Greetings
What madness over a rhetorical question. In fact, it matters not how one answers it. God has already shown mercy to the whole world. For a common sense Bible reader, the Bible is true and the first part is human error. The gospel is freely offered to all.
The Bible teaches that Christ died for “sinners” (I Tim. 1:15 ; Rom 5:6-8). The word “sinner” nowhere means “church” or “the elect,” but simply all of lost mankind.
Additionally, there are three grand soteriological themes that indicate the universality of the atonement: First, “He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world” (1 John 2:2). John could have said, “for the world” or “for those who would believe,” but he said “the whole world.” A normal reading will lead us to the plain understanding of the all-inclusiveness of Christ’s death.
Second, “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them” (2 Cor 5:19 ). Can it legitimately be asserted that “the world” means less than all humanity? Paul could have easily said “the elect” or “those who believe,” but the inspired text simply says “the world.”
Third, it was the OT sacrificial system that required blood alone for atonement. “When I see the blood I will pass over you” (Exod 12:13 ). “Blood makes atonement for the soul” (Lev 17:11 ). So, Jesus would say, “For this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matt 26:28). In contrast to His blood being shed for many, 1 Tim 2:6 says that Christ “gave Himself a ransom for all” and the immediate context (1 Tim 2:1-6) qualifies the term “all.” It refers not to all the elect, but to “all men” (2:1) and “all who are in authority” (2:2), and indicates that God desires “all men to be saved” (2:4).
Lloyd
What madness over a rhetorical question. In fact, it matters not how one answers it. God has already shown mercy to the whole world. For a common sense Bible reader, the Bible is true and the first part is human error. The gospel is freely offered to all.
The Bible teaches that Christ died for “sinners” (I Tim. 1:15 ; Rom 5:6-8). The word “sinner” nowhere means “church” or “the elect,” but simply all of lost mankind.
Additionally, there are three grand soteriological themes that indicate the universality of the atonement: First, “He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world” (1 John 2:2). John could have said, “for the world” or “for those who would believe,” but he said “the whole world.” A normal reading will lead us to the plain understanding of the all-inclusiveness of Christ’s death.
Second, “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them” (2 Cor 5:19 ). Can it legitimately be asserted that “the world” means less than all humanity? Paul could have easily said “the elect” or “those who believe,” but the inspired text simply says “the world.”
Third, it was the OT sacrificial system that required blood alone for atonement. “When I see the blood I will pass over you” (Exod 12:13 ). “Blood makes atonement for the soul” (Lev 17:11 ). So, Jesus would say, “For this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matt 26:28). In contrast to His blood being shed for many, 1 Tim 2:6 says that Christ “gave Himself a ransom for all” and the immediate context (1 Tim 2:1-6) qualifies the term “all.” It refers not to all the elect, but to “all men” (2:1) and “all who are in authority” (2:2), and indicates that God desires “all men to be saved” (2:4).
Lloyd
It is taken because you have it.