XI. God's Eternal Foreknowledge ‹Predestination› and Election
[1] No public disagreement has arisen among the theologians of the Augsburg Confession about this article. But since election is a comforting article—if treated properly—and to prevent offensive disputes about it in the future, it is also explained in this writing.
Affirmative Statements
The Pure and True Teaching about This Article
[2] 1. To begin with, the distinction between God’s foreknowledge and His eternal predestination ought to be kept accurately.
[3] 2. God’s foreknowledge is nothing else than this: God knows all things before they happen, as it is written in Daniel 2:28, “But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days.”
[4] 3. This foreknowledge extends over the godly and the wicked alike. But it is not the cause of evil or of sin. In other words, it is not what causes people to do wrong (which originally arises from the devil and mankind’s wicked, perverse will). Nor does it cause their ruin, for which they themselves are responsible. But foreknowledge only regulates this and fixes a limit on their ruin, ‹how far it should progress and› how long it should last. All this happens to serve His elect for their salvation, even though such ruin is evil in itself.
[5] 4. Predestination, or God’s eternal election, covers only the godly, beloved children of God. It is a cause of their salvation, which He also provides. He plans what belongs to it as well. Our salvation is founded so firmly on it that the gates of hell cannot overcome it (John 10:28; Matthew 16:18).
[6] 5. It is not to be investigated in God’s secret counsel. It is to be sought in God’s Word, where it is revealed.
[7] 6. God’s Word leads us to Christ, who is the Book of Life, in whom all are written and elected who are to be saved in eternity. For it is written in Ephesians 1:4, “Even as He chose us in Him [Christ] before the foundation of the world.”
[8] 7. Christ calls all sinners to Himself and promises them rest. He is eager ‹seriously wills› that all people should come to Him and allow themselves to be helped. He offers them Himself in His Word and wants them to hear it and not to plug their ears or ‹neglect and› despise the Word. Furthermore, He promises the power and working of the Holy Spirit and divine assistance for perseverance and eternal salvation ‹so that we may remain steadfast in the faith and gain eternal salvation›.
[9] 8. We should not reach conclusions about our election to eternal life based on reason or God’s Law. That would lead us either into a reckless, loose, Epicurean life or into despair. It would stir up destructive thoughts in people’s hearts. For they cannot, as long as they follow their reason, successfully keep themselves from thinking, “If God has elected me to salvation, I cannot be condemned, no matter what I do.” And again, “If I am not elected to eternal life, it doesn’t matter what good I do; it is all in vain anyway.”
[10] 9. ‹The true judgment about predestination› must be learned alone from the Holy Gospel about Christ, in which it is clearly testified, “For God has consigned all to disobedience, that He may have mercy on all [Romans 11:32]; not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” [2 Peter 3:9], and believe in the Lord Christ. (See also Ezekiel 18:23; 33:11, 18; 1 John 2:2.)
[11] 10. Now, let whoever is concerned about God’s revealed will act on the order that St. Paul has described in the Epistle to the Romans. Paul first directs people to repentance [Romans 1–2], to knowledge of sins [Romans 3:1–20], to faith in Christ [Romans 3:21–5:21], to divine obedience [Romans 6–8]. Then he speaks of the mystery of God’s eternal election [Romans 9–11]. This doctrine is useful and consolatory to the person who proceeds in this way.
[12] 11. However, “many are called, but few are chosen” [Matthew 22:14]. This does not mean that God is unwilling to save everybody. But the reason some are not saved is as follows: They do not listen to God’s Word at all, but willfully despise it, plug their ears, and harden their hearts. In this way they block the ordinary way [Luke 16:29–31] for the Holy Spirit so He cannot perform His work in them. Or, when they have heard God’s Word, they make light of it again and ignore it. But their wickedness is responsible for this ‹that they perish›, not God or His election (2 Peter 2:1–3; Luke 11:49–52; Hebrews 12:25–26).
[13] 12. A Christian should concern himself ‹in meditation› with the article about God’s eternal election only as far as it has been revealed in God’s Word. His Word pre sents Christ to us as the Book of Life, which He opens and reveals to us by the preaching of the Holy Gospel, as it is written in Romans 8:30, “And those whom He predestined He also called.” In Him we are to seek the eternal election of the Father, who has determined in His eternal divine counsel [Ephesians 1:11–12] that He would save no one except those who know His Son Christ and truly believe in Him. Other thoughts are to be ‹entirely› banished ‹from the minds of the godly›. For they do not come from God, but from the suggestion of the evil foe. With such thoughts he attempts to weaken or entirely remove us from the glorious comfort we have in this helpful doctrine. In other words, we know ‹assuredly› that out of pure grace, without any merit of our own, we have been elected in Christ to eternal life. No one can pluck us out of His hand [John 10:29]. He has not only promised this gracious election with mere words, but has also certified it with an oath and sealed it with the holy Sacraments. We can ‹ought to› call these to mind in our most severe temptations and take comfort in them, and with them we can quench the fiery darts of the devil [Ephesians 6:16].
[14] 13. Besides, we should act with the greatest diligence, to live according to God’s will. As St. Peter encourages in 2 Peter 1:10, “make your calling and election sure.” We should especially cling to ‹not recede a hair’s width from› the revealed Word, which cannot and will not fail us.
[15] 14. By this brief explanation of God’s eternal election, glory is entirely and fully given to God. Out of pure mercy alone, without any of our merit, He saves us according to the purpose of His will. No reason is given to anyone for despair or a vulgar, wild life. ‹No opportunity is afforded either for those more severe agitations of mind and faint-heartedness or for Epicureanism.›
Antitheses or Negative Statements
False Teachings about This Article
[16] We believe and hold this: When anyone teaches the doctrine about God’s gracious election to eternal life in such a way that troubled Christians cannot comfort themselves with this teaching, but are led to despondency or despair, or when the unrepentant are strengthened in their wild living, then the doctrine of election is not treated ‹wickedly and erroneously› according to God’s Word and will. Instead, this doctrine is being taught according to reason and by the encouragement of cursed Satan. It is as the apostle testifies in Romans 15:4: “Whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” Therefore, we reject the following errors:
[17] 1. God is unwilling that all people repent and believe the Gospel.
[18] 2. When God calls us to Himself, He is not eager that all people should come to Him.
[19] 3. God is unwilling that everyone should be saved. But some—without regard to their sins, from God’s mere counsel, purpose, and will—are chosen for condemnation so that they cannot be saved.
[20] 4. Something in us causes God’s election—not just God’s mercy and Christ’s most holy merit—because of which God has elected us to everlasting life.
[21] All these are blasphemous and dreadful erroneous doctrines. By them all the comfort that Christians have in the Holy Gospel and the use of the holy Sacraments is taken away from them. Therefore, these doctrines should not be tolerated in God’s Church.
[22] This is the brief and simple explanation of the disputed articles. For a time, they have been debated and taught controversially among the theologians of the Augsburg Confession. Therefore, every simple Christian—according to the guidance of God’s Word and his simple catechism—can see what is right or wrong. For not only the pure doctrine has been stated, but also the erroneous, contrary doctrine has been repudiated and rejected. So the offensive divisions that have happened are thoroughly settled ‹and decided›.
[23] May Almighty God and the Father of our Lord Jesus grant the grace of His Holy Spirit so that we may all be one in Him and steadfastly remain in this Christian unity, which is well pleasing to Him! Amen.