can see above, the deliverance of this faithful remnant of Jews has an ultimate spiritual destiny as well.
The NT echoes these same themes. Paul in particular goes into great depth as to how God will choose a remnant of Israel. Notice in Romans chapter 9 and 10 how uniquely Paul speaks of the Jewish remnant and their predestination. Paul has a passion for his race to be saved (Romans 9:1-4. 10:1). He describes the unique blessing Israel enjoyed, the glory, the covenant, the law, the patriarchs, etc.
Paul's point is that though Israel was so blessed, only the children of the promise (Romans 9:8) are His people. He goes on to discuss two vessels, the vessel of His wrath, the gentiles (Romans 9:22), and the vessel of his mercy, Israel, prepared in advance for glory (Romans 9:23). But then God has mercy on the vessel of His wrath and judges Israel:
Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the Israelites be like the sand by the sea, only the remnant will be saved. (Romans 9:27)
All of Israel was a vessel prepared for glory, but concerning Israel he says, “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.” (Romans 10:21) God did not entirely reject Israel, who He foreknew (Romans 11:2) He preserved a part of Israel, So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace..(Romans 11:5)
It almost leaps out at us when we re-read these passages through our new lens. Clearly, the remnant chosen by grace is the little flock (Jeremiah 23:3), the faithful remainder of Israel.
The Elect
Let's start with Jesus's teaching. We should certainly be fully aware that Jesus was a Jew living in a Jewish nation among Jewish people. Only rarely did he not address Jews when He spoke. It's only when we insist on inserting ourselves into verses that there is a problem. But if we read in context who the the audience was, we see that a grave error has been committed when we mistake our status for someone else's.
Again, we should not assume that everything in the Bible is about us when it clearly is not. This is how we mistake ourselves for being The Elect.
Jesus own words take on new meaning when we separate ourselves out of the narrative:
Mat 24:24 For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.
Casual readers of a Calvinist orientation would automatically assume Jesus was talking about them. But He's not. Remember, His audience is Jewish. "The elect" are a remnant Jews, not gentiles. How do we know? Paul clarified it in his letter to the Romans by reinforcing the words of the various OT prophets:
Ro. 11:7 What then? What Israel sought so earnestly it did not obtain, but the elect did. The others were hardened...
Notice the delineation between Israel as a whole and the remnant. This remnant of Israel actually receives favor and are The Elect:
Ro. 11:28-29 As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies on your account; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, 29 for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.
But others will be grafted in as some are broken off (Romans 11:17). We gentile believers are grafted into the vine, the promise of salvation originally given to the nation of Israel. But some of Israel were broken off because they pursued salvation by works (Ro. 9:32), while the gentiles obtained salvation by faith and were grafted in (Romans 9:30).
The Elect, therefore, is the remnant of Israel.
Conclusion
If Elect branches can be broken off to make room for gentile believers, but then restored if the gentiles stumble (Romans 11:21), it becomes clear that election is an identifier for groups of people, not individuals. Therefore, election is a status that is granted and can be forfeited. This is why Peter writes to Christians:
2Pe. 1:10 Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall...
Election does not mean one will persevere. We need to make our calling and election secure. Neither being called nor election is guaranteed.
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