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MAKING SENSE OF GOD'S ELECTION: a Digest of the Essentials of the Work by Donald R. Shell - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/election/elmss917.s.htm

MAKING SENSE OF GOD'S ELECTION: a Digest of the Essentials of the Work by Donald R. Shell
Part II: Examining Scripture On The Will-Related Doctrines
Chapter IV: Examining The Extent Of Christ's Atonement Throughout Scripture
B. Pertinent New Testament Words And Passages (Continued) And Conclusion On The Atonement
  1. If our definition of election holds the elect are not chosen to be justified, but for post-justification blessings, we leave room for the possibility of every individual sinner to be justified.
  2. However, SOME Calvinists teach Christ died only for a select few whom God chose to be justified.
  3. We thus study Scripture to see how extensive was Christ's atonement -- viewing words and passages:
    1. Pertinent Greek New Testament Words (Continued)
      1. Hilasmos
        1. Leon Morris' The Apostolic Preaching of the Cross, p. 125, 275, 167 and 169 shows (versus Liberal Theology) hilasmos in 1 John 2:2 & 4:10 means the appeasement of God's wrath against man's sin.
        2. Well, all individuals have sinned and become the objects of God's wrath acc. to Rom. 3:23, so Christ's appeasing God's wrath for the sins of the "whole world" in 1 John 2:2 where hilasmos is used to speak of this appeasement can readily imply an unlimited atonement stance.
        3. 1 John 4:10 uses hilasmos to address God's wrath satiation for the sins of believers without mentioning other parties, but this verse does not prove Christ's atonement was limited just to them.
      2. Antilutron
        1. This noun means "ransom" and exists in the N.T. only in 1 Tim. 2:6 re: the atonement, Ibid., p. 48.
        2. Though a limited redemptionist might say the verse's claim of Christ's ransom being for "all men" means classes of men versus all individuals, Paul's use of "all" in the 1 Timothy 2:2 context shows he THERE meant all individuals by the word "all" in the various groups of those named!
      3. Agoradzo
        1. Some limited redemptionists say this verb means "create" in 2 Peter 2:1 to avoid admitting the verse means Christ died for eternally doomed false teachers, cf. Bib. Know. Com., N. T., p. 870.
        2. However, its normal lexical meaning is "buy, purchase," cf. Arndt & Gingrich, A Grk.-Engl. Lex. Of the N.T., p. 12, and the N.T. uses of the verb in other passages speaking of Christ's death (1 Cor. 6:20; 7:23 and Rev. 5:9) all show it describing believers who are redeemed with Christ's blood, cf. Moulton & Geden, A Conc. To the Grk. Test., p. 15; UBS Grk. N.T. , p. 591, 593 and 848.
        3. Some limited redemptionists say 2 Peter 2:1 teaches the false prophets only claim to be covered by the atonement (Ibid., Bib. Know. Com., N.T.); yet, agoradzo appears here in the participle form in the attributive position to modify "Lord" (lit., "the-bought-them-Lord"); what is denied, then, is the Lord and not some claim about the atonement! Ibid., UBS Grk. N.T. , p. 807.
    2. Pertinent New Testament Passages On The Atonement
      1. John 3:16-19
        1. Limited redemptionists say both kosmos ("world") and "whosoever" in verse 16 are classes of men.
        2. However, kosmos in verses 17-19 is pictured as the world of unregenerate men who love darkness and stand condemned by God (unlike the elect in Calvinistic theology!) so the world God loved and sent His Son to save in verse 16 is most probably the world of all unregenerate individuals !
      2. John 6:33, 51
        1. Limited redemptionists claim since these verses present Christ as giving life to the "world," and only the elect get His eternal life, "world" must mean classes of the elect and not all individuals.
        2. However, the extent of Christ's atonement does not itself relate to the application of its benefits as many limited redemptionists claim, cf. Lightner, The Death Christ Died, p. 96. John merely means Christ provides life for all in the world so that they might live ( were they to believe, John 6:29, 64).
      3. 1 Timothy 4:10
        1. This verse's claim that Christ is the Savior of all men, especially those who believe would be seen by limited redemptionists to picture Jesus as Savior in a "general," non-justification sense.
        2. However, the context (v. 8-10) extolls eternal things above the physical, or a "general" salvation.
    3. Conclusion on the Extent of Christ's Atonement: Scripture's words and passages do not prove Christ's atonement was limited in scope, and several passages can readily imply the atonement is unlimited. So, in accord with our definition on God's election, we find Christ died for all the world's individuals.