Scott Shahan
Puritan Board Sophomore
I posed this question to a LCMS frieind,
It is ok if you want to say that Jesus died for the "goats"(Universal Atonement), I have no problem with that, but it is true that Jesus only saves His sheep (Limited Atonement).
His reply,
The problem with what you are formulating there is that A) if you say Jesus died for the goats (which he did) AND B) Jesus only saves the sheep (which is untrue, he has saved the world the entire world has been saved some refuse the gift by unbelief, but that Jesus took away the sin of the world) IF you have A and B in this, then what does Christ's death mean to that formulation? - You have taken away the benefit of the death. Why then would Christ have died for the goats? Christ's death was efficacious for the taking away the sin of the entire world. And when sin is taken away, there is no longer a separation between God and man. Faith receives this benefit, so unbelief rejects it.
2 Peter 2:1 doesn't help the Limited Atonement camp.
2 Peter:2:1 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.
Just curious as to how the "reformed" responed to this verse.
Also 1 Timothy 4:10
10 For to this end we toil and strive, [1] because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.
It is ok if you want to say that Jesus died for the "goats"(Universal Atonement), I have no problem with that, but it is true that Jesus only saves His sheep (Limited Atonement).
His reply,
The problem with what you are formulating there is that A) if you say Jesus died for the goats (which he did) AND B) Jesus only saves the sheep (which is untrue, he has saved the world the entire world has been saved some refuse the gift by unbelief, but that Jesus took away the sin of the world) IF you have A and B in this, then what does Christ's death mean to that formulation? - You have taken away the benefit of the death. Why then would Christ have died for the goats? Christ's death was efficacious for the taking away the sin of the entire world. And when sin is taken away, there is no longer a separation between God and man. Faith receives this benefit, so unbelief rejects it.
2 Peter 2:1 doesn't help the Limited Atonement camp.
2 Peter:2:1 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.
Just curious as to how the "reformed" responed to this verse.
Also 1 Timothy 4:10
10 For to this end we toil and strive, [1] because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.
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