Particular Redemption 2

The Light Shines in the Darkness...

Other Passages Used Against Particular Redemption

All Scripture quotes are from the NASB (emphasis mine):

John 3:16

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

Commentary:

Non-Calvinists say that the phrase, “God so loved the world”, contradicts Particular Redemption because, as they say, if God loves the whole world, then Christ would have died for the whole world, not just a few. Second, they usually emphasize ‘whoever’ or, as it is in other translations, ‘whosoever’, implying that God offers salvation to all men, not just the elect. My response is as such:

“God so loved the world”:

The argument that if God loves the world, then Christ would have died for the whole world, not just a few, is a completely personal and emotive speculation. Calvinism does not deny that God does have love for all of His creatures, but just as a father has a special love for his son which he doesn’t have for his neighbor, God has every right to have a special love for His elect which He does not have for others. God’s love should be defined as the Scriptures define it, not how we want to define it. Lastly, what is the meaning of the word ‘world’ in this passage? As was noted above, the word ‘world’ as it was commonly used in the Bible and more specifically in John’s writings, referred to all the ethnicities of men, not just the Jews.

“whoever” or “whosoever”:

The word ‘whoever’ or ‘whosoever’ are not indicative words. Indeed, ‘whosoever’ believes will be saved. So the Calvinist must ask the non-Calvinist objector, “Who are those who will believe?” Are they not the elect, those who have eternal life? They are.

1 Timothy 2:4

This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth…who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time.

Commentary:

There are several valid interpretations of this passage:

1. Indeed, God does desire all men to be saved just like He desires all men to be “perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). God wants all men to voluntarily repent of their sins and come to a knowledge of the truth, but the problem is that they are spiritually dead in sin (Ephesians 2:1) and can’t repent. Thus, God wants all men to repent, and at the same time, He chooses only a select few to regenerate and bring unto repentance. It is both, a mystery of the faith. Just as one cannot explain how God created everything out of nothing or how Jesus is 100% man and 100% God at the same time, we cannot fully know the mind of God.

2. In verse 1, Paul asks believers to offer up prayers and thanksgivings for all men. He then says who those men are: “kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity” (v.2). Next, he states that this, the thanksgivings and prayers for all men, even those in authority, is “good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior” (v.3). He then says that God our Savior desires all men to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth (v.4). It was frequent for the upper classes and rulers to persecute Christians, and so, Paul is exhorting believers not to have anger toward their persecutors but to pray for them. Thus, in verses 4 and 6, when Paul refers to “all men”, he is referring to all kinds of men, even those in authority, because God wants even some of the persecuting rulers to be saved also.

3. In verse 7, Paul states that he is the apostle to the gentiles. By mentioning this, Paul is implying that “all men” means all ethnicities of men, not just Jews only.

4. After his statement in verse 4, Paul states: “For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (v.5). In Hebrews 7:25 says, “Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” The author of Hebrews clearly states that Christ only intercedes for those that believe in Him, the elect. Thus, when Paul states that Christ is the only mediator between God and man in connection with Him wanting “all men to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth”, he is clearly talking about the elect. He wants all the elect to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth. This is similar to what Jesus said in John (emphasis mine):

“All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”

-John 6:37-40

I opt for the second interpretation since it makes the most sense in light of the surrounding verses, but the only way a non-Calvinist can use this verse is to isolate it from its context.

1 John 2:2

…and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.

Commentary:

Does this passage teach that Christ was the propitiation for the sins of every human being, even those in hell? As was noted above, the words ‘world’ and ‘all’ usually do not refer to every single human being who ever lived. A parallel passage is found in John’s gospel (emphasis mine):

“Now he did not say this on his own initiative, but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but in order that He might also gather together into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.”

-John 11:51-52

In John’s Gospel, John explains that Christ would die, not just for the Jews, but also for the “children of God who are scattered abroad”. In other words, Christ will die not only for the Jews, but also for the elect within every ethnic background. Another similar statement was made in Revelation (emphasis mine):

And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.”

-Revelation 5:9

Clearly, the twenty-four elders are praising Christ for purchasing men from every tribe and tongue and nation. In other words, He did not purchase every tribe and tongue and nation, but rather, He purchased some out of every tribe and tongue and nation.

So, what does 1 John 2:2 mean? Christ died, not just for the sins of those whom this letter is addressed to, but He also died for others of all ethnicities around the world.

2 Peter 2:1

But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.

Commentary:

Non-Calvinists argue that this passage teaches that Christ paid for the sins of some people who will end up in hell. However, the word for ‘Master’ is not the word for Lord, kurios, but rather, it is despotes which denotes ownership. Peter is making an analogy to masters and their slaves. Just as masters buy their slaves and expect them to obey, God created all men and expects them to obey His every command. These heretics will either deny that God created them (i.e. Gnosticism), or they will deny God entirely (i.e. atheism or polytheism). There is nothing in this verse that teaches that Christ paid the penalty for the sins of those in hell.

2 Peter 3:9

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 to come to repentance.

Commentary:

As was stated above, this text is quite often misused by non-Calvinists seeking to disprove the doctrine of particular redemption. However, this is one of the greatest texts that actually proves the Calvinist position! The whole passage, verses 3-9, is as follows:

2 Peter 3:3-9

Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.” For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. 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 to come to repentance.

Commentary:

Peter starts this section by saying that there will be mockers in the last days who will taunt Christians (v.3). They will say to Christians, “You say that your Christ will return one day. So, where is He? All this time has passed, and He has not yet come.” They imply that He isn’t coming back or something along those lines (v.4). Thus, Peter’s whole purpose in this passage is to answer the charge of the mockers: Why has Christ not returned yet? He goes through what will happen at the last day and that punishment is reserved for such mockers as these. Then, in verse 9, he answers the mocker’s objection of why Christ has not yet returned by stating that “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 to come to repentance”.

How does this answer the mockers’ objection if one says that God wants every single last human being to come to repentance? If Christ postponed His Second Advent because He wanted every single last human being to be saved, then He would never return since the human race would continue to procreate and God would continue to keep giving people the chance to receive the Gospel. However, what makes more sense is that Christ has postponed His return because He is waiting for all of those whom He has predestined to eternal life, His elect, to repent and be saved. In other words, if He comes too soon, then some of those whom He has chosen for eternal life will not come to repentance in time. He is waiting for all of His elect to repent and be saved.

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Also, some helpful audio on this topic can be found at:

http://www.straitgate.com/aom/dl/99.htm (Jan. 23, August 14)

http://www.straitgate.com/aom/dl/00.htm (Nov. 11)

http://www.straitgate.com/aom/dl/03.htm (Jan. 4, June 26, July 22)

Some helpful online reading can be found here:

http://www.mslick.com/allmen.htm

http://www.mslick.com/desireall.htm

http://aomin.org/2PE21.html

http://aomin.org/Was%20Anyone%20Saved.html

http://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/articles/topic/definiteatonement.html