Can you resolve Matthew 22:14 with Romans 8:30 and John 6:65?
Well Fat,
You are always talking about how I take things out of context. So let's take a look at Matthew 22:14 all by its self.
Matthew 22: 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.
Yes, that looks pretty persuasive, doesn't it? But what happens when we see the verses that led up to these words of Christ?
Matthew 22
1 And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said,
2 The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,
3 And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.
4 Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.
5 But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:
6 And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.
7 But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.
8 Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.
9 Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.
10 So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.
11 And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:
12 And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.
13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
14 For many are called, but few are chosen.
Here is the story:
A king is about to have a marriage for his son. (vs. 2)
So he sends his servants to “to call them that were bidden to the wedding”. I want you to see why they did not come. “and they would not come.”
Notice, they were called, the father (the king) wanted them to come. That is why he called them. BUT
“they would not come”. This was not the choice of the king, this was the choice of the people who were “called”. This was not an 'external call', this was a call to a wedding that the king wanted them to attend (as in get here right now!). (vs. 3)
By this time the king is ready to plead with those were “called”. So, “he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.” I want you to understand, what the king (father) is doing. He is pleading with those who have already been called prior to the wedding (notice the word “were” called in verse 2, this shows that the father had already invited (or called) those people to his son's wedding and the purpose of sending out the servants in verse 2 was because they hadn't shown up at the appointed time. Hence, the father sends out servants to remind them (if you would) that the time of the wedding is at hand. However, they “would not come”. So now in verse 4 the father is telling those who “were called” and “would not come”, all the trouble he has gone through to have this wedding for his son. (vs 4)
However, “But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:”
What does this mean? It means THEY CHOSE to not only not go, BUT, “they made light of it”. Do you think maybe the servants of the king were getting a little stressed? They were pleading on behalf of the king (father), and were getting nowhere! But that isn't all! They started taking off, “and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:” , (vs.5) and the “called” took it to a whole new level!
You would think that would be enough, but no, not yet. “And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.” The rest of the “called” (the ones that were 1) initially “called” before the wedding; 2) “called” at the time the wedding was at hand; and 3) were now “called” a third time [do you think the father wanted them at the wedding? Maybe, just a little?]) now take the father's servants treat them bad, and then kill them. (vs. 6)
Wouldn't you know, the father finds out, and he is upset. After all that he went through, these people he had “called”, not only didn't come to his son's wedding, but they killed the servants that had invited them three times. So what does the king do?
“But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.”
This king (father) had expected these guests who were “called” to show up at his son's wedding. He wanted them to show up at his son's wedding. He “called” them three times to come to his son's wedding, and they “would not come”. Now in case you didn't get this yet, they chose not to come. The father did not predestinate them to not come. They chose to not come. They also chose to mistreat, and kill his servants. That is why the father gets “wroth”, and “destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.” They made some real bad choices, and ended up paying the consequences. (vs. 7)
We now see the father's attitude toward those that, 1) were “called”; 2) “would not come”; and 3) killed his servants. “Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.” What does this mean? “They which were bidden were not worthy”. Quite simply, the father had graciously invited these people to his son's wedding; but because they “chose” not to accept his gracious “call”, they were not worthy. Had they “chose” to answer the gracious “call”, he would have considered them worthy of his blessing. Their loss. (vs.
The father's son is still getting married. So the father takes action: “Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.” Please understand, even though the people that were 'initially' “called” decided not to come, that doesn't stop the wedding. The father will simply “bid” others to the wedding. “Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.” This is definitely not “predestination”! (as taught by Calvinists) The father sends out his servants into the highways for what? To “bid”, “as many as ye shall find”. Let me make this clear.
The servants now run out into the highways, and “bid” “as many as ye shall find” to the marriage. But guess what? Those “bidden” still have a “choice”! These are definitely not predestinated either. (vs. 9)
So what happens? “So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.” The wedding is now furnished with guests. But notice who is there: “both bad and good”. This shows that not everyone that desires to come to the wedding is good. A bit more on that in a moment. (vs. 10)
I want you to understand that before a person is allowed into the actual wedding area, he must have on the proper “garment” or attire (clothing), after all, this is the son of the king! But as the father is looking at the guests, he notices something: “And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:”. So why didn't he have on a wedding garment? May I kindly say that desire to be saved, doesn't get you saved. Going to church, doesn't get you saved. When we are “called” by the father to be saved, we must understand that we DO NOT MAKE THE RULES. There are many who have every desire to go to Heaven, but are not willing to accept the righteousness of Christ. They think they can make it by their own righteousness, however they are wrong.
Here in this parable, the man without a wedding garment, doesn't have the righteousness of Christ, he thought he would be okay on his own. (vs. 11)
Now, the man without the wedding garment, must give an answer. “And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.” Note the compassion with which the father questions: “Friend”. 2 Peter 3:9 “ The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” The Father has no desire to send anyone to Hell, but, when we refuse to repent, and put on the righteousness of Christ, He has no choice. Likewise, this man came without the correct garment, with no excuse. (“he was speechless”.) (vs. 12)
Because the man “chose” not to put on the “wedding garment”, he too was unworthy. It is not enough to answer the “call” to come to the wedding, we must enter the wedding in the right “garment”, the righteousness of Christ. “Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Without the righteousness of Christ, we cannot be acceptable to the Father. The only answer at that point, is the Lake of Fire. Notice: nothing in this parable gives any hint whatsoever to the “predestination” taught by Calvinism. The only thing this teaches, and defines is salvation by “choosing” to answer the “call”, and be willing to accept the “wedding garment” provided by the Father. (vs. 13)
And now we come to the verse that has all the attention.
Matthew 22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen.
When we look at the story above, we must ask the question, “Who are the people that actually made it into the wedding”? I think the answer is quite clear by the unfolding of the details of the story. First, each person that made it into the wedding had to be “called”. Second, they had to “choose” to answer the “call” by saying, “Yes, I'll go”. Third, they had accept to dress in the “wedding garment” to actually enter the wedding. So the definition of those who made it into the wedding are those that “heard the call”, “answered the call”, and “were willing to accept to wear the wedding garment”. This almost sounds like Calvinism doesn't it? But, it's not, look again.
Every single person mentioned, other than the servants, heard the call. With the exception of the man that refused to wear the wedding garment, the people that actually made it into the wedding, were the people that “chose” to take the gracious “call” of the father. Additionally, because they realized that this was a gracious “call” (one they did not deserve), they also accepted the wedding garments. They knew their “garments” were not sufficient to enter in. Hence, the people that made it into the wedding, “chose” to answer a gracious “call”, and “chose” to wear the proper “garment”.
While the father in the parable did not know who would, and wouldn't answer the call, and come to the wedding, the Heavenly Father did. Hence, Romans 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
God the Father (because He is God) “foreknew” all those that would answer the call, and accept the proper wedding garment. Hence, He predestinated these people (who would be like those in the parable, that made it into the wedding) to be conformed to the image of His Son. This does not mean He predestinated them to “chose” Him, it means that He knew who would choose Him. The entire basis for verse 30 are the words “For whom he did foreknow” in verse 29.
Finally, John 6: 65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.
This is another one of those verses like Matthew 22:14, by itself it looks like the Calvinists may have something. But look back just one verse, and my how things change.
John 6: 64 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.
Look at those words, “For Jesus knew from the beginning”. Is this beginning to look familiar? How did He know? Because He is God. John 10:30 “I and my Father are one.” Jesus and the Father are one. Jesus knew from the beginning. He did not make people “choose” to believe, or not believe, but, He did know who would, and who wouldn't.
John 6: 64 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.
65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.
Remember Matthew 22? It was the father that sent out the call, it was the father that provided the wedding garment, but it was the people that make the choices.
I truly understand that it is the grace of the Father (which we do not deserve) that sends out the call, without which we could have no salvation. But God our Heavenly Father, leaves it to us to answer the the call, and accept the wedding garment.
I have been accused of taking scripture out of context a number of times in this thread, but I ask those who have been following along, isn't that what just happened with the question, “Can you resolve Matthew 22:14 with Romans 8:30 and John 6:65?”
Jack
