For Whom Did Christ Die?

Strong Calvinists assert that Christ died only for the sins of the elect, not for the whole world. Several verses are cited in defense of this view, including, but not limited to Matt. 1:21, John 10:15, John 17:9, Acts 20:28, 1 Cor. 15:3, Eph. 5:25. In all the above cited verses, there is an element of exclusivity to the extent of the atoning work of Christ: He died for our sins, Christ gave Himself for the church, He prayed for His own, etc.

Indeed, these verses indicate that Christ died for the elect. What is missing in the entire Bible, however, is any verse that explicitly teaches that Christ died only for the elect. The very opposite, in fact, is true. Scripture teaches that “God so loved the world,” and that Christ is the propitiation for the sins of the whole world” (Jn. 3:16; 1 Jn. 2:2; cf. 1 Jn. 5:19).

Another key passage cited by Strong Calvinists is Romans 5:15-19. Those who hold the limited atonement view point out that “the gift . . . abounded to many,” and that “by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.” A careful analysis of the passage, however, reveals unquestionably that Paul is using “many” in contrast to “one,” not in contrast to “all.” The word “many,” is actually used interchangeably with “all” and refers to the same group of people: the whole world. Further, a Strong Calvinist must admit that if Christ died only for some, then Adam’s sin only affected some, for that is the parallel that Scripture reveals in the text.

Finally, the Strong Calvinist can never genuinely tell someone that “Christ died for you.” Since, following the TULIP acronym, Christ died only for the elect and the elect are only known by their perseverance to the end, then it follows then no one can know with certainty this side of heaven that Christ died for him. Yet the Apostle Paul explicitly refers to a specific individual in the church at Rome “for whom Christ died” (Rom. 14:15).