12 So, as the chosen (ones) of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so must you do also. 14 In addition to all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ, to which you were indeed called in one body, rule in your hearts; and be thankful. (Col3:12-15).
Context
Continuing through Col3, I will focus mainly on the opening verse (12), for the usual reasons that they most impact upon the key points within this project. Verses 13-15 contain typically great advice from the Apostle Paul on Christian living, and they largely speak for themselves, although note the bolded phrase in verse 15 which reinforces the point to made in verse 12.
That point relates to calling, election, predestination – whatever you wish to call it. Actually, these are not all synonyms, for in Mt20:16 and 22:14 we read that “many are called but few are chosen”, that I’ll return to in another post. Predestination is a subject constantly referred to by Paul (and as pointed out in the last post, reaffirmed by Jesus, Peter, John and Luke). It’s frankly a troublesome subject for many Christians – pastorally, providentially and especially theologically (in the purest sense of “what is God actually like?”). From the human perspective it can appear fatalistic whilst from the divine perspective, frankly barbaric when applied within the usual binary (saved/damned) context. Also within that context it is incongruous – challenging God’s description of His own character, and that portrayed by His loving, compassionate Son. Truly, everything is resolved once the three soteriological categories I have been verifying from Scripture come to be accepted, That process can be facilitated by examining the Greek words employed in describing this particular doctrine.
The clue’s in the descriptors
Paul in addressing Colossian believers refers to them as the ἐκλεκτός of God (v12). Bible Hub aptly describes ἐκλεκτόςG1588 as being “those chosen out by God for the rendering of special service to Him”. Yep, that is what they are – not the totality of those whom God in His sovereign grace has delivered from perdition and to hell with everyone else, as I effectively once believed. They are those like Saul of Tarsus who has been chosen to “receive an inheritance amongst those which are sanctified” (Acts 20:32) or in that same apostle’s language “those whom God foreknew and predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son” (Rom8:29). Or in Peter’s language “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession (1Pet2:9). Or in James’s language “to be a kind of first fruits within God’s creation” (James1:18). Or in the language of Revelation “to be the Wife of Christ and to share His throne” (Rev3:21; 21:9).
Come on now, is it not obvious from these descriptors that this cannot be referring to the totality of those who are to be spared perdition? Yet I for the first 28 years of my Christian life believed as much as do many Evangelicals today, as prior to Vatican II (1960s), doctrinally at least, did the Catholic Church. But I must restrain myself, having become convinced from canonical Scripture and especially the Book of Enochref#1 that such a misrepresentation of God’s intelligible goodness and munificent providence was intended to be obscured until these very last days.
The nature of holiness
Another reason I should restrain my exasperation is Paul’s exhortation in our passage: “Put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience”! Having described the Colossian recipients of his letter as “chosen of God, holy and beloved”, that is how he intended they should behave. For such is the outworking of holiness, whether it be divine or human. Paul’s other description of the elect that I quoted from Romans was that they had been chosen to become “conformed to the image of God’s Son”. For Jesus Christ is all those things: compassionate, kind, gentle and patient. As, it follows, is God Himself, given that Jesus is “His exact representation” (Heb1:3). Indeed, Paul also exhorts the Christian to “be imitators of God” (Eph5:1). Again, that surely reinforces the point being made concerning God’s intelligible goodness and munificent providence.
For how can one imitate One who is incomprehensible and beyond human reason, such as the God that Luther, Calvin and Augustine portrayed? As for His providence and the cosmic outcomes that derive from it, they must surely reflect God’s own nature and character. Also they must be in accordance with the sovereign Creator’s self-confessed intentions – that all true humanity ultimately be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth (1Tim2:4). For He is a God that does not wish that any of the wicked should die, rather that they come to repentance and live (Ezek18:23). [Not all shall repent, but that will have been their own choice].
There is no way that such edicts of a sovereign God can be squared with predestination in the context of traditional binary soteriology. But they absolutely can be within the tripartite classifications I have been adducing from Scripture. Neither does the latter detract from the glory due to God, His Son and Spirit, rather it greatly magnifies it. I trust that in due time, we all “being rooted and established in love, become able fully to comprehend, together with all the Lord’s holy people, how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ” (Eph3:18).
Reference
- Especially two related passages from the Book of Enoch (ch93:8-10 and ch104:11-13 Charles edition numbering).
The Little Book of Providence – Free PDF available HERE.
The Little Book of Providence 