Limited atonement
Encyclopedia
Limited atonement is a doctrine
in Christian theology
which is particularly associated with the Reformed
tradition and is one of the five points of Calvinism. The doctrine states that Jesus Christ's
substitutionary atonement
on the cross
is limited in scope to those who are predestined
unto salvation
and its primary benefits are not given to all of humanity but rather just believers.
. Calvinists advocate the satisfaction theory of the atonement
, which developed in the writings of Anselm of Canterbury
and Thomas Aquinas
. In brief, the Calvinistic refinement of this theory, known as penal substitution
, states that the atonement of Christ pays the penalty incurred by the sin
s of men—that is, Christ receives the wrath of God for sins and thereby cancels the judgment they had incurred.
The Calvinist view of predestination
teaches that God created a group of people, who would not and could not choose him (see total depravity
), to be saved
apart from their works or their cooperation, and those people are compelled by God's irresistible grace
to accept the offer of the salvation achieved in the atonement of Christ.
The Calvinist atonement is called definite by some because they believe it certainly secures the salvation of those for whom Christ died, and it is called limited in its extent because it effects salvation for the elect only. Calvinists do not believe the power of the atonement is limited in any way, which is to say that no sin is too great to be expiated by Christ's sacrifice, in their view. Among English Calvinistic Baptists, the doctrine was usually known as particular redemption, giving its adherents the name Particular Baptists
. This term emphasizes the intention of God to save particular persons through the atonement, as opposed to mankind in general as General Baptist
s believe.
On a practical level, this doctrine is not emphasized in Calvinist churches except in comparison to other salvific schemes. When it is taught, the primary use of this and the other doctrines of predestination is the assurance of believers. To that end, they apply this doctrine especially to try to strengthen the belief that "Christ died for me," as in the words of St. Paul
, "I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" and to emphasize that God is sovereign in carrying out his plan of salvation. Even so, most Calvinists believe they can freely and sincerely offer salvation
to everyone on God's behalf since they themselves do not know which people are counted among the elect and since they see themselves as God's instruments in bringing about the salvation of other members of the elect, if they themselves are not elected.
passage cited to prove a limited extent to the atonement is in which Jesus uses shepherd
ing practices as a metaphor
for his relationship to his followers. A shepherd of those times would call his sheep from a mix of flocks, and his sheep would hear his voice and follow, while the sheep of other flocks would ignore any but their own shepherd's voice.. In that context, Jesus says, "I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, ...and I lay down my life for the sheep," and he tells the Pharisees that they "do not believe because [they] are not part of [his] flock." He continues, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand." Since Calvinists and nearly all Christians believe that not all have eternal life with God, Calvinists conclude that there are only two possibilities: either Jesus was wrong in saying that he would lose none of his sheep (a conclusion they reject), or Jesus must not have laid down his life for everyone, as they understand to imply. Formally, the Calvinist position can be expressed this way:
Additionally, in the high priestly prayer, Jesus prays for the protection and sanctification
of those who believed in him, and he explicitly excludes praying for all: "I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours.". Paul instructs the elders in Ephesus
"to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood," and he says in his letter to the same church that "Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her." Likewise, Jesus foreshadows that he will lay down his life "for his friends," and an angel
tells Jesus' earthly father Joseph that he "will save His people from their sins". Calvinists believe that these passages demonstrate that Jesus died for the church (that is, the elect) only.
says, "Neither are any other redeemed by Christ, effectually called, justified, adopted, sanctified, and saved, but the elect only."
The Canons of Dort
assert that "This death of God's Son is the only and entirely complete sacrifice and satisfaction for sins; it is of infinite value and worth, more than sufficient to atone for the sins of the whole world" (Section 2, Article 3). Article 8 of the same section says
, which is advocated by Arminian
, Methodist
, Lutheran, Messianic Jewish, and Roman Catholic theologians (among others) and which says Christ's work makes redemption possible for all but certain for none. (This doctrine should not be confused with concepts of universal reconciliation
, in which God loves and saves his entire creation.) Though Lutherans and Catholics share a similar doctrine of the nature of the atonement with Calvinists, they differ on its extent, whereas Arminians and Methodists generally accept an alternate theory of the nature of the atonement such as the moral government theory
. The elect in such models are all the people who choose to avail themselves of God's gracious offer of salvation through Christ, not a pre-determined group. Thus, these systems place a limit on the efficacy of the atonement rather than on its extent, like Calvinists.
Historically, the Arminian Remonstrants raised this doctrine as a point of debate over predestination in the Quinquarticular Controversy, and their position was ultimately condemned by Calvinists at the Synod of Dort
in 1619. In spite of opposition, the doctrine of the universal extent of the atonement became and remains prevalent outside of Calvinist circles. Even some Calvinistic Christians identify themselves as Amyraldians
or "four point Calvinists" and teach an unlimited atonement. In particular, Amyraldism teaches that God has provided Christ's atonement for all alike, but seeing that none would believe on his own, he elects those whom he will bring to faith in Christ, thereby preserving the Calvinist doctrine of unconditional election
.
Calvin himself did not clearly articulate an opinion on this doctrine, which is nonetheless usually associated with his name, but most modern Calvinists see it as a necessary consequence of his doctrines of election and the atonement.
Some have contended that the doctrine of particular redemption implies that Christ's sacrifice was insufficient to atone for the sins of the whole world, but Calvinists have universally rejected this notion, instead holding that the value of the atonement is infinite but that God intentionally withholds its efficacious availability only to the elect.
, emphasis added):
s (as in ; ; ; and ); or to refer to the elect in all places throughout the world (as in , where the words "the sins of" have been added to the last phrase by the ESV and other translations and literally reads "but for the whole world", as in the NKJV
, ASV
, the Vulgate
, etc.). They also posit that there can be different senses of the concept of salvation — as simply the defense and preservation of temporal life (as they understand ) or as salvation from God's wrath unto eternal life. Opponents hold that such interpretations are read into the passages, rather than being their natural meanings; while admitting that words like "world" and "all" do not always mean "every human being," they maintain that there are no grounds for taking the terms in a limited sense here.
A related Calvinist approach understands scripture to speak of the atonement in two-fold manner, holding to the medieval formula that Christ's death was "sufficient for all, but efficient for the elect." Under this approach, seemingly opposed scriptures are reconciled by classifying them as referring to either the sufficiency or the efficiency of the atonement.
Opponents offer alternate interpretations of the same passages which in turn support a universal atonement, and the disagreement has yet to find any significant resolution. Consequently, both limited and unlimited atonement views are still held in Christendom
, though the latter is much more common. In particular, limited views are essentially restricted to certain Protestant denominations; Catholics and Orthodox both reject it, as do many Protestants.
>
Con
Doctrine
Doctrine is a codification of beliefs or a body of teachings or instructions, taught principles or positions, as the body of teachings in a branch of knowledge or belief system...
in Christian theology
Christian theology
- Divisions of Christian theology :There are many methods of categorizing different approaches to Christian theology. For a historical analysis, see the main article on the History of Christian theology.- Sub-disciplines :...
which is particularly associated with the Reformed
Calvinism
Calvinism is a Protestant theological system and an approach to the Christian life...
tradition and is one of the five points of Calvinism. The doctrine states that Jesus Christ's
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
substitutionary atonement
Substitutionary atonement
Technically speaking, substitutionary atonement is the name given to a number of Christian models of the atonement that all regard Jesus as dying as a substitute for others, "instead of" them...
on the cross
Christian cross
The Christian cross, seen as a representation of the instrument of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, is the best-known religious symbol of Christianity...
is limited in scope to those who are predestined
Predestination
Predestination, in theology is the doctrine that all events have been willed by God. John Calvin interpreted biblical predestination to mean that God willed eternal damnation for some people and salvation for others...
unto salvation
Salvation
Within religion salvation is the phenomenon of being saved from the undesirable condition of bondage or suffering experienced by the psyche or soul that has arisen as a result of unskillful or immoral actions generically referred to as sins. Salvation may also be called "deliverance" or...
and its primary benefits are not given to all of humanity but rather just believers.
The doctrine
The doctrine of the limited scope (or extent) of the atonement is intimately tied up with the doctrine of the nature of the atonement. It also has much to do with the general Calvinist view of predestinationPredestination (Calvinism)
The Calvinistic doctrine of predestination is a doctrine of Calvinism which deals with the question of the control God exercises over the world...
. Calvinists advocate the satisfaction theory of the atonement
Atonement (satisfaction view)
The satisfaction view of the atonement is a doctrine in Christian theology related to the meaning and effect of the death of Jesus Christ and has been traditionally taught in Catholic, Lutheran, and Reformed circles...
, which developed in the writings of Anselm of Canterbury
Anselm of Canterbury
Anselm of Canterbury , also called of Aosta for his birthplace, and of Bec for his home monastery, was a Benedictine monk, a philosopher, and a prelate of the church who held the office of Archbishop of Canterbury from 1093 to 1109...
and Thomas Aquinas
Thomas Aquinas
Thomas Aquinas, O.P. , also Thomas of Aquin or Aquino, was an Italian Dominican priest of the Catholic Church, and an immensely influential philosopher and theologian in the tradition of scholasticism, known as Doctor Angelicus, Doctor Communis, or Doctor Universalis...
. In brief, the Calvinistic refinement of this theory, known as penal substitution
Penal substitution
Penal substitution is a theory of the atonement within Christian theology, developed with the Reformed tradition. It argues that Christ, by his own sacrificial choice, was punished in the place of sinners , thus satisfying the demands of justice so God can justly forgive the sins...
, states that the atonement of Christ pays the penalty incurred by the sin
Sin
In religion, sin is the violation or deviation of an eternal divine law or standard. The term sin may also refer to the state of having committed such a violation. Christians believe the moral code of conduct is decreed by God In religion, sin (also called peccancy) is the violation or deviation...
s of men—that is, Christ receives the wrath of God for sins and thereby cancels the judgment they had incurred.
The Calvinist view of predestination
Predestination
Predestination, in theology is the doctrine that all events have been willed by God. John Calvin interpreted biblical predestination to mean that God willed eternal damnation for some people and salvation for others...
teaches that God created a group of people, who would not and could not choose him (see total depravity
Total depravity
Total depravity is a theological doctrine that derives from the Augustinian concept of original sin...
), to be saved
Salvation
Within religion salvation is the phenomenon of being saved from the undesirable condition of bondage or suffering experienced by the psyche or soul that has arisen as a result of unskillful or immoral actions generically referred to as sins. Salvation may also be called "deliverance" or...
apart from their works or their cooperation, and those people are compelled by God's irresistible grace
Irresistible grace
Irresistible Grace is a doctrine in Christian theology particularly associated with Calvinism, which teaches that the saving grace of God is effectually applied to those whom he has determined to save and, in God's timing, overcomes their resistance to obeying the call of the gospel, bringing...
to accept the offer of the salvation achieved in the atonement of Christ.
The Calvinist atonement is called definite by some because they believe it certainly secures the salvation of those for whom Christ died, and it is called limited in its extent because it effects salvation for the elect only. Calvinists do not believe the power of the atonement is limited in any way, which is to say that no sin is too great to be expiated by Christ's sacrifice, in their view. Among English Calvinistic Baptists, the doctrine was usually known as particular redemption, giving its adherents the name Particular Baptists
Strict Baptist
Strict Baptists, also known as Particular Baptists, are Baptists who believe in a Calvinist or Reformed interpretation of Christian soteriology. The Particular Baptists arose in England in the 17th century and took their namesake from the doctrine of particular redemption.-Further reading:*History...
. This term emphasizes the intention of God to save particular persons through the atonement, as opposed to mankind in general as General Baptist
General Baptist
General Baptists is a generic term for Baptists who hold the view of a general atonement, as well as a specific name of groups of Baptists within the broader category.General Baptists are distinguished from Particular or Reformed Baptists.-History:...
s believe.
On a practical level, this doctrine is not emphasized in Calvinist churches except in comparison to other salvific schemes. When it is taught, the primary use of this and the other doctrines of predestination is the assurance of believers. To that end, they apply this doctrine especially to try to strengthen the belief that "Christ died for me," as in the words of St. Paul
Paul of Tarsus
Paul the Apostle , also known as Saul of Tarsus, is described in the Christian New Testament as one of the most influential early Christian missionaries, with the writings ascribed to him by the church forming a considerable portion of the New Testament...
, "I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" and to emphasize that God is sovereign in carrying out his plan of salvation. Even so, most Calvinists believe they can freely and sincerely offer salvation
Free offer of the gospel
The free offer of the Gospel refers to the offer of salvation in Jesus Christ to all people. It is generally accepted by Calvinists, but rejected by a few small Reformed denominations, such as the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Australia and the Protestant Reformed Churches in America, and also...
to everyone on God's behalf since they themselves do not know which people are counted among the elect and since they see themselves as God's instruments in bringing about the salvation of other members of the elect, if they themselves are not elected.
Biblical passages
The classic BibleBible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
passage cited to prove a limited extent to the atonement is in which Jesus uses shepherd
Shepherd
A shepherd is a person who tends, feeds or guards flocks of sheep.- Origins :Shepherding is one of the oldest occupations, beginning some 6,000 years ago in Asia Minor. Sheep were kept for their milk, meat and especially their wool...
ing practices as a metaphor
Metaphor
A metaphor is a literary figure of speech that uses an image, story or tangible thing to represent a less tangible thing or some intangible quality or idea; e.g., "Her eyes were glistening jewels." Metaphor may also be used for any rhetorical figures of speech that achieve their effects via...
for his relationship to his followers. A shepherd of those times would call his sheep from a mix of flocks, and his sheep would hear his voice and follow, while the sheep of other flocks would ignore any but their own shepherd's voice.. In that context, Jesus says, "I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, ...and I lay down my life for the sheep," and he tells the Pharisees that they "do not believe because [they] are not part of [his] flock." He continues, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand." Since Calvinists and nearly all Christians believe that not all have eternal life with God, Calvinists conclude that there are only two possibilities: either Jesus was wrong in saying that he would lose none of his sheep (a conclusion they reject), or Jesus must not have laid down his life for everyone, as they understand to imply. Formally, the Calvinist position can be expressed this way:
| 1. Jesus lays down his life for the sheep. |
| 2. Jesus will lose none of his sheep. |
| 3. Many people will not receive eternal life. |
| Therefore, the Calvinist position is that Jesus did not die for everyone, but only for those whom the Father purposed to save. |
Additionally, in the high priestly prayer, Jesus prays for the protection and sanctification
Sanctification
Sanctity is an ancient concept widespread among religions, a property of a thing or person sacred or set apart within the religion, from totem poles through temple vessels to days of the week, to a human believer who achieves this state. Sanctification is the act or process of acquiring sanctity,...
of those who believed in him, and he explicitly excludes praying for all: "I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours.". Paul instructs the elders in Ephesus
Ephesus
Ephesus was an ancient Greek city, and later a major Roman city, on the west coast of Asia Minor, near present-day Selçuk, Izmir Province, Turkey. It was one of the twelve cities of the Ionian League during the Classical Greek era...
"to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood," and he says in his letter to the same church that "Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her." Likewise, Jesus foreshadows that he will lay down his life "for his friends," and an angel
Angel
Angels are mythical beings often depicted as messengers of God in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles along with the Quran. The English word angel is derived from the Greek ἄγγελος, a translation of in the Hebrew Bible ; a similar term, ملائكة , is used in the Qur'an...
tells Jesus' earthly father Joseph that he "will save His people from their sins". Calvinists believe that these passages demonstrate that Jesus died for the church (that is, the elect) only.
Confessional positions
Chapter 3, paragraph 6 of the Westminster Confession of FaithWestminster Confession of Faith
The Westminster Confession of Faith is a Reformed confession of faith, in the Calvinist theological tradition. Although drawn up by the 1646 Westminster Assembly, largely of the Church of England, it became and remains the 'subordinate standard' of doctrine in the Church of Scotland, and has been...
says, "Neither are any other redeemed by Christ, effectually called, justified, adopted, sanctified, and saved, but the elect only."
The Canons of Dort
Canons of Dort
The Canons of Dort, or Canons of Dordrecht, formally titled The Decision of the Synod of Dort on the Five Main Points of Doctrine in Dispute in the Netherlands, is the judgment of the National Synod held in the Dutch city of Dordrecht in 1618–19...
assert that "This death of God's Son is the only and entirely complete sacrifice and satisfaction for sins; it is of infinite value and worth, more than sufficient to atone for the sins of the whole world" (Section 2, Article 3). Article 8 of the same section says
For it was the entirely free plan and very gracious will and intention of God the Father that the enlivening and saving effectiveness of his Son's costly death should work itself out in all his chosen ones, in order that he might grant justifying faith to them only and thereby lead them without fail to salvation. In other words, it was God's will that Christ through the blood of the cross (by which he confirmed the new covenant) should effectively redeem from every people, tribe, nation, and language all those and only those who were chosen from eternity to salvation and given to him by the Father; that he should grant them faith (which, like the Holy Spirit's other saving gifts, he acquired for them by his death); that he should cleanse them by his blood from all their sins, both original and actual, whether committed before or after their coming to faith; that he should faithfully preserve them to the very end; and that he should finally present them to himself, a glorious people, without spot or wrinkle.
Objections to the doctrine
Limited atonement is contrasted with the view popularly termed hypothetical universalism or unlimited atonementUnlimited atonement
Unlimited atonement is the majority doctrine in Protestant Christianity that is normally associated with Non-Calvinist and persons who are up to "four-point" Calvinist Christians...
, which is advocated by Arminian
Arminianism
Arminianism is a school of soteriological thought within Protestant Christianity based on the theological ideas of the Dutch Reformed theologian Jacobus Arminius and his historic followers, the Remonstrants...
, Methodist
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
, Lutheran, Messianic Jewish, and Roman Catholic theologians (among others) and which says Christ's work makes redemption possible for all but certain for none. (This doctrine should not be confused with concepts of universal reconciliation
Universal reconciliation
In Christian theology, universal reconciliation is the doctrine that all sinful and alienated human souls—because of divine love and mercy—will ultimately be reconciled to God.Universal salvation may be related to the perception of a problem of Hell, standing opposed to ideas...
, in which God loves and saves his entire creation.) Though Lutherans and Catholics share a similar doctrine of the nature of the atonement with Calvinists, they differ on its extent, whereas Arminians and Methodists generally accept an alternate theory of the nature of the atonement such as the moral government theory
Atonement (governmental view)
The governmental view of the atonement is a doctrine in Christian theology concerning the meaning and effect of the death of Jesus Christ and has been traditionally taught in Arminian circles that draw primarily from the works of Hugo Grotius...
. The elect in such models are all the people who choose to avail themselves of God's gracious offer of salvation through Christ, not a pre-determined group. Thus, these systems place a limit on the efficacy of the atonement rather than on its extent, like Calvinists.
Historically, the Arminian Remonstrants raised this doctrine as a point of debate over predestination in the Quinquarticular Controversy, and their position was ultimately condemned by Calvinists at the Synod of Dort
Synod of Dort
The Synod of Dort was a National Synod held in Dordrecht in 1618-1619, by the Dutch Reformed Church, to settle a divisive controversy initiated by the rise of Arminianism. The first meeting was on November 13, 1618, and the final meeting, the 154th, was on May 9, 1619...
in 1619. In spite of opposition, the doctrine of the universal extent of the atonement became and remains prevalent outside of Calvinist circles. Even some Calvinistic Christians identify themselves as Amyraldians
Amyraldism
Amyraldism primarily refers to a modified form of Calvinist theology...
or "four point Calvinists" and teach an unlimited atonement. In particular, Amyraldism teaches that God has provided Christ's atonement for all alike, but seeing that none would believe on his own, he elects those whom he will bring to faith in Christ, thereby preserving the Calvinist doctrine of unconditional election
Unconditional election
Unconditional election is the Calvinist teaching that before God created the world, he chose to save some people according to his own purposes and apart from any conditions related to those persons...
.
Calvin himself did not clearly articulate an opinion on this doctrine, which is nonetheless usually associated with his name, but most modern Calvinists see it as a necessary consequence of his doctrines of election and the atonement.
Some have contended that the doctrine of particular redemption implies that Christ's sacrifice was insufficient to atone for the sins of the whole world, but Calvinists have universally rejected this notion, instead holding that the value of the atonement is infinite but that God intentionally withholds its efficacious availability only to the elect.
Biblical passages
Several Biblical passages are urged by opponents as contradicting a doctrine of limited atonement (all quotes from the ESVEnglish Standard Version
The English Standard Version is an English translation of the Christian Bible. It is a revision of the 1971 edition of the Revised Standard Version...
, emphasis added):
- "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!": "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.": "For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.": "This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.": "For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.": "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people.": "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.": "The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.": "He [Christ] is the propitiationPropitiationPropitiation is appeasing or making well disposed , especially a deity, thus incurring divine favor or avoiding Divine retribution.-Christian theology:...
for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world."
Rebuttal
Calvinists admit that these are difficult passages with respect to the extent of the atonement, but following the Protestant hermeneutic principle of letting Scripture interpret Scripture, they attempt to use their interpretations of other passages on election and other passages on the extent of the atonement to clarify the meaning of these difficult passages (one difficulty with this endeavor, which is always encountered in applying the principle of Scripture interpreting Scripture, is that it presupposes a framework can be established from other passages without any exegetical assumptions). According to this principle, since the word world, for instance, is used at other places in the New Testament in a way obviously not intended to include every single person in the world (such as and ), its meaning in any particular passage must be determined by the context. In particular, they understand all to refer to all of the elect (as in ); to refer to all races of people, not just IsraeliteIsraelite
According to the Bible the Israelites were a Hebrew-speaking people of the Ancient Near East who inhabited the Land of Canaan during the monarchic period .The word "Israelite" derives from the Biblical Hebrew ישראל...
s (as in ; ; ; and ); or to refer to the elect in all places throughout the world (as in , where the words "the sins of" have been added to the last phrase by the ESV and other translations and literally reads "but for the whole world", as in the NKJV
New King James Version
The New King James Version is a modern translation of the Bible published by Thomas Nelson, Inc. The New Testament was published in 1979. The Psalms in 1980. The full Bible was published in 1982. It took a total of 7 years to complete...
, ASV
American Standard Version
The Revised Version, Standard American Edition of the Bible, more commonly known as the American Standard Version , is a version of the Bible that was released in 1901...
, the Vulgate
Vulgate
The Vulgate is a late 4th-century Latin translation of the Bible. It was largely the work of St. Jerome, who was commissioned by Pope Damasus I in 382 to make a revision of the old Latin translations...
, etc.). They also posit that there can be different senses of the concept of salvation — as simply the defense and preservation of temporal life (as they understand ) or as salvation from God's wrath unto eternal life. Opponents hold that such interpretations are read into the passages, rather than being their natural meanings; while admitting that words like "world" and "all" do not always mean "every human being," they maintain that there are no grounds for taking the terms in a limited sense here.
A related Calvinist approach understands scripture to speak of the atonement in two-fold manner, holding to the medieval formula that Christ's death was "sufficient for all, but efficient for the elect." Under this approach, seemingly opposed scriptures are reconciled by classifying them as referring to either the sufficiency or the efficiency of the atonement.
Opponents offer alternate interpretations of the same passages which in turn support a universal atonement, and the disagreement has yet to find any significant resolution. Consequently, both limited and unlimited atonement views are still held in Christendom
Christendom
Christendom, or the Christian world, has several meanings. In a cultural sense it refers to the worldwide community of Christians, adherents of Christianity...
, though the latter is much more common. In particular, limited views are essentially restricted to certain Protestant denominations; Catholics and Orthodox both reject it, as do many Protestants.
Comparison among Protestants
This table summarizes the classical views of three different Protestant beliefs.| Topic | Lutheranism Lutheranism Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation... |
Calvinism Calvinism Calvinism is a Protestant theological system and an approach to the Christian life... |
Arminianism Arminianism Arminianism is a school of soteriological thought within Protestant Christianity based on the theological ideas of the Dutch Reformed theologian Jacobus Arminius and his historic followers, the Remonstrants... |
| Justification | Justification of all of his people completed at Christ's death. | Justification is limited to those elected to salvation, completed at Christ's death. | Justification possible for all, but only completed when one chooses faith. |
External links
Pro- The Death of Death in the Death of Christ by John OwenJohn Owen (theologian)John Owen was an English Nonconformist church leader, theologian, and academic administrator at the University of Oxford.-Early life:...
(ISBN 0-85151-382-4) with a famous introduction by J. I. PackerJ. I. PackerJames Innell Packer is a British-born Canadian Christian theologian in the low church Anglican and Reformed traditions. He currently serves as the Board of Governors' Professor of Theology at Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia...
, who says, "It is safe to say that no comparable exposition of the work of redemption as planned and executed by the Triune Jehovah has ever been done since Owen published his. None has been needed....[N]obody has a right to dismiss the doctrine of the limitedness, or particularity, of atonement as a monstrosity of Calvinistic logic until he has refuted Owen's proof that it is part of the uniform biblical presentation of redemption, clearly taught in plain text after plain text. And nobody has done that yet." It should be noted of course that those who oppose the doctrine would disagree that Owen has "proved" anything from "plain text after plain text," maintaining that instead he has misinterpreted his texts; they would also disagree with the assertion that "no one has done that [refuting] yet." - "For Whom Did Christ Die?", part 3, chapter 8 of Charles HodgeCharles HodgeCharles Hodge was the principal of Princeton Theological Seminary between 1851 and 1878. A Presbyterian theologian, he was a leading exponent of historical Calvinism in America during the 19th century. He was deeply rooted in the Scottish philosophy of Common Sense Realism...
's Systematic Theology - "Particular Redemption", a sermonSermonA sermon is an oration by a prophet or member of the clergy. Sermons address a Biblical, theological, religious, or moral topic, usually expounding on a type of belief, law or behavior within both past and present contexts...
by Charles SpurgeonCharles SpurgeonCharles Haddon Spurgeon was a large British Particular Baptist preacher who remains highly influential among Christians of different denominations, among whom he is still known as the "Prince of Preachers"...
delivered on 1858-02-28 - "Limited Atonement", chapter 12 from The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination by Loraine BoettnerLoraine BoettnerLoraine Boettner was an American theologian and author.-Biography:Boettner was born in Linden, Missouri. He received a Th.B. and Th.M. from Princeton Theological Seminary, and he received the honorary degrees of Doctor of Divinity and Doctor of Letters . He was a member of the Orthodox...
- Articles on Definite Atonement at Monergism.com
- "Limited Atonement", a series of articles by Ra McLaughlin
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- Introduction to The Death Christ Died: A Case for Unlimited Atonement by Robert Lightner
- Calvin's Error of Limited Atonement by D.A. Waite
- "Father, Whose Everlasting Love" by Charles WesleyCharles WesleyCharles Wesley was an English leader of the Methodist movement, son of Anglican clergyman and poet Samuel Wesley, the younger brother of Anglican clergyman John Wesley and Anglican clergyman Samuel Wesley , and father of musician Samuel Wesley, and grandfather of musician Samuel Sebastian Wesley...
- Sermon #128: "Free Grace" by John WesleyJohn WesleyJohn Wesley was a Church of England cleric and Christian theologian. Wesley is largely credited, along with his brother Charles Wesley, as founding the Methodist movement which began when he took to open-air preaching in a similar manner to George Whitefield...
- 'God's Strategy in Human History,' Roger Forster, Paul Marston, Wipf & Stock Publishers (July 2001). This contains both a theological discussion as well as an historical overview of the doctrine of Calvinism in the church, claiming that it originated with St. Augustine. Numerous earlier Church Fathers are quoted to support this.