was, according to the OT, that God ttai I II l;lirniigh
Him the Church. God had chosen II 1 1 n to be
both Lord and Christ. He luul h :i .mik of
i. p. 81). 'TheChriM Ki ., as a communion resting on n - 1 1 i • .
We must not forget. In. re- election has its roots struck which issued in the Incaiii.i from the latter, which is the m of the former, we cannot
.It this Mivine ill the election ti<l that, apart and guarantee he existence of an elect race ' (v/xeh di y^fo^ eK\eKT6i>, 1 P 2"). This was apprehended very soon liy the Fatliers of the Church, who never separate the idea of the elec- tion of Jesus from that of the comiiiuiiity (o ^nXe^d- fj.€i/o? rbv Kl/ptoy 'Ifioovv Xpiartiv Kal ijad-i di avrov, K.T.X., Clem. Rom. Ep. rir/ <_',„: Ixiv. ;' cf. also tlie Paulinism 6 Xady 6v rjToiixaafi' iv tQi -q-^air-q^h't^ auroi), Ep. of Barnabas iii. 6). While it is recognized that the ultimate Author of all elective purpose is God the Father, it is agreed that the active Agent in
giving expression to tlie Divine decree is the Son, apart from whom (el firj 5i' ifioD, Jn 14*) it is not only impossible for men to approach God, but even to hear tlie voice of that calling (/.X^ireus 4novpavLov, He 31, cf. 12-''') whicli He addresses to them in Christ (6 KaXiaas i/xas . . . ei> Xpitrrijj, 1 P 5'"), and which, when heard, is the antecedent condition of their (.lection (tf 2 P V, see oi kXtjtoI Kal iK\eKTol Kal ■wi<Troi Re\ W*)
Is 01 IS the teaching of Jesus Himself devoid of references to those chosen by God out of mankind
'as vessels made f He indirectly tells lluence in the Di which makes for The awful scenes ;
((f 2Ti'2=i, Ro n-').
It in the aniiil,il;iti<.i, ..I il,
il.i.ii I inli,d,ii;iiits, wereitnot that, ■ f.n- ihr s.-ikr
I'f his rhosrii,' ilie Lord (some of tl lil l,;iliii
M-isinns K'.-iil Ih-iis) had determined t<i cut .sIhuI the duration of that period (cf. Mk 13-" = Mt 24'--, in both of which passages occurs the verb koXo^ovv, found nowhere else in the NT, showing the inter- dependence of the two authors, although the forms of the verb in both places are not the same). St. Luke does not make any mention in this part of his record of the elect, but curiously enough he makes a reference to the vengeance of God being wreaked (ijixipai. iKSLK-qacw^, Lk 21--) on the un- fortunate city, which reminds us of the v\ords of .lesus contained in another passage in the same Gospel. Jesus there is said to speak of God 'avenging his elect' (6 Si Seos 01' /x-ij Troi-qari Tr)v (k- SIktictiv tQv iK\(KTwv avTov, Lk 18'). It may be per- missilile to ('onjecture that St. Luke omitted to niriition Jc-n-.' reference to the elect in the former colli iM li.'.jn-e of the promise imjilied in the iiilci i..;j:iiiii \ riiience just quoted. On the other liaiiii. il i~ |iiissilile that adisplaceiiient has occurred ill till' text, with the result th.-it vc lia\e a double ivfirciK (• to God's activity on lirJi.'iU of His chosen, .■,h1i lifiiig .suitable to th.- trxiu.il position it 01 riipii's. The subject of the- ]irayris of those who appeal (tui> ^ouvtoiv avrv) ' day and night ' is that, in the first place, they may be delivered from in- justice ; anil, secondly, that they may soon see the vengeance of God active on their behalf against those who oijpress them (cf. (KSlK-qa6v ixe airb toO avri- SIkov fioii, Lk 18', where the first idea is prominent : and eKdiKfU . . . ec tUv, k.t.X., Rev 6I", in whicli the second thought is emiiliasized : cf. also the
reference to the cry of Abel's 1.1 1 for \.'iigeance,
cf. He 12=^ = Gn 41"). It is |.o ilih ih;it, by in- terpreting the cry of the eled III iliis iwotohl sense, we are able to obtain a clearer idea ol the meaning of the ' longsutl'ering ' of God with regard to them (liaKpodvixei iv avTois). The ambiguity of the ex- pression is mitigated if we remember that the patience of God is needed even by His elect, whose insistent (cf. tpunrj /MeydXr], Rev 61°, and rnxipa^ Kal vvKTd!, Lk 18') appeal for vengeance on their enemies .and oppressors is not in harmony with the voice of that blood by which they were redeemed (aliia f}avTitrfioO, He 12-^). Much more, of course, does the patient waiting of God, sometimes amounting even to seeming tardiness, reveal His tenderness when exemplified in the case of those who torment His elect (Cits nva /SpaSurfiTa riyovvTai, •2 V 3"). Arising out of this thought we are not
512
ELECT, ELECTION
ELECT, ELECTION
surprised to find on more than one occasion that not only is it insufticient for their final acceptance that min should be ' called' (cf. the contract ttoXXoI K^rrrcl and oXi7<" «>^«"'. ^t 22") for this is in harmony with much of Jesus' teaching elsewhere (cf Mt 7=^- =« etc.), but that there is even a danger that the elect may lose that to and for which they were chosen (see . . . dTro^Xa^?^ . . . J"""'"'^^;^"^'; Mk 13-- cf Mt 24-^ ; ei Swardv can liaidly be an irapUed 'assertion of the impossibility of success attending the efforts of the false teachers to lead astray the elect; it rather refers to that object whicii they had in view). Another and a fui-thei condition must be fulfilled before the chosen of God may claim the salvation to which Uiey were elected (. . . ^^^j^^^f ^'7^,;^''' ^"^'n 'T On more than one occasion Jesus insists on the necessity of endurance or perseverance up to the very end of their experiences (o "roMei>;as ... <ru,4<rera., Mk 13'= = Mt 24'^; cf. Mt }f, Eph 6 «), and, on the other hand, we are JvLstified m apply- in" to this place His warning, which He gave to thSse whose joy in receiving the gospel niessa-e was but a transitory (7rp6ir/caipos, Mtld- -iVlKi ) emotion. Of a like nature is the i°"dental i^; mark of the seer of the Apocalypse, that Jesu.s companions in His warfare with 'the beast are those who not only were called and elected, but whose calling and election had been crowned by their enduring faithfulness (Trid-roi, Rev 17 ). VV e are thus able to appreciate the anxiety of later Christian writers, who emphasized this part ot Jesus' teaching, and who reminded their readers tliat their entrance into the eternal kingdom ot Jesus was conditioned by their enduring zeal ; for in this way alone their ' calling ' and election were made stable and lasting and certain (iSf^aia./ i-tiuf T'qv K\i)<iiy Kal iK\orp]v Troierfff^ai, 2 P 1 H