Calvinism and T.U.L.I.P. Explained

[JaimeMan]

The Five Points of Calvinism is a system by which Reformed Theologists describe and define the need for and process of man’s salvation. Its order is as follows: Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace, and Perseverance of the Saints. (Dabney, 1997 ) (This forms the acronym TULIP.)

Each portion of TULIP has a specific meaning that was developed by John Calvin and laid in foundation by Augustine (Bratcher, 2004; Boettner, 2004; Taylor, 2003). In summary, Calvin taught that man is totally depraved and is beyond righteousness. Humans will never seek God on their own. (Total Depravity.) Since no one will seek God for salvation on their own, God has elected or predestined some to righteous without any conditions on their “election.” (Unconditional Election.) Calvin said that “The effects of the Atonement, by which God forgave sinful humanity, are limited only to those whom He has chosen.” (Limited Atonement.) Whoever the Lord chooses to be saved by His grace cannot resist His calling, since their election was decreed by God. (Irresistible Grace.) He deduced, “Since God has decreed the elect, and they cannot resist grace, they are unconditionally and eternally secure in that election (Bratcher, 2004).”

This idea seems to be consistent to some degree with Scripture. We know that God is sovereign and is beyond time. He can certainly know who will be saved and who will reject him.

But does God really choose who will be saved? There are many negative implications that come from this idea. We would have to wonder who Jesus died for. According to Reformed Theology, everyone who God elects will be saved and used for His glory…but what about the rest of humanity! To get a clearer picture, the Bible needs to be meticulously examined. Thankfully, there are a multitude of definite answers of who Christ died for. The Bible says He died for all (1 Tim. 2:6; Isa. 53:6), for every man (Heb. 2:9), for the world (John 3:16), for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2), for the ungodly (Rom. 5:6), for false teachers (2 Peter 2:1), for many (Matt. 20:28), for Israel (John 11:50–51), for the church (Eph. 5:25), and for “me” (Gal. 2:20) (Zeller 2, 2004).

It is evident that Jesus did die for all of humanity and that He wishes for all to come to a saving knowledge of Him. (1 Timothy 2:4) But what does election mean then? To understand what Paul and Peter were conveying, we have to take their words in context. The key verses for “predestination” are Romans 8:29-30, 1 Peter 1:1, and Ephesians 1:4-6. Romans 8:29-30 says, “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those predestined, he also called, those he called, he also justified; those he justified he also glorified (Zondervan NIV, 1993.)” Those who believe in Reformed election take this verse to mean that God chose who was going to be saved “before the creation of the world.” (Ephesians 1:4) Peter uses the term elect when he describes the churches in Asia Minor in 1 Peter 1:1. He also calls them a “chosen race” in 1 Peter 2:9. But does predestination represent God saving souls before they even think of accepting or rejecting Jesus, or is there a simpler meaning? The use of predestination and election in the New Testament has great value. Wayne Grudem explains in his book Bible Doctrine that there are at least three significant purposes for the mention of election. It is used as: a comfort to believers, as a reason to praise God, and as an encouragement to evangelism. He notes on Romans 8:29-

30: “Paul’s point is to say that God has always acted for the good of those whom he called to himself. If Paul looks into the distant past before the creation of the world, he sees that God foreknew and predestined his people to be conformed to the image of Christ (Grudem p. 283, 1999.)”

This truth should bring comfort to Christians because we can know that Christ always has and always will “…work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28) This knowledge also gives Christians another reason to praise God. As Paul says in Ephesians 1:5-6, “He destined us in love to be his sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace.” Our salvation is ultimately due to God’s choice of us. He sent his Son to die for our sins because He loves us. The idea of election serves to remind us again that salvation is “a gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Predestination also serves as an encouragement to evangelism. In 2 Timothy 2:10 Paul says, “I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they may obtain salvation in Christ Jesus with its eternal glory.” Paul knew very well that not everyone he witnessed to was going to come to salvation. He also experienced many trials and persecutions for his fervent sharing of the gospel. Why was he so persistent in the face of death? He knew that there would be some elect that would come to a saving knowledge of Jesus because of his evangelism. Election was a promise of God that there would be some success and fruit from laboring in the mission field (Grudem p. 285, 1999.)

The Biblical election is simple: When we accept Jesus as our savior and repent of our sins God elects us to righteousness with Him. He has predestined those in Christ to conform to His image. God foreknew every person who would come to Him even before the creation of the

world, but he did not coerce them into following Him. The Reformed view of election is conflicting when compared to the true meaning of the Scriptures.

© 2004 Jaime Sherman

Works Cited

Boettner, Loraine. 2004 The Reformed Faith. Ricke’s Home Page of Reformed Theology. Retrieved 11/4/04 from the World Wide Web:



Dabney, R. L. 1997 The Five Points of Calvinism. Surgeon.org. Retrieved 11/4/04 from the World Wide Web 1997 Phillip R. Johnson.



Grudem, Wayne. 1999 Bible Doctrine: Essential Teachings of the Christian Faith. (Purswell, Jeff Ed.) Grand Rapids, Michigan, Zondervan Publishing.



Bratcher Dennis, 2004 "TULIP" Calvinism Compared to Wesleyan Perspectives. The Voice Christian Resource Institute. Retrieved 11/4/04 from the world wide web:



Taylor, R.A. 2003 “Reformed Theology: What is it?” Revelation. Retrieved 11/4/04 from the World Wide Web:

 

[BBAS 64]

The Five Points of Calvinism is a system by which Reformed Theologists describe and define the need for and process of man’s salvation. Its order is as follows: Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace, and Perseverance of the Saints. (Dabney, 1997 ) (This forms the acronym TULIP.)

Each portion of TULIP has a specific meaning that was developed by John Calvin and laid in foundation by Augustine (Bratcher, 2004; Boettner, 2004; Taylor, 2003). In summary, Calvin taught that man is totally depraved and is beyond righteousness. Humans will never seek God on their own. (Total Depravity.) Since no one will seek God for salvation on their own, God has elected or predestined some to righteous without any conditions on their “election.” (Unconditional Election.) Calvin said that “The effects of the Atonement, by which God forgave sinful humanity, are limited only to those whom He has chosen.” (Limited Atonement.) Whoever the Lord chooses to be saved by His grace cannot resist His calling, since their election was decreed by God. (Irresistible Grace.) He deduced, “Since God has decreed the elect, and they cannot resist grace, they are unconditionally and eternally secure in that election (Bratcher, 2004).”

This idea seems to be consistent to some degree with Scripture. We know that God is sovereign and is beyond time. He can certainly know who will be saved and who will reject him.

But does God really choose who will be saved? There are many negative implications that come from this idea. We would have to wonder who Jesus died for. According to Reformed Theology, everyone who God elects will be saved and used for His glory…but what about the rest of humanity! To get a clearer picture, the Bible needs to be meticulously examined. Thankfully, there are a multitude of definite answers of who Christ died for. The Bible says He died for all (1 Tim. 2:6; Isa. 53:6), for every man (Heb. 2:9), for the world (John 3:16), for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2), for the ungodly (Rom. 5:6), for false teachers (2 Peter 2:1), for many (Matt. 20:28), for Israel (John 11:50–51), for the church (Eph. 5:25), and for “me” (Gal. 2:20) (Zeller 2, 2004).

It is evident that Jesus did die for all of humanity and that He wishes for all to come to a saving knowledge of Him. (1 Timothy 2:4) But what does election mean then? To understand what Paul and Peter were conveying, we have to take their words in context. The key verses for “predestination” are Romans 8:29-30, 1 Peter 1:1, and Ephesians 1:4-6. Romans 8:29-30 says, “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those predestined, he also called, those he called, he also justified; those he justified he also glorified (Zondervan NIV, 1993.)” Those who believe in Reformed election take this verse to mean that God chose who was going to be saved “before the creation of the world.” (Ephesians 1:4) Peter uses the term elect when he describes the churches in Asia Minor in 1 Peter 1:1. He also calls them a “chosen race” in 1 Peter 2:9. But does predestination represent God saving souls before they even think of accepting or rejecting Jesus, or is there a simpler meaning? The use of predestination and election in the New Testament has great value. Wayne Grudem explains in his book Bible Doctrine that there are at least three significant purposes for the mention of election. It is used as: a comfort to believers, as a reason to praise God, and as an encouragement to evangelism. He notes on Romans 8:29-

30: “Paul’s point is to say that God has always acted for the good of those whom he called to himself. If Paul looks into the distant past before the creation of the world, he sees that God foreknew and predestined his people to be conformed to the image of Christ (Grudem p. 283, 1999.)”

This truth should bring comfort to Christians because we can know that Christ always has and always will “…work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28) This knowledge also gives Christians another reason to praise God. As Paul says in Ephesians 1:5-6, “He destined us in love to be his sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace.” Our salvation is ultimately due to God’s choice of us. He sent his Son to die for our sins because He loves us. The idea of election serves to remind us again that salvation is “a gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Predestination also serves as an encouragement to evangelism. In 2 Timothy 2:10 Paul says, “I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they may obtain salvation in Christ Jesus with its eternal glory.” Paul knew very well that not everyone he witnessed to was going to come to salvation. He also experienced many trials and persecutions for his fervent sharing of the gospel. Why was he so persistent in the face of death? He knew that there would be some elect that would come to a saving knowledge of Jesus because of his evangelism. Election was a promise of God that there would be some success and fruit from laboring in the mission field (Grudem p. 285, 1999.)

The Biblical election is simple: When we accept Jesus as our savior and repent of our sins God elects us to righteousness with Him. He has predestined those in Christ to conform to His image. God foreknew every person who would come to Him even before the creation of the

world, but he did not coerce them into following Him. The Reformed view of election is conflicting when compared to the true meaning of the Scriptures.

© 2004 Jaime Sherman

Works Cited

Boettner, Loraine. 2004 The Reformed Faith. Ricke’s Home Page of Reformed Theology. Retrieved 11/4/04 from the World Wide Web:



Dabney, R. L. 1997 The Five Points of Calvinism. Surgeon.org. Retrieved 11/4/04 from the World Wide Web 1997 Phillip R. Johnson.



Grudem, Wayne. 1999 Bible Doctrine: Essential Teachings of the Christian Faith. (Purswell, Jeff Ed.) Grand Rapids, Michigan, Zondervan Publishing.



Bratcher Dennis, 2004 "TULIP" Calvinism Compared to Wesleyan Perspectives. The Voice Christian Resource Institute. Retrieved 11/4/04 from the world wide web:



Taylor, R.A. 2003 “Reformed Theology: What is it?” Revelation. Retrieved 11/4/04 from the World Wide Web:

Good Day, Jamieman

Nice work you have done, not that I agree with all you have written here. Where should one start you have listed a bunch of Scripture with in this post to draw your conclusions.

I guess the biblical meanings of some words.

You said: "
The Biblical election is simple: When we accept Jesus as our savior and repent of our sins God elects us to righteousness with Him. He has predestined those in Christ to conform to His image. God foreknew every person who would come to Him even before the creation of the "

Elect 1Pe 1:2

eklektos

Thayer Definition:

1) picked out, chosen

1a) chosen by God

1a1) to obtain salvation through Christ

1a1a) Christians are called "chosen or elect" of God

1a2) the Messiah in called "elect", as appointed by God to the most exalted office conceivable

1a3) choice, select, i.e. the best of its kind or class, excellence preeminent: applied to certain individual Christians

Kind of a different meaning don't you think?

Predesti Eph 1:5

proorizō

Thayer Definition:

1) to predetermine, decide beforehand

2) in the NT of God decreeing from eternity

3) to foreordain, appoint beforehand

Choosen Eph 1:4

eklegomai

Thayer Definition:

1) to pick out, choose, to pick or choose out for one’s self

1a) choosing one out of many, i.e. Jesus choosing his disciples

1b) choosing one for an office

1c) of God choosing whom he judged fit to receive his favours and separated from the rest of mankind to be peculiarly his own and to be attended continually by his gracious oversight


Lets start with Jn 3:16:

You said he died "for the world (John 3:16),"


Joh 3:16 for God did so love the world, that His Son--the only begotten--He gave, that every one who is believing in him may not perish, but may have life age-during.


He gave for the Beliveing ones so that they may not perish. Where is the connection after the connection after the conjunction "that" back the the phase world? when the subject after the conjunction is the believing ones?


Peace to u,

Bill

 

[Van]

John 3:16 means what it says in a straightforward manner, God loved the world meaning all of mankind, that He gave His one of a kind Son, that means He gave His Son to the all of mankind, that whosoever believes in Him, that means anybody who hears the gospel and responds with repentance and faith, shall not perish but have eternal life.

Calvinist try and twist this scripture to say God loved the world - world meaning the pre-selected elect - that He gave his one of a kind son - to only the elect, so that whosoever of the elect that are believing in the Son because they have been regenerated before believing, shall not perish but have eternal life. This is obviously unsound exegesis and end driven exegesis in my view.

It reminds me of discussions with JW's where they selective redefine words to fit their doctrine.

 

[Beoga]

John 3:16 means what it says in a straightforward manner, God loved the world meaning all of mankind, that He gave His one of a kind Son, that means He gave His Son to the all of mankind, that whosoever believes in Him, that means anybody who hears the gospel and responds with repentance and faith, shall not perish but have eternal life.

but the original doesn't say whosover believes, but everyone believing in him

 

[JohnJones]

JaimeMan,

In your long article above are you negating or confirming the common explanation that Calvinists give of Tulip, namely the one below?

T - You can't move.
U - That guy over there is saved even though he wont repent.
L - Jesus didn't die for you; he died for Calvinists.
I - The Holy Spirit's gonna force the unrepentant drunk to be saved.
P - Go do whatever you want, cuz if ya saved ya saved.

 

[BBAS 64]

John 3:16 means what it says in a straightforward manner, God loved the world meaning all of mankind, that He gave His one of a kind Son, that means He gave His Son to the all of mankind, that whosoever believes in Him, that means anybody who hears the gospel and responds with repentance and faith, shall not perish but have eternal life.

Calvinist try and twist this scripture to say God loved the world - world meaning the pre-selected elect - that He gave his one of a kind son - to only the elect, so that whosoever of the elect that are believing in the Son because they have been regenerated before believing, shall not perish but have eternal life. This is obviously unsound exegesis and end driven exegesis in my view.

It reminds me of discussions with JW's where they selective redefine words to fit their doctrine.

Good Day, Van

What have I redefined? Did I ever deny that God loved the world? I have given you the Litreal Translation here, you have failed to show any constuction that shows the giving of the son for the world, and the world having ever lasting life to come to that read one must reconstuct the grammer, and and words to the text.

Lets do some of that just for fun, to arrive at your understanding.

Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.




ammened

Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world and he gave his only begotten Son, that they could believe in him thus would not perish, but have everlasting life.


Peace to u,

Bill

 

[BBAS 64]

but the original doesn't say whosover believes, but everyone believing in him

Good Day, Littleapologist

You are quite correct, there is no Greek word for whosoever.

Peace to u,

Bill

 

[BBAS 64]

JaimeMan,

In your long article above are you negating or confirming the common explanation that Calvinists give of Tulip, namely the one below?

T - You can't move.
U - That guy over there is saved even though he wont repent.
L - Jesus didn't die for you; he died for Calvinists.
I - The Holy Spirit's gonna force the unrepentant drunk to be saved.
P - Go do whatever you want, cuz if ya saved ya saved.

Good Day, John

I vote neither, your "tulip" fails the letters do not match.

y
t
j
i
p


Kind of screwy, if english is you primary tounge.

Peace to u,

Bill

 

[Married Man]

God gave His Son to: ALL,

However, only SOME would accept Him,

So... God BOTH gave to: EVERYONE,
and SOME.

(the trick is to see more than one thing at a time)

 

[BBAS 64]

Good Day, Jamie

In your article you pointed to Augustine as the force behind the Doctrines of Grace, one can see them much earilier in the history of the church.

Polycarp,

I have greatly rejoiced with you in our Lord Jesus Christ, because ye have followed the example"of true love [as displayed by God], and have accompanied, as became you, those who were bound in chains, the fitting ornaments of saints, and which are indeed the diadems of the true elect of God and our Lord; and because the strong root of your faith, spoken of in dayslong gone by, endureth even until now, and bringeth forth fruit to our Lord Jesus Christ, who for our sins suffered even unto death, [but] "whom God raised froth the dead, having loosed the bands of the grave"In whom, though now ye see Him not, ye believe, and believing, rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory; into which joy many desire to enter, knowing that "by grace ye are saved, not of works,"but by the will of God through Jesus Christ.

Peace to u,

Bill

 

[Beoga]

JaimeMan,

In your long article above are you negating or confirming the common explanation that Calvinists give of Tulip, namely the one below?

T - You can't move.
U - That guy over there is saved even though he wont repent.
L - Jesus didn't die for you; he died for Calvinists.
I - The Holy Spirit's gonna force the unrepentant drunk to be saved.
P - Go do whatever you want, cuz if ya saved ya saved.

hahahahaha, that was funny ... oh wait

 

[brother daniel]

Amen GRACE IS THE WILL OF GOD THROUGH CHRIST JESUS. JESUS showed us the will of God when he called us. Jesus said follow me. That is Gods GRACE speaking. I will make you fashers of men, again Gods grace speaking. BY his grace we are called to act like Jesus because God is offering us a new heart and a new mind. Its the heart and mind of Christ. If you do not yet have it. Ask our Father for it. Its called the comforter, Holy Ghost or Spirit of truth. Without truth we cannot please God.

 

[Bulldog]

but the original doesn't say whosover believes, but everyone believing in him

Literally "all believing" as the word pas is used (which I believe is the word translated most as "whoever or "whosoever" in the Bible), which just means "all"-there is no sense of openess to all men conveyed.

 

[Romanbear]

Hi BBAS64;

What have I redefined? Did I ever deny that God loved the world? I have given you the Litreal Translation here, you have failed to show any constuction that shows the giving of the son for the world, and the world having ever lasting life to come to that read one must reconstuct the grammer, and and words to the text.

You forgot the Key in Jn 3:16 They key is "whosoever believes on Him" This doesn't say a preselect group it says whosoever. Try as you may you can't escape the key of Salvation is BELIEF. It isn't election it isn't whether or not you can twist scripture better than the next guy. Paul said it in Act 16:31 Mark quoted Christ saying to believe in Mark5:36 Christ said in;

Joh 8:24 I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.

Yet Calvinist talk like election is the key. They also Claim that we live because the holy spirit regenerates us. Not so we live because of Christ only.
In Christ;
Romanbear

 

[Beoga]

Hi BBAS64;


You forgot the Key in Jn 3:16 They key is "whosoever believes on Him" This doesn't say a preselect group it says whosoever. Try as you may you can't escape the key of Salvation is BELIEF. It isn't election it isn't whether or not you can twist scripture better than the next guy. Paul said it in Act 16:31 Mark quoted Christ saying to believe in Mark5:36 Christ said in;

Joh 8:24 I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.

Yet Calvinist talk like election is the key. They also Claim that we live because the holy spirit regenerates us. Not so we live because of Christ only.
In Christ;
Romanbear

have you seen the posts that show that it doesn't really say "whosover"?

 

[BBAS 64]

Hi BBAS64;


You forgot the Key in Jn 3:16 They key is "whosoever believes on Him" This doesn't say a preselect group it says whosoever. Try as you may you can't escape the key of Salvation is BELIEF. It isn't election it isn't whether or not you can twist scripture better than the next guy. Paul said it in Act 16:31 Mark quoted Christ saying to believe in Mark5:36 Christ said in;

Joh 8:24 I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.

Good day, Romanbear

There is no word for whosoever in the greek..none ..nada. As I have said before it is the result of a greek construction, better understood as "all the ones of believing kind"

I have tried to do no such a thing here, by escaping. I have not twisted Scripture and have held to a consistant handling of the words contained with in Scripture.

We are discussing Jn 3:16 and it's meaning, you have run to 3 different passages to prove that they are germaine to your understanding of Jn 3:16 when JN 3:16 is quite clear in and of it self.

Peace to u,

Bill




Yet Calvinist talk like election is the key. They also Claim that we live because the holy spirit regenerates us. Not so we live because of Christ only.
In Christ;
Romanbear
[/QUOTE]

 

[Van]

BBAS 64, I think the words you redefined are world, whosoever, and believe

Limited Atonement teaches God sent His Son for the elect only, so the world becomes the elect only in your (meaning Calvinist since individual views vary) view of John 3:16.

Whosoever means in your view only the elect rather than anybody of the kosmos of all mankind.

Believe means in my view the act of yeilding up ourselves and putting our trust in Him. Hence believing into Christ. Your view is that "believing in" is used as a noun to refer to a group of existent folks, the regenerated elect.

As I said, an ends driven exegesis in my view.

The Calvinist John 3:16 reads, For God so loved the elect that He gave His one of a kind Son, that every regenerate believer would not perish but have eternal life. And folks, that is not what it says or means.

John 3:16 means For God so loved mankind that He gave His one of a kind Son, that anybody believing into Christ would not perish but have eternal life.

 

[Romanbear]

Hi little apollogist;

have you seen the posts that show that it doesn't really say "whosover"?

No I haven't but you're right it doesn't say whosoever. it says "All" or Pas in the codex. This is the meaning of Pas from the original Greek.
[size=+1]pas[/size]all, the whole

So was it a mistranslation? I don't believe so what's the difference between all who believe and whosoever believes we still come to the same conclusion. Everyone that believes will be saved.
In Christ;
Romanbear

 

[JaimeMan]

I believe that the text of John 3:16 supports the idea that Salvation can be accepted or rejected and is not predestined.
Christ Died (His UNIQUE--Only-begotten was a lil mistranslation but that's ok.) so that those who believe in Him (Anyone) will not perish but have everlating life. Using the same verses I stated above on who Jesus Died for.
And of course we can never lose salvation.
"being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. " Phillippians 1:6

The Lord Jesus Christ proclaimed, "I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand" (John 10:28-29b).
Bless you Bill,
Jaime

 

[BBAS 64]

BBAS 64, I think the words you redefined are world, whosoever, and believe .

Limited Atonement teaches God sent His Son for the elect only, so the world becomes the elect only in your (meaning Calvinist since individual views vary) view of John 3:16.

Whosoever means in your view only the elect rather than anybody of the kosmos of all mankind.

Good Day , Van

I do not see how I have redfined any thing here. First of I will accept that God loves the world in so much that the wicked live along side of the godly. You have defined the "whosoever" a word that does not appear in the text and I have stated the understanding of that Greek constuction.

Believe means in my view the act of yeilding up ourselves and putting our trust in Him. Hence believing into Christ. Your view is that "believing in" is used as a noun to refer to a group of existent folks, the regenerated elect.

Van, Again you have misunderstood the text to come to your view. Also misrepresented mine. The believe in the text is a verb in the perfect tense, thus the every one who is believing in Him. So there is a attribute to they "eveyone" they must be "doing" believing.

oh 3:16 for God did so love the world, that His Son--the only begotten--He gave, that every one who is believing in him may not perish, but may have life age-during.

As I said, an ends driven exegesis in my view.

The Calvinist John 3:16 reads, For God so loved the elect that He gave His one of a kind Son, that every regenerate believer would not perish but have eternal life. And folks, that is not what it says or means.

John 3:16 means For God so loved mankind that He gave His one of a kind Son, that anybody believing into Christ would not perish but have eternal life.

Your view is exergticlly flawed in so much that you define words that are contray to the text, "Whosoever, anybody, mankind" are not in the text you have added them, to fit some understanding that is forgien to the text as is was written and understood by those who heard it.

Peace to u,

Bill