This comparison is derived from Bob Higby’s definitive study on pristinegrace.org. The table maps every major distinction between the two positions.
| Category | Infralapsarianism (Selection) | Supralapsarianism (Election) |
|---|---|---|
| Direction of Planning | Left to right (beginning to end). God creates, then reacts to the fall. | Right to left (end to beginning). God starts with the destination and plans backward. |
| The Fall | Permitted. God allowed Adam to fall. | Authored. God ordained the fall for the purpose of redemption. |
| Election | God selects from a fallen mass. Chooses some, passes over others. | God elects from eternity. The end was the starting point of the plan. |
| The Decree Order | 1. Create. 2. Permit fall. 3. Elect some to salvation. 4. Provide redemption. | 1. Glorify Christ and His people. 2. Provide redemption. 3. Ordain the fall. 4. Create. |
| Evil | Permitted by God. God allows but does not author evil. | Authored by God. “I make peace, and create evil” (Isaiah 45:7). |
| God’s Sovereignty | Sovereign over salvation, but evil operates with a degree of independence (“permission”). | Sovereign over ALL things. Nothing operates independently. Permission is sovereignty with plausible deniability. |
| Adam | Created righteous. Fell by free will. | Created sinful. The fall revealed a nature already inclined toward sin. |
| Satan | Created righteous. Fell by pride. | Created evil. Never righteous. Isaiah 14 is about Babylon. |
| The Cross | God’s response to the fall. Remedy for a problem. | God’s purpose from eternity. The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8). |
| The Reprobate | Passed over. Could have been saved but weren’t chosen. | Authored for a different purpose. Never candidates for salvation. Vessels of wrath fitted to destruction (Romans 9:22). |
| Equal Ultimacy | Denied. Election is active, reprobation is passive (preterition). | Affirmed. Both election and reprobation are positive decrees of equal ultimacy. |
| Gordon Clark’s Principle | Not applied. | “The logical order of any plan is the exact reverse of its temporal execution.” The first step in planning is the end to be achieved. |
Infralapsarianism is really selection, not election. It says God looked at a fallen mass and selected some for salvation. But selection implies a pool of candidates who already exist. Election implies a decree that precedes the candidates. God didn’t choose from a group. He authored the group according to the choice. The end came first. The means followed.
See Bob Higby, “Infralapsarianism vs. Supralapsarianism: Selection vs. Election” (pristinegrace.org), and Gordon Clark, “Supralapsarianism” (pristinegrace.org).
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