The Called - Hodge's Arguments for Irresistible Grace
Hodge argues that “the called” and the elect are convertible terms. He states:
Those who are the subjects of this saving influence of the Spirit, are designated “the called.” Romans 1:6, “The called of Jesus Christ.” Romans 8:28, “To them who are the called according to his purpose.” To one class of the hearers of the gospel, the Apostle says (1 Cor. 1:24), Christ is a stumbling-block, and to another foolishness, “but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.” Jude addresses his epistle to the “preserved in Jesus Christ, and called.” “The called,” and “the elect,” oi kletoi and oi eklektoi, are convertible terms. (link)
The concepts of calling and election are related, but not convertible and it’s unhelpful to equate them. Now even if Hodge were right, it still would not prove grace was irresistible. So long as election is understood as conditional and not unconditional, grace remains resistible, not irresistible. William Klein proposes that kalein be understood as “named” rather than “summoned”. (link) He makes a strong case, and I would recommend his paper. If he’s right, “the called” or rather “the named” should be understood as those named to be Sons of God. This supports corporate election, not unconditional election.
But even if we disagree with Klein, “the called” does not equate to election, nor does it imply unconditional election. Further, it doesn’t even imply that no one else was called. Rather, “the called” is a synecdoche for those that willingly responded to the call.
Those who are the subjects of this saving influence of the Spirit, are designated “the called.” Romans 1:6, “The called of Jesus Christ.” Romans 8:28, “To them who are the called according to his purpose.” To one class of the hearers of the gospel, the Apostle says (1 Cor. 1:24), Christ is a stumbling-block, and to another foolishness, “but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.” Jude addresses his epistle to the “preserved in Jesus Christ, and called.” “The called,” and “the elect,” oi kletoi and oi eklektoi, are convertible terms. (link)
The concepts of calling and election are related, but not convertible and it’s unhelpful to equate them. Now even if Hodge were right, it still would not prove grace was irresistible. So long as election is understood as conditional and not unconditional, grace remains resistible, not irresistible. William Klein proposes that kalein be understood as “named” rather than “summoned”. (link) He makes a strong case, and I would recommend his paper. If he’s right, “the called” or rather “the named” should be understood as those named to be Sons of God. This supports corporate election, not unconditional election.
But even if we disagree with Klein, “the called” does not equate to election, nor does it imply unconditional election. Further, it doesn’t even imply that no one else was called. Rather, “the called” is a synecdoche for those that willingly responded to the call.
Comments
Some would suggest that the offered object only becomes a gift when it is accepted.
Others acknowledge that the giver is what defines an object as given.
Similarly, it would appear that some suggest that the calling only becomes a call when it is heard.
But others acknowledge that the caller is what defines the calling as a call.
How can it be that God can call/name a person, and yet that person be considered "uncalled/unnamed"?
If God calls/names, can we say "no He hasn't"?
If it's "names", (i.e. this person is my Son, he's in the covenant...) it clearly comes after faith. So God calls them a son, and they are one. The others don't get named.
If it's called, I suppose it's similar to the "gift argument" as you say. They are “the called” became they became God's only by way of the call. The term hights one of the vital aspects of the process.
God be with you,
Dan
TJ,
[[Others acknowledge that the giver is what defines an object as given.]]
Wouldn't you say Paul the Apostle is agreeing with you, or, ah, you are agreeing with Paul when we read this:::?:::>
Rom 16:25 Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages
Rom 16:26 but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith--
Rom 16:27 to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.
and
Eph 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,
Eph 1:4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love
Eph 1:5 he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,
Eph 1:6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.
Now, if I understand my Bible rightly, didn't Jesus die already on a Cross, once for all or rather, interpretively, "for all time"?
Also, let me quote another verse and ask you if you believe this means what it seems to imply or rather, it is a way of helping me be washed and sanctified and glorified in Christ now and after I die?::::>
Heb 9:13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh,
Heb 9:14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.
Am I to believe that Christ appears to me daily literally and with His literal "Blood" He opens my scalp, cracks my skull, washes my conscience and then closes me up and all without me feeling a thing because, like He did to Adam, caused a deep sleep to overtake him and opened him up and took his rib from his anatomy, closed it back up and formed this first female?
GodismyJudge, would you kindly with respect judge this interpretation of these verses for me.
I will quote the verses first.
I will give an interpretation and ask you to comment. I want to see if we are rightly dividing the Scriptures and interpreting them the same.
Also note, that I have not read up on anyone else's interpretation. So I am not claiming this as Arminian or Calvinist thinking or any past or present interpretive Theological writing or understanding. It is purely something that came to me the other night in San Francisco at PromiseLand Fellowship where there is supposedly a Holy Ghost "outpouring" and I went to be poured on. While in the meeting several came up to the front and asked through emotions and prayer for God to "send" the Holy Ghost and convict sinners so that they would repent.
The verses:
Joh 16:7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.
Joh 16:8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:
Joh 16:9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me;
Joh 16:10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer;
Joh 16:11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
Verse 7 can be explained I believe when one reads Acts 1 and Luke's accounting to Theophilus where Jesus says:::>
Act 1:3 He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.
Act 1:4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, "you heard from me;
Act 1:5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."
Act 1:6 So when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?"
Act 1:7 He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.
Act 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
Verse 8 is a general accounting by Jesus of what the Holy Ghost is going to do in the future, as in the Luke account at Acts 1.
Verse 9 simply says the Holy Ghost is going to convict the world of sin because they do not believe. I liken that to mean the same thing as a person who is arrested and prosecuted and found guilty of the crime arrested for, then sentenced to serve the punishment. Because these people of the world will not believe, they will be "convicted" by the Holy Ghost, found guilty by the Holy Ghost and sentenced to serve the sentence, i.e. spending their life in God's Holy Anger and Wrath for eternity weeping and gnashing their teeth because they did not believe the Gospel.
Verse 10 says the Holy Ghost will give believers the understanding of "righteousness" because Jesus goes to the place before God, Our Father in Heaven, that place Jesus came from to be born a man after Adam and then after suffering for the sins of mankind by execution by the hands of godless men, put to death, buried and resurrected Alive, ascended to that place receiving Glory from God when He took His place again, that place He left to come here and live and die. The inheritance received is Their "righteousness".
Verse 11 simply tells us that Satan is judged.
What would you dispute or concur with about my interpretation?
I think the question of "what makes something a gift" is a more or less philosophical argument. I'm not sure those verses support my conclusion (though they do not refute it).
It appears to me that Romans 6:10 is saying that Christ died once for all sin[s]... it says he "died to sin, once for all". Alternatively, it may be saying that he died once for all believers [all who would ever believe]. I draw these two potential conclusions from the surrounding text and conversational flow/points.
As for Heb 9... no, I think Hebrews also states that after Christ went in behind the curtain he "sat down" (indicating that his work was finished). Hebrews seems to contrast the daily-yet-inadequate offerings of the levitical priests with the onetime-but-fully complete work of Christ.
I agree with you.
I had in mind when I pasted those words of Paul with these words of Isaiah:
Isa 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isa 9:7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.
Your point seems to not be well taken though seeing the state of affairs the world is now in.
Although, God has also "given" us Words of assurance so that this state of affairs worldwide comes not on us like the out of control freight train, having lost the brakes, heads for the end of the tracks!
2Ti 3:1 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty.
2Ti 3:2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,
2Ti 3:3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good,
2Ti 3:4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
2Ti 3:5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.
How is it that He is sitting there on that Glorious Throne with nothing left to do but build the Holy Dwelling places of the Most High? Isn't there more for Him to do?
Psa 46:4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High.
Psa 46:5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns.
Psa 46:6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts.
Psa 46:7 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah