Election: Definition via Function
Update: “The Function of Divine Election: Part 2″ now available.
The Fish Tank (the blog of the Harvard Ichthus) has an insightful piece on the doctrine of election. While it won’t satisfy all the theological and philosophical inquiries of this controversy, it provides an interesting angle that is not always observed. See “The Function of Divine Election: Part 1″.
A quote from Jonathan Edwards from the post above is worth repeating here:
God has chosen the godly out of the rest of the world to be nearly related to him, to stand in the relation of children, to have a property in him, that they might not only be his people, but that he might be their God. He has chosen these to bestow himself upon them. He has chosen them from among others to be gracious to them, to show them his favor. He has chosen them to enjoy him, to see his glory, and to dwell with him forever. He has chosen them as his treasure, as a man chooses out gems from a heap of stones, with this difference: the man finds gems very different from other stones, and therefore chooses, but God chooses them, and therefore they become gems, and very different from others. (Jonathan Edwards, “Christians A Chosen Generation”)
I’m not really familiar with this issue per-se. Will someone explain it to me. How does free will factor in?
Rob
November 13, 2009 at 2:39 pm
Rob:
Are you saying that you are not familiar with the doctrine of “election?” If so consider my http://www.tmch.net/theo6.htm under “God’s Calling and Election of Believers” for a brief.
Paul
November 13, 2009 at 2:47 pm