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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
The Elect	Nathan	Thursday, June 27, 2013
Question: Please pardon my ignorance but could you please explain what many call "The Elect". I believe they take it out of Ephesians 1:5 that reads that God “predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.” and also from Romans 9:15-16 “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion. It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy.” I know that some believe this is talking about double predestination but that would be a cruel God to create some people strictly for the purpose of sending them to hell and some sending them to heaven. This would take completely take away our free will. Who would then be considered "the elect"? I know this may be a deep theological question but could you put it in simple terms that a simple mind like mine could understand? Thank you
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OMSM(r), CCL, LTh, DD, LNDC Dear Nathan: The errant idea that God predestines some for hell and some for heaven is the idiotic idea of John Calvin. This is an excellent example of what happens when people try to interpret the Bible on their own without the aid of the Magisterium of the Catholic Church, the only Church established by Christ personally. The "elect" are us, the people of God. In the Catholic Church there is even a Rite of Election that candidates for Baptism and Confirmation undergo. We are the elect because God chose us. He chose us because we have chosen Him. We cannot demand to be Christian. No one can just come up to a parish Church and demand to be baptized. Rather, we offer ourselves in faith and profession, then God chooses us through His Church, that is, accepts our offer, and we are Baptized into His Kingdom. From the Catholic Encyclopedia: The New Testament transfers (excepting perhaps in Acts 13:17) the meaning of the term from its connection with the people of Israel to the members of the Church of Christ, either militant on earth or triumphant in heaven. Thus 1 Peter 1:1, speaks of the elect among the "strangers dispersed" through the various parts of the world; 1 Peter 2:9, represents them as "a chosen generation, a kingly priesthood, a holy nation, a purchased people", called from darkness into God's marvellous light. St. Paul, too, speaks of the elect (Romans 8:33) and describes the five degrees of their election: they are foreknown, predestined, called, justified, and glorified (loc. cit., 29, 30). He returns to the idea again and again: 2 Thessalonians 2:12 sq.; Colossians 3:12; Titus 1:1-2; 2 Timothy 2:10. St. John gives the title of elect to those who fight on the side of the Lamb against the powers of darkness (Revelation 17:14). According to Luke 18:7, God hears the cries of his elect for vengeance; according to the first two Evangelists he will shorten the last days for the sake of the elect (Matthew 24:22, 24, 31; Mark 13:20, 22, 27). If it be asked why the name elect was given to the members of the Church Militant, we may assign a double reason: first, they were freely chosen by God's goodness (Romans 11:5-7, 28); secondly, they must show in their conduct that they are choice men (Ephesians 4:17). God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below: Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum. Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

The Elect

Nathan

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Question:

Please pardon my ignorance but could you please explain what many call "The Elect". I believe they take it out of Ephesians 1:5 that reads that God “predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.” and also from Romans 9:15-16 “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion. It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy.”

I know that some believe this is talking about double predestination but that would be a cruel God to create some people strictly for the purpose of sending them to hell and some sending them to heaven. This would take completely take away our free will. Who would then be considered "the elect"? I know this may be a deep theological question but could you put it in simple terms that a simple mind like mine could understand?

Thank you

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OMSM(r), CCL, LTh, DD, LNDC

Dear Nathan:

The errant idea that God predestines some for hell and some for heaven is the idiotic idea of John Calvin. This is an excellent example of what happens when people try to interpret the Bible on their own without the aid of the Magisterium of the Catholic Church, the only Church established by Christ personally.

The "elect" are us, the people of God. In the Catholic Church there is even a Rite of Election that candidates for Baptism and Confirmation undergo. We are the elect because God chose us. He chose us because we have chosen Him. We cannot demand to be Christian. No one can just come up to a parish Church and demand to be baptized. Rather, we offer ourselves in faith and profession, then God chooses us through His Church, that is, accepts our offer, and we are Baptized into His Kingdom.

From the Catholic Encyclopedia:

The New Testament transfers (excepting perhaps in Acts 13:17) the meaning of the term from its connection with the people of Israel to the members of the Church of Christ, either militant on earth or triumphant in heaven. Thus 1 Peter 1:1, speaks of the elect among the "strangers dispersed" through the various parts of the world; 1 Peter 2:9, represents them as "a chosen generation, a kingly priesthood, a holy nation, a purchased people", called from darkness into God's marvellous light. St. Paul, too, speaks of the elect (Romans 8:33) and describes the five degrees of their election: they are foreknown, predestined, called, justified, and glorified (loc. cit., 29, 30). He returns to the idea again and again: 2 Thessalonians 2:12 sq.; Colossians 3:12; Titus 1:1-2; 2 Timothy 2:10. St. John gives the title of elect to those who fight on the side of the Lamb against the powers of darkness (Revelation 17:14). According to Luke 18:7, God hears the cries of his elect for vengeance; according to the first two Evangelists he will shorten the last days for the sake of the elect (Matthew 24:22, 24, 31; Mark 13:20, 22, 27).

If it be asked why the name elect was given to the members of the Church Militant, we may assign a double reason: first, they were freely chosen by God's goodness (Romans 11:5-7, 28); secondly, they must show in their conduct that they are choice men (Ephesians 4:17).

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below:
Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum.
Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum
Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum
Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum
Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum