MARK

CALVINISTIC-REFORMED THEOLOGY DOCTRINE ON MATTHEW 24 REFUTED AND EXPOSED (Part 5)

KENUTE P. CURRY

And the Word of the LORD came to me…….

The Elect/Chosen in Peter’s Epistles Are Jewish

Peter uses the term chosen to describe the Jews: “To the temporary residents dispersed…chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father” (1 Pet 1:1-2) The word “dispersed” (διασποράdiasporá, Gk) was used to describe the scattering among the nations that God had promised to the Jews (Israel) if they would not follow Him (Leviticus 26:33; Deut 4:27; Nehemiah 1:8, etc). The Greek Septuagint of the Old Testament (LXX) uses the same Greek word as the New Testament. James, in his epistle, could not be any clearer that the diasporá is Israel when he says: “To the 12 tribes in the Dispersion (διασπορά diasporá, Gk) Greetings.” (James 1:1). James and Peter both were writing to Jews in the diasporá.

In 1 Peter 2; Peter describes his Jewish (believing) brethren with words used repeatedly in the Old Testament to describe the Jewish people; as evidenced by the following Scripture verses.

You will be My own possession out of all the peoples….and you will be My kingdom of priests and My holy nation’ (Exodus 19:5-6).

For you are a holy people belonging to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be His own possession out of all the peoples on the face of the earth (Deuteronomy 7:6).

For you are a holy people belonging to the Lord your God. The Lord has chosen you to be His own possession (Deuteronomy 14:2)

For Yahweh has chosen Jacob for Himself, Israel as His treasured possession (Psalm 135:4).

You yourselves, as living stones, are being built into a spiritual house for a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God  through Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:5)

But you are a chosen race (γένος génos, Gk),  a royal priesthood,  a holy nation,  a people for His possession,  so that you may proclaim the praises  of the One who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9).

Their election by no means guarantees that they will inherit eternal life (just as Judas was elect yet foolishly rejected the invitation). Paul corroborates this fact so clearly in 2 Timothy - “This is why I endure all things for the elect: so that they also may obtain salvation, which is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory” (2 Timothy 2:10). Paul endured many things for the elect (the Jews), which again demonstrates election has nothing to do with salvation.

This is the Word of the LORD!

© 2015 Kenute P. Curry.  All rights reserved.