Prophecy In The News: What Biblical Election Means—Why God Did Not Elect Calvinists
Channel: Eternity, It's Your Choice
Date: 27/08/2012

Why God Did Not Elect Calvinists: The Biblical Concept of Election Never Means Predestined to Salvation and Commonly is a Reference to Israel
by Douglas Hemp

The biblical usage of "election" has absolutely nothing to do with salvation contrary to the teaching of Calvinism. Calvin summarizes this foundational doctrine in his book Institutes of the Christian Religion (Book 3 chapter 21): "Of the eternal election, by which God has predestinated some to salvation, and others to destruction." 

The good news is that "election, elect, chosen" (and the derivatives) are terms that have nothing to do with one's eternal destiny. Scripture does speak at length of "the elect" and "the chosen", but these terms are devoid of the Calvinistic sense of someone who has been chosen to receive eternal life. The term elect and its derivatives therefore are not salvific in meaning, but simply refer to persons or things that are chosen for a particular purpose and the purpose has nothing to do with eternal life. Once the definition of the word is established biblically, the foundation of Calvinism will be undermined and will collapse and arguing the tenants of TULIP will become inapplicable. 

The word elect (Greek verb: eklegomai ἐκλέγομαι; Hebrew verb: bakharבָּחַר) means to choose, select. The elect or chosen (as nouns or adjectives) are those people or things that have been elected, selected, or chosen for a particular purpose by someone. Scripture bears witness that elect and its derivatives have nothing to do with someone being chosen specifically to eternal life.

http://www.douglashamp.com/why-god-did-not-elect-calvinists-the-biblical-concept-of-election-never-means-predestined-to-salvation-and-commonly-is-a-reference-to-israel/