Corporate Election

In my Scofield Study Bible I find lots of helpful footnotes on lots of helpful topics. There is a footnote that pops up every time the word "sin" appears ("See Rom 3:23"). There are notes for all the major Christian doctrines. It is no surprise, then, that there are notes for Predestination and Election. But Scofield has two notes for Election. One is "Corporate Election" and the other is "Individual Election".

Quickly, "corporate election" means that God has chosen a "group" to be saved. This "group" is "the Church". This "group" is not defined in its content; it's just ... a group, a body, a corporation. This group will be saved by God's divine choice. Here's how a proponent (aptly) describes the concept:

The ship (the Church) is God's chosen vessel which is destined for heaven. The ship's captain is Jesus (who is the author and finisher of our faith and the "Captain" of our salvation. All who desire to come aboard the ship may do so by responding to the invitation by a living faith in Christ. At that point, they may then come aboard the ship. As long as one remains on the ship and remains "in Him" he is one of the elect. If he chooses to abandon the ship or it's Captain, he ceases to be one of the elect. Election is always contingent upon our being "in Him." Predestination speaks of the ship's destination and what the Lord has prepared for those who remain aboard the ship. God has invited everyone to come aboard the ship and reach the final destination (heaven). It is up to us to decide whether we will come on board and remain on the ship.

I'm sure you can figure out what "individual election" would mean, then. In this version an individual is chosen by God for salvation. Simple enough.

Now, it's interesting how the two work. If you approach "corporate" through the eyes of "individual", then, the former is a given. That is, if it is true that individuals are chosen by God for salvation, then certainly there is a group of people who are chosen by God for salvation. This group is comprised of those individuals. Easy stuff. But it doesn't work quite the same in reverse. If you view individual election through the lens of corporate election, it becomes so hazy as to be impossible to see. You see, from that perspective all you know is that there is a "group". Who is in that group? Oh, well that is an unknown. In fact, you can move in and out of that group as an individual. As long as you remain in that group, you are "elect". When you move out, you are not. Because, you see, only the group is chosen by God, not the contents of that group.

This is the argument of those who oppose individual election. They read Romans 9 and see "group". Why? Well, there are several reasons to be sure. Paul starts off talking about Israel as a group, clearly explaining that it is possible to be part of the group "Israel" without being part of the group "children of God". And, of course, there is the latter portion of the chapter where Paul speaks in terms of "us" as "vessels of mercy" and explains how those from Israel and the Gentiles are saved by faith to be "My people". That is, there is certainly a "group" aspect to Romans 9, so they read the chapter as "group" -- corporate election.

To me, however, it begs the question: Who makes up that group? Jesus uses the concept of "chosen" when He refers to His disciples. He says, "You didn't choose Me, but I chose you" (John 15:16). He chose those who made up the group to be "the twelve". In Acts 13:48 we read, "As many as were appointed to eternal life believed." If that was speaking of "corporate election", the idea would have to be "God appointed that 13 people in this meeting would believe, and 13 random people believed." That's not the idea of the passage. "Who is in the group?" becomes an unanswerable question. The group is nebulous and changing.

If "corporate election" is true and "individual election" is not (as those who read Romans 9 this way are trying to say), then it has other problems as well. Romans 8 ends with "those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son", requiring that "those" in that idea are not individuals, but simply a "group". This group will be conformed to the image of His Son, not the individuals. Further, Paul goes on to say, "Who shall bring any charge against God's elect?" That's a very heartening statement ... unless you are arguing that "God's elect" is "a group" made up of unknown and unknowable individuals. If "corporate election" is true and "individual election" is not, how am I comforted with this amazing certainty? I cannot know if I am in the group. I can come and go from the group.

As far as I can tell the Bible teaches both corporate and individual election. As long as I hold to individual election, I must also embrace corporate election because the individuals chosen by God for salvation form the group who are saved. Thus, to see in Romans 9 where Paul speaks of the "children of God" as a group does not contradict the portion where he breaks it down to individuals -- Jacob, Esau, Moses, Pharaoh, etc. It's quite clear that individuals are chosen by God, and that, as Rom 9:23 indicates, those individuals make up the group that he calls "vessels of mercy". Individual election doesn't contradict corporate election. On the other hand, affirming corporate election while denying individual election creates too many biblical problems for me. So I affirm both.