There's NO biblical contradiction between Many and Few because Few isn't taught in the bible.
@Doran
Not that you'll read this.
There goes the "L" in TULIP. The Limited atonement. The dogma that Jesus did NOT die for all but ONLY for some, for those who eventually would be given faith ("the Elect") and that agree that number is a very, very small percentage of the population.
Since no Anti-Calvin theorist has a single Scripture that states their new invention, they are forced to reference Scriptures that do not state their horrible invention.
Matthew 20:28 is their favorite. But of course, as everyone knows, it does not state that Jesus did not die for all but rather only for some few. It does say "many". The Greek word "polloi" does not exactly mean "all" but it is the antonym for "few" and thus contradicts the horrible view of Limited Atonement. And this Greek word almost always is used to show inclusiveness (not the exclusiveness these radical Anti-Calvin folks wish it did). In the LXX, it is the word used for the Hebrew "rabbim" which is THE most inclusive word in the Hebrew language.
That you don't even know what the "L" means in TULIP just confirms that this is a topic about which you know very little.
Doran said:
Yeah but
Mat 20:28 also doesn't say that Jesus died for all. So....there's that. But is does say MANY.
It also doesn't say "ONLY for some." Your entire position is ONLY SOME. Without the "only" and then who that "only" is, your position is completely missing.
Here are the two positions:
1. Jesus died for all people.
Here are just a few of the Scriptures that state this view. The view echos them, verbatim.
1 John 2:2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
John 3:16 “For God so loved
the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
Hebrews 2:9 But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
2 Corinthians 5:14 For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has
died for all
John 1:29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin
of the world!
2 Corinthians 5:15 And
he died for all
2 Corinthians 5:19 That is, in Christ God was reconciling
the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
1 Timothy 2:6 Who gave himself as a ransom
for all.
and many more just like the above.
+ This view does NOT hold that all individuals have personal justification since that requires a second aspect, the divine gift of faith. BOTH the CROSS and FAITH are 100% the work and gift of God and together they bring justification (narrow sense) to the individual.
+ This view simply echos those words from the Bible. It doesn't explain anything, it doesn't deny anything, it affirms one point: Jesus died for all. It echos verbatim what God so often stated.
+ It is the view of the Early Church Fathers, of the Orthodox Church, the Catholic Church, the Anglican Church, the Lutheran Church, the Methodist Church, most Baptist churches and Evangelical churches and nearly all other denominations and faith communities. It was declared doctrine by a Church Council in the 9th Century. It was the view of John Calvin.
2. No, Jesus did NOT die for all people but ONLY for some few.
I realize you now repudiate this position, now claiming the Bible states that Jesus did not die for all but only for __________ ."
Here are the Scriptures that state this view (and your unique spin on it).
Crickets.
NOT ONE verse that even contains the word "only" in this context.
None that state ONLY the elect.
None that state ONLY for future believers.
None that state ONLY Catholic.
None that state ONLY people alive now but not future people.
None that state ONLY males.
None that state ONLY for (we won't tell you).
No ONLY at all. Ever in this context.
+ For God to be wrong in all those Scriptures that specifically, verbatim, in black-and-white words all who can read see, that Jesus died for all.... don't you need Scriptures (perhaps an equal number) that specifically, verbatim, in black-and-white words all who can read see, that Jesus did NOT die for all but ONLY for _________?"
+ There is a verse that says "Jesus died for the Elect" but none that say ONLY for the Elect. And there are verses that state that Jesus died for us (Christians) but none that state ONLY for us (indeed, see
1 John 2:2). And without the "only" the point is unsubstantiated. Apologists of this view must employ a silly logical fallacy, one illustrated by this: "Ford makes Mustangs, ergo Ford ONLY makes Mustangs." Or "Bob loves his wife, ergo he ONLY loves his wife and not his kids." Even my four year old son can see the absurdity of the logical fallacy radical, extremist Calvinists use as their apologetic for this invention. The whole apologetic has not one Scripture that states their point. It's based entirely on a logical fallacy.
Doran said:
So, sure. Let's do as you request, compare the number of Scripture about the death of Jesus and see how many say "He did for all" with those that state, "No, He ONLY died for (You don't want to say)?
"ALL": AT least 3
"ONLY ______" : Zero
Radical Calvinists (who actually repudiate Calvin on this point) invented this dogma in the late 16th Century in response to Arminianists (who embrace some forms of synergism and Pelagianism) and necessitates the opposition having those views. It doesn't work at all on people who aren't Arminianists. It's based on NOT ONE VERSE in Scripture (so much for Sola Scriptura) and on a fallacy that permits them to INSERT the word "only" into texts, the logical fallacy that is the entire basis of their apologetic is like this: "Ford makes Mustangs, ergo Ford ONLY makes Mustangs." Their entire apologetic rests on this logical fallacy. And the absence of any Scripture that states it.
@Doran
Doran said:
how come Jesus in John 17 limited his prayer to the elect and excluded the very world that you insist he died for?
How desperate.
So, when I pray for my youngest son, that proves that I hate my older son? Jesus also prayed for Jerusalem, does that prove He ONLY died for those residing in that city? Come on. Where are you getting this silliness?
.