For many are called, but few are chosen!

Davy

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Thank you for your comments Davy, I did look at these scriptures and understand your reasoning and conclusions based on what is written. Do the one's who fall away (do not continue to follow Christ) enter into the kingdom of heaven? Or, because they chose to not remain in the vine, they become withered branches that bare no fruit and are thrown into the burning fire by the Angels of the Lord in the end?

Very deep subject, takes a lot of Bible study. The matter is about spiritual blindness vs. accountability. Recall how Apostle Paul was once a Pharisee and persecuted Christians, even holding the coats of those who stoned Christ's prophet Stephen. Yet he did it in ignorance, even as Paul himself said. Contrast Paul with the example in Hebrews 5 of one being given undeniable proof of God and the powers of the world to come, but then turns away. Can one given proof that turns away be given another chance? It's not really up to us to decide, but I believe that is the unpardonable sin that will not be forgiven in this world nor in the next, and that it can only be committed by one of Christ's elect that has been given proof. It would be as if Apostle Paul refused to follow Christ when He struck Paul down on the road to Damascus to bring Paul into His service. Paul would be committing the unpardonable sin.
 
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HenSoma-OneBody

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Very deep subject, takes a lot of Bible study. The matter is about spiritual blindness vs. accountability. Recall how Apostle Paul was once a Pharisee and persecuted Christians, even holding the coats of those who stoned Christ's prophet Stephen. Yet he did it in ignorance, even as Paul himself said. Contrast Paul with the example in Hebrews 5 of one being given undeniable proof of God and the powers of the world to come, but then turns away. Can one given proof that turns away be given another chance? It's not really up to us to decide, but I believe that is the unpardonable sin that will not be forgiven in this world nor in the next, and that it can only be committed by one of Christ's elect that has been given proof. It would be as if Apostle Paul refused to follow Christ when He struck Paul down on the road to Damascus to bring Paul into His service. Paul would be committing the unpardonable sin.
Thank you for your comments on this difficult subject Davy.
 
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HenSoma-OneBody

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Some commentaries note that in Semitic practice, "many" often means "all" and "few" means not all. That would be consistent, since the whole world is brought in, but only one is found without a proper robe.
I see.
 
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BBAS 64

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“While He (Jesus) was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many people saw the signs He was doing and believed in His name. But Jesus did not entrust Himself to them, for He knew them all. He did not need any testimony about man, for He knew what was in a man.” John 2:23-25 Jesus said, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to Me will never hunger, and whoever believes in Me will never thirst. But as I stated, you have seen Me and still you do not believe.” John 6:35-36

However, just after these things, many who believed claimed that this teaching was too hard and they stopped following Him. Jesus explained, “This is why I told you that no one can come to Me unless the Father has granted it to him. From that time on many of His disciples turned back and no longer walked with Him.” John 6:65-66 It is true that many who believe in Jesus’ name will end up walking away and no longer follow Christ once their faith is tested or they are pressed to separate themselves from the things of this world (see the Parable of the Sower: Matthew 13:1-13 & 13:18-23).

What do you believe Jesus was telling us when He said, “For many are called, but few are chosen?” Matthew 22:14


Good Day,

With in the historical context of a royal wedding the wedding clothes are provided by the King , he choses who will attend the wedding and who will not.

In Him,

Bill
 
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HenSoma-OneBody

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Good Day,

With in the historical context of a royal wedding the wedding clothes are provided by the King , he choses who will attend the wedding and who will not.

In Him,

Bill
The beauty of this is that He invited everyone regardless of their condition. Once they were there, He chose from among those called. He did this according to His criteria and not based on what those who were called may have thought.
 
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Nathan@work

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Good Day,

With in the historical context of a royal wedding the wedding clothes are provided by the King , he choses who will attend the wedding and who will not.

In Him,

Bill

The man without the robe obviously had rejected it when entering the feast.

The King would not have invited them without giving them the garment, and most certainly would not have asked where his was if he was rejected one or it was not offered.
 
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BBAS 64

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The man without the robe obviously had rejected it when entering the feast.

The King would not have invited them without giving them the garment, and most certainly would not have asked where his was if he was rejected one or it was not offered.

So... this "man" went knowing he would be offered clothing, and went knowing he would refuse it.

Kind of illogical for sure and certainly that would be an assertion from silence but OK...

In Him,

Bill
 
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BNR32FAN

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“While He (Jesus) was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many people saw the signs He was doing and believed in His name. But Jesus did not entrust Himself to them, for He knew them all. He did not need any testimony about man, for He knew what was in a man.” John 2:23-25 Jesus said, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to Me will never hunger, and whoever believes in Me will never thirst. But as I stated, you have seen Me and still you do not believe.” John 6:35-36

However, just after these things, many who believed claimed that this teaching was too hard and they stopped following Him. Jesus explained, “This is why I told you that no one can come to Me unless the Father has granted it to him. From that time on many of His disciples turned back and no longer walked with Him.” John 6:65-66 It is true that many who believe in Jesus’ name will end up walking away and no longer follow Christ once their faith is tested or they are pressed to separate themselves from the things of this world (see the Parable of the Sower: Matthew 13:1-13 & 13:18-23).

What do you believe Jesus was telling us when He said, “For many are called, but few are chosen?” Matthew 22:14

All are called by the grace of God but few are written in the book of life according to His foreknowledge of those who would abide in Christ and endure to the end.
 
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Nathan@work

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So... this "man" went knowing he would be offered clothing, and went knowing he would refuse it.

Kind of illogical for sure and certainly that would be an assertion from silence but OK...

In Him,

Bill

He may or may not have known he would be offered clothing. That would not be the point. The clothing was not offered at the invitation to come to the feast, it was offered to the guests when they got there.

The point is we know he was offered it, and we know he was not wearing it. I highly doubt it was because it did not fit. ;)

Man is illogical to a fault. The silence he had was a self-imposed silence - meaning he realized he made an illogical decision.
 
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hedrick

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Good Day,

With in the historical context of a royal wedding the wedding clothes are provided by the King , he choses who will attend the wedding and who will not.
I checked 3 commentaries. One mentioned this. Here's what it said:

"Some hold that hosts may have provided wedding garments to guests at the door, for which there is some but slight evidence (Bultmann 1968: 202 cites b. Shab. 152b; cf. 2 Kings 10:22). But most commentators think that “wedding garments” refer simply to clean garments as opposed to soiled ones; to come to a wedding in a soiled garment insulted the host, and this host was in no further mood to be insulted."

Keener, C. S. (2009). The Gospel of Matthew: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary (p. 522).

The other 2 commentaries didn't mention this possibility at all.
 
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TheTrueWay

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All are called by the grace of God but few are written in the book of life according to His foreknowledge of those who would abide in Christ and endure to the end.
I find this so discouraging. I don't remember anything being said about this when people shared about becoming a Christian with me. I became more aware later. Not wanting to derail the thread but when discussions like this are had it just seems to be a different to that which I was taught in the beginning and even later which emphasises love and blessing but little about the hard stuff!
 
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Nathan@work

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I checked 3 commentaries. One mentioned this. Here's what it said:

"Some hold that hosts may have provided wedding garments to guests at the door, for which there is some but slight evidence (Bultmann 1968: 202 cites b. Shab. 152b; cf. 2 Kings 10:22). But most commentators think that “wedding garments” refer simply to clean garments as opposed to soiled ones; to come to a wedding in a soiled garment insulted the host, and this host was in no further mood to be insulted."

Keener, C. S. (2009). The Gospel of Matthew: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary (p. 522).

The other 2 commentaries didn't mention this possibility at all.

Revelation 6, 7, and 19 are good insight to the fact that robes are given.

Not to mention a lot of historical material also describes it.
 
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Nathan@work

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I find this so discouraging. I don't remember anything being said about this when people shared about becoming a Christian with me. I became more aware later. Not wanting to derail the thread but when discussions like this are had it just seems to be a different to that which I was taught in the beginning and even later which emphasises love and blessing but little about the hard stuff!

Just because you read it on the internet doesn’t mean it’s true. ;)
 
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Davy

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I find this so discouraging. I don't remember anything being said about this when people shared about becoming a Christian with me. I became more aware later. Not wanting to derail the thread but when discussions like this are had it just seems to be a different to that which I was taught in the beginning and even later which emphasises love and blessing but little about the hard stuff!

There's a lot in God's Word that is of hard understanding for those on the 'milk' of God's Word. The "strong meat" is required to 'get' the hard stuff. And that "strong meat" doesn't come from man, it comes from studying God's Word His way, by The Holy Spirit. No man can intercede in that respect, and that's what many lack in their Bible study. Wait until you get into understanding when it was that Satan committed the very first sin in the old world.
 
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BNR32FAN

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I find this so discouraging. I don't remember anything being said about this when people shared about becoming a Christian with me. I became more aware later. Not wanting to derail the thread but when discussions like this are had it just seems to be a different to that which I was taught in the beginning and even later which emphasises love and blessing but little about the hard stuff!

Yes unfortunately there are many who think they have it figured out except every once in a while they come across scriptures that they just can’t understand because they refute their theology. So people will often search for ways to skirt around the message or just skip it all together in order to hang on to their doctrines. John 15:1-10 is one of these that many people will just refuse to accept for what it clearly says.
 
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Fervent

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Considering the parable is about the original wedding guests refusing and the invitation going to another group, the punchline "many are called, but few are chosen" likely is a play on words involving the status of the Jews as the "chosen people." To extend this to a teaching on soteriology isn't entirely appropriate because as with a lot of Jesus' parables it is prophetic in nature. It's better linked with "You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to." which follows in Matthew 23 than with John's discussions or parables from earlier in Matthew.
 
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Nathan@work

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Considering the parable is about the original wedding guests refusing and the invitation going to another group, the punchline "many are called, but few are chosen" likely is a play on words involving the status of the Jews as the "chosen people." To extend this to a teaching on soteriology isn't entirely appropriate because as with a lot of Jesus' parables it is prophetic in nature. It's better linked with "You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to." which follows in Matthew 23 than with John's discussions or parables from earlier in Matthew.
If you look at what is written, it is better if you apply what He said to what He was saying in the previous chapter.

It starts off with “And again....”

Chapter and verse numbers are there only to help, but sometimes cause us confusion.
 
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Fervent

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If you look at what is written, it is better if you apply what He said to what He was saying in the previous chapter.

It starts off with “And again....”

Chapter and verse numbers are there only to help, but sometimes cause us confusion.
Whether you're connecting it with what preceded in Matthew 21, or what follows in 23 it remains connected with the removal of the kingdom from the Jews. The discourses prior to the passion are all about the prophetic nature of the removal of the kingdom, and that it is the Jews own disobedience that creates it which is demonstrated in both the parables and with the increasing treachery of his opponents.
 
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