Election in the NT is understood as GOD's selection in the distant past of those (whether angels or human beings) who will form the eschatological community of the holy. It is also GOD's choice of those who will serve Him in special ways.
 
A. Terminology
   A range of terms is used in the NT to describe divine election. Common are ekloge ("election") and eklektos ("elect," it denotes being the object of GOD's choice, except for Rom16:13); there are also eklegomai ("to choose"), suneklektos ("likewise chosen," only in 1Pet5:13). Three verbs which are used one time each for election are hairetizo ("to choose," in Matt12:18), haireo ("to choose," in 2Thess2:13), and tasso ("to ordain," in Acts13:48).
 
B. GOD's Choice of Individuals for Special Service
   There are a handful of NT references of GOD choosing an individual for a particular ministry. This choice for ministry has a rich OT background; GOD would show His choice for leaders (Num16:5; Hag2:23), priests (Deut18:5; 21:15), kings (1Sam15:28), and prophets (Jer1:5).
   The apostle Paul had a firm sense of GOD's choice of him to be the apostle to the Gentiles (Acts9:15; 13:47).
 
C. Jesus as the Elect Servant
   According to the NT, Jesus was chosen to fulfill the divine plan, that the Messiah would suffer and die, rise again, and rule over creation (e.g., see Acts3:20; Eph1:9-10; 1Pet1:20; Rev13:8). 1Peter2:4 refers to Christ as the Stone rejected by men, but "in GOD's sight chosen and precious." Some mss of the Gospels refer to Christ as the "Chosen
 

One" (eklektos) in connection with GOD's approval of Him as the "beloved Son" (in John1:34 and Luke9:35); this change probably reflects the link between election and the language of kingship in the early Church. Jesus' taunters accused Him of claiming to be "the Christ of GOD, His Chosen One" according to Luke23:35.
   The title derives either directly from the servant passages of Isaiah41-42 or indirectly through other sources.
   It is more likely that the Chosen Servant motif stems directly from Isaiah. The Servant Songs contain language of election and calling when speaking of the Servant Israel and of an individual Servant (cf. Isa41:8-9 with Isa42:1). Matthew12:18 contains the Christian paraphrase of Isa42:1: "This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: 'Behold, My servant whom I have chosen, My beloved with whom My soul is well pleased.' " The early Church read the Servant Songs as predictions of Jesus (Cullmann 1963: 51-82); their conviction that GOD had ordained Him as the Servant is found in Matt8:17; Isa53:7-8; and Acts3:13; 4:25,27,30; 8:32-33.
 
D. The Elect Angels
   Only in 1Tim5:21 does the NT speak of elect angels." Eklektos" here means "chosen," not "elite" or "choice," since Paul was calling on all angels to witness. The designation of "elect angels" is quite rare. Schrenk and Quell TDNT 4: 144-92 cite 1 En. 39:1 and Tob8:15 (contra the RSV) as parallels, but neither reference is unambiguous (TDNT 4: 185). This election is not to service (since again that would limit the number of angelic witnesses to Paul's oath) but to retain their holy status. The elect angels contrast with those who fell from their first estate (Jude6). The elect and holy angels will participate in the judgment (Matt24:31; 25:31; 2Thess1:2-8), while the wicked angels
 

will be judged (1Cor6:3).
 
E. The Corporate Election of Israel
   Particularly in Deuteronomy, Israel as a national whole is the "chosen" people of GOD, as in Deut7:6 "For you are a people holy to the LORD your GOD; the LORD your GOD has chosen you to be a people for His own possession, out of all the peoples that are on the face of the earth" (see Deut10:15; 14:2; Ps105:6, 43; Isa41:8). Election is coupled with the demand for holiness, since the elect nation must reflect the divine character.
   It is an oversimplification to say that the older idea of corporate election gives way to individual election in NT theology. In the OT too, there is progression toward a doctrine of individual election for members or the "remnant" (ROTT 2: 21-22). Even in the days of the prophets it was clear that "not all Israel is Israel." The doctrine of individual election developed out of the hope of the holy and elect remnant. In Isa65:9, "my chosen" form a distinct group within greater Israel who will find eschatological blessing (cf. also Isa10:20-23 and Isa14:1 - GOD "will again choose Israel").
   Paul bases his pivotal discussion in Romans9-11 on the dismissal of the Gospel by the majority of Jews. Paul has to explain why the "chosen people" are rejecting Jesus Christ. He thus reaches back to the remnant concept: history and revelation disclose that within the nation Israel there exist two classes: the unbelieving descendants of Abraham, and the elect believing remnant which GOD spares from downfall. Paul argues that the remnant of Israel (of which he is a part, Rom11:1-2) is now turning to Christ in belief through the preaching of the Gospel (Rom11:7). This remnant is "chosen by grace" (Rom11:5) and was foreknown (Rom11:2).
 
G. The Election of Individuals to Salvation
   In the apocalyptic literature and the literature of the Qumran community (especially CD) individual election comes to the fore more than it does in the OT; this was in order to distinguish the true saints from "false" Israel (TNDT 4: 170-71). But in the NT there is a bridge to the new nation, composed of Jews and Gentiles. The election of Gentiles is only broadly foreshadowed in the OT (see Amos9:12, in which the "nations" are called by GOD's name).
 
   1. "The Elect" in the Synoptic Tradition. There are a cluster of references in which Jesus speaks of "the elect" (from eklektos), usually in connection with the tribulation (Matt24:22, 24, 31; Mark13:20, 22, 27; Luke18:7). In its present setting, Luke18:7 claims GOD's general protection of His own. Nevertheless, eschatological events uncover whether an individual is elect (Pannenberg 1977: 55): although "many will fall away" (Matt24:10) the elect may be deceived by false christs and false prophets (Matt24:24). Then at His coming, the Son of Man will "gather His elect."

(Matt24:31). The fact of being elect is eschatologically revealed: "For many are called, but few are chosen" (Matt22:14).
   2. Election in Pauline Theology. In the Synoptic Gospels it is seldom explicit that it is GOD who chooses individuals. But Paul (with the Fourth Evangelist) develops the concept of election from a more theocentric standpoint. Here eklegomai and its synonyms have GOD as their subject: "GOD chose you from the beginning to be saved in sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth" (2Thess2:13).
   In 1Cor1:27-28, Paul analyzes the composition of the Church and makes it clear that the appeal of the Gospel to the lower classes is not merely sociologically defined. While this passage could be taken to refer to corporate election (TDNT 4: 174), individual election is logically demanded in 1:24, 26. The fact that the socioeconomic makeup of the Church is under GOD's control, is not accidental. And control over the Church's composition demands control over its parts.
   Paul develops the doctrine of election further in Rom8:28-38. GOD's choice of the individual is typically underscored in times of persecution. In 8:29-30 Paul sets forth an ordo salutis, and illustrates graphically and grammatically, that GOD does not lose any men or women between His choice in eternity past to their glorification (the "elect" first appear in 8:33). He seems to make election synonymous with "foreknew" in 8:29. Meanwhile, predestination is the next logical step, GOD's determination that the elect shall be Christlike. Paul speaks of "us" as those who are truly elect, not those who merely profess faith and then refuse to obey Christ, but those who persevere through tribulation to the end. Paul's emphasis on perseverance as well as preservation by GOD dovetails nicely with the promise of Matt24:24.
   In Pauline thought, the OT doctrine of the remnant points to personal election, that GOD has elected both Jews and Gentiles to be saved. One may therefore adduce the statements of Romans9-11 as data for the doctrine of individual election.

   The modern trend is to read Romans9-11 as a treatise on the nature of Israel rather than a theology of election (Kummel 1973: 232). But the passage must be read in the light of its two connects, both with the issue of Jewish salvation, and with his treatment of soteriological election in Rom8:28-38. Far from being limited to one idea in Romans9-11, the context indicates that Paul is speaking both of Israel's destiny and election to salvation.
   Paul seldom theologizes out of context. So following his description of GOD's election, he applies the doctrine to the problem of Jewish unbelief. He shows that the reason Jews

are not turning to Christ as a nation is that GOD has not elected all the Jews to belief in Christ (Rom9:11). The Scriptures teach that GOD's choice is prior to one's own existence (Rom9:1-18) and that election is divine prerogative (Rom9:19-24). With the prophets, Paul defines Israel as the sum of elect Jews (for him, the Jews elect in Christ together with the elect "Gentiles") share the blessings of Abraham. While divine election is chronologically prior to faith in Christ, the apostle Paul emphasizes the vital importance of justification by faith - the elect come to light only as they believe in Christ (Romans10; 2Pet1:10).
   When Paul speaks of the basis for GOD's election, he refers to divine grace (Rom11:5; according to 2Tim1:9 Christians are called by GOD's purpose and grace determined "ages ago"). He clearly spells out that election cannot be attained either through sincere effort (Rom9:30) nor through works (Rom11:6) nor through high social status (1Cor1:27-28).
   Ephesians1:4 and Col3:12 both indicate that the end of election is holiness (see Rom8:29); in fact, Ephesians is in part a treatise on the destiny of the Church from prehistory to its eternal witness to the love of GOD.
   Paul's theology of election was not developed in a vacuum; it was shaped by his own experiences. He was aware of his own unworthiness as a former persecutor of the Church (Phil3:2-7; 1Tim1:15-16). Thus in Gal1:13-16 he must say that "He who had set me apart before I was born, and had called me through His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son to me." So also in Acts22:14: "And he said, 'The GOD of our fathers appointed you to know His will, to see the Just One and to hear a voice from His mouth.'" These two passages cannot be reduced to a mere "missionary call," since his call to faith and his call to mission cannot be separated (see also Acts13:47). Paul knew he was given both salvation and apostleship through GOD's gracious purpose.
   Paul's missionary experiences also reinforced the theology of divine sovereignty. This fact may be the reason why he closely links election to the "call" of GOD (evidenced by conversion). He tells the Thessalonians that the evidence for their election (1Thess1:4) is the fact that the Spirit powerfully called them from idols to GOD (1Thess1:5-10).
   Paul links election with GOD's foreknowing (proginosko) in Rom8:29 and 11:2 (cf. 1Pet1:2). While Arminian theologians take foreknowledge as prescience of individual faith, it is significant that the object of divine foreknowledge is never specified. It is perhaps the person himself who is foreknown (Rom8:29 "whom He did foreknow"). Foreknowledge as attributed to GOD has the flavor of ordaining the future rather than merely knowing the future (TDNT 1: 715); this is the meaning it most certainly has in regard to Christ in 1Pet1:20. Thus 1Pet1:2, which in the original speaks of election "according to the foreknowledge of GOD," is well rendered as "chosen and destined by GOD the Father."
 

   3. Election in the Gospel of John. John emphasizes the Son's role in election. The Father is said to have "given" the elect to the Son (John6:37; 17:2,6,9), and Jesus states in John6:44 that the Father "draws" them to eternal life. The latter concept seems to be equivalent to the Pauline idea of the "call" of GOD to saving faith.
   In John15:16 Jesus contends: "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit..." (see also 15:19). While this might be read as the call to apostleship, the previous context indicates that he is speaking of "bearing fruit" with those who abide in the True Vine. This choosing is therefore soteriological and makes the Son the chooser of the elect along with the Father.
   4. Election in Other NT Literature. Acts13:48 contains the striking statement, that "as many as were ordained to eternal life believed." Grammatically it is next to impossible to make the foreordination contingent upon individual faith; rather, Acts postulates with Paul (as in 2Thess2:13) that the decision to believe the Gospel follows from GOD's choice of the elect.
   While Jas2:5 gives a clear picture of election based on the Beatitudes of Jesus, it is remarkably similar to 1Cor2:27-28: "Has not GOD chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom ...?"
   1Peter mentions the concept of individual election in 1:2: "chosen and destined by GOD the Father and sanctified by the Spirit for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with His blood."
   In Rev17:14 Christ's people are said to be "called and chosen and faithful." Prominent, too, is the traditional Book of Life, containing the names of the true saints (Rev3:5; 13:8; 17:8; cf. Luke10:20).
   In all these references to individual election, it is particularly noteworthy that election and faith or faithfulness are linked together. Election is known through its fruit of conversion and perseverance.
   5. Individual Election in Christian Theology. Biblically distinct, election and predestination are often interchangeable terms in theological parlance. The meaning of the Biblical doctrine of election has been disputed throughout history, particularly in the clashes over Pelagianism in the 5th and 6th centuries and during the Reformation (Berkhouwer 1960: 28-52; Jewett 1985: 5-23). The common denominator is an anthropological question: does fallen humankind yet possess the freedom to turn to salvation apart from elective grace and an efficacious call of the Spirit, or does natural depravity preclude such "freedom of the will?"

   The chains which bind a man's will to sin do not result from the actions of the Omnipotent GOD. The binding chains are the man's own depraved faculties. The prison is his own nature.
 

   Our LORD's rhetorical question in Mat12:34 brings this home with force: 'O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things?' Our wise LORD is suggesting that a man must speak as he does because of what he is. To sinners He was saying 'You are unable to choose good words because you possess an evil heart. If the tree is bad, if the treasure chest is filled with evil things alone, if the fountain is bitter, your will cannot produce good words [fruits, treasures, overflow].'
 

   At this point there are very many scriptures which attest to a man's bondage to sin by his own nature. To mention but a few - Jeremiah13.23: 'Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? Then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil;' John6.44: 'No man can come to Me, except the Father which hath sent Me draw him;' Romans8.7: 'The carnal mind . . . is not subject to the law of GOD, neither indeed can be.'   [see Man's will]