Yesterday we began looking at the elect of God, because in Matthew 24 and Mark 13, Jesus is speaking to the elect. 

The Greek word for Elect, also translated Chosen will be discussed as we continue on. 

Matthew 24:22  “And if those days had not been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect [1588 in Strongs] those days will be cut short. (NASB2020)

So there are those who say that the elect of Matthew 24 above are not the church, but are the Unsaved Jews who will be saved during the Tribulation.  Yesterday’s post was a start with the likelihood of that theory being wrong. Is that important; only if that difference interferes with Biblical truth is it important. 

So, Let’s look at just how easy it is to ( maybe twist the scriptures) or even to deceive yourself when actually using and relying on the scriptures, simply because a word is translated differently. 

I’ve done a word search in the KJV and older versions of Scripture for the word elect.  The next photos are here to show you the verses using elect in the KJV.  All of the blue scripture passages below reference elect in the KJV. 

When observing the search above for elect there are two things I want us to observe. First there are several verses and books of the Bible beyond Romans 11:28 where the NASB and other newer Translations of scripture, stop using “elect” in the translation containing the word for “elect”.   Yet again we observe that  NASB has no use of the word elect beyond Romans 11.  In full disclosure the KJV does also at times translate the word as chosen. But the real meaning of the word is the elect chosen by God for salvation.  There is only one provision for that salvation. The chosen Jews before Christ looked for that provision to come for them.  They awaited Him in Abraham’s bosom. 

NASB translate this same Greek word that KJV translates “elect” instead to be “chosen”.  Are they the same?  As stated they really are, but not to Theologians. 

1 Peter 1:1  Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,  2  “Elect” according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. (KJV)

Is this speaking to Israel or the Church?  Then we compare the NASB for these same verses. 

The retranslating of the same Greek word from elect to chosen in different versions would at first glance seem insignificant, unless one wishes to make the case that the word for elect in Matthew means Israel (Elect) and in Peter the same Greek word means church (thus “Chosen”).  For in that case we can have the makings of deception. 

You will notice that in the NASB elect does not show up in 1 Peter 1-2, when doing a search for elect, even though the same Greek word is used in both: in this verse and in the Matthew 24 verse, by translating it “elect” a word study of this material can cause one to think differently. Because meanings are easily missed. 

When searching for elect in the King James 1 Peter 1:2 comes up HAVING THE SAME TRANSLATION, because the same Greek word is being translated. 

Older versions of the Bible such as the Geneva Bible also translated the words in the various verses as “elect” and not as “chosen”.  This trend toward change started after the Dispensational doctrine began spreading pre-Trib theory.  This happened even though Darby himself in his own translation used “elect” rather than chosen in most of these verses. So why did it happen?

My own theory is that it occurred over time due to the controversy within the differing schools of eschatology caused over the pre-Trib version of the Rapture first presented by Darby. There was the absence of the Dispensational argument in the churches prior to Darby in the mid 1800’s. Yes: there are attempts at proving me wrong here, but they held little significance on the reformation church’s thinking. And the fact that there might have been an early rapture expectation by the Apostles themselves is easily dispelled by using their own words recorded in scripture.  Peter knew that he would be crucified as was Jesus. He was not expecting to be raptured. Through Paul’s writings which Peter states are difficult to understand, he knew that he would be resurrected before the rapture would occur. The earthly bride, according to John, will make herself ready before the resurrection, which must harvest every man both Jew and Greek. Paul taught that no man can come to the resurrection without being in Christ (1 Cor. 15) and that the nation Israel would be the last to be added (Romans 11).  

Yes, it is the olive tree to which they are added, but is this not the tree of the chosen elect of God, who are in Christ? Are we not all of the same body in Christ? Yes called by many names even as is the Christ. He is Jesus, savior, Christ, Messiah, king, mighty God. You get the picture. We are believers, born of His Spirit, the redeemed, Christians, one new man, God’s people, brethren, the bride, the Israel of God, all of us are of the Olive Tree. We are the New Covenant People, as will be Israel when they accept her Messiah, as we have done.