Question: Your recent column on the trinity helped me clear up some confusion I was having about God, so I thought I would write and ask for your help to clear up some more of my confusion about Him. I don’t understand why, according to Matthew 22:14, “For many are invited, but few are chosen.” God chooses some to live with him in heaven and doesn’t choose others. If God is supposed to be a God of love that doesn’t seem very loving. Thanks for trying to help me. 

Answer: Before making further attempt to find the understanding for which you desire, it is important to consider the following chain of logic.

1. If peace is the opposite of confusion, and all that is opposite of peace originates from a source that is also opposite of peace, then confusion must originate from a source that is opposite of where peace originates for confusion is the opposite of peace.

2. If the source from which peace originates is God, according to 1 Corinthians 14:33 “For God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints,” and the opposite of God is the enemy, then confusion must originate from the enemy for the enemy is the opposite of God.

3. If the enemy, according to 2 Corinthians 4:9, tries to “cripple your effectiveness through confusion discouragement, and despair” and all that is of the enemy is opposite than all that is of God, then any confusion you encounter while attempting to understand more about God must be to cripple and discourage your effectiveness for confusion is of the enemy.

Once you thoroughly process the previous chain of logic, it will be easier for you to preempt and defend attacks of confusion waged upon you on your journey toward a deeper understanding of God. Make an effort to do so by asking God, through daily prayer, for the additional strength you will need to execute this maneuver. Welcome into your heart the Holy Spirit helper God promises to send and implement, according to the helper’s leading, the following approach for tackling your current unresolved dilemma head-on.

First, consider the use of the word “many” in the scripture you reference, Matthew 22:14. The word “many” is derived from the Old English word “manig,” which is of Germanic origin. “Many” is also related to the Dutch word “menig” and German word “manch.” None of these, including “many,” are by definition associated with a specific numeric value. This is important because if neither the word “many,” nor any of its derivatives, hold inherent numeric value, then there is no evidence that “many” could not mean “all.”

Second, consider Matthew 22:14’s use of the word “are” in the portion of this scripture that reads, “few are chosen.”

“Are” is the present tense of the verb “to be” and is used to capture a snapshot of the present, not to paint a picture of the past or of the future. As a result, the scripture bears no evidence that “few are chosen” could not mean “few, in the total number of people that have lived and will live, are currently being chosen.”

Third, combine the information gained in the previous two suggestions and think of Matthew 22:14 as follows: “All are invited but few are currently being chosen because many more who have already lived life on earth have been chosen and who have yet to live life on earth are yet to be chosen.” This should give further cause for the fog surrounding your current lack of visibility to lift.

If you are still experiencing any confusion with regard to God’s choosing, consider this; to choose, which is defined as to select or to prefer, does not include a necessity to exclude. For instance, even though God’s word states that he chooses many it does not state that he excludes any. Rely upon the Holy Spirit inside of you to assess this new perspective and I believe and maintain that any foggy darkened area that remains around your understanding of God’s choosing will eventually be overcome by the clarity of peace.

Expect the interpretation of God’s choosing that accompanies this peace to differ from that which accompanies mine or anyone else’s of the same because nobody is the same nor do they interpret the same piece of information the same. Set your expectations accordingly so to avoid unnecessarily questioning the validity of the clarity you will receive. Await its arrival with anticipation for it has already been signed, sealed and is on its way to be delivered unto you with love for love IS the very nature of its sender.

ABBIE-FOX WORRELL is a Franklin native and advice columnist for The Tidewater News. Submit your questions to askabbie@tidewaternews.com