How can the calvnist says Christ died only for the elect? God desire all to be saved. Here are some writings of the early Christians
Origen’s Commentary on the Gospel of John Book VI 37-38:
The Father of Jesus is therefore a tender and loving Father, though ”He spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up” as His lamb ”for us all,” that so ”the Lamb of God,” by dying for all men, might ”take away the sin of the world.” It was not by compulsion, therefore, but willingly, that He bore the reproaches of those who reviled Him.
Origen, Against Celsus VIII.43 (248 AD)
Where our Lord Jesus Christ, who took upon Him to die for all, stretched forth His hands, not somewhere on the earth beneath, but in the air itself, in order that the Salvation effected by the Cross might be shown to be for all men everywhere: destroying the devil who was working in the air: and that He might consecrate our road up to Heaven, and make it free.
Athanasius of Alexandria, Letter 22 (297-373 AD)
“So Christ was once offered.” By whom offered? Evidently by Himself. Here he says that He is not Priest only, but Victim also, and what is sacrificed. On this account are [the words] ”was offered.” ”Was once offered” (he says) ”to bear the sins of many.” Why ”of many,” and not ”of all”? Because not all believed. For He died indeed for all, that is His part: for that death was a counterbalance against the destruction of all men. But He did not bear the sins of all men, because they were not willing.
John Chrysostom, Homily on the Pestle to the Hebrews 17.4 (347-407 AD)
In some pictures of the venerable icons, a lamb is painted to which the Precursor points his finger, which is received as a type of grace, indicating beforehand through the Law, our true Lamb, Christ our God. Embracing therefore the ancient types and shadows as symbols of the truth, and patterns given to the Church, we prefer ”grace and truth,” receiving it as the fulfillment of the Law. In order therefore that ”that which is perfect” may be delineated to the eyes of all, at least in colored expression, we decree that the figure in human form of the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world, Christ our God, be henceforth exhibited in images, instead of the ancient lamb, so that all may understand by means of it the depths of the humiliation of the Word of God, and that we may recall to our memory his conversation in the flesh, his passion and salutary death, and his redemption which was wrought for the whole world.
Council of Trullo, Canon 82 (692 AD)
Just as our Lord was the Creator of all, so also as the Restorer of all He has absolved the whole world with a single death. For we must surely believe that He who has given more than the whole world was worth has ransomed the whole world.
Augustine, Sermon 193 (PL 39:902)
Scriptures used in support of unlimited atonement
These are Scriptures commonly used by those who support Unlimited atonement:
Is Calvinism's limited atonement is a false doctrine?
Origen’s Commentary on the Gospel of John Book VI 37-38:
The Father of Jesus is therefore a tender and loving Father, though ”He spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up” as His lamb ”for us all,” that so ”the Lamb of God,” by dying for all men, might ”take away the sin of the world.” It was not by compulsion, therefore, but willingly, that He bore the reproaches of those who reviled Him.
Origen, Against Celsus VIII.43 (248 AD)
Where our Lord Jesus Christ, who took upon Him to die for all, stretched forth His hands, not somewhere on the earth beneath, but in the air itself, in order that the Salvation effected by the Cross might be shown to be for all men everywhere: destroying the devil who was working in the air: and that He might consecrate our road up to Heaven, and make it free.
Athanasius of Alexandria, Letter 22 (297-373 AD)
“So Christ was once offered.” By whom offered? Evidently by Himself. Here he says that He is not Priest only, but Victim also, and what is sacrificed. On this account are [the words] ”was offered.” ”Was once offered” (he says) ”to bear the sins of many.” Why ”of many,” and not ”of all”? Because not all believed. For He died indeed for all, that is His part: for that death was a counterbalance against the destruction of all men. But He did not bear the sins of all men, because they were not willing.
John Chrysostom, Homily on the Pestle to the Hebrews 17.4 (347-407 AD)
In some pictures of the venerable icons, a lamb is painted to which the Precursor points his finger, which is received as a type of grace, indicating beforehand through the Law, our true Lamb, Christ our God. Embracing therefore the ancient types and shadows as symbols of the truth, and patterns given to the Church, we prefer ”grace and truth,” receiving it as the fulfillment of the Law. In order therefore that ”that which is perfect” may be delineated to the eyes of all, at least in colored expression, we decree that the figure in human form of the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world, Christ our God, be henceforth exhibited in images, instead of the ancient lamb, so that all may understand by means of it the depths of the humiliation of the Word of God, and that we may recall to our memory his conversation in the flesh, his passion and salutary death, and his redemption which was wrought for the whole world.
Council of Trullo, Canon 82 (692 AD)
Just as our Lord was the Creator of all, so also as the Restorer of all He has absolved the whole world with a single death. For we must surely believe that He who has given more than the whole world was worth has ransomed the whole world.
Augustine, Sermon 193 (PL 39:902)
Scriptures used in support of unlimited atonement
These are Scriptures commonly used by those who support Unlimited atonement:
- John 1:29—"The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world."
- John 3:14-18—"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."
- John 3:16—"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." [3]
- Romans 3:23-24—"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" [4]
- Romans 5:18—"Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men."[4]
- 2 Corinthians 5:14-15—"For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again."
- 2 Corinthians 5:19—"n Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation." [5]
[*]1 Timothy 1:15—"Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst."[3]
[*]1 Timothy 2:3-6—For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time."
[*]1 Timothy 4:10—"For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe."
[*]Titus 2:11—"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people."
[*]Hebrews 2:9—"But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone."[3]
[*]2 Peter 2:1—"They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them." This appears to indicate that Christ "bought" some who are not among the elect.
[*]2 Peter 3:9—"The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."
[*]1 John 2:2—"And He [Christ] Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world."
[*]1 John 4:14—"And we have seen and we testify that the Father has sent His Son as the world’s Savior."
Is Calvinism's limited atonement is a false doctrine?
