UpoytvcjoftG) is compounded of ttqo, before, and yiv6aKw, of which the primary sense is to know, and the secondary sense to approve, e. g., 2 Tim. ii., 19 ; John x., 14, 15 ; Rom. vii., 15. This word occurs five times in the New Testament. Twice, e. g., Acts xxvi., 5, and 2 Pet. ih\ 17, it signifies previous knowledge, apprehension, simply. In the remaining three instances, Eom. viii., 29 ; xi., 2 ; 1 Pet. i., 20, it is used in the secondary sense of approve beforehand. This is made evident from the context, for it is used to designate the ground of God's predestination of individuals to salvation, which elsewhere is expressly said to be " not according to our works, but according to his own purpose
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and grace/' and "to the good pleasure of his will," 2 Tim. i., 9 ; Rom. ix., 11 ; Eph. i., 5.
ILgnyvwotg occurs but twice in the New Testament, e. g., Acts ii., 23, and 1 Pet. i. 2, in both of which instances it evidently sig- nifies approbation, or choice from beforehand. It is explained by the equivalent phrase " determinate counsel."
3. What is the New Testament usage of the words e/cAeyw (to elect) and hXoyrj (election) ?
'EftAeyw occurs twenty-one times in the New Testament. It is used to signify, 1st, Christ's choice of men to be apostles, Luke vi., 13 ; John vi., 70. 2d. God's choice of the Jewish nation as a peculiar people, Acts xiii., 17. 3d. the choice of men by God, or by the church for some special service, Acts xv., 7, 22. 4th. The choice made by Mary of the better part, Luke x., 42. 5th. In the great majority of instances God's eternal election of indi- vidual men to everlasting life, John xv., 16 ; 1 Cor. i., 27, 28 ; Eph. i., 4 ; James ii., 5.
'Eh-Xoyrj occurs seven times in the New Testament. Once it signifies an election to the apostolic office. — Acts ix., 15. Once it signifies those chosen to eternal life. — Rom. xi., 7. In every other case it signifies the purpose or the act of God in choosing his own people to salvation. — Rom. ix., 11; xi., 5, 28 ; 1 Thes. i., 4 ; 2 Pet. i., 10.
4. To whom is election referred in the Scriptures ?
The eternal decree, as a whole, and in all its parts, is doubt- less the concurrent act of all the three persons of the Trinity, in their perfect oneness of counsel and will.
But in the economy of salvation, as revealed to us, the act of sovereign election is specially attributed to the Father, as his personal part, even as redemption is attributed to the Son, and sanctification to the Spirit. — John xvii., 6, 9 ; vi., 64, 65 ; 1 Thes. v. 9.
5. Are individuals, classes, or communities, the object of election ?
The word " election" (as shown above, question 3) is applied to the designation by God of certain nations and classes of men to privileges and offices in the visible church. But that it is also
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applied to the eternal election of individuals to salvation is evident.
1st. The subjects of this election are everywhere spoken of as individuals. — Acts xiii., 48 ; Eph. i., 4 ; 2 Thes. ii., 13.
2d. The elect are distinguished from the general community of the visible church. All Israel, as a body, did not obtain that which they sought for, the election obtained it, and the rest were blinded. — Eom. xi., 7.
3d. The names of these are said " to be written in heaven/' and to be " in the book of life."— Heb. xii., 23 ; Phil, iv., 3.
4th. The blessings which this election secures are such as per- tains to individuals alone, and not to classes or communities as such, e.g., "salvation," "adoption of sons," "to be conformed to the image of God's Son." — 2 Thes. ii., 13 ; Eph. i., 5 ; Kom. viii., 29.
6. What is the Supra-lajosarian theory of 'predestination ?
The term supra-lapsarian (supra lapsum) designates that view of the various provisions of the divine decree in their logical rela- tions which supposes that the ultimate end which G-od proposed to himself, was his own glory in the salvation of some men and in the damnation of others, and that, as a means to that end, he de- creed to create man, and to permit him to fall. According to this view, man simply as creatible, and fallible, and not as actu- ally created or fallen, is the object of election and reprobation. The order of the decrees would then be, 1st. Of all possible men, Grod first decreed the salvation of some and the damnation of others, for the end of his own glory. 2d. He decreed, as a means to that end, to create those already elected or reprobated. 3d. He decreed to permit them to fall. 4th. He decreed to provide a salvation for the elect.
7. What are the objections to this theory ?
1st. It involves logical confusion. Man creatible is a nonen- tity. He could not have been loved or chosen unless considered as created.
2d. The whole language of Scripture upon this subject im- plies that the " elect" are chosen as the objects of eternal love, not
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