Election
Before the foundation of the world, whom does God choose, and on what terms?
Election is God's choosing of persons for salvation, a theme drawn from Romans 8 and 9, Ephesians 1, and the writings of Augustine. The traditions differ sharply on its terms: the Augustinian and Reformed traditions hold election to be unconditional, resting on God's free grace alone, while synergist traditions understand it as conditional, taking account of foreseen human response. The debate turns on how grace and human freedom relate in salvation.
How it traveled
- 1 PeterRome · 64explains
- RomansCorinth · 67explains
- EphesiansRome · 67explains
- 1 CorinthiansEphesus · 67applies
- 2 ThessaloniansCorinth · 67explains
- MatthewAntioch · 80explains
- ActsRome · 84explains
- JohnEphesus · 100explains
- RevelationPatmos · 100explains
- The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Paul's Epistle to the RomansConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- The Commentary and Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Galatians and EphesiansConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- A Commentary on the Acts of the ApostlesConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- The Homilies of St. John ChrysostomConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Timothy, Titus, and PhilemonConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Gospel of St. JohnConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Philippians, Colossians, and ThessaloniansConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- Jerome's Apology for Himself Against the Books of RufinusAquileia · 411explains
- A Treatise on the Predestination of the SaintsHippo Regius · 430explains
- City of GodHippo Regius · 430explains
- A Treatise on Rebuke and GraceHippo Regius · 430explains
- Lectures or Tractates on the Gospel According to St. JohnHippo Regius · 430explains
- Expositions on the Book of PsalmsHippo Regius · 430explains
- A Treatise Against Two Letters of the PelagiansHippo Regius · 430explains
- The EnchiridionHippo Regius · 430explains
- On PatienceHippo Regius · 430explains
- A Treatise on Grace and Free WillHippo Regius · 430explains
- Treatise on The One God (QQ[2-26])Paris · 1274explains
- Discussion: Second PartWittenberg · 1546explains
- Book Third. the Mode of Obtaining the Grace of Christ. the Benefits It Confers, and the Effects Resulting from ItGeneva · 1564explains
- Book Second. of the Knowledge of God the Redeemer, in Christ, as First Manifested to the Fathers, Under the Law, and Thereafter to Us Under the GospelGeneva · 1564explains
- Book Fourth. of the Holy Catholic ChurchGeneva · 1564explains
- Book First. of the Knowledge of God the CreatorGeneva · 1564explains
- Seventeen Occasional SermonsNorthampton, Massachusetts · 1758explains
- XIV Five discourses on the soul's eternal salvationNorthampton, Massachusetts · 1758explains
- A History of the Work of RedemptionNorthampton, Massachusetts · 1758explains
- Inquiry Concerning Qualification for CommunionNorthampton, Massachusetts · 1758explains
- Dissertation on the End for Which God Created the WorldNorthampton, Massachusetts · 1758explains
- a careful and strict inquiry into the prevailing notions of the freedom of willNorthampton, Massachusetts · 1758explains
- Five Sermons. On Different OccasionsNorthampton, Massachusetts · 1758explains
Key passages(20)
Church Dogmatics · Karl Barth
Seventeen Occasional Sermons · Jonathan Edwards
It is not from any foresight of good works that men do before or after conversion; but on the contrary, men do good works because God hath chosen them. John xv. 16. “Ye have not chosen me, but I have
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Book Third. the Mode of Obtaining the Grace of Christ. the Benefits It Confers, and the Effects Resulting from It · John Calvin
OF THE ETERNAL ELECTION, BY WHICH GOD HAS PREDESTINATED SOME TO SALVATION, AND OTHERS TO DESTRUCTION. The divisions of this chapter are,—I. The necessity and utility of the doctrine of eternal Electi
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Book Third. the Mode of Obtaining the Grace of Christ. the Benefits It Confers, and the Effects Resulting from It · John Calvin
7. Although it is now sufficiently plain that God by his secret counsel chooses whom he will while he rejects others, his gratuitous election has only been partially explained until we come to the cas
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Book Third. the Mode of Obtaining the Grace of Christ. the Benefits It Confers, and the Effects Resulting from It · John Calvin
ELECTION CONFIRMED BY THE CALLING OF GOD. THE REPROBATE BRING UPON THEMSELVES THE RIGHTEOUS DESTRUCTION TO WHICH THEY ARE DOOMED. The title of this chapter shows that it consists of two parts,—I. The
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Book Third. the Mode of Obtaining the Grace of Christ. the Benefits It Confers, and the Effects Resulting from It · John Calvin
3. Two errors are here to be avoided. Some make man a fellow-worker with God in such a sense, that man’s suffrage ratifies election, so that, according to them, the will of man is superior to the coun
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Book Third. the Mode of Obtaining the Grace of Christ. the Benefits It Confers, and the Effects Resulting from It · John Calvin
5. First, if we seek for the paternal mercy and favor of God, we must turn our eyes to Christ, in whom alone the Father is well pleased (Mt. 3:17). When we seek for salvation, life, and a blessed immo
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A Treatise on the Predestination of the Saints · Augustine of Hippo
Chapter 37.—We Were Elected and Predestinated, Not Because We Were Going to Be Holy, But in Order that We Might Be So. It would be too tedious to argue about the several points. But you see without d
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Book Third. the Mode of Obtaining the Grace of Christ. the Benefits It Confers, and the Effects Resulting from It · John Calvin
5. The predestination by which God adopts some to the hope of life, and adjudges others to eternal death, no man who would be thought pious ventures simply to deny; but it is greatly caviled at, espec
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But we are bound to always give thanks to God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief in the truth;
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A Treatise Against Two Letters of the Pelagians · Augustine of Hippo
Chapter 16.—Why God Makes of Some Sheep, Others Not. But wherefore does God make these men sheep, and those not, since with Him there is no acceptance of persons? This is the very question which the
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A Treatise on Rebuke and Grace · Augustine of Hippo
Chapter 13.—Election is of Grace, Not of Merit. Whosoever, then, are made to differ from that original condemnation by such bounty of divine Rom. xi. 6. Matt. xx. 16.
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Book Third. the Mode of Obtaining the Grace of Christ. the Benefits It Confers, and the Effects Resulting from It · John Calvin
6. We must add a second step of a more limited nature, or one in which the grace of God was displayed in a more special form, when of the same family of Abraham God rejected some, and by keeping other
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Book Third. the Mode of Obtaining the Grace of Christ. the Benefits It Confers, and the Effects Resulting from It · John Calvin
THIS DOCTRINE CONFIRMED BY PROOFS FROM SCRIPTURE. The divisions of this chapter are,—I. A confirmation of the orthodox doctrine in opposition to two classes of individuals. This confirmation founded
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Book Third. the Mode of Obtaining the Grace of Christ. the Benefits It Confers, and the Effects Resulting from It · John Calvin
3. Wherever this good pleasure of God reigns, no good works are taken into account. The Apostle, indeed, does not follow out the antithesis, but it is to be understood, as he himself explains it in an
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Book Third. the Mode of Obtaining the Grace of Christ. the Benefits It Confers, and the Effects Resulting from It · John Calvin
6. Should any one object that these minute and inferior favors do not enable us to decide with regard to the future life, that it is not to be supposed that he who received the honor of primogeniture
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Book Third. the Mode of Obtaining the Grace of Christ. the Benefits It Confers, and the Effects Resulting from It · John Calvin
7. Now, let the supreme Judge and Master decide on the whole case. Seeing such obduracy in his hearers, that his words fell upon John 6:37, 39). Observe that the donation of the Father is the first st
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Book Third. the Mode of Obtaining the Grace of Christ. the Benefits It Confers, and the Effects Resulting from It · John Calvin
But it is said, there is a mutual agreement between faith and the word. That must be wherever there is faith. But it is no new thing for the seed to fall among thorns or in stony places; not only beca
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Book Third. the Mode of Obtaining the Grace of Christ. the Benefits It Confers, and the Effects Resulting from It · John Calvin
14. It now remains to see why the Lord acts in the manner in which it is plain that he does. If the answer be given, that it is because men deserve this by their impiety, wickedness, and ingratitude,
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Book Third. the Mode of Obtaining the Grace of Christ. the Benefits It Confers, and the Effects Resulting from It · John Calvin
16. The second passage adduced is that in which Paul says that “God will have all men to be saved,” (1 Tim. 2:4). Though the reason here differs from the former, they have somewhat in common. Deut. 4:
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Modern teachers who discuss this idea
Modern and living teachers whose books take up Election. These works are still in copyright, so we can’t show the text here — each links out to the book.
- Karl BarthChurch Dogmatics(1932)View on Amazon→