March 27, 2014

From Jim McGuiggan... We need to stop this!

We need to stop this!

The term "elect" (chosen) is not used in scripture as an umbrella term to cover all the saved of all the ages. It always has specific addressees. Just as surely as it would be a mistake to take "chosen" in OT texts and apply them to NT Christians (unless we have textual grounds for doing so) so it's a mistake to take "chosen" when addressed to Christians and say it refers to all the saved people of all the ages. The NT elect are not the OT elect nor are they the saved of all the ages.
The elect in the NT are Christians—those who have been called by the gospel to faith in Jesus. We have no textual grounds for taking the term (for example in Ephesians 1) and saying the chosen ones in that text are the people of all the ages since Adam. NT elect are called by the proclamation of the gospel about Jesus. The work of Jesus Christ embraces people of all the ages but within that work there is a peculiar group of people who have been chosen to be the "body of Christ". Abraham is "saved", of course, but he is not part of the NT elect. Melchizedek is "saved", of course, but he is not part of the NT elect. Moses is "saved", of course, but he's not part of the NT elect, "the body of Christ". Moses was not a Christian! Abraham was not a Christian and Melchizedek was not a Christian. They're embraced in the universal work of God and are saved, certainly (Hebrews 12:18-24), but their place is not in the peculiar people (the NT elect) who serve a purpose no other saved people served or can serve!
You only have to look at the texts to see the error of using NT "elect" passages for all the saved of all the ages. The Thessalonians are chosen by the gospel about Jesus and belief of that gospel (2 Thessalonians 13-14). The Ephesians were called by the gospel of truth about Jesus (Ephesians 1:3-14, esp. 13) and so on. For some of us it suits our theological purposes to make "elect" equivalent to "saved" but we have no textual grounds for doing this. It's perfectly legitimate to do systematic theology but that must only be done based on actual texts.
God purposed the coming of "the last Adam" before the world began; in fact, the creation was brought about with the immortal Adam in mind (Colossians 1:15-16) and God purposed and brought into being the NT elect who would not only enjoy life in Jesus but would function in the world as "the body of Christ," the new humanity of the risen Lord; the extension (so the speak) of Jesus' incarnation.
To take the NT doctrine of the Church and make all the texts relate to all the saved of all the ages is to take leave of the actual texts we're dealing with.
Understand that the work of Jesus affects all the ages and the entire human family but within that universal work of God in Jesus there are specific moves and acts of God to bring about his eternal purpose. Two of them are the OT elect and the NT elect. These are not to be confused though they are intimately related. The NT elect are not to be confused with the entire number of all the "saved".
Find a text that speaks of the elect in the NT and you find people who are elect through the gospel of Jesus Christ. That means we can't place Moses or Hannah or Samuel or Ruth in the NT elect. The NT elect arrive on the scene only when Jesus arrives and they are the creation of God via the gospel that makes them into the image of Jesus and they live out the truth that Jesus is the returning Lord of All.
We need to stop treating NT texts about "election" as if they related to "all the saved of all the ages". "Saved" and "elect" are not co-extensive. Click here for a little more.
©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.
Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, theabidingword.com.
From Gary... This is a different spin on this. Never heard it put like this before- will have to think about it...

No comments:

Post a Comment