Election
"Couldn't we say then, that God made His choice of certain individuals based on His foreknowledge of faith? That way, God chooses, and men have no one to blame but themselves if they are not chosen."
Martin thought for a moment.
"And what would the scriptural evidence for this theory be?"
"Well, 1 Peter 1:2 says that certain Christians were elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father. And Romans 8:28 says something very similar. It says that those whom God foreknew, He predestined. . . ."
"Very well. Let's return to the whole idea of foreknowledge in a moment. But before we do that, we should carefully set out what you are saying."
"Fair enough."
"At some time in eternity, God looked down the corridors of time, into the future, and saw that Jones would have faith in Him, and that Smith would not."
"Right."
"On that basis, God elected Jones to salvation, and did not elect Smith."
"Right again."
"Now in this scenario, is God doing anything more than echoing the choice of Jones?"
"What do you mean?"
"It sounds like Jones is saying that he wants to be saved, and as a consequence, God says, `Me, too!' Is that all election is?"
"I wouldn't put it that way. God still makes the choice."
"Yes, but God makes His choice based upon the choice of the man. This is the basic difference: one position says that God's choices are based on man's choices, while the other position says that man's choices are based on God's."
"I see. Both sides agree that man chooses, and both agree that God chooses. They differ over which is the foundational choice."
"Correct. And in making man's choice foundational, the biblical terminology is stood on its head."
"What do you mean?"
"Instead of many are called, but few are chosen, it becomes many are called but few choose. Instead of God's elect, we become God's electors."
"I agree that you have a point in many passages. But how would you handle the verses I used earlier?"
"Let's start with Peter. Notice what he does not say. He says nothing about cognitive foreknowledge of choices. He merely says that God's elect were elect according to the foreknowledge of the Father. The text does not tell us the content of that foreknowledge. Because both positions agree that God's election is according to foreknowledge, this verse proves nothing either way."
- Douglas Wilson, from Easy Chairs, Hard Words
* will pick up on Foreknowledge tomorrow where we left off today
Martin thought for a moment.
"And what would the scriptural evidence for this theory be?"
"Well, 1 Peter 1:2 says that certain Christians were elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father. And Romans 8:28 says something very similar. It says that those whom God foreknew, He predestined. . . ."
"Very well. Let's return to the whole idea of foreknowledge in a moment. But before we do that, we should carefully set out what you are saying."
"Fair enough."
"At some time in eternity, God looked down the corridors of time, into the future, and saw that Jones would have faith in Him, and that Smith would not."
"Right."
"On that basis, God elected Jones to salvation, and did not elect Smith."
"Right again."
"Now in this scenario, is God doing anything more than echoing the choice of Jones?"
"What do you mean?"
"It sounds like Jones is saying that he wants to be saved, and as a consequence, God says, `Me, too!' Is that all election is?"
"I wouldn't put it that way. God still makes the choice."
"Yes, but God makes His choice based upon the choice of the man. This is the basic difference: one position says that God's choices are based on man's choices, while the other position says that man's choices are based on God's."
"I see. Both sides agree that man chooses, and both agree that God chooses. They differ over which is the foundational choice."
"Correct. And in making man's choice foundational, the biblical terminology is stood on its head."
"What do you mean?"
"Instead of many are called, but few are chosen, it becomes many are called but few choose. Instead of God's elect, we become God's electors."
"I agree that you have a point in many passages. But how would you handle the verses I used earlier?"
"Let's start with Peter. Notice what he does not say. He says nothing about cognitive foreknowledge of choices. He merely says that God's elect were elect according to the foreknowledge of the Father. The text does not tell us the content of that foreknowledge. Because both positions agree that God's election is according to foreknowledge, this verse proves nothing either way."
- Douglas Wilson, from Easy Chairs, Hard Words
* will pick up on Foreknowledge tomorrow where we left off today
