Full Text for Propositions Concerning the Election of Grace (Text)

<1tnurnrbtu aJ4rnlngtral :tInut1Jly CODtiDaiDg LEHRE UNO WEHRE MAGAZIN FUER Ev.-LUTH. HOMILETIK THEOLOGICAL QUARTERLy-THEOLOGICAL MONTHLY Vol. IV September, 1933 No.9 CONTENTS Biblical Ethics Concerning Young People. P. E. Kretzmann Wie muss Gottes Wort gepredigt werden, damit Glaube entatehe in den Herzen der Zuhoerer? F. Pieper •.•••• Objective lustification. Th. Engelder ••..•.••.••..•..•••• Das Verhaeltnis der gratia universalis zur Gnadenwahl. P. E. Kretzmann •..••••••• Propositions Concerning the Election of Grace. Page 841 653 v 684 676 P. E. Kret2mann •• . • • • • • •• 682 Die Hauptschriften Luthers in chronologischer Reihenfolge 685 Dispositionen ueber die altkirchliche Epistelreihe ........ 686 lliscellanea. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . .. 692 Theological Observer. - Kirchlich ·Zeitgeschichtliches . . .. 696 Book Review. - Literatnr. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 713 Ein Prediger mUBB niOOt alleln tDeidM, alao u.. er die Bchate unterwellle, wie oie rechte 0brI&ten lOlleD aeiD, lOodem aum daoeben den Woelfen weArm, dua lie die Bchate Dicht usreIfen lIOd mit talscber Lehre nrtuehren IIOd Irrtum em· fuehren. - Luther. Es ilit kein D~. du die Leate mehr bel der Kirche behaelt deDD die pte Predigt. - Apolol1ie. Ar'. t~. If the t rumpet gift In UDCertain IOUDd, Ivho shall prepare himaelf to the battle, 1 Oor'~J8. Published for the Ev. Luth. Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States CONCOlmIA. :PUBLISHING HOUSE, St. Louis, lito. 682 Propositions Concerning the Election of Grace. fl:metgiftifdjc m:otuege. ~aIten tub: oeibe lillaqtqei±en feft, unb fudjen tuit in feinet lilleife eine )8etl.Jinbung qetsuf±eUen, bie e~ nadj bet ®cfjtif± nidjt gil.J±. lillo tuit mit unferet )8etnunft nidjt toeiter fOnnen, ba regen tuir einfadj mit bem Wpoftcr bie .\:lanb aUf ben .lmunb unb ul.JerIaflen ba~ Wu~gleidjen bet lillei~fjeit beffen, bot beffen Wngefidjt tuir fdjHef3Hdj et~ fennen tuerben, gleidjtuie tuit: edannt finb. lillir fdjIief3en mit stuei fltti3en Wu~sugen au~ .\:li.inecfe (1. cit., 5.11): "SDie SDogmatifer madjen mit ffi:edji aUfmedfam auf bie 1tnter~ fdjeibung atuifdjen bem ,2 i e l.J e ~ to i rr e n unb bem SD e h e t ®otte~. SDer etftete crftrecf± fidj auf a II e, bae fei,?±ere n i dj ±; ber etf±ere orb 11 e t f ii r a r r e bae ~eif mit bem ernftlidjen !8erIangcn nadj aITer ®eligfei±, ba~ lei,?±ete l.J e f dj r i e 13 t b i e ® eli g f e i t fur bie ba~ ~eiI m:nnegmenben", ba~ fjeif3±, fur bie, bie infolge ber (trtuiig[ung sum ®lau~ oen gebradjt tuerben unb bi~ an~ 05nbe im ®lauben berfjarren. ,,®omit finb affgemeinet ®nabentuiffe ltnb lillafjI nadj ben Wu~fagen ber ®djtif± ill.Jer l.Jeibe in S tu ei f e q t in e fen tr i dj e 11 ~ U 11 ft e 11 bet f dj i e ~ ben: in l.Je3ug aUf ben Sf rei e b e r 113 e r 1 0 11 en, aUf tue1djen fie fidj besief)cl1, uno in beaug aUf bie ® e tu i f3lJ e it b er (t 1:1: e i clj II n g bee ei n e n .8 i er e e, bue fie beibe nadj bet ®djrift ljaoen. ms 0 II t e man affo aUgemeinen ®nabenlndlen unD ~afjr filr ein unb baefefoe erHiiren unb nidjt boneinanbet untet~ f dj ei ben, fo tuutbe man bamit fidj einfadj gegen bie ®djrif! fe\3en." 113. (t. ~ r e \3 m n n n. Propositions Concerning the Election of Grace. With special reference to Calvinistic and synergistic views. <. 1. According to Holy Scriptures there is only one gTacioU8 will of God, that of the univel'salis gratia, which desires the salvation of all men. a. God'" loving inten{ion as pertaining to all men: John 3, 16 ("loved the WQ1'ld"; X.OIJfLO' as the aggregate of all men, the sum total of human beings); Matt. 18, 11 ("come to save that which was lost," TO cmo).ro).6.); Luke 19, 10 ("that which was lost"), h. His g'racious will as pertaining to all men: 1 Tim. 2, 4 ("who will have all men to be saved," {JUst ow{JfjVat); 2 Pet. 3, 9 ("not willing that any should perish," flY; {JOV)'OfLEVOC; 7:lya, anoJ.io,~at); Ezek. 18,23 ("Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die," etc.); 33,11 ("I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked"). c. Elect or believers included in this gracious will of God as a matter of fact: John 6, 39.40 ("of all which He hath given Me I should lose nothing"; cpo John 17, 24); 1 Tim. 4, 10 ("Savior of all men, specially of those that believe"). " These propositions are offered by request in order to serve as a basis for intellBive discussion, e. g., in confeQ·ences. Propositions Concerning the Election of Grace. 683 2. In addition to this gracious will of God Holy Writ also reveals to us a decree of God's election of gmce, which has determined the final salvation of certain chosen persons. a. There is an election, 01' a selection, of grace: Rom. 11, 5 ("a remnant according to the election of grace," xar' ix2oy~v xaeao,j - on remnant see Lehre und Wehre. LXXI, 1925, pp. 237-244); 2 Tim. 1, 9 ("called us with an holy calling ... according to His own P!lrp,ose and grace, given . . . before the world began," neo xeovwv alWVlCOV) . b. It is truly a decree of predestination : Eph. 1, 3-14 (chosen, s;di;awj predestinated, neooeiaa,j purposed in Himself, neoNinoj predestinated, neooeuJ{}ivu,)j Rom. 8, 28--30 (foreknow, designate, determine, neoiYVWj - on the exact meaning of the word see Lehre und Wehre, LII, 1906, p. 289 ff. 337 ff.; predestinate - in eternity; called, justified - in time; glorified - here in hope, in the future in enjoy- ment); Acts 13,48 ("as many as were ordained to eternal life be- lieved," reraYflivOlj 2 Thess. 2, 13. 14 {"from the beginning chosen you," sllaro an' aexij, . 3. This election of grace is a selection, or choosing, of such as God has destined for eternal salvation ; it was made from eternity, not in time,' Scripture knows of no election unto damnation. a. A selection, 01' choosing, is clearly indicated by both the verb 'xUyco, Eph. 1,4; 2 Thess. 2, 13, and by the noun ix2o'l~, Rom. 11,5 ; this selection connected with the counsel, or decree, of God's de- termination. b. The decree of election is not an act of God in time, as though it followed His effective call to faith and thus depended upon the fact that man has come to faith, but it is an act of eternity: Eph. 1,4 ("before the foundation of the world," neo xarafJo2ij, xoaflov)j 2 Tim. 1,9 ("before the world began") . c. Scripture knows of no election unto damnation, for the ob- duration and condemnation of the "vessels of wrath," Rom. 9, 22, fit and ripe for damnation (xar1Jenofliva) . is evidently an act which takes place in time as a consequence of their rejecting the "much long-suffering" of the Lord. (Note different verb used of the "vessels of mercy" - neo1JwlflaoFv.) 4. The election of grace is neither arbitrary nor absolute, but is made in Christ Jesus, with reference to His vicarious suffering and death, and through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth. a. The election is indeed a sovereign determination and decree, but not nude, for it is described as a predestination "according to the good pleasure of His will," Eph. 1, 5 (xara r~v sf,ijox/ap wfi {h2r,(.la-TO, avw,'). "according to His good pleasure," v. 9 (xuui r~v sv(5oxlav) , and "according to the purpose of Him ... ," v. 11 (xarc, nen!ge"",). b. The election is constantly spoken of as being made in Christ Jesus, in Him, in the Beloved, Eph. 1,4.10.6. c. The election is further characterized as being a selection to salvation through sanctification of the Sl?irit and belief of the truth, 2 Thess. 2, 13. 5. The election of grace is not a predetermination intuitu fidei finalis (nor on the basis of God's foreknowledge that certain men 684 Propositions Concerning the Election of Grace. would refrain from wilful resistance), but unto faith and unto the sonship of God with all its blessings; the election of grace therefore concerns the believers only. a. Nowhere in Holy "Writ is the faith of man given as a reason or basis of God's choice, and it is false logic to confuse effect and cause. b. It is plainly stated that the election of grace was made unto faith, Acts 13, 48 ("as many as were ordained to eternal life be- lieved"), unto the adoption of sons, Eph. 1,5 ("having predestinated us unto the adoption of children"), and the call of the believers to faith is associated with God's own purpose and grace, 2 Tim. 1, 9. c. Hence the election of grace is a doctrine which concerns be- lievers only, 1 Pet. 1, 2 ("elect according to thc foreknowledge of God the Father"), and the words believers and elect are used as synonyms in the letters of the various apostles, Rom. 8, 33; 1 Pet. 1, 1. 2; 2 Pet. 1, 10. 6. The final object and purpose of the election of grace, so far as God is concerned, is the glorification of God in His love and mercy. This is plainly stated in Eph. 1, 6. 14 ("to the praise of the glory of His grace ... unto the praise of His glory"). 7. God both foreknew a" determined the fate of those whom He chose for salvation; He fOl'"""uew, but did not determine, the fate of those who are lost. a. The election of gTace is a determination, a decree, Eph. 1, 4. 5 ; Rom. 8, 28-30. b. The fate of those who are lost is not anywhere associated with a decree of God, but only with their unbelief, with their refusal to accept the salvation prepared and intended fur all men: Mark 16, 16 ("He that believeth not shall be damned"); Matt. 25, 41 ("prepared for the devil and his angels" - and hence not for the unbelievers; cpo v. 34 on the lot of the believers); John 3, 18. 36 ("he that believeth not is condemned already ... he that believeth not the Son shall not see life"); Phil. 1,28; 3,19 ("enemies of the Oross of Ohrist, whose end is destruction"); 2 Pet. 3, 7 ("day of Judgment and perdition of ungodly men"). 8. While the reason for the final salvation of the elect is to be sought solely and alone in the grace of God, Scripture declares un- belief to be the only reason for the damnation of the unbelievers, or of those who are lost. a. The grace of God is the only reason why a man is saved: Eph. 2,5 (''by grace ye are saved"); 2, 8; Gal. 4,4--7; Rom. 3,28. b. Unbelief is the only reason for man's damnation: Acts 13, 46 ("seeing ye put it from you and judge yourselves unworthy of eYer- lasting life") ; Mark 16,16 ("He that believeth not shall be damned") ; Eph. 5, 6 ("The wrath of God cometh upon the children of dis- obedience," 1:1/_ a:r