False Holiness: How Legalism Hurts Christians

 

False Holiness: When Legalism Hurts Christians and Destroys Relationships

There is a kind of holiness in the church world today that looks good, and people think that they look pure when they practice it, but it's actually not true biblical holiness. It doesn't actually help people. It only hurts people.

And I want to talk about this from my own personal experience.

My Experience With Churches That Tolerated Sin

When I first got saved, I went to a Pentecostal charismatic church. And this church held a theology that was very similar to Joseph Prince's theology. They thought it was possible for people to be genuine Christians and be living in unrepentant, habitual sin.

For example, you had people in the church who were going off to nightclubs, getting drunk, and sleeping around. You had people in the church living together and sleeping together outside of marriage, and yet they were being made to feel like they were still Christians.

When I went to talk to the pastor about it, the pastor made me feel as though I was doing the wrong thing. They were telling me that when I'm an older Christian, I'll come to a better understanding of things.

Then I went and visited other Pentecostal charismatic churches, and I found that those ones were the same. I'm not saying that all Pentecostal charismatic churches are like this, but these are the ones that I visited. They were very much like this.

And so I really struggled with it, and I started listening to preachers like Paul Washer, John MacArthur, and David Wilkerson. I started leaving that movement and fellowshipping with Christians who were more serious about being holy, more serious about being faithful to God, and being obedient to God's Word.

But over time, these people, and perhaps even myself, started to become a little bit legalistic.

When Personal Convictions Become Legalism

They started having these personal convictions, which is fine. It's fine for you to read the Word and to have your own personal convictions about what the Scriptures are saying. But they started looking down upon others for not holding those particular convictions.

And we're not talking about things that are obviously wrong, obvious sins. We're talking about things that are disputable matters.

For example, should women wear headscarves in church? Do women have to wear dresses? Are they allowed to wear jeans, or do they have to wear dresses? Do these dresses have to be all the way down to their ankles?

Are women allowed to engage in conversation with other Christians, other men in the church, when we're talking about the things of God, or should they just be quiet and listen?

Is it wrong to go on holidays, spend money, and have a good time? Do you have to ask the father's permission to marry his daughter?

All these different things where people had their personal convictions, and they were looking down on and judging others for not sharing those convictions.

And over time, this sort of legalism didn't promote holiness. What it promoted was a judgmental attitude towards others, a sense of self-righteousness, looking down upon others. It pushed people away from each other, and it didn't help people. It hurt people.

And I think the book of Romans addresses this particular issue.

What Does Romans 14 Say About Disputable Matters?

If you look in the book of Romans, chapter 14, beginning at verse 1, Paul seems to be addressing this very thing. He says:

“Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters.” — Romans 14:1

Notice here that he's talking about disputable matters. He's not talking about obvious sins like adultery, fornication, drunkenness, and things like this. He's talking about disputable matters.

And then he gives an example:

“One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.” — Romans 14:2–4

Notice here in this passage that Paul is talking about disputable matters, matters where there is genuine disagreement among Christians who are pursuing holiness and seeking to be faithful to the Word of God.

And he says, look, when it comes to disputable matters, don't look down on someone who doesn't share your particular conviction, and don't condemn someone who has their own particular convictions.

This is how Paul says we are to handle differences of opinion when there is genuine room for dispute on the subject.

He gives another example. It says this in verse 5:

“One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.” — Romans 14:5

Notice here in this passage that Paul says that each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.

See, when you look down on someone for not sharing your conviction, or you condemn them, or you make them feel, either by your words or by your actions, by the way you treat them, as though they're not quite as holy as you or they're in some kind of sin, you're putting pressure on them to conform.

When you make them feel that way and you make them conform, they're not conforming because they're being fully convinced in their own mind. They're conforming because of the pressure that you're putting on them.

They're not looking at the Word of God and reaching the same conclusion as you and therefore complying. They're being made to feel as though they have to comply or people will look down on them. People will judge them. People will say bad things about them.

And that's simply wrong.

Straining Out a Gnat and Swallowing a Camel (Matthew 23:23–24)

Oftentimes, these people strain out a gnat and swallow a camel. We see this in Matthew chapter 23, and I think this passage is really relevant. Matthew chapter 23, beginning at verse 23, Jesus says:

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.” — Matthew 23:23–24

Now, Jesus is talking about tithing here. These Pharisees and religious leaders were living under the Mosaic Law in the land of Israel.

He says, “You give a tenth,” which they're supposed to do, “of your spices, mint, dill and cumin, but you have neglected the more important matters of the law, justice, mercy and faithfulness.”

Notice here that these people are tithing on their spices. They're looking at their little herb garden and they're saying, “Oh, we better separate 10% of all of these little spices to make sure that we're tithing.”

But then they're neglecting the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness, and dare I say, love.

A lot of the time, these people who force their own personal convictions on disputable matters upon others lack love. They lack mercy. They lack grace.

And they strain out a gnat and swallow a camel, and they hurt people.

True Biblical Holiness Is Not Legalism

This kind of legalism isn't helpful. It hurts people, and it destroys relationships. It destroys long-term relationships. It even destroys families.

And it's a terrible kind of legalism that you need to run a million miles away from.

There's nothing wrong with pursuing holiness, being serious about obedience to God's Word, or having strong personal convictions. But there's a difference between being serious about holiness and looking down upon others because they don't share your convictions on disputable matters.

Paul makes it very clear in Romans 14 that we shouldn't condemn one another over these things. Each person should be fully convinced in his own mind.

And when we start pressuring people to conform to our personal convictions, when we make them feel as though they're somehow less holy than us, we're not helping them to pursue holiness. We're promoting a judgmental attitude and a sense of self-righteousness.

And as Jesus warned the Pharisees, we can become so concerned about these smaller matters that we neglect the weightier matters of God's Word: justice, mercy, faithfulness, and love.

That's not true biblical holiness.

What Are the Fiery Darts of the Devil? (Ephesians 6:16)

 

What Are the Fiery Darts of the Devil? (Ephesians 6:16 Explained)

In Ephesians 6:16, the Bible talks about the fiery darts of the devil. It says:

“Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you'll be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.” — Ephesians 6:16

I want to talk about these fiery darts because I think this topic is a lot more important than what many people realise.

Now, the text here doesn't exactly tell us what these fiery darts are, but if you do a bit of cross-referencing and look through the Scriptures, you can find out pretty quickly what fiery darts, fiery arrows, or arrows in general actually represent.

I want to take you through a number of passages.

Fiery Arrows, Lying Lips and Deceitful Tongues (Psalm 120:1–4)

The first passage is Psalm 120, beginning at verse 1. We're going to read from verses 1 through to 4. It says:

“In my distress, I cried to the Lord and He heard me. Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips and from a deceitful tongue. What shall be given to you? Or what shall be done to you, you false tongue? Sharp arrows of the warrior with coals of the broom tree.” — Psalm 120:1–4

Here in this passage, we can see that the psalmist is calling for God to deliver him from his distress. And he's distressed about the fact that there are people out there with lying lips and deceitful tongues speaking against him, seeking to do him harm.

And in this passage, these lying lips and deceitful tongues are associated with the sharp arrows of the warrior and the burning coals of the broom tree. It's almost as if these arrows are on fire, just like Ephesians 6:16, where it talks about the fiery darts of the devil.

Now, the arrows and burning coals here may refer specifically to the judgment that comes upon the deceitful tongue. Nevertheless, notice the connection between deceitful speech and the imagery of arrows.

So I think that this helps us understand what we're looking at when we're looking at the fiery darts of the devil. It's the devil's lies and the devil's slander. Perhaps it's the devil's lies being whispered into our own ears, or perhaps it's the devil whispering lies into other people's ears about us.

Let me show you another passage.

False Accusations Are Compared to Sharp Arrows (Proverbs 25:18)

Proverbs 25:18 says:

“A man who bears false witness against his neighbor is like a club, a sword, and a sharp arrow.” — Proverbs 25:18

Now, this is really interesting because we can see that a false witness's lies are compared to a club, a sword, and a sharp arrow. They're fired at you.

And this is exactly what Satan does. Satan is the father of lies and is the accuser of the brethren.

There's no doubt that one of his tactics is to make false accusations against us in our own ears, but also in the ears of others.

And sometimes it comes when you least expect it.

The Wicked Shoot Their Arrows in Secret (Psalm 11:2)

If you look at Psalm 11:2, it says:

“For look, the wicked bend their bow. They make their arrow on the string that they may shoot secretly at the upright in heart.” — Psalm 11:2

And have a look at Psalm 64:1–4. It says:

“Hear my voice, O God, in my meditation. Preserve my life from fear of the enemy. Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked, from the rebellion of the workers of iniquity, who sharpen their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows—bitter words—that they may shoot in secret at the blameless. Suddenly they shoot at him and do not fear.” — Psalm 64:1–4

Notice here in this passage that the wicked fire off these arrows from a secret, hidden place. They fire off these arrows when you least expect it. Suddenly, these arrows are being fired towards you.

And this is exactly what the devil tries to do.

You're in the middle of serving the Lord. You're in the middle of marching forward for the kingdom of God. And suddenly the devil tries to fire off these false accusations against you, or he tries to bring up your past sins and say, “Remember this. Remember this sin that you did.”

And he hurls off all of these fiery darts in an attempt to destroy you or stop you from advancing forward in the mission that God has given you.

And that's why the Bible tells us in Ephesians 6:16 to take up the shield of faith.

What Is the Shield of Faith in Ephesians 6:16?

Now, what is the shield of faith?

Well, the shield of faith is faith in Jesus Christ.

First of all, faith in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins.

If you've repented of your sins and put your faith in Christ, all of your sins have been forgiven.

The devil may accuse you, but his accusations cannot overturn the forgiveness that you have received through Jesus Christ.

And that's why we need to have faith in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins.

But also, we need to have faith that Christ is with us.

You know, when you go off into battle, you want to have faith that the commander is with you and that you've got a good commander leading you.

And we as Christians need to have faith that Christ is with us, that Christ is leading us into battle.

Jesus promised us that He would be with us always, even to the end of the age.

And so, the way that we quench these fiery darts of the devil is to lift up our faith in Jesus Christ.

Faith that He died on the cross for our sins, and faith that He's with us all the way.

How to Quench the Fiery Darts of the Devil

When we look at all of these passages together, we can see that the Bible repeatedly uses arrows to describe the lies, bitter words, and false accusations that are directed against the righteous.

And I think that this gives us an important insight into what Paul is talking about in Ephesians 6:16.

The devil is the father of lies and the accuser of the brethren. One of the ways he attacks Christians is through lies and false accusations, whether those accusations are directed at us personally or spoken about us to others.

Sometimes these attacks come when we least expect them, when we're in the middle of serving the Lord and advancing forward in the mission that God has given us.

But the Bible tells us to take up the shiel

LESSONS TO BE LEARNED FROM JESUS EXAMPLE OF PRAYER

By Caleb Corneloup

Luke’s Gospel presents the pious prayer life of Jesus as a major theme of his Gospel which often serves as a framework for his narratives.[1] In this essay we will look at a number of key moments of prayer within Jesus ministry and examine the significance of each moment. We will also look at how the prayer life of Jesus, as presented by Luke, is given by Luke to serve as an example for the church to follow in its own service and ministry to God.[2]

In all three synoptic gospels Jesus public ministry is preceded by an account of His baptism and His testing in the wilderness. All three synoptic gospels record that Jesus was baptised by in the Jordan, that the Spirit descended upon him when he came up from the water, and that the Father spoke from heaven approving Jesus as His Son whom He loves. Yet, only Luke records Jesus as being prayer during these events. By adding this information, Luke is drawing his audience attention to the pious prayer life of Jesus.[3] According to Luke, Jesus entered His public ministry, along with the temptation in the wilderness, as a man of prayer.[4]

As Jesus continues His ministry in Galilee, Luke records a story where Jesus heals a man of leprosy. Jesus instructs the leper not to tell anyone but only to show himself to the priest and to offer a sacrifice according Moses Law. Levitical priests had the responsibility of declaring whether they were infected with a skin disease.[5] Despite the fact that Jesus told the leper to tell no-one about the healing, the news about Jesus spread abroad, and crowds sought after Jesus to hear him and to be healed. Perhaps the news about Jesus was spread by the leper, but it may very well have been the priest who inadvertently spread the news about Jesus.[6]

Luke tells us that when Jesus was sought after by the crowds, Jesus often slipped away to pray to the Father.[7] Jesus knew that when His popularity grew, so did His opposition. Luke goes on to tell us that as a result of Jesus popularity, not only did the crowds come to hear him speak, but Pharisees and teachers of the law from Galilee, Judea and Jerusalem had come as well.[8] In fact, Luke goes on to tell us that the Pharisees complained that Jesus forgave peoples sins, associated with tax collectors and prostitutes, failed to teach His disciples to fast, permitted His disciples to break the Sabbath and even He Himself healed the sick on the Sabbath.[9] By telling us early on that Jesus often withdrew to pray in solitude Luke seems to be saying that rather than basking in a moment of fame, Jesus spent time in prayer preparing for the next spiritual confrontation.[10]

After a series of confrontations with the Pharisees, they become infuriated with Him and begin to plot against Him.[11]Jesus again goes away to a place of solitude to spend time in prayer. On this occasion He spends the entire night in prayer, as the following day he would be choosing His 12 Apostles. Jesus knows that the men He chooses to be Apostles would not only be witnesses for Jesus during His lifetime, they would witness of His resurrection after He was gone and would face persecution and death for His name’s sake.[12] So, praying for them, as well as guidance on whom to select, was essential at this critical moment in Christ’s ministry.[13]

Another crucial moment in the ministry of Jesus is Peter’s confession that Jesus was the Messiah. Peter’s confession that Jesus is the Messiah is recorded in all three synoptic Gospels. However, in Luke’s Gospel alone reveals to us that Jesus had first been in prayer before asking His disciples who they believed He was.[14] Peter’s confession was not revealed to him by men but by the heavenly Father.[15] Therefore, when Luke reveals the additional fact that Jesus was in prayer prior to Peter’s confession, it seems as though Luke is telling us that the revelation was a result of Jesus prayer.[16]

It was important that Jesus disciples not only understood He was the Messiah, they also needed to understand that as the Messiah He was going to suffer and die at the hands of the Jewish authorities and be raised from the dead on the third day. The Jewish expectation was that the Messiah would reign on God’s throne as the Son of God.[17]  When Jesus informs them that the Messiah was destined to suffer, die and be resurrected, He also states that they themselves had to pick up their own crosses and follow after Him. Jesus had been spending time in prayer for His disciples because He knew this was going to be a difficult concept for them to accept.[18]. Despite the difficulty of Jesus words, He encourages them by saying that some of them would see the kingdom of God before they died.[19]

Eight days later Jesus takes Peter, James and John up a mountain to pray with Him. As Jesus prays, He is transfigured before His disciples so that the brightness of His majestic splendour is revealed to them.[20] Furthermore, Moses and Elijah appear with Jesus talk about his coming departure in Jerusalem. To add to all this, the Father speaks from heaven saying, “this is my Son whom I have chosen, listen to Him”, confirming His Messiahship.[21] The combination of Jesus prayer for his disciples, Peter’s confession, His prayer on the mountain top, the revealing of His glory, the appearance of Moses and Elijah as well as God the Father’s declaration of His sonship all served to encourage Christ in His coming passion.[22] It also serves to enlighten His disciples on the person and work of Christ.[23]

Not long after Peter, James and John have seen a foretaste of Christ’s majesty on the mount of transfiguration, Jesus sends seventy-two disciples to preach the Kingdom of God throughout the towns of Israel.[24] They demonstrated the kingdom of God by healing the sick and casting out demons.[25] They had seen the Kingdom of God in power and might just as Jesus had said they would. The success of the mission enabled the seventy-two disciples to better understand Christ and the kingdom of God.[26] Jesus then expresses His joy to the Father in prayer, praising God for revealing the kingdom to little children, rather than the wise and learned.[27] The pride of the Pharisees had blinded them to the truth while those who simply trusted in and obeyed God were able to see the truth of Christ and His kingdom.[28] Christ’s response to the spiritual growth of His disciples is to praise God for the work He had done.

Moved by Christ’s life of prayer, the disciples come to Jesus privately and requested instruction to pray.[29] Jesus instructs His disciples to approach God as their Father. Believers are children of God by adoption and therefore, we ought to approach God as our Father, just as Jesus approached God as His Father.[30] Christ moves on to instruct His disciples to pray that God’s name would be hallowed and honoured by mankind and that His kingdom would come.[31]For Jesus, Praying that God’s name would be honoured, and that His kingdom would come, was of first importance.[32] Since the full and final arrival of God’s kingdom would mean the end of Satan’s reign, and the universal recognition of Messiah, the heart of the true believer should long for the coming of God’s kingdom.[33]

Since God’s kingdom will not fully come immediately, Jesus also instructs them to pray that God would provide for their physical and spiritual food, forgive them of their sins and keep them from temptation.[34] We need spiritual nourishment to renew our minds and strength to resist temptation.[35] As we wait for God’s kingdom, we are bombarded by Satan’s attempts to influence us in this world. Christ’s concern for His disciples was that instead of praying they would sleep and therefore, they would fall into temptation.[36] Later, Christ specifically admonished His disciples to pray that they don’t fall into temptation. A lack of prayer, specifically in regard to resisting temptation, can lead a believe into a life of sin and apostacy.[37] Prayer in the life of the believer is the mark of true saving faith, but will God find faith in the earth when he returns?

The prayer life of Jesus, as well as His teaching, should have a profound influence of the life of the church, in fact, it did. The early church followed Christ’s pattern of prayer by praying in Jerusalem before they began to spread the Gospel.[38] Paul and Barnabas spent time with fellow believers in prayer before Paul’s first missionary journey.[39]The Apostles prayed before choosing a replacement for Judas.[40] The believers prayed through times of testing when the Jerusalem Council told them not to preach in Christ’s name, when James was executed and when Peter was imprisoned.[41] Paul says he often prayed for the spiritual growth of Timothy, Philemon, and the churches at Ephesus, Philippi, Thessalonica, Colossae and many others.[42] Paul and Silas praised God in prison for the work God had done in Philippi.[43] Prayer was at the centre of the early church, and it needs to return to the centre of today’s church. We ought to pray that God’s name be glorified, that His kingdom would come, that we would receive both our spiritual and material needs and that we do not fall into temptation. But, will God find faith on earth when he returns?

---

[1] David E. Garland, Zondervan Illustrated Bible Background Commentary, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Kindle Edition, comments on Luke 3:21.

[2] Joseph A. Fitzmyer, The Gospel According to Luke X-XXIV. Anchor Bible 28A; Garden City, New York: Doubleday & Co., 1983. 244; David E. Garland, Zondervan Illustrated Bible Background Commentary, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Kindle Edition, Location 11695.

[3] Robert Gundry, Commentary on Luke (Commentary on the New Testament Book 3), Comments on Luke 3:21-22.

[4] Warren Wiersby, The Weirsby Bible Commentary: New Testament, David C. Cook, Colorado Springs (2007), 147.

[5] Warren Wiersby, The Weirsby Bible Commentary: New Testament, David C. Cook, Colorado Springs (2007), 150.

[6] Robert Gundry, Commentary on Luke (Commentary on the New Testament Book 3), Comments on Luke 5:12-16.

[7] Warren Wiersby, The Weirsby Bible Commentary: New Testament, David C. Cook, Colorado Springs (2007), 151.

[8] Warren Wiersby, The Weirsby Bible Commentary: New Testament, David C. Cook, Colorado Springs (2007), 151.

[9] F. F. Bruce, New International Bible Commentary, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan (1979), 1196.

[10] Han, Kyu Sam. "Theology of Prayer in the Gospel of Luke." Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 43, no. 4 (12, 2000): 681, https://search.proquest.com/docview/211161024?accountid=35347 (accessed June 21, 2020).

[11] Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole bible, Hendrickson Publishers, Printed in the United States of America (1994), 499.

[12] Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole bible, Hendrickson Publishers, Printed in the United States of America (1994), 499.

[13] Warren Wiersby, The Weirsby Bible Commentary: New Testament, David C. Cook, Colorado Springs (2007), 154.

[14] F. F. Bruce, New International Bible Commentary, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan (1979), 1202

[15] John MacArthur, MacArthur Bible Commentary, Thomas Nelson, Nashville Tennessee, Kindle edition (2005), 1154.

[16] Han, Kyu Sam. "Theology of Prayer in the Gospel of Luke." Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 43, no. 4 (12, 2000): 682, https://search.proquest.com/docview/211161024?accountid=35347 (accessed June 21, 2020).

[17] Craig A. Evans, Guide to the Dead Sea Scrolls, B&H Publishing Group, Nashville Tennessee (2010), 314; Roberth Eiseman and Michael Wise, The Dead Sea Scrolls Uncovered, Penguin Group, Middlesex, England (1993), 68-69.

[18] F. F. Bruce, New International Bible Commentary, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan (1979), 1202

[19] Warren Wiersby, The Weirsby Bible Commentary: New Testament, David C. Cook, Colorado Springs (2007), 461.

[20] John F. Woolvard, The Bible Knowledge Commentary, David C. Cook, East Sussex, England, 461.

[21] David E. Garland, Zondervan Illustrated Bible Background Commentary, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Kindle Edition (2002), Mount Tabor, para 12.

[22] Warren Wiersby, The Weirsby Bible Commentary: New Testament, David C. Cook, Colorado Springs (2007), 167.

[23] Han, Kyu Sam. "Theology of Prayer in the Gospel of Luke." Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 43, no. 4 (12, 2000): 684, https://search.proquest.com/docview/211161024?accountid=35347 (accessed June 21, 2020).

[24] John F. Woolvard, The Bible Knowledge Commentary, David C. Cook, East Sussex, England, 462.

[25] Robert Gundry, Commentary on Luke (Commentary on the New Testament Book 3), Kindle Edition, Carrying out the Great Commission in Advance, para. 11.

[26] Craig Evans, Understanding the Bible Commentary Series, Baker Books, Grand Rapids, Michigan, eBook Edition (2011), The Mission of the Seventy-Two, para 13

[28] William McDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee (1990), 2237.

[29] Robert Gundry, Commentary on Luke (Commentary on the New Testament Book 3), Kindle Edition, The Piety of Praying, para. 2.

[30] William McDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee (1990), 2240.

[31] David E. Garland, Zondervan Illustrated Bible Background Commentary, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Kindle Edition (2002), Jerusalem to Jericho, para 5.

[32] Craig Evans, Understanding the Bible Commentary Series, Baker Books, Grand Rapids, Michigan, eBook Edition (2011), Lessons on Prayer, para 4.

[33] William McDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee (1990), 2241.

[34] William McDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee (1990), 2241; John F. Woolvard, The Bible Knowledge Commentary, David C. Cook, East Sussex, England, Kindle Edition 2018, 470.

[35] Craig Evans, Understanding the Bible Commentary Series, Baker Books, Grand Rapids, Michigan, eBook Edition (2011), Lessons on Prayer, para 5.

[36] Robert Gundry, Commentary on Luke (Commentary on the New Testament Book 3), Baker Academic, Grand Rapids Michigan, Kindle Edition (2011), The Piety of Praying, para. 3.

[37] Joseph A. Fitzmyer, The Gospel According to Luke X-XXIV. Anchor Bible 28A; Garden City, New York: Doubleday & Co., 1983. 247.

[38] F. F. Bruce, New International Bible Commentary, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan (1979), 1272.

[39] F. F. Bruce, New International Bible Commentary, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan (1979), 1289.

[40] Max Anders, Holman New Testament Commentary: Acts, Broadman and Holman Publishers, Nashville Tennessee, Kindle Edition (1998), We are Witnesses, para 29.

[41] F. F. Bruce, New International Bible Commentary, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan (1979), 1277, 1288.

[42] D.A. Carson, Praying with Paul: A Call to Spiritual Reformation, Second Edition, Baker Academic, Grand Rapids Michigan, Kindle Edition (2015), 43-55; Max Anders, Holman New Testament Commentary: Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians, Broadman and Holman Publishers, Nashville Tennessee (1999), Kindle Edition, Paul’s Prayer for Power, para 5.

[43] Robert Gundry, Commentary on Luke, (Commentary on the New Testament Book 5), Baker Academic, Grand Rapids Michigan, Kindle Edition (2011), Through the Phrygia, Galatia region and North West Asia Minor, para 9. 

For Whom Did Christ die?
Written by Caleb Corneloup

An important question concerning the atonement of Jesus Christ is “for whom did Christ die”? There are two main views on the extent of the atonement, the first is particular atonement and the second is universal atonement. Particular atonement is the view that Jesus died only for an elect people chosen before the foundation of the world and universal atonement is the view that Jesus died for all mankind without distinction. In this essay I will seek to defend, from scripture, the view of universal atonement. There are many scriptures which set forth the death of Jesus Christ as being for the whole world, for all men, every man, and even for persons who can or will perish eternally[1].

There are numerous passages which set forth the sacrifice of Jesus as being for the whole world, particularly Johns Gospel and First Epistle; “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world”, “for God so loved the world that He gave his only Son … that the world through him might be saved”, “the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world”, “for I came not to judge the world but to save the world”, “this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world”, “And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world” and “we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world”[2].

The word “world” or “cosmos” can have various meanings within John’s writings, sometimes it refers to the universe, or the physical earth, even to the world system, however whenever it refers to persons or people the interpretation is always “everyone”, unless its hyperbole. It is never used to refer to a limited group in either the NT or in any other literature written in the Greek language[3].

When Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey, receiving praise from those who had come to the feast, He encountered many Jews, including the Pharisees, who did not believe upon Him or would not openly confess their belief in Him. Jesus responded by crying out the following words[4];

And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. John 12:47


Even John Calvin agrees that here in this verse Jesus is deliberately, lovingly and publicly stating that He is withholding His judgement, for a time and until the last day, while freely offering salvation to all, including those who have rejected Him[5].

One further example from John is his Epistle to the Christians living in Asia Minor. The first Epistle of John was written in a style suited to Hellenistic readers for the purpose of re-stating the Gospel, assuring the recipients in their faith and refuting an elitist form of Gnosticism resembling Doceticism[6]. In this context John pens these important words;

And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. 1John 2:2

These words make it plain that sacrifice of Jesus was not only for a certain secret group or even only for those who believe, but rather for the whole world.  

In addition to the verses above there are also numerous passages which plainly confirm that Jesus died for every man. The NT refers to all men in the following passages; “Who gave Himself a ransom for all”, “we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe”, “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men”, “he by the grace of God should taste death for every man” and “even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life”[7].

The phrases “all men” or “every man” in these passages must be understood as referring to every single person of all generations. For sake of brevity I will focus on one passage in particular;

I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. 1 Timothy 2:1-6

It is clear from the context of this passage that God wants believers to pray for all men without distinction. Any attempt to limit the scope of our prayers to some of all sorts of men is unnatural. In order to be faithful to the text Paul must be understood as instructing believers to prayer for all of all sorts of men, for kings and all who are in authority. Such is the Christian duty. Paul continues by giving the reason why we should pray for all men, namely that God desires all men to be saved, that there is only one meditator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, and that Christ gave himself as a ransom for all men[8].    

There are many scriptures that those who affirm particular atonement raise in order to limit whom it is that Christ died for. They draw phrases from the NT such as “for he shall save his people from their sins” and “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep”, “feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood” and “Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it”[9].

These arguments lack strength because they only affirm that Jesus died for His people or His sheep, something universal atonement advocates already agree with, and there is nothing in these verses that would specifically limit who Jesus died for.

Furthermore if we examine the sheep spoken of in John’s Gospel, we see that Jesus said “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” and “a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers, therefore, by Jesus own definition, “sheep” cannot refer to all the elect because even the elect are born enemies of God and sinners. Instead the sheep Jesus is describing are the Jewish remnant who will leave the Jewish religious community and follow Jesus[10].

One frequent objection raised by those who advocate particular atonement is that if Jesus bore the sins of the world on the cross, then how can God continue to hold sin against anyone? Isn’t that double jeopardy? It’s worth pointing out that those who believe in particular atonement face the same problem. The elect are not born forgiven, neither are they forgiven before the foundation of the world. They are only forgiven when they believe. Furthermore the atonement of Jesus cannot be compared to Angelo-American systems of justice, rather they ought to be compared to the sacrificial system in the Mosaic Law. On the Day of Atonement the goat was killed at the altar, the blood was brought into the Most Holy Place and then the blood was sprinkled in the Tabernacle of the Congregation. Atonement was not fully made until all three aspects were fulfilled. Christ death corresponds to the goat’s death at the altar, his ascension corresponds to the blood being brought into the Most Holy Place and believers are sprinkled with Christ’s blood when they believe the gospel. The Tabernacle is a shadow of the heavenly Tabernacle in heaven[11].  

When scripture uses such clear and sweeping language as “the whole world” and “all men” or “everyman”, it’s hard to imagine what better words could have been chosen by the NT writers to convey the simple truth that Jesus died for the sins of the whole world. The scriptural objections raised by those who advocate particular atonement are easily understood in their context and in no way limit whom Jesus died for. Lastly the atonement of Jesus should not be compared to the Angelo-American systems of justice, rather they should be compared to the Mosaic Law’s sacrificial system which is patterned after the heavenly sanctuary.

Written By Caleb Corneloup
http://calebcorneloup.com/

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[1] Christian Theology, by Millard J. Erickson, Kindle Edition, Ch. 38.

[2] John 1:29, John 3:16 & 17, John 6:51, John 12:47, John 4:42, 1 John 2:2, 1 John 4:14, KJV.

[3] Redemption Redeemed: A Puritan Defence of Unlimited Atonement, by John Goodwin, Kindle Edition, Chapter 1

[4] John 12:12-19 & 36-47, KJV

[5] Calvin’s Complete Commentary, by John Calvin, Esword version, comments on John 12:47

[6] The Gospel & Epistles of John, F.F. Bruce, pg. 450 - 456

[7] 1 Timothy 4:10, Titus 2:11, Hebrews 2:9, Romans 5:18, KJV

[8] Redemption Redeemed: A Puritan Defence of Unlimited Atonement, by John Goodwin, Kindle Edition, Chapter 2.

[9] Christian Theology, by Millard J. Erickson, Kindle Edition, Ch. 38

[10] Commentary on John’s Gospel, by Frédéric Louis Godet, Kindle Edition, The development of unbelief in Israel.

[11] Leviticus 16, 1 Peter 1:2, Hebrews 8:5