Recap: In the last post we tackled a question that I said has vexed non-Calvinists for more than three centuries - it's a trilemma posed by a 17th-century theologian, Dr. John Owen.
Here's the classic question:
Did Jesus die for:
a) all the sins of all men?
b) all the sins of some men?
c) some of the sins of all men?
Here is his argument, in his own words:
- That if the last be true, all men have some sins to answer for, and none are saved.
- That if the second be true, then Christ, in their stead suffered for all the sins of all the elect in the whole world, and this is the truth.
- But if the first be the case, why are not all men free from punishment due unto their sins? You answer, Because of unbelief. I ask, is this unbelief a sin, or is it not? If it be, then Christ suffered the punishment due unto it, or He did not. If he did, why must that hinder them more than their other sins for which He died? If He did not, He did not die for all their sins!”
Last time I commented that Dr. Owen's question is really a clever polemical/philosophical argument using flawed logic. There are two issues posed by the questions, both of which deal with the extent of the atonement: (1) what was covered by the atonement (some sin, all sin)?, and (2) who was covered by the atonement (some men, all men)? Last time we looked the "who" question. Today, let's focus the "what" question.
What Sayeth the Scripture?
One of the reasons the logic is suspect is because none of the three premises given to us by Dr. Owen is directly stated in the Bible. Here's what Scripture actually says:
Jesus died so that:
whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, (Mark 16:16 ESV)
whoever believes in him may have eternal life. (John 3:15 ESV)
whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16 ESV)
whoever believes in him is not condemned, (John 3:18 ESV)
whoever believes in the Son has eternal life (John 3:36 ESV)
whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life (John 5:24 ESV).
whoever believes in me shall never thirst. (John 6:35 ESV)
whoever believes has eternal life. (John 6:47 ESV)
whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, (John 11:25 ESV)
Faith
If we believe that Jesus died for all sins and if unbelief is a sin (which it is - Rom 14:23), then we must address Dr. Owen's query, "why are people still being punished for unbelief?" Implicit in his question is the theological/legal issue of double jeopardy. If all sin was paid for on the cross, why does any wrath remain for the sin of unbelief (or for any other sin, for that matter)?
On the cross, Jesus took away "the sin of the world" (John 1:29). This statement by John the Baptist implies that at the cross, all sin was taken away - there are no exceptions ("the sin of the world"- singular/collective). The debt was paid for all sins - that's the extent of the atonement. But the application of the atonement is reserved for "whoever believes."
The Bible describes over and over a divine transaction that only happens upon belief. A person must believe in Jesus to be saved. The debt has been paid, the pardon has been granted, but we actuate/consummate the transaction by believing in Jesus. It is only upon belief that the atonement is applied to the individual. A person who denies his pardon remains incarcerated. A person who continues in unbelief, remains under wrath.
This "binary configuration" (Geerhardus Vos) of initiation and consummation is not a foreign concept to Scripture. Think of what was accomplished at the first coming of Christ and what awaits consummation at the second. Our salvation, adoption, glorification, resurrection, are all expressed in two such phases - "already" inaugurated, but "not yet" consummated. Sins were paid for, but the atonement not yet applied.
Mercy
What's missing from Dr. Owen's logic is the acknowledgement that even the elect were still under wrath after the cross because of sin (including their sin of unbelief). Paul describes the saints in Ephesus as "children of wrath, like the rest of mankind" (Eph 2:3) until they were "saved by grace through faith" (Eph 2:8). So, although the cross covered all sin, the wages of sin was still death for the sinner (Rom 3:23) because the atoning transaction was not yet complete. The atonement had not been applied until they believed. God, in of his wisdom and love for us, purposed to delay the punishment for sin, including the sin of unbelief. This delay of judgment is called mercy.
In his book, The Holiness of God, R.C. Sproul explains the delay in God's justice this way:
“the full measure of justice was delayed so grace would have time to work.” He goes on to say, “Here the delay of justice was not the denial of justice but the establishing of mercy and grace.” The apostle Paul experienced and treasured such mercy from God.
though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy (delayed punishment) because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief (1 Timothy 1:13 ESV).
John Owen's trilemma fails to account for both the mercy of God and God's intentional delay of the application of the atonement, as he patiently waits for the gospel to kindle the faith necessary to complete the transaction.
To learn more, please consider picking up my book - God's Elect: The Chosen Generation
(also available on Kindle)
Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/Gods-Elect-Generation-John- Chipman/dp/1632695723/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1507WZLOS9FHL&keywords=god%27s+elect+chipman&qid=1682632127&sprefix=god%27s+elect+chipman%2Caps%2C293&sr=8-1
(Also available at Barnes & Noble & Christianbook.com)
Next Post: Before we begin at a series of questions which challenge the Calvinist ideology, the next post will be a short excerpt from my book, God's Elect - The Chosen Generation (due to be released this fall). I'll explain the thinking that was the "final straw" in reaching the conclusion that the god of Calvinism is not the God of the Bible.
Here's a link to the next post:
(If you would like more information on the topic of limited atonement, below is a link to a wonderful refutation of the Reformed understanding of the doctrine of limited atonement by Mike Winger of Hosanna Christian Fellowship.)
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