Limited Atonement

 

PART I”

 

I.                    The intention of the atonement

 

A.     “to do the will of God” (Hebrews 10:5-7, John 6:38; 14:31)

1.      “to save” – Matt. 1:21

2.      “to save” – Matt. 18:11; Luke 19:10

3.      “to ransom” – Matt. 20:28; Mark 10:45

4.      “to save” – I Tim. 1:15

5.      “might sanctify…cleanse…present the Church glorious” – Eph. 5:25-27

6.      “to destroy the devil…to release…to make propitiation” – Heb. 2:14-17

 

II.                 The actual accomplishments of the atonement

A.     Redemption

1.      Acts 20:28

2.      I Corinthians 6:20; 7:23

3.      I Peter 1:18,19

4.      Revelation 5:9

5.      Hebrews 9:12

6.      Galatians 3:13,14

B.     Reconciliation

1.      2 Corinthians 5:18-21

2.      Romans 5:10

3.      Colossians 1: 21-22

4.      Ephesians 2:13-17

C.     Propitiation

1.      I John 2:2

2.      Hebrews 2:17

 

PART II

A.     Purpose of the atonement in regard to its extent

1.      Intro to Arminian and Calvinist difference in the extent of the atonement

 

B.     Particular passages examined

1.      Isaiah 53:8,11-12

2.      Matthew 1:21

3.      Matthew 20:28 (cf. Mark 10:45)

4.      John 10:11, 14-16, 24-29

5.      John 11:51-52

6.      Acts 20:28

7.      Ephesians 5:25

8.      Romans 8:32-34

9.      Hebrews 9:28

10.  I John 4:10

 

C.     Preliminary considerations of the words “world” and “all” in the scripture

1.      “world”

a)      creation

i.                     totality (Job 34:13;  Acts 17:24;  Ephesians 1:4)

 

ii.                   distinctively to the heavens (Psalm 90:2 cf. Genesis 1:1)

 

 

iii.                  the inhabitable earth (Matthew 13:38; John 1:9; 3:19, 6:14;  17:11)

 

b)      inhabitants of the world

i.                     men universally and absolutely (Romans 3:6,19; 5:12)

 

ii.                   men without restriction or enlargement (John 7:4)

 

iii.                  limited in scope to the particular context (exegetically)  (Matthew 18:7;; John 12:19; 16:8; 17:21; I Corinthians 4:9; Revelation 13:3)

 

iv.                 a portion of all men (Romans 1:8; 10:18 ; Matthew 24:14; 26:13)

 

 

v.                   all the inhabitants of the Roman empire (Luke 2:1)

 

vi.                 men in their respective qualities toward God

 

 

1)      God’s people  - (Psalm 22:27; John 3:16; 6:33,51; Romans 11:12,15; 2 Corinthians 5:19; Colossians 1:6, I John 2:2)

 

2)      Evil, wicked, rejected world of men – (John 17:25; I Corinthians 6:2; 11:32; Hebrews 11:38; 2 Peter 2:5; I John 5:19, Revelation 13:3)

 

 

c)      the corrupted world, or that universal corruption which is in all things  (Galatians 6:14; Ephesians 2:2; James 1:27; 4:4; I Corinthians 1:20,21; 3:18-19; 7:31,33; I John 2:15-17; Colossians 2:8; 2 Timothy 4:10, Romans 12:2)

 

d)      an earthly estate or terrain  (Luke 16:8; John 18:36, I John 4:5)

 

e)      the world as it is accursed by God and under the influence of Satan  (John 14:30; 16:11,33; I Corinthians 2:12 [cf. Ephesians 2:2,3]; 2 Corinthians 4:4;  I John 5:19; Revelation 13:3)

 

 

2.      “all”

a)      distributive vs. collective

 

b)      all absolutely (Romans 3:10-18)

 

c)      all of some sort/class – which is to say, all the included members of a particular class.  Eg. “all in Adam” vs. “All in Christ”  (I Corinthians 15:22; Ephesians 4:6; Romans 5:18)

 

d)      some of all sort/classes  - which is to say, some members of every class (I Timothy 2:1-4; 6:10; John 12:32 cf. Revelation 5:9)

 

D.     Universal passages examined

1.      John 1:29

 

2.      John 3:16

 

3.      I John 2:2