Danger of Teaching that Christ Died Only for the Elect
The following is excerpted from "The Dangers of Reformed Theology," George Zeller, Middletown Bible Church, 349 East St., Middletown, CT 06457. This study and a companion one entitled "For Whom Did Christ Die?" are available from Pastor Zeller for $2.75 each postpaid.
The teaching that Christ died only for the elect is commonly
known as a belief in a "limited atonement" (some
reformed men like to refer to it has "definite
atonement"). It is the teaching that Christ died on the
cross and paid the penalty only for the sins of the elect. He did
not die for the ones who eventually will be in the lake of fire.
Often it is worded as follows: "Christ died for all men
WITHOUT DISTINCTION but He did not die for all men WITHOUT
EXCEPTION." This is a subtle game of semantics which makes
it possible for them to say that He died for all without really
meaning that he died for all. What they really mean is that
Christ died for all kinds of people and all classes of people,
but He did not die for every single person. That is, He died for
Jews and Gentiles, rich and poor, slave and free, male and
female, etc., but it is understood that He died for only elect
Jews and Gentiles, only elect rich and poor, etc. Dr. Paul Reiter
has clearly and simply summarized the Scriptural teaching on this
issue. FOR WHOM DID CHRIST DIE? HE DIED... 1. For all (1 Timothy
2:6; Isaiah 53:6).
2. For every man (Heb. 2:9).
3. For the world (John 3:16).
4. For the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2).
5. For the ungodly (Rom. 5:6).
6. For false teachers (2 Peter 2:1).
7. For many (Matthew 20:28).
8. For Israel (John 11:50-51).
9. For the Church (Eph. 5:25).
10. For "me" (Gal. 2:20).
One believer who was not committed to the belief that Christ died
for all men made this remarkable concession: "If Christ
really did die for all men then I don't know how the Bible could
say it any clearer than it does." How true! It is evident
that the extreme Calvinist must ignore the clear language and
obvious sense of many passages and he must force the Scriptures
and make them fit into his own theological mold. Limited
atonement may seem logical and reasonable, but the real test is
this: IS IT BIBLICAL? "What saith the Scriptures?"
(Romans 4:3). In child-like faith we must simply allow the Bible
to say what it says. Those who promote this erroneous doctrine
try to tell us that "world" does not really mean
"world"' and "all" does not really mean
"all" and "every man" does not really mean
"every man" and "the whole world" does not
really mean "the whole world." We are told that simple
verses such as John 3:16 and Isaiah 53:6 must be understood not
as a child would understand them but as a theologian would
understand them. That is, we must re-interpret such verses in
light of our system of theology. The true doctrine of the
atonement could be stated as follows: The Scriptures teach that
the sacrifice of the Lamb of God involved the sin of the world
(John 1:29) and that the Saviour's work of redemption (1 Timothy
2:6; 2 Pet. 2:1), reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:19) and propitiation
(1 John 2:2) was for all men (1 Timothy 4:10), but the cross-work
of Christ is efficient, effectual and applicable only for those
who believe (1 Timothy 4:10; John 3:16). We could even say it in
a simpler way: "Christ's death was SUFFICIENT FOR ALL but
EFFICIENT only for those who believe." The cross-work of
Christ is not limited but the application of that cross-work
through the work of the Holy Spirit is limited to believers only
'The extreme Calvinist would say that the cross was designed only
for the elect and had no purpose for the "non-elect"
(persistent unbelievers). But the death of God's Son had a divine
purpose and design for both groups. For the elect, God's design
was salvation according to His purpose and grace in Christ Jesus
before the world began (2 Tim. 1:9; 2 Thess. 2:13). For
unbelievers, God's purpose and design is to render the unbeliever
without excuse. Men are CONDEMNED because they have rejected the
Person and WORK of Jesus Christ and refused God's only remedy for
sin (John 3:18; 5:40). Unbelievers can never say that a provision
for their salvation was not made and not offered. They can never
stand before God and say, "The reason I am not saved is
because Christ did not die for me." No, the reason they are
not saved is because they rejected the One who died for them and
who is the Saviour of all men (1 Tim. 4:10). They are without
excuse. This issue is not merely academic. It is extremely
practical. It affects the very heart of the gospel and its
presentation. The gospel which Paul preached to the unsaved
people of Corinth was this: "Christ died for our sins"
(1 Cor. 15:3). Do we really have a gospel of good news for all
men (compare Luke 2:10-11)? In preaching the gospel, what can we
say to an unsaved person? Can we say, "My friend, the Lord
Jesus Christ died for you. He paid the penalty for your sins. He
died as your Substitute"? One reformed writer said this:
"But counselors, as Christians, are obligated to present the
claims of Christ. They must present the good news that Christ
Jesus died on the cross in the place of His own, that He bore the
guilt and suffered the penalty for their sins. He died that all
whom the Father had given to Him might come unto Him and have
life everlasting. As a reformed Christian, the writer believes
that counselors must not tell any unsaved counselee that Christ
died for him, FOR THEY CANNOT SAY THAT. No man knows except
Christ Himself who are His elect for whom He died" [emphasis
mine] (Jay Adams, Competent to Counsel, p. 70). As C.H.
Mackintosh has said, "A disciple of the high school of
doctrine [extreme Calvinist] will not hear of a world-wide
gospel--of God's love to the world--of glad tidings to every
creature under heaven. He has only gotten a gospel for the
elect." If the reformed preacher were really honest about
it, he would need to preach his doctrine along these lines:
"Christ may have died for your sins. If you are one of God's
elect, then He died for you, but if not, then you have no
Saviour. I cannot tell you that Christ died on the cross for you
because I don't know this for sure. If you believe the gospel
then this proves that you are one of God's elect, and then it is
proper to speak of Christ dying for you." What an insult to
the God "who will have all men to be saved and to come unto
the knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:4). The Apostle
Paul was not so handicapped when he preached the gospel to the
unsaved Corinthians. He clearly proclaimed that "Christ died
for our sins [yours and mine!]." If Paul could preach that
message, so should we and so must we!