Posted on 05/24/2021 7:16:39 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Consistent with "He is the propitiation for our (Jewish believers) sins , and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world (Gentile believers)" is that the Lord atoned for all the sins of both, rather than added "of the elect" into verse every time you see a text that says "the whole world" which is simply no necessary even if you believe in Calvinism.
And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel [of the elect], and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness: (Leviticus 16:21)
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all [of the elect].
(Isaiah 53:6)
And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world [of the elect]. (1 John 2:2)
For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all [of the elect], that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. (2 Corinthians 5:14-15)
Who gave himself a ransom for all [of the elect], to be testified in due time. (1 Timothy 2:6)
I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world [of the elect]
For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly [of the elect]. (Romans 5:6) . (John 6:51)
But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man [of the elect]. (Hebrews 2:9)
The Calvinist can argue that the atonement, while providing (in scope) for the whole world, was not intended to save all, anymore than the manifest miracles and the word being preached to old Pharaoh was intended to save him, versus harden his heart by doing and saying what would have been responded to by the humble contrite in heart, thus reveling he was not. And like as "my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please" (Isaiah 55:11) so also the atonement was an extension of the grace shown to the impenitent cities like Tyre, but which revealed their hardness of heart and worthiness of damnation. Likewise,
Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. (Matthew 23:34-35)
Yet which is not contrary to God having "no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live," (Ezekiel 33:11) "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance," (2 Peter 3:9) and weeping over Jerusalem for its coming destruction due to its continued impenitence (Luke 19:41) for God can offer varying degrees of grace to the lost for their benefit (for which they are accountable for rejecting insomuch as they could respond, vs. "irresistible grace") for God is gracious to all even though He knows some will reject it and hardens the very souls that He would rather have repent. For which He gives a level of grace and holds them accountable for while their impenitence fulfills the plan of God without essentially damning the lost for the sin of Adam, leaving them wholly unable to positively respond to grace or not providing any, if not, "irresistible grace," yet by rejecting the level of grace they have been given then in essence they have rejected the Lord Christ, and shown themselves worthy of damnation.
If we find this to be contrary to our understanding of Romans 9-11 then we should just leave this apparent contradiction in suspension and deal with souls as God does, calling all to repentance and giving them to respond, and holding them accountable for hardness of heart. For there is a place for pleading,
Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me. Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother: my soul is even as a weaned child. (Psalms 131:1-2)
O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen. (Romans 11:33-36)
While you might not believe in Limited Atonement, Scripture is clear that only those sheep who hear God voice are called (John 10:3). Christ knows who it is who will believe and this belief has to be granted to us by the Father (John 6:64-65). So then who did Christ die for? Everyone (even those who don't believe) or only for those who believe because their eyes and ears are opened by God? The Atonement covers only believers (that much we agree upon). Christ dying for everyone doesn't make sense if God elects and knows who He elects.
We don't make a choice which is what is suggested by Unlimited Atonement. So one has to reconcile all those verses on Atonement with all those verses on the Election. Normally people who hate Limited Atonement also hate the thought of Election and Predestination.
I'm not trying to convert you to Calvinism but I would suggest reading Calvin's Institutes on the Christian Religion. It is a long read but it is extremely well put together.
John 6:64
But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was that would betray Him.
John 6:66-71
66 As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore. 67 So Jesus said to the twelve, “You do not want to go away also, do you?” 68 Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. 69 We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.” 70 Jesus answered them, “Did I Myself not choose you, the twelve, and yet one of you is a devil?” 71 Now He meant Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray Him.
In the context of Mark 6, we only know Jesus knew of those who would follow Him or fall away during his life on Earth as a human. It is supposition that He knew Fred on the street tomorrow in my city would not follow Him when he had not yet been crucified.
Sorry, I meant to say “John 6.”
John 2:24-25 But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.
Heb. 6 is not to be understood apart from the theme of Hebrews and context, which is that not that of an appeal to lost souls but of being addressed to Hebrew Christians who are in danger of forsaking the faith, exhortuing them to continue in the faith in the light of the better (key word) messenger, deliverer, mediator, high priest, hope, covenant, promises, reward. country, resurrection, etc.
In Heb. 1 the author (whose style is not that of Paul, but regardless) lays down the foundation with the superiority of Christ to angels and prior prophets, and thus exhorts the believers to diligence, that "Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him." (Hebrews 2:1-3) This is a great question for unbelievers yet here it is plainly exhorting believers. And which continues in Heb. 3,
Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house. For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house. For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God. And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.) Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; (Hebrews 3:1-14)
The context here is clearly that of believers being addressed as believers, and is not that of addressing lost souls against departing from the living God but of exhorting believers to perseverance, to " hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end," holding "the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end."
Likewise chapter 4 continues the exhortation to believers in the light of the better high priest, "Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession." (Hebrews 4:14) And which better high priest chapter 5 expands upon, and reproves the believers for their regression and immaturity: "For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat." (Hebrews 5:12).
And Hebrews 6 proceeds from this and warns against arrested development and regression while yet affirming that fruit befitting saving faith was seen in them, and exhorting them to continue in it. (Hebrews 6:1-12ff) While this section is not as clear as others that the unconverted could not be those who were addressed, yet unbelievers are hardly those who went thru repentance from dead works and of faith toward God and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost and were told to go on unto perfection.
Too tired to say more now, such as Heb. 10 only being addressed to believers, as it is.
The clear verses state that Christ is the atonement for the sins of the whole world, which defines Him being a ransom for multitudes, as being all, which is not opposed to the elect being those who believe in it.
"Christ knows who it is who will believe and this belief has to be granted to us by the Father (John 6:64-65). So then who did Christ die for? Everyone (even those who don't believe) or only for those who believe because their eyes and ears are opened by God? The Atonement covers only believers (that much we agree upon). Christ dying for everyone doesn't make sense if God elects and knows who He elects."
Rather, what does not make sense is the absurd premise that God cannot provide grace to those who will reject it, but which He does all the time, and the atonement is one aspect of that grace, with rejection of it accomplishing the purpose of manifesting how gracious God is and how damnable the lost are. You cannot deny that some are warned against receiving the grace of God in vain. Again, to be consistent you must argue the man who prepared "a great supper, and bade many" actually only prepared enough for those who would come. (Luke 14:16-24)
Does God open the eyes so that one might believe or not? Simple question.
You cannot deny that some are warned against receiving the grace of God in vain.
A whole world spent 120 years receiving the grace of God in vain during the days of Noah. Every day they received food to eat, air to breath, good weather and bad. They married and party. And still Noah preached on. They were warned but instead they laughed at poor Noah until God closed the door and the floods came.
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