Limited Atonement, some links

This is from Ben Wright at Paleoevangelical

This blog is not now and by God's grace alone never will be a blog about Calvinism. But I have bumped into a number of people similar to me in many ways who have wrestled with the biblical basis for and the implications of limited atonement, or particular redemption, if you prefer. As many have pointed out, unless you're a universalist, you inevitably do hold to some form of limited atonement.

John Owen's The Death of Death in the Death of Christ is viewed as one of the greatest apologies for limited atonement in church history. Personally, I think that puts a negative spin on a work that is really quite positive in the way it magnifies the grace of God by showing that Scripture teaches that Christ's atoning sacrifice actually secures the deliverance of the elect, not merely makes it possible.

My historical theology class read The Death of Death for a weekly assignment last week. Since it was sandwiched between two other weekly assignments that were Book 1 of Calvin's Institutes, and Edwards' Freedom of the Will (which is tougher reading than Owen for me), I wasn't able to read as thoughtfully as I might have liked. As it was, it took between 10 and 12 hours.

You can download a PDF of the book here. Unfortunately it doesn't include what several have told me is an excellent introduction to the book written by J.I. Packer, but you can access that here. Owen's book is worth a read. I'm still thinking through things myself, but I was intrigued by Owen's exegesis of the "all" and "world" passages. Whether you agree with him on L or not, "All" is certainly not always all, and that is not all "all" means.

Also, Jason Robertson at Fide-O has a brief summary of Owen's argument here. HT: Daniel Phillips.

By the way, I'm interested to hear about any flaws in Owen's exegesis or reasoning from anyone who's actually read the book. I've got a few passages marked for further though myself, and I'd be curious if anyone else has chewed on the same ones.

Thanks Matt for the links

And if I had time I'd consider seminary just to be a thorn in the sides of the profs, but Dr. Walton sighed relief when I graduated the first time. Don't think I'll put anyone through that again! LOL


- I have a friend who believes in limited attonement and we discuss it from time to time.

The biggest argument she gives is the passage that talk about there are vessels of honor and vessels of dishonor. The context of that passage just doesn't seem to me to be about saved verses unsaved.

Many People forget the aspect of Gods Justice.

There are so many "what if's" people come up with about God.
God in His justice understands our hearts, and rightly judges us by it. I think David understood this very well. He praises God for His justice, and Judgement. When people judge, we can only base it on personal expierance and outward actions. God judges the act by the intent of the heart.

When People bring up the topic "what about" those people who never hear the Gospel. God is there Judge, God will lead them to the point of faith in there life. God will judge them not us. We can only be willling servants.


Limited atonement.

This is how my feeble mind concieves the atonement question.

God would not create a man pre-doomed towards hell. It is against His nature. It is not the nature of a Father.
God intended all to come, and made it possible for man to do so. " God is no respecter of Persons " It is foolish to think that God has some elite crew picked out, and that He wants only the elite to get in.
At any point in our lives we are always equal in the eyes of God. Equally guilty, or equally forgiven. We never can become any better or worse than anyone else. God favour on our lives depends on our free will offering of ourselves, not because He holds us in higher regard than any other.

God is Just. God is perfect.God is Holy.
He exists in all states of perfection perpetually.
He can do no wrong.

Can such a God, Damn his own Children ?
God did not Damn us, We Damned ourselves.

If it was our Choice to fall away, it is our Choice to fall back in. It is out of Gods hands persay...
oh, the beauty and tragedy of free-will.

_
Just a few thoughts.

Totally agree, and this also edges on something called covenant theology verses dispensationalism. This is a side issue to the free will verses limited attonement.

The keys verses that come to mind are

God would have all come to repentance

Christ the lamb slain before the foundation of the world. (as the method means, and mode he was what was predetermined for our salvation and if you note those passages that talk about election -- they say 'in Christ')

If I be lifted up I will draw all men unto me.

Every knee will bow eventually-- whether to eternal life or eternal damnation.

Praise God I'm saved, but I shudder for those who do not.

Okay along with this issue also comes irresistible grace. My friend says that it cannot be resisted and that free will is only for those who have accepted Christ as Savior. She has admited that she is not a robot, she knows this.