Election in
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesu ...
involves God choosing a particular person or group of people to a particular task or relationship, especially
eternal life.
Election to eternal life is viewed by some as
conditional
Conditional (if then) may refer to:
* Causal conditional, if X then Y, where X is a cause of Y
* Conditional probability, the probability of an event A given that another event B has occurred
*Conditional proof, in logic: a proof that asserts a ...
on a person's faith, and by others as
unconditional.
In the Old Testament
The
Old Testament
The Old Testament (often abbreviated OT) is the first division of the Christian biblical canon, which is based primarily upon the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible or Tanakh, a collection of ancient religious Hebrew writings by the Israelites. The ...
applies the term "elect" (Gk: ἐκλεκτος, Hebrew: בָּחִיר) to the Israelites in as far as they are called to be the
chosen people
Throughout history, various groups of people have considered themselves to be the chosen people of a deity, for a particular purpose. The phenomenon of a "chosen people" is well known among the Israelites and Jews, where the term ( he, עם ס ...
, or
people of God, or are faithful to their divine call. The idea of such an election is common in
Deuteronomy and in
Isaiah 40-66.
In the New Testament
The
New Testament
The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Christ ...
transfers the meaning of the term from its connection with the people of Israel to the members of the body of Christ (Christian church), either militant on earth or triumphant in heaven.
Based on the statements of
Jesus Christ that one should, "''enter in at the narrow gate, for wide is the gate, and broad is the w