Matthew 24:24

ὥστε πλανῆσαι. ὥστε indicates here not only a possible result—the usual classical form of ὥστε with infinitive—but intention, for which use of ὥστε see Goodwin’s Greek Moods and Tenses, § 98. 2. Translate ‘with the view of deceiving if possible (εἰ δυνατόν), i.e. by every possible means, even the elect.’ The A.V. is misleading here, (1) by so connecting εἰ δυνατὸν as to infer the impossibility of πλανῆσαι; (2) by translating πλανῆσαι as a future.

τοὺς ἐκλεκτούς. Cp. Romans 8:33 and Titus 1:1, ἐκλεκτῶν Θεοῦ. The term, like many others, ἅγιοι, ἠγαπημένοι, πιστοί, is transferred from the O.T. to the N.T., from Israel according to the flesh to the true spiritual Israel. The church is heir to the titles as well as to the promises of the old dispensation. ἐκλεκτοὶ and ἐκλογὴ imply election, choice, appointment to a special work or office, as of Jesus to the Messiahship, 1 Peter 2:4-6; of Isaac and Jacob to the fathership of the faithful, Romans 9:11, of Paul to the office of evangelist σκεῦος ἐκλογῆς, Acts 9:15—of persons to Church-membership, εἰδότες τὴν ἐκλογὴν ὑμῶν, 1 Thessalonians 1:4. Thus the thoughts of final salvation and irreversible decree, to say the least, do not necessarily enter into the word. Bp. Lightfoot observes in his note on Colossians 3:12, that κλητοὶ and ἐκλεκτοὶ are distinguished in the gospels as an outer and inner circle (Matthew 22:14), but that in St Paul there is no such distinction. The same persons are ‘called’ to Christ and ‘chosen out’ of the world.