Origins of the Topic
Who are "the elect"?
Many denominations believe that "the elect," means individuals who have chosen of their own free will to accept God’s amazing free gift of salvation through Christ Jesus. Thus, anyone who is a true follower of Christ is part of the “elect.”
Commentary: This viewpoint is an interesting juxtaposition (switch) of what the Bible says. "The elect" are defined as the people that God chose (and he chose the House of Israel), not the people that choose God.
Old Testament
The Lord chose his elect - Key Verse - 
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Psalm 135:4 - For the Lord hath chosen Jacob unto himself, and Israel for his peculiar treasure. Commentary: the reference to a "peculiar treasure" indicates that God has a special purpose for the House of Israel.
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The Lord chose his elect - Key Verse -
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| Isaiah 41:8 - But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend. |
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The Lord chose his elect - Key Verse -
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| Isaiah 44:1 - Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen: |
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Jacob and the House of Israel are God's elect - Key Verse -
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| Isaiah 45:4 - For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me. |
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God claims the elect as his - Key Verse -
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| Isaiah 65:9 - And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains: and mine elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there. |
New Testament
| Jesus talks about "the elect" as a group that is already defined |
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Matthew 24:21-24,29-31 [21] For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. [22] And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. [23] Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. [24] For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. [29] Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: [30] And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. [31] And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Commentary: This is Jesus talking about the elect as "the elect," a group of people that already had a name (the House of Israel) as Christ's followers were not many at this time and had no formal name ("Christian" being a term used later - Acts 26:28 - Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian; and 1 Pet 4:16 - Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf).
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The elect are God's - Key Verse -
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Luke 18:7 - And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? Commentary: The elect are the people owned by God.
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The elect need to be taught about Christ. These are not people that already know about Christ - Key Verse -
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2 Timothy 2:10 - Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. Commentary: Even the elect need to be preached the gospel of Christ, meaning that the elect are not those people that have already chosen Christ. The followers of Jesus had already been preached the gospel.
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| Paul, a Jew, talks about himself as one of God's elect |
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Titus 1:1 - Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness; Commentary: Paul was a Jew, so he was one of God's elect as stated here. This verse does not imply that anyone outside the house of Israel is one of God's elect.
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Book of Mormon
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The Lord choses his people - Key Verse -
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1 Nephi 1:23-26 [23] But behold I, Nephi, will shew unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance. [24] For behold it came to pass that the Lord spake unto my father, yea, even in a dream, and said unto him, Blessed are thou Lehi, because of the things which thou hast done; [25] And because thou hast been faithful and declared unto this people the things which I commanded thee, behold they seek to take away thy life. [26] And it came to pass that the Lord commanded my father, even in a dream, that he should take his family and depart into the wilderness. |
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The Lord choses his people - Key Verse -
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Helaman 5:89-90 [89] Yea, wo unto this people who are called the people of Nephi, except they shall repent when they shall see all these signs and wonders which shall be shewed unto them; [90] For behold, they have been a chosen people of the Lord; yea, the people of Nephi hath he loved, and also hath he chastened them; yea, in the days of their iniquities hath he chastened them, because he loveth them. |
Statements of Belief
- No Found or Stated Position
- Consistent with Scripture
- Partially Consistent with Scripture
- Inconsistent with ScriptureAnabaptism -
Anglican -
Assyrian Church -
Church of Christ -
Church of Jesus Christ (Restoration Branches) -
RLDS Doctrine and Covenants, Section 83:6b-d [6b] and the sons of Moses and of Aaron shall be filled with the glory of the Lord upon Mount Zion in the Lord's house, whose sons are ye; and also many whom I have called and sent forth to build up my church; [6c] for whoso is faithful unto the obtaining these two priesthoods of which I have spoken, and the magnifying their calling, are sanctified by the Spirit unto the renewing of their bodies: [6d] they become the sons of Moses and of Aaron, and the seed of Abraham, and the church and kingdom and the elect of God;
Commentary: The seed of Abraham are the elect.
(Utah) Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints -
Community of Christ -
Eastern Orthodox -
Islam -
Jehovah's Witnesses -
Judaism -
Lutheran -
Methodist -
Pentecostal -
Presbyterian -
Roman Catholic -
Seventh-Day Adventist Church -
Southern Baptist Convention -