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Atonement - Limited or Universal - Thesis John R K Nieminen MDiv
Atonement - Limited or Universal - Thesis John R K Nieminen MDiv
LIMITED
OR UNIVERSAL
John R. K. Nieminen
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
God's Elect.1
1
This is also what they teach. In The Canons of the Synod of
Dort, Art.XII. it says: "The elect...attain the assurance of this
their eternal and unchangeable election, not by inquisitively
prying into the secret and deep things of God, but by observing in
themselves...the infallible fruits of election..such as a true
faith in Christ, filial fear, a godly sorrow for sin, a hungering
and thirsting after righteousness, etc." Philip Schaff, The
Creeds of Christendom (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, l977),
3:583-84.
2
all.
would reply, that if one can believe in Christ and has the
something which might not exists for him in the first place?
does not exist for faith, obviously faith into it can not
Calvinists do, take the election apart from any such absolute
2
"The faith which the gospel requires involves a number of
acts in a specific order: first, believing that we can not save
ourselves, but that God has provided a Saviour, Jesus Christ;
then, resting on Christ for salvation, according to the gospel
invitation and promise; finally, inferring from the fact that God
has enabled us to do this that Christ died for us individually."
John Owen, The Death of Death in the Death of Christ, with an
introduction by J. I. Packer (Carlisle, PA: The Banner of Truth
Trust, 1985), 30. This teaching is further elaborated on in the
book pp. 202-204. See also footnote 1 above.
3
Him) on the basis of His atoning work for all. There can be
absolute that Christ died for all, and therefore also surely
3
E.g. that Christ "is the propitiation for the sins of the
whole world," or that "He died for all," or that "God was in
Christ and reconciled the world unto Himself." These are universal
statements which can serve as an object for faith, for they
exclude no one, except according to Calvinistic interpretations.
4
As can be seen from the footnote #2 Calvinists propose a
logical order in which an individual would be led to a certainty
of him having been elected by God for salvation. We see several
problems, tensions and impracticalities with this order. First,
it is quite evident that in the step number one they would, and
would have to, preach unlimited atonement of Christ, and then only
after, when an individual on the basis of that proclamation had
believed, would they tell him that, after all, atonement is
limited; but see, you believe, therefore you are an elect of God.
Besides being hypocritical, that kind of order is, and can be,
only academic. There would be no way in a real life to control
this order seeing that services are public events. One who does
not yet believe could hear prematurely that maybe it's not for him
- maybe Christ didn't die for him, and this surely would be a
stumbling block far greater than Christ Himself. Obviously also
faith if it was earlier enkindled by the proclamation of universal
atonement would be in jeopardy especially in a time of trial.
Judging from some of their own writings, it seems that the five-
point Calvinists have in an increasing manner themselves realized
the truth of this. Long writes in his Substitutionary Atonement,
(Sterling, VA: Grace Abounding Ministries Inc., 1977), p. 42,
"Although this writer believes in the free offer of the Gospel, he
has become concerned with the manner in which present day five-
4
rather then that there will follow proper fruits and 'signs'
genuine.6
If one can not trust that Christ died for all, and
the Bible say as to why some are not saved. In this paper
this first question, being the main issue for this paper, is
These two things have and have had an all pervasive implica-
of our church.
Lutheran reformers in their day had a good foresight
because they did not resist God's saving will, or that there was
some other merit whatsoever to their credit which decided the
matter of salvation to their advantage, but that is it solely by
God's grace alone that one is saved. However, neither anywhere in
the Scripture does it teach that those who are damned are damned
because God did not want to save them. It will not do to quote
Romans chapter nine here, for it has to be understood in its
proper context. For further reading here we recommend article by
Theodore Graebner "Predestination and Human Responsibility" in
Concordia Theological Monthly, Vol. VI, July 1935, 164-171.
6
stake.
11
The Book of Concord, ed.Theodore Tappert (Philadelphia:
Fortress Press, 1959), Formula of Concord, Epitome, Art. XI,
494.1.
12
There is an extensive article written by Dr. Francis Pieper
in German on this subject: Geraten Lutheraner angesichts der
Schriftstellen, welche von der Praedestination handeln, in
Verlegenheit? This article is found in Lehre und Wehre, 44(yr.):
65-166. "This article considers all the arguments employed by the
Reformed for changing the universal statements of Scripture into
particular ones and shows that all the passages adduced by the
Confession of Faith [Westminster Confession of Faith?] for a
gratia particularis do not prove it." The quote is from Francis
Pieper, Christian Dogmatics (St.Louis: Concordia Publishing
House, 1951), 3:28, footnote 56.
7
that "It is a must" that "the world" means "the world" i.e.
"all people".14
dialogue are at and meet them where they are in order to lead
them also see where we are at, else all our Scripture
13
This void has been recognized also by limited
redemptionists, "... the writer (Gary D. Long) is persuaded that
most unlimited redemptionists have not examined the subject with
care or with scriptural objectivity and are, for the most part,
either ignorant or ignore the context of the Scripture and the
teachings of the great reformation divines concerning this
doctrine. For example, there is a noticeable lack among the
writings of unlimited redemptionists of any attempt to prove their
contention that "world" in the disputed passages always means
"world," namely, all mankind without exception. This meaning is
invariably assumed by them when they comment concerning the extent
of the atonement." This quote is from Gary D. Long, Definite
Atonement (n.p.: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co., 1976),
32. Even though the quote was more specifically directed against
the four-point Calvinists, and Arminians, yet, to us it seems that
it fairly well applies also to the Lutheran camp.
14
Robert Preus, Justification as Taught by Post-Reformation
Lutheran Theologians (Fort Wayne: Concordia Lutheran Seminary
Press, 1982), 3; Kurt Marquart, Justification-Objective and
Subjective: A Translation..., (Fort Wayne: Concordia Theological
Seminary Press, 1982), 16-21. The best, even though concise,
treatment by a Lutheran theologian that we have found is in
Francis Pieper, Christian Dogmatics (St.Louis: Concordia
Publishing House, 1951), 2:21-28.
8
deaf ears.
15
An Invitation to Action, James E. Andrews and Joseph A.
Burgess (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1983), 9-13. Lutherans
even stated Lutherans and Reformed to be "one in their
confessional testimony on justification by grace through faith,"
and, indeed to have "found basic unanimity on this article
beginning with Calvin's Institutes and the WC [Westminster
Confession] through the first two Lutheran-Reformed dialogues and
the Leuenberg Agreement a decade ago." p. 111. It seems to us
that these Lutherans either were ignorant, or ignored, the serious
implications which the teaching of the limited extent of the
atonement, espoused by the Institutes and the said confession, has
to the doctrine of justification by faith. If the implications,
some of which has been mentioned and some of which will be covered
below, were understood and taken seriously they could not have
made the statement stated above.
9
imperative.
tions17, who teach that God desires to save only His Elect,
16
John Calvin, John Murray, John Owen, Charles Hodge, Loraine
Boettner, Gary North, Daune Edward Spencer, Henry Charles
Beeching, Thomas Jackson Crawford, Frederick William Dillistone,
John Knox etc.
17
E.g. such Reformed, Presbyterian or (Particular) Baptist
bodies like: Christian Reformed Church, Presbyterian Church in
America, Bible Presbyterian Church, Orthodox Presbyterian Church,
The Presbyterian Church in Canada, Protestant Reformed Church in
America, Free Reformed Churches of North America, Reformed Baptist
Church, The American Baptist Convention, The Southern Baptist
Convention, The National Baptist Convention, etc. This informa-
tion is found from Arthur C. Piepcorn, Profiles in Belief (San
Francisco: Harper Row Publishers 1978), 2:334-337, and from F. E.
Mayer, The Religious Bodies of America (Saint Louis: Concordia
Publishing House, 1956), pp. 261, 269-273.
sent Christ to redeemed only the Elect and not all people
to the human mind, but let the Word settle doctrinal issues,
3:322-324.
21
Calvin: Institutes of the Christian Religion, Ed. John T.
McNeill. Translated by Ford Lewis Battles. (Philadelphia:
Westminster Press, 1960), 2, III, 21-24; Calvin: Theological
Treatises, trans. by J. K. S. Reid. (Philadelphia: Westminster
Press, 1954), 179-180.
John Murray, Redemption - Accomplished and Applied (Phillipburg,
PA: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co.), 9-18.
22
Even though the sovereignty of God is accepted it is
recognized that God, in His sovereignty, decided not to work in
His majestic power through the means of grace i.e. the Word and
the Sacraments, but that His will can be resisted when He works
through those means. Francis Pieper, Christian Dogmatics, 1:196-
199. Theodore G. Tappert, ed., The Book of Concord, Solid
Declaration, Art. II, 520.5-527.28.
12
Religion).
The first controversy then to include the scope of the
23
The five points of Arminianism may be briefly stated as
follows: 1) God from all eternity predestinated to eternal life
those of whom He foresaw that they would remain steadfast in faith
unto their end. 2) Christ died for all mankind, not simply for
the elect. 3) Man must be regenerated by the Holy Spirit. 4) Man
may resist divine grace. 5) Man may fall from divine grace.
13
as follows:
27
Schaff, The Creeds of Christendom, 1:519-523 and 3: 581-597.
15
tions that Christ died only for the elect. This ambiguity is
redemption in Christ", and how God gave only the elect "to
28
John Owen, The Death of Death in the Death of Christ, 183-
185. Rienk Bouke Kuiper, For whom did Christ die? A study of the
divine design of the atonement, 79-84. Kuiper (pp. 80-81) quotes
Berkhof: "The Schoolmen were accustomed to saying that Christ died
sufficiently for all men, but efficaciously for the elect. This
language was adopted by some orthodox theologians and even by
Calvin. But after the extent of the atonement had been made the
object of special study, Reformed theologians generally refused to
state the truth in that form, because it was apt to give the
impression that Christ in dying intended that all men should share
in the proper effects of His atoning death. They prefer to say
that the death of Christ viewed objectively and apart from His
design and purpose, was inherently sufficient for all, though
efficacious only for the elect."
Here Kuiper also talks about the "common grace," as
distinguished from the "saving grave." This is some new
development in Calvinistic formulations which teaches that all men
benefited in some measure, excepting salvation, of the atonement
of Christ. This mode of speaking is then also used by some
Calvinist theologians to water down universal expressions of
Scripture concerning the extent of the atonement. So also Kuiper.
He says of 1 Tim. 4:10, which talks of God as being "the Saviour
of all men:" "That is, the Preserver, of all men, that for the
present He takes an attitude of benevolence. . . toward all men. .
." This then means "certain blessings" that God gives to non-
elect, such as rain, sunshine, natural talents etc. To interpret
1 Tim. 4:10 in such a way does not demand our serious considera-
tion, for it is evident to all, how such an interpretation is just
16
fact that not only Calvin but also most of those churches who
and says for example: "To all those for whom Christ hath
Christ hath purchased it; who are in time by the Holy Ghost
doctrine."32
people by Christ.
detailed way.
In Chapter III we set forth Lutheran presuppositions,
35
Election, Atonement, Conversion, Justification, and
Perseverance.
20
but also in those where the extent of God's saving will (i.e.
than Jew", and "for many" to "for the Elect";37 second; There is
another class of passages which imply universal scope of the atonement,38 but which passages
the Calvinists likewise interpret to fit their views. These passages need to be looked at as
well. Finally; How can such passages of the Scripture be understood which seem to imply a
36
Study of the extent of the atonement in this paper, titled
"Atonement: Limited or Universal," will receive the main emphasis,
the extent of God's Saving Will receiving some attention only
because it is seen to be so closely related with the former, for
if one were able to show God's saving will to be limited only to
the elect, he could then somewhat more plausibly argue also for
the limited extent of the atonement.
37
Westminster Confession of Faith, pp. 46, 49, 50, 146, 147,
157, 295, 324, and 325; G. I. Williamson, The Westminster
Confession of Faith for Study Classes (Philadelphia: Presbyterian
and Reformed Publishing Co., 1964), 79; Philip Schaff, The Creeds
of Christendom, 3:587 (The Canons of the Synod of Dort, Second
Head of Doctrine, Art.VIII).
38
E.g. 2 Pet. 2:1.
21
limited scope of the atonement (e.g. "...the good shepherd lays down his life for the
sheep." John 10:11 i.e. not for the wolves. "Greater love has no man than this, that a man
lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13 i.e. not for his enemies) and which type of
39
Westminster Confession of Faith, p. 50 footnote q.
40
Hugh Martin, The Atonement: In Its Relations to the
Covenant, the Priesthood, and the Intercession of Our Lord
(Edinburgh: Knox Press, 1976).
41
William Symington, On the Atonement and Intercession of
Christ (New York: Carter, 1839).
42
John Owen, A Brief Declaration and Vindication of the
Doctrine of the Trinity (Glasgow: Printed by Napier and Khull for
R. Hutchison and J. Steel Co., 1798).
43
Also books that deal with the subject in general often
devote some chapters to defend limited atonement also from the
perspective that these different approaches provide.
22
investigation.
44
Francis Pieper, Christian Dogmatics, 1:307-342.
45
Because some ninety-nine per cent of the passages used and
implicated in the discussion of this topic, both by limited and
universal redemptionists, are from the New Testament, those are
the passages covered also in this presentation.
23
"world" is
CHAPTER II
1
CALVINISTIC VIEW OF THE EXTENT OF THE ATONEMENT
"Amyraldianism", known also as "Salmurianism", which teaches
"modified Cavinism", or "Four Point Calvinism" which has dropped
one point of Calvinism, namely that of "Limited Atonement", and
teaches "Indefinite Atonement," is not covered here. Let it only
be said that they, unlike Lutherans, teach the atonement to have
only rendered the world "salvable," but not saved (being actually
saved on a condition of faith). This view of theirs, just as that
27
has to serve His will. This being so we can judge from the
46
By Calvinism here is meant that theological system
which is seen to have started with Calvin, expounded in his
comprehensive two volume Institutes of the Christian
Religion, affirmed by the Synod of Dort (1618-1619), and
known as the "Five Points of Calvinism" (one of which affirms
limited scope or extent of the atonement of Christ, i.e. that
Christ died only for the elect of God--this teaching of
"Limited Atonement" is known also as "Particular Redemption,"
or "Particular Atonement" and "Definite Atonement."
47
Calvin: Institutes of the Christian Religion, Ed. John T.
McNeill, trans. by Ford Lewis Battles (Philadelphia: Westminster
Press, 1960), 2, Art. III, 21-24; Calvin: Theological Treatises,
trans. by J. K. S. Reid (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1954),
179-180;
John Murray, Redemption--Accomplished and Applied (Phillipburg:
Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co.), 9-18; John Owen, The
Death of Death in the Death of Christ (Pennsylvania: The Banner of
Truth Trust, 1985), 2-15; Gary D. Long, Substitutionary
Atonement; a Study of Three Key Problem Passages on the Extent of
the Atonement, 3, footnote 3.
These references could have been multiplied, for any book that
deals with the subject from the Calvinistic perspective is careful
to begin their treatment of the matter from the sovereign will of
28
writes,
48
Francis Pieper, Christian Dogmatics (St.Louis: Concordia
Publishing House, 1951), 2:28. Pieper quotes Chamier in footnote
56. Piper indicates that his source for this quote is Chamier's
Panstrat. 3.7.6.
49
It seems that there is no consistency in the Calvinist camp
concerning this view, in that many Calvinists want to interpret,
as we shall later see, the passages which have traditionally been
seen to express God's will to save all, in a sense that would
limit also His expressed or revealed saving will to the elect. It
seems to us that there would be no need of this endeavour if
Chamier's view were accepted (though we do not say that it is
acceptable), for he could, according to his view of things, say,
that even though God in the Scripture has expressed His desire
that all were saved, in His hidden will He does not desire it.
Possibly Calvinists have realized, at least to a degree, the
futility of such basing of doctrine on the hidden will of God, and
have attempted to sound Scriptural. But, yet the fact remains, as
we shall see, that they are not free of their presuppositions and
that therefore the hidden will of God will yet steer their
judgment as to how individual passages are to be interpreted.
29
did not and does not desire all to be saved. For if He did,
saved as well; but now that all did not, we truly know that
is all permeating, and the idea that from the results we can
50
Calvin: Institutes of the Christian Religion, 2:982-987
(3.4.15-17); Calvin: Theological Treatises, 179-180.
51
This predestination issue again is one for which most
Calvinists say they have support in God's revealed will, and
desire to base their case on the Scriptures, whether they
everytime express it or not. See e.g. Calvin: Institutes of the
Christian Religion, 2:955-958 (3.23.7); Calvin: Theological
Treatises, 179. Other references found in footnote 1 also make
this point.
30
Every and each human being is, because of the Fall, totally
52
Calvin for example deals with Ezek. 33:11 where God says:
"As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of
the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live..."
Calvin says that God does not really want every wicked one to
repent, for else they would, but that this passage is really only
for the comfort of those to whom God gives the grace of
repentance. Calvin: Institutes of the Christian Religion, 2:982-
983 (3.24.15).
53
These are what are called the "Five Points of Calvinism"
conveniently abreviated as T.U.L.I.P.: Total depravity,
Unconditional election, Limited atonement, Irresistible grace, and
Perseverance of saints. For further reading on these areas see,
for example, William G. T. Shedd, Dogmatic Theology, three vols.,
reprint of 1888 ed. (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing
House, 1969).
54
This is known as "double-predestination."
31
Perseverance. God will make sure that the elect do not fall
not be separated.56
55
Gary D. Long, Substitutionary Atonement; a Study of Three
Key Problem Passages on the Extent of the Atonement, 3-4.
They make this conclusion because they do not know, it seems,
any other alternatives to exist, except that Arminian synergism
which they abhor.
56
John Owen, The Death of Death in the Death of Christ, 184;
Gary D. Long, Substitutionary Atonement; a Study of Three Key
32
redemption of the whole world, only God did not intend its
and for the elect, for whom Christ intrinsically with the
58
Ibid., pp. 135-136.
34
since we know that not all have, nor do, believe we must
59
Ibid., 136.
60
Ibid., 51-66, 136.
35
atoned for our sins (for the sins of the elect). The
"not for the world, but for them which Thou hast given me..."
(John 17:9). Since He prays only for "them," who are the
that "a high priest must make offering to God for a people,"
and
between Israel and God, the New Covenant includes people from
all nations. The Jews had a very hard time realizing that
61
Gary D. Long, Definite Atonement (n.p.: Presbyterian and
Reformed Publishing Co., 1976), 29.
36
the passages which talk about the scope of the atonement the
writers desiring to make it clear that the elect are not only
of the Jews, but of all nations, the elect for whom Christ
church".64
General Introduction
62
E.g. Peter other Jews and Cornelius, a Roman centurion, Acts
10 (pay attention especially also to verses 45-48). See also Acts
11:1-19. John Owen, The Death of Death in the Death of Christ,
pp. 186, 187, 189, 190.
63
Ibid., 186-187.
64
William G. T. Shedd, Dogmatic Theology, 479-480.
37
. .69
65
Thus for example in John 3: 17,19.
66
As in Rom. 3:6,19; 5:12.
67
E.g. in John 4:42.
68
E.g. in John 3:16; 6:33,51; 2 Cor. 5:19; 1 John 2:2.
69
John Owen, The Death of Death in the Death of Christ, pp.
192, 193. All the Scripture references in the quote are Owen's.
70
And this is not anything unique. Most, if not all,
Calvinists have followed in his footsteps and use his method in
order to show limited extent of the atonement, and deem his book,
The Death of Death in the Death of Christ to represent "doctrinal
exactness," and state further,
38
"world" or "all."
with the word "world" Owen attempts to show from John 1:10,
"He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the
the alike
cursed figment
72
Ibid., 194.
73
William G. T. Shedd, Dogmatic Theology, 480.
40
of
transubstantiat
ion,
overthrowing
the body of
Christ, who
divers other
most pernicious
errors.74
places of Scripture.75
atonement was discussed for for the most of the time you do
passages of the same type (i.e. those containing the same key
74
John Owen, The Death of Death in the Death of Christ, 191.
75
Ibid.
41
yet, is that passages which contain those key words, but have
shall notice they do not here, for the most part and by most
where those for whom Christ died are termed as: "ungodly",
contains all and every man in the world; Christ died for the
whole world: therefore He died for each and every man", can
76
Ibid., 277.
77
Based on John 3:16; 6:51; 1 John 2:2.
78
John Owen, The Death of Death in the Death of Christ, 205-
206.
43
In the passage, "For God sent not His Son into the
world, to condemn the world, but that the world through Him
whereunto it is designed.80
The following passages, for example, prove to
restricted: "The world knew Him not," (John 1:10) for surely
(Luke 2:1) for only those in the Roman Empire, and possibly
79
Ibid., 215.
80
Ibid., 194. This is a very typical argumentation in the
book.
44
not even all of them, were to be taxed; "I speak to the world
did not address the whole world only those people who lived
Him," (John 12:19) For not the whole world, but only a
epistle. And then he says that only twice can the word mean
Long asks,
81
Ibid., 194-195.
82
Gary D. Long, Substitutionary Atonement, 16.
45
the Gentiles and used the term "the whole world" and "world"
83
John E. Meeter, ed., Selected Shorter Writings of Benjamin
B. Waarfield (Nutley, N.J.: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing
Co., 1970-1973), 1:176-177.
84
Gary D. Long, Substitutionary Atonement, 25.
46
write unto you, fathers, because ye have known Him from the
And naturally enough with "for the sins of the whole world"
here, only may the reader check how "parallel" that passage
85
Arthur W. Pink, The Atonement (Venice, Florida: Chapel
Library, n.d.), 13-14.
86
Gary D. Long, Substitutionary Atonement, 28.
47
them."
are fallacious.
87
For example, Ibid., 16, 35, 36.
48
The Bible teaches that "All for whom Christ died, also
inevitable that those for whom Christ died are those and
because it is plain that not all people thus live for Christ,
neither can we then say that "Christ died for all men." This
the "all" for whom Christ died, for this "would bring us into
conflict with...Romans 6:5,8." "Romans 6:4-8 must be applied
have the same extent as those embraced in... 'He died for
unlimited atonement.
88
John Murray, The Atonement (Phillipsburg: Presbyterian and
Reformed Publishing Co.), p.69-72. He advances the following
Scripture to prove his point: Rom. 6:4,5,8, 9; Col. 3:3.
49
here.
buy them in any sense of the word at all. First, says he,
is used,
ten times in the New Testament. But never does it
refer to the Father or to the Son as a mediator unless
50
2:1. According to this view Peter wrote the way he did, out
89
Gary D. Long, Substitutionary Atonement, p. 50.
90
Ibid., 51-52.
51
established thee?"
them which was 'a perverse and crooked generation' ") from
condemnation."94
Long's case in its totality largely rests on the
following argument:
destruction."96
the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all
95
Ibid., 61-62.
96
Ibid., 63.
54
to see the will of God here in the second sense, but explains
according to
realize that the "all men" mentioned in the passage must mean
other words "all men without distinction," but not "all men
97
John Owen, Death of Death in the Death of Christ, pp. 232-
233.
98
Ibid., 232.
55
and giving of thanks, be made for all men, for kings, and for
and thus not for those who are not His people, or are
99
Ibid., 234.
100
Gary D. Long, Definite Atonement, 33; R. B. Kuiper, For
Whom Did Christ Died? (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1959), 64.
56
essence.
CHAPTER III
atonement which does not atone etc. for those statements are
the beginning point for any healthy theology, for who can
tell what the sovereignty of God means for us? Can not God,
things are possible unto Thee; take away this cup from
101
Or, maybe we should say that His righteousness limited His
sovereignty, His righteousness demanding that a due penalty and
58
defeated. His Ark stolen, Judas perish etc. Which all things
will? We think not, for else we could accuse God for being a
and righteousness,
102
Ezek. 18:1-32; 33:7-19.
103
John 3:16.
104
Rom. 3:23-25a.
57
elect), but His very nature, and His nature, being the nature
from the Word, but can only comfort ourselves in knowing that
between God's hidden will and the will revealed in the Word,
105
1 John 4:8.
106
This is the Lutheran distinction between the antecedent, or
first, will (voluntas antecedens, voluntas prima) and the
consequent, or second, will (voluntas consequens, voluntas
secunda) of God. According to the former God desires in earnest to
save all men through faith in Christ, and according to the latter
condemn all who refuse to believe in Christ. This distinction is
based for example on John 3:14-21. Francis Pieper, Christian
Dogmatics, 2:36-38.
From the Old Testament also we know that God delivered all
Israelites from Egypt, but yet destroyed those who did not trust
in Him. Accordingly the apostle in the New Testament warns us not
to tempt God or Christ, or fall away from grace. (1 Cor. 10:1-12;
Gal. 5:4).
58
in His Word; further we can not, and dare not go. Else we
with the universal atonement, but save only those, the elect,
extensively.
God Himself, and His love, in and through His Son Jesus
107
There are many events that have taken place in the Biblical
history which the Scripture says God was not an author of. Matter
in fact, nothing sinful can be attributed to God, yet sin was, and
is, rampant in the world. To take just one example, false
prophets preached though God had not sent them (Ezek. 13).
108
Nor should we study it in vacuum, i.e. without taking into
account other attributes of God. And in the New Testament, with
regard of the atonement, it surely talks more about the love and
righteousness of God than of His sovereignty.
59
God), has to be, not only the beginning point, but all
them John 3:16 reads: "For God so loved the elect...," and we
109
John 14:8,9; 1 John 4:10.
110
Robert A. Peterson, Calvin's Doctrine of the Atonement
(Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co.,
1983), 1. He dismisses Christology and the doctrine of sin as
Calvin's starting point for his theology, and does not even
mention (not at least directly) that sovereignty of God would be
his starting point.
111
Gary D. Long, Definite Atonement (Nutley: Presbyterian and
Reformed Publishing Co., 1976), 8. Also see John Murray, The
Atonement (Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing
Co., -), p. 10. We quote: "The purpose to redeem is of the free
and sovereign exercise of His love."
60
point as some Calvinists surely do, namely those who say that
112
Gary North, 75 Bible Questions (Tyler, Texas: Spurgeon
Press, 1984), pp. 17, 18.
113
By "sophistry" this writer means that Calvinistic
disposition which does not take the text of Scripture as it is
written, but inserts into, adds, changes and manipulates it, with
a show of being Scriptural, according to their human reason so as
to make it agree with their preconceived ideas of what the
Scripture must mean.
114
See p. 27.
115
And in the Scripture Christ has revealed the Father's will,
"This is the will of Him that sent me, that every one which seeth
the Son and believeth on Him may have everlasting life..." (John
6:40).
61
words to His apostles: "He that heareth you, heareth Me; and
despiseth Him who sent Me."117 Thus the written Word of God
becomes the ultimate and the only authority for doctrine and,
consequently, of practice.118
written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will
the plain text had and would not suffice, it had been for
116
Luke 9:35.
117
Luke 10:16.
118
The Book of Concord, ed. Theodore Tappert (Philadelphia:
Fortress Press, 1959), Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration,
Introduction, 505.9.
119
1 Cor. 1:19.
62
other text or texts, and so forth, who could then anymore say
120
Sola Scriptura, by Scripture alone.
121
But at least some of our great Calvinistic theologians
esteem such an approach childish. When Arminians took the word
"world" (e.g. in John 3:16) to mean "world", they were called
"poor pretenders" who "are indeed very children" to the right
understanding of the word and then consequently also of the Word,
where the word is contained. John Owen, The Death of Death in
the Death of Christ. (Carlisle, PA: The Banner of Truth Trust,
1985), 205. Subsequently John Owen reinterprets the word "world,"
and ends up with the meaning "elect" for that word; p. 213.
63
122
For example Gary D. Long in his book Substitutionary
Atonement; a Study of Three Key Problem Passages on the Extent of
the Atonement (Sterling, VA: Grace Abounding Printers, 1977), 32-
33, makes a distinction between "soteric" and "cosmic"
reconciliations (the former meaning the reconciliation of the
elect through Christ, the latter the reconciliation of the non-
rational creation through Christ), and writes,
the Scriptures.124
reasons, one of which surely was that slaves did not quite
believe it, or did not know how to use their freedom, and
124
John 1:1-14; Rev. 19:13.
125
Redemption here was done by the change of law.
126
We realize that this illustration is not, nor any
illustration indeed can be, parallel to what God did in Christ,
but it serves only as an illustration of the point we desire to
make, which point obviously, to have any validity, is to be based
on Scripture and not on any illustration.
65
be the case, but the following "For whom did Christ die?"
127
That Calvinist theology, where it is consistent, because of
its denial of the universal redemption, does away also with the
means of grace which create faith, is conclusively shown in
Francis Pieper, Christian Dogmatics, 3:118-122.
128
"...it is needful to restate Owen's classic argument for
particular redemption. It has been over three hundred years since
it was penned, and it is the writer's firm opinion that, to date,
no one has been able to refute it scripturally. It is seriously
doubted that any shall ever refute it unless the Scripture be
rewritten. Owen wrote:..." Gary D. Long, Definite Atonement, 33-
34.
66
presentations:
The Father imposed His wrath due unto, and the Son
underwent punishment for, either:
not believe, for Christ answered also for that sin of the
elect, for He "in their stead suffered for all the sins of
129
John Owen, Death of Death in the Death of Christ, 137 This
has then by the proponents, besides having been profusely quoted
in their books and lectures, been printed separately, in an edited
format, on little sheets of paper for handy distribution. It is
in this external format that we have quoted the text.
This same presupposition elaborated on here, which is one of
the key premises of Calvinists, is reiterated time after another
in Owen's own book (e.g. pp. 227-228) and obviously also in those
of other Calvinists.
67
the sin of unbelief "hinder them more than their other sins
for which He died?" For "If He did not, He did not die for
me, that ye might have life." (John 5:40) "This is the will
of Him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son and
130
So also Warfield, "...if it [unbelief] is sin, is it not
like other sins, covered by the death of Christ?... surely it
would be very odd if the sin of rejection of Redeemer were the
only condemning sin,..." John E. Meeter, ed., Selected Shorter
Writings of Benjamin B. Warfield (Nutley, NJ: Presbyterian and
Reformed Publishing Co., 1970-1973), 1:172.
68
likewise died for those who were there before His suffering.
And this for the very same reason why He died for all those
also who ultimately will perish. This reason then must be,
righteousness,
apostle here does not set forth some special case with regard
131
This is: If they, or any individual in that nation, believe
not in Christ, they are condemned as any other man.
69
"in Thy sayings." And, for us, His "sayings" are recorded in
died for all; That Christ is the propitiation for the sins of
the whole world; How God in Christ reconciled the whole world
God and say that the redemption was not for them, for God has
God of injustice even though they were left out. Now, this
sounds plausible for the human reason, but God has indicated
God Himself?
132
This "as it is written" quote of the apostle's comes from
Psalm 51:4 where it also, indeed, is a general principle of God's
justice.
70
with Luther:
true that Christ prayed "for them also who shall believe on
was to the future when they would believe in Him, and nothing
namely, "that they all may be one." They can not be one with
133
Martin Luther, The Bondage of the Will, tr. Henry Cole
(Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1977 reprint), 173.
72
prayers to God.134
heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me." (John
134
For example in Luke 23:34. But distinction is made by old
theologians between intercessio generalis and intercessio
specialis, which concern unbelievers and believers, respectively.
Francis Pieper, Christian Dogmatics, 2:382.
135
For example in Acts 18:10 when Jesus says to Paul, "Be not
afraid, but speak, . . . for I am with thee, and not man shall
set on thee to hurt thee, for I have much people in this city,"
He did not with those "people" whom He had in that city mean all
the elect that resided there, but only those who believed in Him.
It is clear that those who are of the elect, but do not yet
believe, are not at all useful to Christ, but are feared by His
people, just as Saul was until he believed.
73
save? "Them... that come unto God by Him." This can happen
only in faith, for no one can come unto God by Him except by
(Heb. 11:6) And it is then "for them" who have come to Him,
Priestly office, dying for "sins," and not for "sin" of the
Christ dying for "sin," and for "sins" are affirmed in the
known, "Behold, the Lamb of God who taketh (or, beareth) away
which are the most important ones they have to offer, against
136
For example, Gary D. Long, Definite Atonement, 29.
74
material their pages are flooded with and we are saved of the
that, for one thing, Christ died even for them. And thereby
137
See Chapter I, pp. 1, 2. Also one of their theologians said
in his recent lecture: "The foundation of our whole salvation is
eroded if Peter has Christ die for him, and Judas has Christ die
for him, and Judas finally wounds up in hell. How can we be sure
we won't?... We can not look at a man in hell and ever be sure
that we are not going to wound up there unless we look into
ourselves and find something there that the fellow who went to
hell didn't have." (Emphasis is ours.)
75
as follows:138
every and each individual of all times and is the very fruit
reconciled with God, whereby the sins of the whole world were
the whole world, were on Him on the Cross and for the sake of
138
For further reading on these areas, see Francis Pieper's
three volume Christian Dogmatics.
139
For further reading see, George Stoeckhardt, "General
Justification," Concordia Theological Quarterly, 42 (April,
1978): 139-144; Theodore Mueller, "Justification: Basic
Linguistic Aspects and the Art of Communicating It," Concordia
Theological Quarterly, 46 (January, 1982): 21-38; E. W. A.
Koehler, "Objective Justification," Concordia Theological
Monthly, 16 (April, 1945), 217-235.
140
John 3:16-17; 4:42; 6:33, 51; 12:32; 2 Cor. 5:14, 15,19; 1
Tim. 1:15; 2:4-6,10; Titus 2:11; 1 John 2:2; 4:9,10,14 and the
like passages.
76
faith alone (sola fide), that we are in Him and receive the
141
For example Ephesians chapter one: "God... who hath blessed
us with all spiritual blessings... in Christ" (v.3); "...He hath
made us accepted in the Beloved. In whom we have redemption..."
(v.6, 7) "all things in Christ..." (v.10) "In whom we have
obtained inheritance..." (v.11) "...who trusted in Christ..."
(v.12) "In whom ye also trusted...in whom also... ye were sealed
with that Holy Spirit of promise,..." (v.13) It is also very
telling that the Epistle started with "to the faithful in Christ
Jesus:" (v.1) The redemption is in Christ; therefore only those
who are in Him have redemption. The whole world, even though
redeemed in Christ, do not have the redemption but only those who
through faith are in Him, in Him in whom the redemption is.
142
Paul writes to Timothy: "Therefore I endure all things for
the elect's sake, that they may also obtain the salvation which is
in Christ Jesus with eternal glory." 2 Tim. 2:10 And in John
3:16 the matter is made very plain: "For God so loved the world,
that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in
Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." The same truth
is also in the previous verse: "That whosoever believeth in Him
should not perish, but have eternal life." The eternal life, the
salvation, the atonement, the redemption, which is in Christ can
be had by believing in Him. It is true that it is God's work in
its totality to impart faith, but this fact ought not make us do
away with faith which is indispensable to salvation.
77
and with Him all that we have in Him, is not a work and does
It was God the Father who in His great love sent Jesus
Spirit.
everlasting.
143
Lutheran Cyclopedia, Ed. Erwin L. Lueker (St. Louis:
Concordia Publishing House, 1954), "Thirteen Theses," 1057-1058,
(see especially thesis 10, and 11).
144
Matt. 13:20-22.
145
"Crux theologorum," Pieper, Christian Dogmatics, 1, 32-33.
146
This hidden counsel of God, or as Luther called it,
"inscrutable will of God," does not, unlike Calvinists, make us
change His written Word, and His revealed will made manifest
therein, to agree with what we consider that that inscrutable will
79
When the Word has such tensions which we can not reconcile
must be.
80
the whole world i.e. "the world containing" and "the world
has read the Bible, that we need not say a word more. Then
it says in Rom. 3:19, "Now we know that what things soever
the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law, that
every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become
guilty before God." Now it is evident that not all and every
147
John Owen, The Death of Death in the Death of Christ, 195.
148
Ibid. Obviously Owen was a child of his age and could not
realize the development of and in the technology of communication
equipment and consequent world wide mass media coverage through
TV, radio etc. Now it is a rather easy thing for the whole world
to "behold" anything anywhere in the world.
81
obvious that if some have sinned without the law they have
nothing to do with the law, nor then can they be under it.
with the word "world" here. Therefore, the "all the world"
does not actually, nor indeed can it, mean each and every
also from the fact that Paul said: "that every mouth may be
stopped", for those who have died long ago do not even have
mouths any longer, their bodies having rotted and become dust
saying is this: "Now we know that what things soever the law
saith, it saith to those people who now live or will live and
are under the law, that their mouths may be stopped, and all
whole need not a physician, but they that are sick." We can
abundance, see that only some are sinners, but some are
heaven. That is why the apostle said: "And after this I saw
149
This is exactly how Owen, and all traditional Calvinists,
deal with the words "all" and "world." See his book The Death of
Death in the Death of Christ, 185-197, 205-209 Thus in the
passages which express universal atonement the word "world" means
to him "the world of elect," (see e.g. pp. 209, 213) and "all",
"all sorts of" p.224.
83
The only obvious answer must be that they surely are not
their premises largely dictate what those words must here and
there mean, and then find means to prove it, even if some
Redefinition of Words
Owen's attempt151 to defend his redefinition of the word
150
Long writes, "It ['world'] is used of all mankind
universally in a context of sin and judgment, but never in a
salvation context." Gary D. Long, Substitutionary atonement, 15.
151
See Chapter II, p. 38.
84
father and only then follow Him. This Jesus denies from him
with the words above, which indicate that his father was
bury their dead." This does not make the word "dead"
that Christ died for the sins of the whole world, this is the
widest expression. Then the Word also tells that Christ died
85
for the Church, and Paul says that Christ died "for me,"152
see, that He died also for all and every man of all times.
"all" and "world" to "all sorts of" and "the world of elect,"
152
"Who loved me, and gave himself for me." Gal. 2:20.
153
I.e. heretics who attribute to God the Father an actual body
and human emotions because of the use of anthropomorphism as a
Scriptural mode of speech by which the possession of human limbs
and organs is ascribed to God.
154
Especially such as figurative, and poetic types.
155
See Chapter II, p. 36.
86
restricted: "The world knew Him not," (John 1:10) for surely
indeed, knew Him not, for the context just preceding says:
"He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the
world knew Him not." Now, the first "world" means, not some
the world, but in heaven. The second "world" means the God
there are some believers there or not, the point and the
whole irony being, that even though He had made the world,
yet that world knew not its Creator on the basis of it having
156
See Chapter II, p. 38, 39, 42.
87
been made by Him. This is what the words in the text tell to
for, they say, He did not address the whole world only those
157
See Chapter II, p. 43.
88
And besides, His words have come even to us. Therefore, not
Calvinists have this to say: The Bible teaches that "All for
those and those only who die to sin and live to righteous-
ness." And because it is plain that not all people thus live
for Christ, neither can we then say that "Christ died for all
"He died for all" was "that they who live should not
henceforth live unto themselves, but to Him who died for them
and rose again." The "they who live" refers to those who are
158
John Murray, The Atonement, 69-72. He advances the
following Scripture to prove his point: Rom. 6:4,5,8,9; Col.
3:3.
89
159
E.g. Eph. 2:1,5.
160
See for example, the word "little". Funk & Wagnalls'
Standard Desk Dictionary gives following definitions: 1. Small, or
smaller compared to others, in physical size: a little house. 2.
Not long; short; brief: a little time; a little distance away. 3.
Small or relatively small in quantity or degree: little wealth;
little probability. 4. Having small force or effectiveness; weak:
a little effort. 5. Not having great influence, power or
significance; minor; trivial. 6. Narrow or limited in viewpoint;
petty: little minds.
However, in every instance the word "little" had a meaning of
"little." In their illustrations the word always meant "little",
only the word which it modified implied, not that it didn't mean
little, but in what sense it was little, i.e. a context implied
that sense.
Of course there are many words that have more than one basic,
independent, meaning, very different from each other. Then the
90
how to use them in not knowing, in the first place, how they
place where any given word occurred and then listed on the
mean that the word on its own has all those meanings, but
"world" and "all", they mean just that "world" and "all" in
"... unless you repent, likewise you will all perish", we can
not say that one meaning of the word "all" then is "all of
they 'define' words like "world" and "all" (See chapter II).
But "all" means "all" that is, at least the widest possible
restrict its meaning. The word "all" had the value "all" also
those Jesus' words just above concern you and me as well, and
have concerned all people of all times, and will to the end
of age, but even if they had not, our point stands). The
into the house", and then notice from the text that he
actually went into the living room. Do we then say the word
"house" here means "a living room", and conclude that thus
the word "house" can also elsewhere mean "a living room."
And when we then read later that "the house burned up", do we
we then realize that the word "house" may here mean "a
affirmatively.
Christ will see the truth of that our statement for himself.
161
In the New Testament the word is used 185 times. By John
105 times (in his Gospel 78 times, in 1 John 23 times and 4 times
in 2 John and Revelation.), by Paul 47 times, and by other writers
33 times.
93
world as the sum total of all beings above the level of the
162
Walter, Bauer, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament
and Other Early Christian Literature. Translated and adapted by
W.F. Arndt and F. W. Gingrich. (Chicago: University of
Chicago Press, 1979), 445-447 Besides the meanings listed on
this page Bauer gives also the following: "of all mankind, but
especially of believers, as the object of God's love" and gives
the following Scripture references, John 3:16,17c; 6:33,51; 12:47.
Surely the word in those passages mean "all mankind," but we do
not think the addition: "but especially of believers", is needed.
This will be further discussed below.
163
Like one in John 12:19 "Behold, the world is gone after
Him..." Here, the form of idiom seems to be hyperbole--i.e.
exaggeration. We use many idiomatic expressions ourselves
especially when we want to emphasize something. If someone has a
lot of money we could say for example "you have enough money to
buy the whole world." Obviously enough that couldn't be literally
true. Likewise the Pharisees wanted to emphasize the
proportionately huge following that Jesus had by using that
expression, which fact surely can not limit the meaning of the
word elsewhere where we meet it even though Calvinists would like
to make us believe so (see p. 43).
94
I. every, each, any. Under this entry are: 1. every kind of,
all sorts of;166 2. Every, any and every, just any, any at
164
James H. Strong, Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (Grand
Rapids: Baker Book House, 1985 reprint), p. 56 in the Greek
Dictionary section.
165
Walter Bauer, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and
Other Early Christian Literature, 631-632.
166
One example given is in Matt. 23:27 _______________
______________________ and here translated "they are full of all
kinds of uncleanness." However the words "kinds of" are not in
the Greek, but are supplied by the translator due to his
interpretation of what the passage should, to his view, be
conveying to us. To our view the supplied words do not belong to
the text, not even by implication, for is it not true, that,
indeed, "all" uncleanness dwells in each and every individual who
is of the world seeing there is a total depravity of human nature.
The King James version does not have the supplied words.
Another example is from Matt. 4:23 ___________________
_______________. Here Jesus is said to have been "healing every
disease and every sickness among the people. Some versions (even
the KJV) adds to the text interpretive words of "all manner
of...," which is not justified by the Greek text. To add those
words into the text changes its meaning, for it is a different
thing if Jesus healed "every sickness and illness" among those
95
Then the apostle shows how all, both heathen and Jews, are
obedient to God's law (Romans 2). From the context (Rom. 3:1-
8) we can see that when the apostle in Rom. 3:9 says "What
have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all
like. And thus he puts the whole world under sin, and
saith, it saith to them who are under the law, that every
mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty
though they like to live as if they were without the law, and
might not even know all the laws they have broken, are
are not under the law, for Christ "has redeemed them from
sinner before God, does come, and that for all. This he
97
not seem to make very good sense, and that the word is
law of God for us. Rom. 3:22 tells us plainly that those
167
Paul is here indeed talking with respect of both Jews and
Gentiles, as we showed above, and also in Rom. 3:29 he still
affirms "Is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also of the
Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also..." This becomes clearer yet
as he continues.
98
own image, then obviously man did not "fall short of the
God," that is, came short of it. These are now "justified
).
universal terms.
168
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance, p. 24 in the dictionary
section.
169
And as we saw above, it is the context, and the context
alone, that can: (1) define which meaning (if there are more than
one intrinsic meaning) of a word is applicable in a given context;
(2) limit the scope of a word to be less or more (if possible)
than what its intrinsic sense is; or (3) tell in what sense the
word is what its intrinsic meaning expresses.
99
that word means, even if Satan with the whole world would
understood.
sent not His Son into the world, to condemn the world,
3:16-17)
170
"For God so..." is actually "For God in this way...," or "in
this manner...," (________) "loved the world, that He gave... "
171
(____________________________= "all the ones believing").
100
corruption."
thing.172
Scripture.
We may note that the text did not say "that the world
through Him will be saved." But "that the world through Him
if Christ had not died, and thereby atoned, for all, but only
172
Here Owen wanted to limit the "world" to certain locality on
earth. Even though it is true that Christ lived on certain
locality or was born in a stable in Bethlehem, that is not the
import the Scripture has here, but "world" in contrast to "heaven"
from where he came.
101
which the Father sent His Son and which through Him might be
did, but they did not expect a Saviour of the Jews alone
(which had left them outside), but of the "world" and after
down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world." (John
173
That some for whom Christ died might yet ultimately perish
is implicated also in the following passages, Rom. 14:15 and 1
Cor. 8:11.
102
I will give for the life of the world" (John 6:51) can be
fact, Adam and Eve, already, had fallen under His righteous
mentioned above.
Judging the world was not the reason, or any reason for
His coming, for He could have judged the world from heaven,
but that He came down from heaven, He came "to save the
174
Walter Bauer, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and
Other Early Christian Literature, 89.
103
distinguish the Jews and their lot from them and theirs,
175
Rom. 11:20. It is also rather obvious that God wanted to
include all nations (______________), not only the Jews, under the
reconciling work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
104
been the reason for John using the expression "of the whole
world" in the above text to make a point for the Jews that
"realize that this is for the elect of the whole world, and
not only for the elect in Israel."177 But the fact is that
natural part of the church. By the time John wrote his First
176
E.g. Peter, other Jews, and Cornelius, a Roman centurion,
Acts 10 (pay attention especially also to verses 45-48). See also
Acts 11:1-19.
177
See Chapter II, p. 36.
178
See for example Donald Guthrie, New Testament Introduction
105
for ours only, but also for [the sins of] the whole world,"
180
See Chapter II, p. 43.
106
use 1 John 5:19, where the expression "the whole world," like
context, we do not argue with him, for then the point that
the apostle here in this text made becomes all the more
plain, "He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours
only, but also for [the sins of] the whole world."
the word "world" what the intended sense of the word is here,
contention that the word "world" here would include only the
conclusion.
from outside to the text, for not only that verse, but the
future world. John does not even use a future tense, but
whole world."
uses the word 21 times out of the 23 times that he uses the
early second when John wrote his epistle, the Gentiles were
epistle.
ministry (as Long would have it refer to), but to the same
181
John 15:12ff.
109
logic, also say, that the devil sinned only from the
2:7. We can not just randomly pull words together like that
these words occur, that they must refer to the same thing or
event because they are same words. No one uses any language
one, that there were very few of those who became Christians,
182
1 John 3:8.
183
For example, Acts 22:1.
110
and, two, when they did, they were not probably called
Jews exclusively.
Gentiles and Jews. Some went out "from us," that is from
among believers, not necessarily from among the Jews as such.
184
Matt. 23:9.
185
We take the reference here to be to Christians of varying
maturity, and so figuratively from the "little children" to the
"fathers."
186
1 John 2:22-23; 4:1-3.
111
The fact why God allows, though does not will, the
hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me."
that sinned, [so is] the gift: for the judgement [was]
187
E.g. 1 Tim. 2:5; Acts 4:12.
112
sin, and what was gained for that same mankind through
sin and its consequence, death, entered the world-- not only
said before, what on the one hand was lost for all in one
man's sin, and on the other hand, what was gained for all by
The fact that the text does not speak anything about
and [that] He died for all, that they which live should
Christ died for all people, then (in Christ, because He was
the One who died under the curse and condemnation of the sins
of all people) all are dead. "And [that] He died for all,
114
alive--those who are not, could not live, but for themselves]
quote from him, can refer only to the elect, for only the
into that "all" for whom Christ died, whereas only those who
Objective Justification.189
188
See Chapter II, pp. 46-47.
189
One can not simply take passages and make them parallel if
they merely have some common words in them, but also the subject
matter, audience, purpose etc., are to be taken into
consideration.
115
all people, but even "all things," both "in earth and in
heaven."
190
Here English, as is the case in Greek, uses "men" in a sense
of "mankind," including both males and females.
116
believe."
the elect.191
191
Cf. 2 Cor. 5:19, "God was in Christ reconciling the world
unto Himself,..."
192
Andrew D. Chang, "Second Peter 2:1 and the Extent of the
Atonement," in Bibliotheca Sacra, January-March 1985, pp. 52-63.
Though we agree with his refutation of Long's arguments, we might
not completely agree with Chang's "Spiritual redemption" view, in
that it, too, might fail to realize that there is actual
forgiveness in Christ, except and unless that when he contends,
with the quote from Chafer, that "Christ's death of itself
forgives no sinner," subjective and not objective forgiveness is
meant. In any case the Calvinists' error in not distinguishing
between the redemption and salvation, which is the same as the
distinction between the redemption and its application is not
committed here. However, the language which Chafer, quoted
approvingly by Chang (pp. 59-60), uses in saying that Christ's
work of redemption "renders all men [only] salvable," but does not
provide the actual salvation (even though this work of redemption
was essential, foundational and indispensable in being a cause for
118
only state the main findings and refutations found in it, and
Peter, who wrote that the false teachers were "denying the
love), and then state that these false teachers "bring upon
for there is no meeting point between the two views for, for
confession of Christ.
194
Possibly Long was reluctant to dismiss them altogether in
order to have a safety net, if his view fails, as it does, to
convince any discerning reader.
120
(Master),
atonement scheme, for here in 1 Pet. 2:1 the use of the word
ownership."196
Chang writes that the word is used 31
beings."
Lutherans who teach that the purchase has taken and actually
this has. For even though Calvinists, too, hold that the
purchase did actually take place, they limit its scope to the
197
Ibid., 55.
122
Christ, we, too, say the same, but concerning all people.
have, and its use in the New Testament as shown above. The
198
Or some other phrase which carries the same implication.
199
If the former premise were used as a general rule in
communications a disaster would result. (Think of a pharmacist
who receives prescriptions from a doctor. Should he fill every
prescription with the medication the doctor has prescribed most
often. Or think about a soldier who most of the time in war
123
Also Long uses other wider context of Deut. 32:6, which talks
Long's arguments,
201
Chang, Second Peter 2:1 and the Extent of the Atonement, 58.
202
For, Long says the Hebrew word translated in Deut. 32:6 as
"made," is capable also of translation, "created."
125
would not like them to, but desires them to be saved, will
203
Pp. 55-60. There these wills were called the hidden will
and the revealed will of God, respectively.
204
Walter Bauer, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and
Other Early Christian Literature, p. 354.
205
Twenty-four times the word is used of God's (i.e. of any
persons in the Trinity) will or desire.
206
Another example is in Matthew 9:13, "I will (desire) to have
mercy and not sacrifice,..." However, we know that, nevertheless,
the Jews offered sacrifices to God, but did not show mercy toward
126
men," whom God desires to save, but can affirm the apostle to
mean "all men without exception." Nor does the context force
second "for" and forms the verse two. The special purpose of
could "be saved and come unto the knowledge of truth, for
there is one God and one mediator between God and men,...
and the queen, and the eunuchs, etc.," to fit his ends. The
the queen, and the eunuchs, and etc." This word "whom,"
supposedly for those who are not His people, or are His
dream: "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call
His name Jesus: for he shall save His people from their
sins."
Now this is exactly what we said earlier in this
are in Him through faith, for only those are His people.
207
Gary D. Long, Definite Atonement, p. 33.
208
Pages 76, 102, 114.
129
which talk of Christ dying for anything less than the whole
world (for example Paul saying: "He died for me."), limit the
example, "I died only for you, my friends," can not be used
209
John 8:44.
210
Acts 26:18.
130
10:11,15, where Jesus says that He lays down His life "for
we need not look from far, for the context (especially verses
as the Good Shepherd, lays down His life "for the sheep";
not for the sheep," when he seeth the wolf coming, "leaveth
the sheep, and fleeth," the Good Shepherd lays down His life
the main, if not the only, point of this parable of our Lord.
In the passages where Christ is said to have died for
CONCLUSION
Calvinistic theology.
for one could doubt any word whether it means what its
134
definition expresses.
proper sense.
this truth lends no support to their notion that for whom one
the contrary. For they hold that if Christ died for all
they say, the sin of unbelief can not hinder people from
attaining salvation any more than their other sins do, but
because not all are saved, therefore Christ did not die for
that the same reasoning must hold good as well for the elect,
for whom only they say Christ died, thus it would follow that
the elect need not believe. This obviously flies on the face
which is not work, but a God imparted gift through the Gospel
of Jesus Christ.
said to have died for the Church, for Christians, for the
the first time, the Word of God was freely preached also to
atonement.
had had even the sins of those who had already perished on
simply died under the full curse of the law "once for all,"
When together with this we consider the fact that we can not
say, that Christ suffered and died a little bit less for this
person, and a little bit more for this one, the reason being
212
Other applicable meanings the word has are, fall (upon),
encounter, interpose. The New Brown - Driver - Briggs - Gesenius
Hebrew and English Lexicon (Peabody: Massachusetts: Hendrickson
Publishers, 1979), 803.
138
that the one was a little bit less sinful, and the other a
that even if there had been only one sinner in the whole
for all or for some only, as well as the question, for whom
study.
213
This likely corresponding to cover the same people for whom
He died.
139
and not backward, for Christ said, "This cup is the New
214
Gary D. Long, for example, in his, Definite Atonement
(Nutley, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co., 1976), p.
21 interprets Scripture so as to enable him to say, that the elect
only were in Christ when He died, and none other.
215
Most likely this can be developed only by inference from and
by implications of, what the Early Church fathers taught
concerning the atonement.
140
Early Church.216
Calvinists say.217
216
John Owen has appended to his Death of Death in the Death of
Christ (Carlisle, PS: Banner of Truth Trust, 1985 reprint), 310-
312, "Some Few Testimonies of the Ancients," none of which prove
what he wants to prove, namely limited extent of the atonement.
217
For example, Gary D. Long, Definite Atonement, 59; Kuiper,
For Whom Did Christ Die?, 62-77.
141