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6.19.2005

The 'all men' verses Arminians use wrongly

"Universal terms are frequently used in connection with the death of Christ, as also in connection with the categories which define its import (cf. II Cor. 5:14, 15, 19; I Tim. 2:6; Heb. 2:9; I John 2:2). It is surprising that students of Scripture should with such ease appeal to these texts as if they determined the question in favor of universal atonement. The Scripture frequently uses universal terms when, obviously, they are not to be understood of all men inclusively and distributively or of all things inclusively. When we read in Genesis 6:13. "The end of all flesh is come before me," it is plain that this is not to be understood absolutely or inclusively. Not all flesh was destroyed. Or when Paul says that the trespass of Israel was the riches of the world (Rom. 11:12), he cannot be using the word "world" of all men distributively. Israel is not included, and not all Gentiles were partakers of the riches intended. When Paul says, "all things are lawful for me" (I Cor. 6:12; cf. 10:23), he did not mean that he was at liberty to do anything and everything. Examples could be multiplied and every person should readily perceive the implied restriction. An expression must always be interpreted in terms of the universe of discourse. Thus in Hebrew 2:9 the expression "every one on whose behalf Christ tasted death must be understood as referring to every one of whom the writer is speaking, namely, every one of the sons to be brought to glory, of the sanctified, of the children whom God has given to Christ and of whom He is not ashamed (vss. 10, 11, 12, 13). And it must not be overlooked that in II Corinthians 5:14, 15 the "all" for whom Christ died do not embrace any more than those who died in Him "one" died for all: therefore all died." In Paul's teaching to die with Christ is to die to sin (cf. Rom. 6:2-10)."

From Triablogue

To really get a complete, definitive argument for limited atonement you have to read something like Berkhof's Systematic Theology, pages 393-398 [Eerdman's edition]. These are knock down arguments from Scripture. Limited atonement is the 'L' in TULIP. For a person with Work understanding (new thinking, not being under the tyranny of vanity, worldly pride, self-will) each of the doctrines of TULIP (also called the Doctrines of Grace) will be recognized as what are needed to be accepted to reorientate one internally to being God-centered rather than man-centered (or, in Work terms, seeing and acting from Real Will rather than self-will). This is what the Bible demands and cultivates when you value it and don't bring it down to your demands and accept its hard Biblical doctrine, and it's what the Work, as esoteric - practical - Christianity, demands and cultivates as well.