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Emphasis Mine In Bible Verses
Limited Atonement
Calvinism claims that Christ died only for the sins of the elect not the whole world
The "World"
The two words that have to be taken into consideration
'All' Men
Calvinists argue that all doesn't always mean every single person. This is true in some cases. However, 1 Timothy 2:1-6 is very clear
Typology
Moses, the bronze serpent and the Cross
God "Gives"
John 6:33 says the bread of God comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world. Arthur Pink claims that Christ did not say, life was 'offered' to the world," but 'given', which necessarily implies its acceptance. Perhaps, if you ignore the Greek.
Absurd Self Serving ‘Logic’
Limited Atonement
The third letter of TULIP stands for ‘Limited Atonement’
Calvinism denies that Christ died for the whole world. They claim that since God unconditionally elects those whom He will save the atonement is limited only to those whom He has elected. In other words, Christ died only for the sins of the elect. However Calvinists are usually careful to say that Christ's blood could have saved all men if God had wished it.
"... God so willed, Christ's death could have saved every member of the human race. Christ would not have had to suffer any more or do anything different to save every human who ever lived than He did in securing the salvation of the elect. But that was not God's purpose in sending Christ to the cross. God's purpose in the atonement was that Jesus would secure forever the salvation of those the Father had given to Him (Hebrews 7:25). Therefore while Christ's atonement was limited in its intent or purpose, it was unlimited in its power. [01]
Because a straightforward reading of simple Biblical texts will not 'prove' this theory, Calvinism has to somehow make the verses suit the doctrine. Take for example, the word 'world' used over 180 times in the New Testament.
The "World"
Luke 2:1-3 reads
Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth (Gk. oikoumene) This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all the people were on their way to register for the census, each to his own city. ( NASB)
How the word oikoumene is rendered in English depends on the translation. The NASB says “inhabited earth”, The Berean Study Bible - the “whole empire”, the KJV -“the world”, and the NIV - ”the entire Roman world”
In this case the BSB’s rendering of the “empire” and the NIV’s “entire Roman world” have to be the most accurate simply because the Romans could not conduct a census of the people that were not citizens of their empire.
However, oikoumene (was used two ways)
The Roman Empire
The Greek oikoumene was used only about 15 times in the New Testament often referring to the Roman empire as it did in the opening verses of Luke 2.
In Acts 11:28 Luke was probably speaking about a localized famine which is how the disciples appear to have understood it for, as the next verse says, they determined to send relief to their brethren in Judea
One of them, named Agabus, stood up and indicated by the Spirit that there would definitely be a severe famine all over the world (Gk. oikoumene). And this took place in the reign of Claudius. And to the extent that any of the disciples had means, each of them determined to send a contribution for the relief of the brothers and sisters living in Judea.(Acts 11:28-29 NASB)
Paul and Silas certainly ruffled some feathers when they preached but they certainly did not disturb the equanimity of the ‘world
When they did not find them (Paul and Silas) , they began dragging Jason and some brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have upset the world have come here also; (Acts 17:6 NASB)
The World
However, oikoumene was used to mean the entire planet equally as often. Note the following examples
men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world (Gk.oikoumene), for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. (Luke 21:26 NASB)
Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world (Gk. oikoumene), to test those who dwell on the earth. (Revelation 3:10 NASB)
And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world (Gk. oikoumene); he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. (Revelation 12:9 NASB)
Although Calvinistic theology became the deciding factor in determining which of the two meanings they go with, there is another word that has to be taken into consideration
kosmos
The vast majority of occurrences of 'world' in the New Testament have been translated from the Greek kosmos - used over 180 times in the New Testament. Kosmos virtually always indicates the entire planet. Here is a random sample,
For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world (Gk. kosmos) until now, nor ever will. (Matthew 24:21 NASB)
And He said to them, "Go into all the world (Gk. kosmos) and preach the gospel to all creation. (Mark 16:15 NASB)
And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world (Gk. kosmos) itself *would not contain the books that *would be written. (John 21:25 NASB)
Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world (Gk. kosmos). (James 1:27 NASB)
1 John 2:1-2
In light of which 1 John 2:1-2 clearly shows that the atonement was not "limited in its intent" but was for all people. It can not be explained any other way.
The fact that John addressed his comments to his "little children" shows that he was speaking to born again, regenerated Christians telling them that Jesus was not only the propitiation for their sins but for the sins of the entire world.
My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate before the Father — Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world (Gk. kosmos). (1 John 2:1-2 BSB)
Because kosmos in the above text literally includes all people, kosmos in these others has to as well.
The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and *said, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (Gk. kosmos) (John 1:29 NASB)
For God so loved the world (Gk. kosmos), that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. "For God did not send the Son into the world (Gk. kosmos) to judge the world (Gk. kosmos), but that the world (Gk. kosmos) might be saved through Him. "He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (John 3:16-18 NASB)
We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world (Gk. kosmos). (1 John 4:14 NASB)
Jesus said that (at His first coming) He did not come to judge the world but we know that eventually He will. This means that the second use of kosmos in the same sentence has to mean He came to save the entire world.
If anyone hears My sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world (Gk. kosmos), but to save the world (Gk. kosmos) . (John 12:47 NASB)
John 3:16
For God so loved the world (Gk. kosmos), that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. (See Footnote on agapao)
Calvinist Arthur Pink, one of the very influential evangelical authors in the second half of the twentieth century, decided that although John said that God loved the world, He does not love every single individual on the planet thus kosmos (the world) most refer only to those individuals that God loves... ie. the elect.
If the world means only the elect, it leaves us with the question of what to do with the word whoever, which is obviously inconsistent with what Calvinism says the verse means.
Or should we read the verse as... God loves the elect and "whoever of the elect believes" in Him will not perish. That would not work for Calvinism either, since it makes a hash of the doctrine of Irresistible Grace, that says those pre-elected to salvation cannot resist God's grace and have no choice but to be saved.
In the final analysis, there is no question that the verse only makes perfect sense if the words are allowed to say what the words say. In this case the word world means all of the earth.
See God's Love Hate Relationship With The World
"All" Men
The Bible often makes the point that ALL men are drawn, ALL men are given light and the Holy Spirit reproves ALL the world. One example among many is when Jesus said
And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all (Gk. pas) men to Myself." (John 12:32 NASB)
An unforced reading of the passages in question indicate the universality of the salvation offer however, Calvinists argue that all doesn't always mean every single person.
It is true that when the New Testament uses the words "all" it does not automatically mean every single person on the planet but can also be used in a more limited sense.
For example, when Luke said all the people from Judea and around the Jordan were flocking to John the Baptist he obviously did not mean that every single person on earth was doing so, nor that John baptized every single Judean and citizen of Jerusalem. Luke was using hyperbole to show that a very large number of people were flocking to John.
Then Jerusalem was going out to him, and all (Gk. pas) Judea and all (Gk. pas) the district around the Jordan; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins. (Matthew 3:5-6 NASB)
So how can one know that Jesus was talking about every single person when He said he would draw all men to Him? (John 12:32)
In his letter to Timothy Paul used the same Greek word pas (rendered all) five times in three consecutive sentences.
(1) First of all (Gk. pas), then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanks givings, be made on behalf of all (Gk. pas) men, (2) for kings and all (Gk. pas) who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all (Gk. pas) godliness and dignity.
(3) This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, (4) who desires all (Gk. pas) men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (5) For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, (6) who gave Himself as a ransom for all (Gk. pas), the testimony given at the proper time. (1 Timothy 2:1-6 NASB)
The problem is...
1) If "all men" in verses 1 and 2 mean just the elect Paul is apparently telling us we are only to pray for the elect who are in authority. How we are supposed to know who among our wonderful government officials is one of the "elect" is a quandary in itself).
2) However, if in verses 1 and 2 pas means every single person in authority, how come the same Greek word pas in verses 4 (God desires all men to be saved) and 6 (Jesus gave Himself as a ransom for all) refer only to the elect?
The only option that makes a whit of sense is a plain reading of the passage in which Paul makes the point that since God gave Himself for all men and therefore all men can be saved, we should pray for all men. Which means that the pas in the following verses also mean every single person.
Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all (Gk. pas) people everywhere should repent, (Acts 17:30 NASB)
But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone (Gk. pas) (Hebrews 2:9 NASB)
The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all (Gk. pas) to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9 NASB)
Note: This does not however means that because God draws all people He also regenerates or gives life to all people. The Scriptures provide plenty of evidence that people can and do resist Him. Take Acts 7:51 for example,
You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did. (NASB)
"All" in The Old Testament
Besides which, numerous Old Testament passages unarguably show that God freely offers salvation to everyone who believes. For example the invitation in Isaiah 55:1 cannot be limited to only the elect since it is extended to "every one who thirsts"
"Ho! Every one (Hebrew kôl) who thirsts, come to the waters; And you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk Without money and without cost. (Isaiah 55:1 NASB)
This is repeated in the last book of the Bible
The Spirit and the bride say, "Come." And let the one who hears say, "Come." And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost. (Revelation 22:17 NASB)
Isaiah 53:6:
When the prophet said all of us have gone astray we know he meant every single human being on the face of this earth. Therefore when he used the same Hebrew word to say the iniquity of all has been laid on Jesus, how can we doubt that he meant the entire human race?
All (Heb. kôl) of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all (Heb. kôl) to fall on Him. (Isaiah 53:6 NASB)
Incidentally the verse clearly states that we have gone astray, not that we were born that way..
Calvinism often says the salvation of the elect and the damnation of the non-elect is "the good pleasure of His will." So what should we do with these two verses from Ezekiel? In the first verse God explicitly states that He has no pleasure in the death of the wicked and prefers that they turn from sin and live.
Say to them, 'As I live!' declares the Lord God, 'I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways! Why then will you die, O house of Israel?' (Ezekiel 33:11 NASB)
When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity and dies because of it, for his iniquity which he has committed he will die. "Again, when a wicked man turns away from his wickedness which he has committed and practices justice and righteousness, he will save his life. (Ezekiel 18:26-27 NASB)
Moses' Bronze Serpent (An example of Typology)
In Christian theology typology is the study of types - prefigurative symbols in Scripture. They can be
1) An actual historical thing or event which, at the time it occurred, was a rough draft or glimpse, of one or more actual events yet to come, although the significance may not have been apparent at the original occurrence.
2) A type can also be a person who prefigured the Messiah in some way. These 'personal' types were in addition to the many specific Old Testament Messianic prophecies.
In other words, a type was one or more event or person that foreshadowed, pointed to, and culminated in one final and very important event (or person) called the antitype. See Understanding Typology
John 3:14 gives us a clear example of a type,
As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; (John 3:14 NASB)
John was referring to an incident in Numbers when, in punishment for their rebellion, the Lord sent poisonous snakes among the people that killed many of them. When the people confessed that they had sinned and begged Moses to intercede with the Lord...
... the Lord said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a standard; and it shall come about, that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, he will live." And Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on the standard; and it came about, that if a serpent bit any man, when he looked to the bronze serpent, he lived. (Numbers 21:8-9 NASB)
The literal lifting up the bronze serpent was an historical event that was a glimpse of an actual event to come. Just as looking upon the brass serpent was sufficient to heal all those who had been bitten by the snakes, Jesus was lifted up on a cross for the salvation of all.
God "Gives" Life
"For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives (Gk. didomi) life to the world." (John 6:33 NASB)
Arthur Pink, made the following comment,
Now mark it well, Christ did not say, "offereth life unto the world," but "giveth." What is the difference between the two terms? This: a thing which is "offered" may be refused, but a thing "given," necessarily implies its acceptance. If it is not accepted it is not "given," it is simply proffered. Here, then, is a Scripture that positively states Christ giveth life (spiritual, eternal life) "unto the world." Now He does not give eternal life to the "world of the ungodly" for they will not have it, they do not want it. Hence, we are obliged to understand the reference in John 6:33 as being to "the world of the godly," i.e., God's own people. [03]
This is a not so clever attempt to bolster the Calvinist position because the Greek word didomi in John 6:33 can legitimately be rendered "offer". As Strong's Lexicon says, although it is largely used in the sense of give, it has very wide application greatly modified by the connection. The first example below is a well know verse that tells us Jesus was given something which He refused. In other words, it was offered Him.
They tried to give (Gk. didomi) Him wine mixed with myrrh; but He did not take it. (Mark 15:23 NASB)
In this second example, an evil generation was given the sign of the prophet Jonah but, as we know, most of them did not accept this sign.
"An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign; and a sign will not be given (Gk. didomi) it, except the sign of Jonah." And He left them and went away. (Matthew 16:4 NASB)
Didomi is also used of offers that are conditional as in the following example,
and he said to Him, "All these things I will give (Gk. didomi) You, if You fall down and worship me." (Matthew 4:9 NASB)
Note: Not all the passages in the Scriptures that speak of God's promises expressly mention the conditions that have to be met in order for Him to keep those promises. This does not mean that the conditions do not exist and have not been made very clear... they just aren't in the same verse.
Also Note didomi was used in the passages in John's Gospel in which Jesus said people were 'given' to Him. Used as proof-texts for 'Unconditional Election', Calvinism takes these several 'gave Me' verses and applies them to all believers of all time. They are taken to mean that God sovereignly elects those He predestined to be saved and 'gives' them to Jesus. So who was 'given' to Jesus? Details in the previous chapter Unconditional Election.
Absurd Self Serving ‘Logic’
The following statement is from Gotquestions ministries
Another common misunderstanding about the doctrine of limited atonement is that it somehow lessens or diminishes the love of God for humanity. Yet, again, exactly the opposite is true. Of all of the doctrines of grace, the doctrine of limited atonement, when correctly understood, magnifies the love of God; it does not diminish it.
Limited atonement reinforces the intensive love of God that is revealed in the Bible. God loves His people with a love that saves them from their sin, as opposed to the love of the unlimited atonement view that sees God's love as being more general in nature. In the unlimited atonement view, He loves everyone in general but saves no one in particular and, in fact, leaves the matter of their salvation up to them. Which is more loving, a love that actually saves people or a love that makes salvation "possible" to those who are dead in trespasses and sins and unable to choose God? [04]
Words fail me but I'll give it a shot.
The question "Which is more loving, a love that actually saves people or a love that makes salvation "possible" to those who are dead in trespasses and sins and unable to choose God?" does not take in to account that this "love" that actually saves some people leaves other to their doom regardless of what they might want, how much they believe and follow Christ, how much they honor God and obey His commands, how much care they have shown the widow and the orphan etc. etc. etc.
On the other hand God's invitation to eternal life is given everyone - the final decision is left to every person to make for themselves.
Footnote
In John 3:16 the English love was translated from the Greek agapao, which is distinct from erotic love (eros) or simple affection (philia).
Agape is not a sickly sweet much sentimentality that never says a cross word or steps someone's toes. In fact Agape is not even based on emotion.
If a boat were to overturn midstream, one would not have to have fond feelings for every single individual person in the water in order to set a rescue operation into motion. Indeed one may even actively dislike a person or two, but would throw them a life preserver anyway. And should one of the endangered people in the water refuse the life preserver and drown, I am sure that most of us would be quite upset.
Continue On To Irresistible or Efficacious Grace. (Efficacious - successful in producing an intended result) God draws the sinner to Christ before he himself has a single thought of responding to the good news. In other words, faith is a gift imparted to the sinner who is entirely passive in this act, therefore regeneration (the new birth) occurs before belief in Christ. HERE
Or Return to Index To Tulip
End Notes - Limited Atonement
[01] Got Questions Ministries. Limited Atonement - is it Biblical?
http://www.gotquestions.org/limited-atonement.html
[02] ibid.
[03] Arthur W. Pink. Sovereignty of God.Lulu.com, 2007. Chapter 11 - Difficulties and Objections. Page 127. Online at
http://www.ccel.org/ccel/pink/sovereignty.xiv.html
[04] Got Questions Ministries. Limited Atonement - is it Biblical? http://www.gotquestions.org/limited-atonement.html
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