Scripture texts
are taken from the KJV, except where indicated otherwise.
From what we have
learned in part 1 of this subject, about who Paul is referring to as the
ELECT of 2 Tim. 2: 10, we can now identify who the ELECT he
is referring to.
CONTINUATION
OF WHO ARE THE ELECT
REFERRED TO
IN 2 TIMOTHY 2:10?
As part of His
eternal plan, GOD allows people to use their freedom to either accept Him (i.e.
Christ) and be forever saved, or rebel against Him, and be forever lost. In the
matter of a person’s salvation, He does not undermine or override our free will
or volition. And everyone can receive salvation just once. And once they do,
they can no longer reverse it, because the decision for reversal no longer lies
with them, because the New Birth is a ‘one-way ticket’.
Notice what Jesus
said to his disciples; in the family of GOD, Christ is the only entry door.
Observe that Jesus never says or suggests there’s an exit door. There’s no exit
door at all, in Christ (Jhn. 10: 9, 27 – 30). Salvation,
which is the gift of GOD, indeed is an irreversible or irrevocable act of GOD (Eccl.
3: 14; Rom. 11: 29), and should there be anything that can undo or
reverse it, then it means that thing must be far stronger than GOD Himself.
Surely this is not just absolutely impossible, but also unthinkable!
Therefore, from the Biblical usage of the term ELECT, we understand that; Believers in Christ are GOD’S ELECT (Eph. 1: 4;1 Pet. 1: 2), so also are the Jews (Isa. 45: 4; Rom. 11: 1 – 5). So the question begging for an answer now is; which among these two is Paul referring to as the ELECT of 2 Tim. 2: 10? When we realize the answer to this all-important question, all muddiness relating to a careless interpretation of the entire passage begins to dissolve. It all begins from here.
From the
information Paul supplies further in vs. 10 of 2 Timothy, which
says; “…for the ELECT'S sakes, that they may also
obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.”
From this statement, it is at once evident that Paul is referring to those ELECT, who according to him are “YET TO OBTAIN THE SALVATION” WHICH IS IN CHRIST JESUS. Certainly, this cannot be referring to Believers in Christ, because every Believer in Christ has already obtained salvation. The word OBTAIN here means to “RECEIVE.” Like I said the Believer has already received salvation. So Paul couldn’t be referring to the Believer in Christ as the ELECT of 2 Tim. 2: 10.
Therefore, we’re
left just with only one conclusion; which is that “The ELECT” Paul is referring
to are his kinsmen in the flesh, i.e. the Jewish nation or Hebrew people.
Because they are also the ELECT according to the Abrahamic covenant.
Concerning them (the Jews) also, not only for Believers in Christ, Paul says “...he endures all things for their sake…”. (2 Tim. 2: 10).
This was the same
way he spoke in his epistle to the Believers in Rome, concerning the Jewish
people. He said he could wish that he were accursed for the sake of
his fellow Jews according to the flesh so that they could as a nation
acknowledge Jesus Christ who is their messiah and receive salvation.
About the Hebrew
people, Paul tells the Believers at Rome the following;
Rom 9:2 That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my
heart.
Rom 9:3 For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ
for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:
Rom 9:4 Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and
the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of
God, and the promises;
Rom 9:5 Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the
flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.
And then he also
speaks further, expressing his earnest desire, wishing that the entire Jewish
people might be saved.
Rom 10:1 Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel
is, that they might be saved.
So you see, these
are the ones Paul is referring to here as the ELECT of 2 Tim. 2: 10.
They are the people he’s talking to the Believers about. He isn’t talking to
Believers about their fellow Believers who deny the Lord. Rather he is talking
to the Believers about the Jews and anyone else who keeps on denying or
rejecting Christ as their Lord and Savior. These Jewish ELECT who are yet to
receive salvation are also equally termed as unbelievers.
From this
understanding, it becomes clear that the following statements Paul later made
from 2 Tim. 2: 11 – 13 are for two distinct classes or groups of people. The
first group refers to those who have believed in Christ, and of course, this
includes few among the Jews, who together with the Gentiles make up the Body of
Christ (cf. 1 Cor. 12: 13).
The second group
refers to those who have never believed or who refuse to believe in Christ and
continually deny or reject Him, and of course too, this is where the majority
of the Jews (those referred to as the ELECT Paul speaks of in vs. 10, who
have never received salvation) belong. These are all classified together with
the unbelieving Gentiles. The majority of the Jews, who are regarded as the
ELECT of GOD according to the Abrahamic covenant have never believed in Christ,
and these together with the unbelieving Gentiles, constitute the unbelieving
world, or unbelievers for short.
Understanding this
will help anyone get the separation of these two groups clearer.
So everything else
Paul says further from 2 Tim. 2: 11 – 13, is for these two groups of
people. The Believers who constitute the believing world, vs the unbelievers
who constitute the unbelieving world.
Let’s proceed!
IT IS A
FAITHFUL SAYING...
2 Tim. 2:
11
Paul begins vs.
11 with the statement “This is a faithful saying…”. First of all, let's understand who this faithful saying is for.
Since we are dealing with two groups of people, the Believers, vs. the
unbelievers. Based on this, we have to recognize that the FAITHFUL SAYING
applies to both groups. One part of the FAITHFUL SAYING is for the Believers
and the other part is for the unbelieving Jewish ELECT and all unbelievers in
general.
So we can now move
on to see which part is for who.
The word FAITHFUL
here is from the Greek word “Pistos” which means; something assured,
confirmed, something guaranteed, an already settled fact.
Paul begins his
next statement with this expression “It is a
faithful saying…” (vs. 11).
He does this to give clarification that everything he is going to say further from
that point is assured or settled facts.
Hence, we recall
that there are two groups, and as such two parts of the FAITHFUL SAYING; as I
earlier pointed out; with each part addressing the two groups respectively.
So the first of
the FAITHFUL SAYING addresses Believers in Christ.
The second
part address the unbelieving Jewish ELECT and of course all unbelievers in
General.
I will explain
further on this in part three.
But before then
one more thing we have to realize to help us grasp all of these is Paul’s use of
the pronoun “WE,” based on the fact that he is addressing two groups, both of
which he has interests.
THE TWO “WE’S”
If we look closely
from my explanation above, that Paul is referring to two distinct groups of
people, it is beyond argument that we also have to admit that the “WE” found in
vs. 11 to vs. 12a, is a different “WE” from the “WE” and “US” of vs. 12b and in some way of 13a (you’ll understand why I said partly of 13a when we get to that verse).
The first set of
“WE” found in vs. 11 to vs. 12a speaks of Believers in Christ. Whereas the second set of “WE” and
the “US” of vs. 12b and partly of 13a refers to the unbelieving Jews and unbelievers
in general.
So Paul uses the
second “WE” and “US” in vs. 12b and in some way 13a about the Jews – the
Hebrew people, who are regarded as the circumcision, GOD’S covenant people, the
ELECT of GOD, according to the Abrahamic covenant, of which group he also
belongs to and refers to himself as a Jew (Php. 3: 4 -8).
It is in this
light that the apostle uses the second “WE,” also for himself as a mark of his
solidarity, Identifying himself with his people in the flesh, even though he also is a Believer in Christ.
Paul only does
this to express his love for his people based on what he said in Rom. 9: 2 - 5. He says “even WE,” not just the
Gentiles only, but even them who are the Old Testament ELECT of GOD, the Hebrew
people, not minding how highly they’re religiously placed.
The bearing is
different now Paul is iterating about his kinsmen and all who care to listen –
this isn’t the age of Law, but of Grace, the system has finally changed, so get
the point clear!
Paul, in saying
all of this, is simply using it to point at the eternal damnation that awaits
the unbelieving Jewish folks, his own people in the flesh, not minding the
covenant they have with GOD through Abraham. A covenant that actually points
them to Christ, yet whom they’re denying or rejecting.
He is pointing out
that the fate awaiting the ELECT (the Jews, his people in the flesh), is the
same with the unbelieving Gentiles if they fail to believe in Christ,
irrespective of their covenant position with GOD, just as this same fate
equally awaits all those who refuse to believe in Christ. None is exempted.
This is the point Paul is stressing here.
Click here to continue to Part 3.
Click here to return to Part 1
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