3. Object of eternal election.
The object of election is not all men (doctrine of Samuel Huber, † 1624),1676) nor the saved and the believers for a time only (doctrine of later Tübingen theologians and more recent theologians),1677) but only the saved, because Scripture teaches that all the elect will surely be saved, or, what is the same, that no elect can be lost.1678)
1676) Acta Huberiana, Tübingen 1597, I, 254: "Bekenntnis Dr. Samuel Huber of the Election of Grace: I believe and confess from the bottom of my heart that God has ordained in his Son all and every man to eternal life, but has passed over all men, one as well as the other." In Frank IV, 281, cf. L. u. W. 1880, p. 45 ff.
1677) Thus the Tübingen J. A. Osiander, † 1697: Colleg. Theol. Syst. VI, 117. Cf. the dogma-historical expositions of L. u. W. 1880, p. 105; 1881, p. 100 ff. Criticism of the Tübingen theologians by Fecht, Compend. univ. theol. p. 426 sq., by Baier-Walther III, 541. Of more recent ones, Frank, IV, 177 f., also teaches "a twofold order of elect.
1678) Matt. 24:24; Rom. 8:28-30. in the words of Christ Matt. 24:24: ωστε πλανησαι, εΐ δυνατόν, και τους εκλεκτούς denotes a case that does not occur. This explanation is expressly given v. 22: "If those days were not shortened, no man would be saved; but for the elect's sake the days are shortened." That eternal glory is certain for all the elect is also taken by Paul ex professo to the Christians Rom. 8:28-30. The making of glory (εδόξαοεν aorist) is as inseparably bound up with eternal election as are calling (εκάλεσεν) and justification (εδικαίωσεν). Cf. Stöckhardt, Epistle to the Romans, p. 402 [Schade/Stahlke p. 364]. Stöckhardt quotes from White: "In order to put the glorification on the same level of reliability with the προεγνω, προώρισε, έκάλεσε, and έδικαίωσε, Paul chose the proleptic aorist." — Those who object that even the believers for a time, as long as they believe, are called and justified, and therefore also to be counted among the elect, have to make this out with Scripture, which refers eternal election only to those who are actually blessed, and does not include the believers for a time. The believers for a time only are also not included in the series of scriptural statements in which the church, the congregation of the saints or Christianity, is identified with the elect: 1 Cor. 1:2-9; Eph. 1:1 ff; 1 Thess. 1:5; 2:13; 1 Pet. 1:1, 2; 2:9 etc. Therefore, it is not necessary to correct Luther's exposition of the third article, when Luther lets "the whole of Christianity on earth" consist of the men whom the Holy Spirit "calls, gathers, enlightens,
542 > Eternal election. [English ed. ~ 479-480]
The word Election of Grace, therefore, does not have in Scripture a broad, a wider, and a narrower sense (so that in the broadest sense all men would be elected, in the wider sense those who are saved and those who believe for a time, in the narrower sense only those who are saved), but always only one sense: it denotes the eternal act of grace of God upon those who actually attain salvation. The Formula of Concord follows the Scripture exactly, in that it distinguishes from the outset the predestinatio ad salutem from the praescientia of God in the exposition of the doctrine of Election of Grace or Predestination, and states that the praescientia of God refers to all men, but the praedestinatio ad salutem concerns only the blessed children of God. Formula of Concord (705, 5-7 [Trigl. 1065, ibid., 5-7 🔗]): "The eternal election of God vel praedestinatio, that is, God's ordinance to salvation, does not apply to the pious and the wicked, but only to the children of God, who were chosen and ordained to eternal life before the foundation of the world was laid, as Paul says in Eph. 1: 'He has chosen us in Jesus Christ and ordained us to adoption. God's providence (praescientia) sees and knows beforehand even evil," etc. Of course, there have been Lutheran theologians, especially before the Formula of Concord, who have spoken of a general Election of Grace extending to all men, using the expressions Election of Grace and Will of Grace as synonymous in an imprecise manner of speaking.1679) ) In the Formula of Concord, however, this imprecise way of speaking is not found. Although it testifies most decidedly against the Calvinists to the generality of the grace of God, the merit of Christ, and the efficacy of the Holy Spirit in the Word,1680) it does not call the Election of Grace a general one, but on the contrary says from the outset that the Election of Grace does not refer only to the children of God who will certainly be saved (705, 5. 8 [Trigl. 1065, 5, 8 🔗]). What has caused a number of theologians in ancient and modern times to ascribe to the Formula of Concord, at least in places, a general or at least extended Election of Grace, is the fact that the Formula of Concord so emphatically inculcates that eternal election is not a bare decree (nude), but always only in
sanctifies and keeps with Jesus Christ in the one true faith". God does it like the farmer, who does not count even the wheat that falls off on the way in the harvesting, is trampled or eaten by the birds of the sky.
1679) Quoted in Frank IV, 282 f.
1680) M. 721, 28 f. [Trigl. 1071, ibid., 28 ff 🔗]; 557, 17-19. [837, Epit., 17-19 🔗]
543 > Eternal election. [English ed. ~ 480-481]
conjunction with the whole counsel of God "concerning our redemption, calling, justifying and saving". We have shown in the preceding section that the Formula of Concord does this, not in order to teach a general Election of Grace, but in order to secure the scriptural concept and thus the right consideration of eternal election, because eternal election is not accomplished nude, but by the work and operation of the Holy Spirit in the means of grace.
As to the determination of the object of the Election of Grace, it is further to be noted that it does not consist in the general principle, "He that believeth to the end shall be saved." This, to be sure, is a principle and decree of God revealed throughout the Scriptures.1681) But this principle is not the Election of Grace. According to the Scriptural doctrine of Election of Grace, God has not chosen a principle, but persons; 2 Thess. 2:13: "God has chosen you (υμάς)"; Eph. 1:4: "God has chosen us (ήμας)." Exactly following Scripture here is again the Formula of Concord (708, 23 [Trigl. 1069, ibid., 23 🔗]): "God in such his counsel, purpose, and ordinance hath not only in general" (in genere) "prepared salvation, but hath also in grace provided for all and every person of the elect, who through Christ shall be saved, hath chosen them unto salvation, hath also ordained that in this manner, as now reported" (in the eight points), "by his grace, gifts, and effect he will bring them to it, keep them, promote them, strengthen them, and keep them therein." When modern theologians say that the Election of Grace does not refer to single, certain persons (individuals), but to the Church, this is a contradiction in terms, since the Church consists of single, certain persons, namely of those who believe in Christ.