“For many are called, but few are chosen.” —Matthew 22:14

redleghunter said:

The larger text below and poll is up.

Does this passage mean there is a difference between calling and choosing? It seems so.

How would one come to an understanding that a multitude would be called and then only some chosen?

In this case we can see the Gospel is this large general call as we are commanded by Christ to preach it to the world. The “few are chosen” is solely the work of God or what is called an effectual call from God. God provides the wedding garment.

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I think you have got this right! There is a proper distinction between the general call, which is the proclamation of the gospel, and the effectual call, which is the regenerative work of the Holy Spirit. Context is imperative to rightly interpreting the difference.

Lets take it back to the verse in Matthew which started everything.

Mat. 22:14
For many are called, but few are chosen. [/QUOTE]

Jesus was speaking directly to and only about the Jewish People (Nation)
and not all of humanity (Mankind), or Gentiles.

The Jews of that Time, Generation, are the only ones who are referred to in the Bible as.

My reasoning is as follows.

These are the ELECT, or CHOSEN.

Rom. 9:27
Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:

Isa 10:21,22
21) The remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God.
22 For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall return: the consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousness.

This whole understanding only comes about by fully understanding

Why the Parables were spoken.
To declare the Kingdom of God to the Jewish People in a way they would not understand it, because it was not going to be given to them.

What the Parables were spoken about.
To declare the Kingdom of God

Who the Parables were spoken to.
The Parables were only spoken to the Jewish People, never the Gentiles.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ here on earth was, The Gospel of the Kingdom to the Jews.

Mat. 24:14
And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

When Jesus gave the Great Commission, it was to gather the (Remnant, Elect)
form the Nations where they had been dispersed.

Because Jesus Ministry here on earth was only to the Jews.

Mat. 15:24
But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

A question, who was Jesus speaking?
These verses answer the question as to who the Elect are because Jesus was not giving a Prophetic word, nor was he speaking to the Gentiles of that time or today.

Mat. 24:22
And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.

Mat. 24:24
For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

Mat. 24:31
And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Mark 13:20
And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days.

Mark 13:22
For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.

Mark 13:27
And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.

Luke 18:7
And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?

All of these verses were used even if they repeat in order to show all the Gospels agree with what Jesus said and to who He said it.

Hammster said:

Chosen and elect are the same thing. Same word.

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Then you do not agree with my post #4 do you?

JIMINZ said:

Lets take it back to the verse in Matthew which started everything.

Mat. 22:14
For many are called, but few are chosen.

Jesus was speaking directly to and only about the Jewish People (Nation)
and not all of humanity (Mankind), or Gentiles.

The Jews of that Time, Generation, are the only ones who are referred to in the Bible as.

My reasoning is as follows.

These are the ELECT, or CHOSEN.

Rom. 9:27
Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:

Isa 10:21,22
21) The remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God.
22 For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall return: the consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousness.

This whole understanding only comes about by fully understanding

Why the Parables were spoken.
To declare the Kingdom of God to the Jewish People in a way they would not understand it, because it was not going to be given to them.

What the Parables were spoken about.
To declare the Kingdom of God

Who the Parables were spoken to.
The Parables were only spoken to the Jewish People, never the Gentiles.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ here on earth was, The Gospel of the Kingdom to the Jews.

Mat. 24:14
And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

When Jesus gave the Great Commission, it was to gather the (Remnant, Elect)
form the Nations where they had been dispersed.

Because Jesus Ministry here on earth was only to the Jews.

Mat. 15:24
But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

A question, who was Jesus speaking?
These verses answer the question as to who the Elect are because Jesus was not giving a Prophetic word, nor was he speaking to the Gentiles of that time or today.

Mat. 24:22
And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.

Mat. 24:24
For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

Mat. 24:31
And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Mark 13:20
And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days.

Mark 13:22
For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.

Mark 13:27
And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.

Luke 18:7
And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?

All of these verses were used even if they repeat in order to show all the Gospels agree with what Jesus said and to who He said it.

Click to expand...

Good points, I agree with you all. Generally, other than dispensationalists, Christians are generally very resistant to anyone telling them that Jesus was only speaking to the Jews during the 4 Gospels.

Whenever they read what Jesus said to "them", they like to insert themselves into the context. It is the result of many churches almost exclusively preaching from the 4 gospels.

God "chooses" any who accept (choose/follow/do) HIS WAY..eg

acts 2v38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Repent..baby's cant !!
Baptism..greek= dip, immerse, cover etc.. symbol of burial

that's the individuals bit ! ( he knows we cant keep the Law ! see old test full of failures only few got close)

Gods response and acceptance (of YOUR serious attempt at doing/choosing his way)is to give you the Holy Spirit..and you KNOW..

Jesus said to(warned) his disciples..

mark16v17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

package deal benefits via Gods spirit..cant get them unless you do (choose) HIS WAY.

Joh 4:24 God [is] a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship [him] in spirit and in truth.

MUST..truth John 17v17 , 1Co 14:14 For if I pray in an [unknown] tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.

then you are choosen..elect.. open to all who choose him ,his way !

redleghunter said:

In 1 Peter 1:1 or 1:2 depending on English version, elect is similarly used:

Cognate: 1588 eklektós (an adjective, derived from 1586 /eklégomai, "to select, choose," also used as a substantive/noun) – properly, selected (chosen from, out of), especially as a deeply personal choice – literally "chosen, out of a personal preference (intention)." See 1586 (eklegomai).

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Are we able to identify explicitly who Peter was addressing in this opening to his letter?

Or can we assume from the knowledge we have about Peter, that those he was addressing which were scattered abroad were in fact JEWISH BELIEVERS.

Because, this is what we know about Peters Ministry.
Where Paul was later on Drafted, and sent to the Gentiles.

Gal. 2:7
But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter;

Gal 2:9
And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.

My point is, the Apostles were sent to gather the ELECT

Hammster said:

I don’t agree that “elect” only refers to Jews. And I think I’ve demonstrated that it doesn’t.

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Not really.

redleghunter said:

The larger text below and poll is up.

Does this passage mean there is a difference between calling and choosing? It seems so.

How would one come to an understanding that a multitude would be called and then only some chosen?

In this case we can see the Gospel is this large general call as we are commanded by Christ to preach it to the world. The “few are chosen” is solely the work of God or what is called an effectual call from God. God provides the wedding garment.

Matthew 22: NASB


1Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying, 2“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. 3“And he sent out his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding feast, and they were unwilling to come. 4“Again he sent out other slaves saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited, “Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and my fattened livestock are all butchered and everything is ready; come to the wedding feast.”’ 5“But they paid no attention and went their way, one to his own farm, another to his business, 6and the rest seized his slaves and mistreated them and killed them.

7“But the king was enraged, and he sent his armies and destroyed those murderers and set their city on fire. 8“Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. 9‘Go therefore to the main highways, and as many as you find there, invite to the wedding feast.’ 10“Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered together all they found, both evil and good; and the wedding hall was filled with dinner guests.

11“But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes, 12and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?’ And the man was speechless. 13“Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14“For many are called, but few are chosen.”

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And He said to you and me:

13“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

Matthew 7 NIV

The wording is true and meaningful. He didn't say instructions that do not matter, commands that don't matter.
His words are not decoration.

They are imperative instruction to us, for us to hear and do.

redleghunter said:

The larger text below and poll is up.

Does this passage mean there is a difference between calling and choosing? It seems so.

How would one come to an understanding that a multitude would be called and then only some chosen?

In this case we can see the Gospel is this large general call as we are commanded by Christ to preach it to the world. The “few are chosen” is solely the work of God or what is called an effectual call from God. God provides the wedding garment.

Matthew 22: NASB


1Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying, 2“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. 3“And he sent out his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding feast, and they were unwilling to come. 4“Again he sent out other slaves saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited, “Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and my fattened livestock are all butchered and everything is ready; come to the wedding feast.”’ 5“But they paid no attention and went their way, one to his own farm, another to his business, 6and the rest seized his slaves and mistreated them and killed them.

7“But the king was enraged, and he sent his armies and destroyed those murderers and set their city on fire. 8“Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. 9‘Go therefore to the main highways, and as many as you find there, invite to the wedding feast.’ 10“Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered together all they found, both evil and good; and the wedding hall was filled with dinner guests.

11“But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes, 12and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?’ And the man was speechless. 13“Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14“For many are called, but few are chosen.”

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I don't agree with any of the options.

In the example - everyone high or low is called to attend and all are given the wedding garment but one of them "chooses" not to wear it.

There is a "review" of all that were called - of all that showed up and not all called are accepted. Rather they are reviewed and in the case of the one rejected it is not of the form "The king did not give this one guest a wedding garment - then complained that the guest without the wedding garment had no wedding garment".

That is a "key detail" that some folks miss.

In the Gospel the invitation goes out to all - the high and the low and the garment is offerred to all - but there is "a review" of the guests to see which one had chosen to wear that garment to the wedding.

As Christ said in Matthew 7 "not everyone who SAYS Lord Lord will enter"

Bob

Hammster said:

You mean that the verses I posted where Paul calls them chosen/elect aren’t good enough? Okay. What would be good enough?

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The simplest way I could put it would be.

The point I have been driving at is.

Do you personally consider yourself to be, "ONE of the ELECT?"

Hammster said:

I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.
— John 10:16


So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.
— Colossians 3:12-13


For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory.
— 2 Timothy 2:10


Paul, a bond-servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of those chosen of God and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness,
— Titus 1:1

I don’t think the church has gotten it wrong.

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Israel as a nation were chosen by God and then later rejected, cut off.

Have I missed something about being chosen?

I hope you don't mean God elects someone to salvation, but maybe they may not be interested in salvation?

Guojing said:

Good points, I agree with you all. Generally, other than dispensationalists, Christians are generally very resistant to anyone telling them that Jesus was only speaking to the Jews during the 4 Gospels.

Whenever they read what Jesus said to "them", they like to insert themselves into the context. It is the result of many churches almost exclusively preaching from the 4 gospels.

Click to expand...

There are issues with preaching from the three synoptic gospels. One is that Jesus was specifically addressing the Jews in these accounts.

The second issue, is that Jesus was teaching before He had accomplished that divine reconciliation.

The third issue is a doctrinal problem, the authors of the synoptic gospels were not apostles. The synoptic gospels differ in the accounts of the resurrection. Are they accurate enough to be reliable for developing doctrine? Some cults within Christianity use Matthew's gospel a lot to establish their own version of the gospel.