To the Calvinist, does Phillipians 1:29 mean that all the Philippians will go to heaven because all of them have already been elected?

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Phillipians 1:1

1 Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops[a] and deacons:

The letter is addressed to those who are IN Christ Jesus, IN Phillippi.

to be in Christ Jesus, is a pretty sure sign of election. I think Paul is speaking directly to the believers in Phillippi.

I think the context of the letter/chapter makes this one pretty clear.

Does the sentence in that verse indirectly mean that all the Philippians in that time will go to heaven?

I would answer No.
It simply implies that the letter is for Believers.

To add the asked for "Calvinistic" understanding. If they are true believers in God then they are Elected. We cannot know who is elected, but there is a concept called the "Perseverence of the Saints." This is the idea that if you are a true believer (Elected) your faith will stand until the end of all things.

Paul is addressing the believers in Philippi. If one were to stop believing, and fall away from the Faith (or just be a resident of Philippi who never believed at all), that would be a sign that you had not persevered in the faith, which would show that your faith was not God-given, which would show that you were not Elect, which would mean that this Epistle was not meant for you, because it is for "Those IN Christ Jesus".

Upvote:5

Calvin says in his commentary on Philippians 1:28.

but Paul in another instance, too, speaks of them as a manifest token or proof, (2 Thessalonians 1:5,) and instead of ἔνδειξιν, which we have here, he in that passage makes use of the term ἔνδειγμα This, therefore, is a choice consolation, that when we are assailed and harassed by our enemies, we have an evidence of our salvation. For persecutions are in a manner seals of adoption to the children of God, if they endure them with fortitude and patience: the wicked give a token of their condemnation, because they stumble against a stone by which they shall be bruised to pieces ... He proves it from this, that the endurance of the cross is the gift of God. Now it is certain, that all the gifts of God are salutary to us. To you, says he, it is given, not only to believe in Christ, but also to suffer for him. Hence even the sufferings themselves are evidences of the grace of God; and, since it is so, you have from this source a token of salvation.

So it would seen that the 'you' are those enduring sufferings on behalf of Christ. It does not seem to necessarily include all Philippians or all the hearers of the letter. Calvin continues that those sufferings and the ability to endure them are a gift from God and evidence of salvation. Since he mentions that ability to endure, it seems to imply that not all of the hearers or even all of those who are currently suffering have evidence of salvation. Only those who are graced to endure to the end may have reassurance of their election.

From what Calvin says, we can not know who is 'you' until later.

For persecutions are in a manner seals of adoption to the children of God, if they endure them with fortitude and patience.

For the hearers, all the hearers, it is an exhortation to endure. However, knowing who has been graced to endure is not possible during the suffering since it is the endurance to the end that is evidence of grace/election.

Whether or not evanescent grace may appear here does not seem to be addressed.

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