1 John 2:1-2

“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.”

Many passages in Scripture are difficult to interpret and may have a plethora of exegetical concerns or interpretive options to evaluate. First John 2:1-2 is not one of them, unless, of course, the text is approached with Calvinistic presuppositions and commitments.

The apostle John states that Christ is the propitiation not only for the sins of believers, but also for the sins of the whole world. Is John describing universal salvation (that Christ died for and secured the salvation of all people including unbelievers), the doctrine of limited/particular atonement (that Christ died for and secured the salvation of the elect only), or the doctrine of unlimited/provisional atonement (that Christ died for all people but secured the salvation of only those who believe)? 

Clarifying Distinctions and Positions

Universal Salvation 

John thoroughly rules out universal salvation. For example, he explains in 1 John 2:22-23,

Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.

In 1 John 5:13-17, the apostle John both reassures believers that they can know they have eternal life and warns them of the conceivable consequences of committing apostasy, which leads to eternal death. He says,

I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.

If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life—to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that. All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death.

That Christ was the propitiatory sacrifice for the whole world, clearly, does not mean that those who deny the Son have the Father and that those who commit apostasy have eternal life. Rather, the text says that those who deny the Son do not have the Father, and those who commit apostasy do not have eternal life. Universal salvation can be dismissed as an unviable interpretive option on these grounds.

The Intent, Extent, & Application of the Atonement

Did Christ die for and secure the salvation of the elect alone? Or, did Christ die for all people but secure the salvation of only those who believe?

Though a minority of modern-day Calvinists reject the doctrine of limited atonement (moderate Calvinists), the focus of this article is to provide an exegesis of 1 John 2:2, while responding to many of the top exegetical and theological objections made by those who do maintain the doctrine of limited atonement. I will refer to these particular Calvinists as limitarians or strict particularists.

David Allen, in a succinct and helpful manner, distinguishes between the intent, extent, and the application of the atonement (David L Allen, The Extent of the Atonement: A Historical and Critical Review [B&H Academic, 2016], xix-xx).

The intent of the atonement answers the question, what is the purpose of Christ’s propitiatory sacrifice?

• For limitarians: the atonement was intended for and limited to the elect only, thus securing the salvation of the elect.
• For non-Calvinists: the atonement was intended for all people, thus making salvation possible for all, though only those who believe are saved.

The extent of the atonement answers the question, for whose sins did Christ suffer and receive punishment?

• For limitarians: Christ suffered and received punishment for the sins of the elect only. The satisfaction of Christ is limited only to the elect (hence, the doctrine of limited atonement). 
• For non-Calvinists: Christ suffered and received punishment for the sins of all people. There is no one and no sin for which Christ did not die (hence, the doctrine of unlimited atonement). 

The application of the atonement answers the question, when is Christ’s propitiatory sacrifice applied to the sinner? 

• For Calvinists: salvation is applied to the elect in the eternal decree of God or at the death of Christ. 
• For non-Calvinists: salvation is applied at the moment one responds to the gospel in faith. 

Two Primary Views on 1 John 2:2

View #1: Limited/Particular Atonement 

If Christ is the effectual propitiatory sacrifice for the sins of believers and the effectual propitiatory sacrifice for the sins of the whole world, then either (1) universal salvation is true or (2) “the whole world” cannot refer to unbelievers. Although they acknowledge the unbiblical nature of universal salvation, limitarians assume the validity of the doctrine of unconditional election (that God has unilaterally and irresistibly chosen certain individuals to believe and overlooked others) and are, thus, required to claim “the whole world” refers to believers and does not include unbelievers. The limitarian views the intent, extent, and application of the atonement as limited strictly to the elect.

View #2: Unlimited/Provisional Atonement 

If Christ is the effectual propitiatory sacrifice for the sins of believers and the provisional propitiatory sacrifice for the sins of the whole world, then (1) the atonement is provisionary until it is applied and only on the condition of faith can it be applied whereby it becomes efficacious (F. Leroy Forlines, Classical Arminianism: A Theology of Salvation, edited by Matthew Pinson [Nashville, Randall House Publications, 2011], 234). And (2) along with every other usage of “world” in 1 John, “the whole world” naturally refers to unbelievers (see esp. 1 John 5:19). 

The intent of the atonement is provisionary. God did not intend to save the whole world, but to provide salvation for the whole world. The extent of the atonement is unlimited. Christ died for the sins of the whole world. The application of the atonement is limited, which means the benefits of Christ’s satisfaction are only applied to those who believe.

Defining Propitiation & Sin

The arguments for and against limited vs. unlimited atonement do not rise and fall solely on the definition of propitiation. However, “propitiation” (ἱλασμός) can also be translated as “atoning sacrifice” or “propitiatory sacrifice.” In light of God’s perfect righteousness (1 John 1:5, 9; cf. 2:1, 29; 3:7) and the sinfulness of humanity (e.g., 1 John 1:6-2:1), on the cross God inflicted upon Christ the suffering the whole world deserved as the punishment for their sins. Having ascended into heaven, Christ advocates with the Father for his continued mercy toward believers (1 John 2:1-2; 4:10; cf. Rom 3:25; 5:10; Heb 9:5). That Christ was the source of God’s mercy toward humanity on the cross and now pleads for God’s continued mercy in heaven highlights the seriousness of sin. The fundamental problem with humanity is sin. John mentions “sin”  27x in the letter and metaphorically several other times. “Sin is lawlessness” (1 John 3:4) and “all wrongdoing is sin” (1 John 5:17). Indeed, Christ “appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin” (1 John 3:5). 

The late Leroy Forlines wrote, 

What the Old Testament sacrifice did in symbol on the day of atonement, Jesus Christ did in reality. He lived a completely holy life, thus fulfilling the demand for absolute righteousness. He paid the full penalty for sin, thus fulfilling the demand for a penalty. Propitiation, to sum it up, is the full satisfaction of the demands of the law, for righteousness and the payment of a penalty, by Jesus Christ. This makes it possible for God to turn His wrath from the sinner who believes in Jesus, and to view him with favor, yet remain a God of justice [Classical Arminianism, 210].

Structural & Semantic Analysis

In a parenthetical statement, John explains he is writing to the church concerning “these things,” so that they may stop sinning (1 John 2:1). What does he mean by “these things?” He is referring not only to the present paragraph of 1 John 2:1-2, but also to all that he teaches from 1 John 1:5-2:2, which constitutes the second section of the letter. The thematic connections and structural features of the section are quite evident. 

Six conditional sentences are divided into three distinct parts, and each part has a negative falsehood followed by a positive truth (Allen, 1-3 John: Fellowship in God’s Family [Wheaton, Crossway, 2013], 32 and 34). Each positive truth makes a mitigated appeal. The foundational concept that guides the section is that “God is light and in him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5), meaning that because God is both entirely righteous (1 John 1:9; cf. 2:1, 29; 3:7) and the essence of love (1 John 4:8, 16; cf. 2:9-10) the result is that no form of sin or unrighteousness exists in him (cf. 1 John 1:6-10; 3:5). 

I. THE BASIS: Because God is light (righteous/love)…

1 John 1:5, “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.”

II. MITIGATED APPEAL: Because God is light (righteous/love), we must walk in the light (righteousness/love) and be forgiven to have fellowship with God and with one another (1 John 1:6-7).

Condition #1 – A Negative Falsehood 

1 John 1:6, “If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.“

Condition #2 – A Positive Truth 

1 John 1:7, “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.”

III. MITIGATED APPEAL: Because God is light (righteous/love), we must confess our sins and be forgiven to have fellowship with God and with one another (1 John 1:8-9). 

Condition #3 – A Negative Falsehood 

1 John 1:8, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”

Condition #4 – A Positive Truth 

1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

IV. MITIGATED APPEAL: Because God is righteous and because we still sin, we must have confidence in Jesus as our advocate for mercy with the Father, since Jesus is the propitiatory source of forgiveness and fellowship for all people (1 John 1:10-2:2).  

Condition #5 – A Negative Falsehood

1 John 1:10, “If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”

Condition #6 – A Positive Truth 

1 John 2:1-2, “(My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin.) But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.”

The Meaning of “My Little Children”

The paragraph begins with a simple but theologically potent phrase, “my little children.” The church is described as “little children” (τεκνίον) 7x in the letter (1 John 2:2, 12, 28; 3:7, 18; 4:4; 5:21). Referring to the church as “little children” is John’s way of saying they are his spiritual children in the faith. 

John addresses how the “little children” are to walk in righteousness. They are to abide in Christ as they anticipate his return (1 John 2:28), repent of sin as they practice righteousness (1 John 3:7), love one another in deed and in truth (1 John 3:18), and keep themselves from false gods so as to worship Jesus as the true God (1 John 5:20-21). 

The term “little children” is not only associated with how the church is to behave, but also who they have become in Christ. With regard to the church’s identity, John explains, “I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake” (1 John 2:12). And whereas, “Little children, you are from God and have overcome them” (1 John 4:4), the false prophets “are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them” (1 John 4:5). The “little children” in the faith serves as a designation in reference to believers as those who are forgiven of their sins (1 John 2:12) and remain true to the gospel in the face of false teaching (1 John 4:4) as they choose to walk in righteousness (cf. 1 John 1:7, 9). 

Thus, according to 1 John 2:2, Christ is the propitiation “for our sins,” which includes John and the “little children” who are forgiven of their sins and belong to God. 

The Meaning of “the Whole World”

In addition to being the propitiatory sacrifice for the “little children,” Christ also died for the sins of “the whole world.”

The term “world” (κόσμος) is found 23x in 1 John and refers to a sin-filled sphere opposed to God, replete with fleshly, hateful, Satanically influenced, spiritually dead, disobedient, unbelieving sinners. Each occurrence of “world” in 1 John unequivocally makes reference to a sphere, system, or people hostile to God. Yet God is not opposed to the world. Instead of unleashing his wrath on sinners, out of an abiding love for the world, God sent his Son to be the satisfaction for the world’s sin. As the Savior of the world, Christ saves all who believe. A survey of each usage of “world” in 1 John demonstrates this:

• 1 John 2:1-2, “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.”
• 1 John 2:15-17, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”
• 1 John 3:1, “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.”
• 1 John 3:13, “Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you.”
• 1 John 3:17, “But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?”
• 1 John 4:1-5, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them.”
• 1 John 4:9-10, “In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
• 1 John 4:14, “And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.”
• 1 John 4:17, “By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world.”
• 1 John 5:4–5, “For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”
• 1 John 5:19, “We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.”

Limitarians frequently argue, in attempt to maintain their theological system, that 1 John 2:2 means Christ propitiated the sins of Jewish believers (“for our sins”) and for the sins of either elect Gentiles or elect Jews and Gentiles scattered across the whole world. The argument is that Christ is the atoning sacrifice for all without distinction, the elect from among Jews and Gentiles, not every Jew and Gentile without exception.

Justification for this position is provided from John 11:51-52, which states that Caiaphas, the high priest, predicted “Jesus would die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.” This “all without distinction” principle is further buttressed in Revelation 5:9-10: “by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”

Consequently, the Calvinist may paraphrase 1 John 2:2 as follows: Christ is the propitiation for Jewish believers, and not for Jewish believers only, but also for the sins of Jew and Gentile believers from among every tribe, language, people, and nation. He did not die for “the whole world” without exception, but without distinction. That is, he did not die for unbelievers, but only for the elect located throughout the world. 

However, this line of argumentation either accidentally misses or deliberately dismisses the strongest and most explicit parallel of all, 1 John 5:19. In addition to its use in 1 John 2:2, the only other time the Greek phrase for “the whole world” (περι ολου του κοσμου) is found in Scripture appears in the same letter. First John 5:19 reads, “We know that we are from God, and the whole world [ο κοσμος ολος] lies in the power of the evil one.” Obviously, believers who belong to God are being contrasted with “the whole world,” unbelievers under the power of the evil one. The phrase “the whole world” bookends every occurrence of the term “world” in 1 John (2:2; 5:19). It is only natural for “the whole world” to carry the same meaning in both instances. “We know that we are from God [believers], and the whole world [unbelievers] lies in the power of the evil one” (1 John 5:19). Believers no longer lie under the power of the evil one. They now belong to God. Thus, “He is the propitiation for our sins [believers/little children], and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world [unbelievers under the influence of the evil one]” (1 John 2:2). “The whole world” does not appear in John 11:51-52 nor in Revelation 5:9-10.

Calvinists who claim “the whole world” means all kinds or all without distinction (Jew and Gentile), not all without exception (not every Jew and Gentile), are really saying the phrase means some people of all kinds (elect Jews and Gentiles), not all people of all kinds (not every Jew and Gentile). Thus, the adjective “whole” (ὅλος) is essentially redefined to mean “some.” Christ is the satisfaction of some of the world, not the whole world.

Furthermore, a Jewish/Gentile distinction, though important in the New Testament, is not once mentioned or alluded to in 1 John. The distinctions John makes are light/darkness, truth/deception, righteousness/unrighteousness, forgiven/unforgiven, love/hate, child of God/child of the devil, believer/unbeliever, from God/from the world, etc.

To whom is 1 John addressed? There is little evidence regarding the letter’s setting and audience. However, a clue arises in the final sentence of the letter: “Little children, keep yourselves from idols” (1 John 5:19). While first-century Jews might have been inclined to incorporate the worship of idols into their lives, “it seems to have been a particularly Gentile weakness at that state of history. So while it would be fitting for John to close with these words, given an exclusively Jewish audience, it is even more fitting given the presence of Gentiles. The safe bet is that ‘our sins’ includes both Jews and Gentiles” (Austin Brown, A Boisterously Reformed Polemic Against Limited Atonement [Pensacola: Austin C. Brown, 2022], 125). 

The Calvinist D. A. Carson goes against the grain of strict particularists to explain John’s usage of “world” contextually and exegetically:

God so loved the world that he gave his Son (John 3:16). I know that some try to take κόσμος (“world”) here to refer to the elect. But that really will not do. All the evidence of the usage of the word in John’s Gospel is against the suggestion. True, world in John does not so much refer to bigness as to badness. In John’s vocabulary, world is primarily the moral order in willful and culpable rebellion against God. . . . John can speak of ‘the whole world’ (1 John 2:2), thus bringing bigness and badness together. More importantly, in Johannine theology the disciples themselves once belonged to the world but were drawn out of it (e.g., John 15:19). On this axis, God’s love for the world cannot be collapsed into his love for the elect (D. A. Carson, The Difficult Doctrine of the Love of God [Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2000], 17).

Christ paid the penalty “for our sins” and “for the sins of the whole world.” That is to say, he did not simply die for the sins of elect Jews and Gentiles locally and globally; to be more specific and accurate, he died for the sins of believers and for the whole world of unbelievers. The atonement of Christ is, indeed, unlimited in its extent, but limited in its application. Christ suffered and died for everyone, but only those who believe are forgiven and enjoy fellowship with God and his people.

“Little Children” and “the World” in 1 John 4:1-6

The “world” in 1 John constitutes a distinct group that does not include believers. “Little children, you are from God . . . They are from the world . . . We are from God” (1 John 4:4-6). The explicit contrast between the “little children” who are from God (1 John 4:4) and the false prophets who are from the world and have gone out into the world (1 John 4:1, 4) indicates that Christ being the propitiation “for the sins of the whole world” refers to a separate group that does not include the “little children.”

Notice the undeniable contrasts in 1 John 4:1-6, 

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

This demonstrates the precise manner in which John employs “little children” and “the whole world” in 1 John 2:2. 

“Little children” refers to believers who are from God. “The world” refers to a realm, system, and individuals opposed to God. “The whole world” in 1 John 2:2 clearly makes reference, in part, to the realm in which “the spirit of the antichrist” operates, “which you heard was coming and now is in the world already” (1 John 4:3). Thus, Christ is the propitiatory sacrifice for the sins of the believing little children who are from God and for the sins of all unbelievers who are from the world and under the power of the evil one (1 John 2:1-2; cf. 4:4-6; 5:19). That is to say, Christ “is the propitiation for our sins [little children/believers/those who are forgiven/those from God], and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world [unbelievers/those in need of forgiveness/those under the power of the evil one/those opposed to God]” (1 John 2:2).

Christ as the Universal Source of Forgiveness and Fellowship

In light of the structural and semantic analysis of 1 John 1:5-2:2, along with the exegetical observations that have been made, it becomes apparent 1 John 2:1-2 essentially means that, because God is righteous and because believers still sin, believers must have confidence in Christ, as our heavenly advocate for mercy with the Father, on the basis that Christ is the propitiatory source of forgiveness and fellowship for believers and the whole unbelieving world, as well.

That “he is the propitiation” specifies the source of the atonement. The term “propitiation” does not specify for whom the atonement is applied. “For our sins” and “for the sins of the whole world” denotes the extent of the atonement. There are two groups: the little children (believers) and the whole world (unbelievers). It is important to recognize there is a difference between propitiation accomplished and propitiation applied. The atonement is applied to the “little children” who have been forgiven for his name’s sake (1 John 2:12). It is not applied to the world who is opposed to the Father and is passing away as it carries out its fleshly desires (1 John 2:15-17).

First John 2:2 does not say that Christ propitiated the whole world, but that he is their propitiation. “Propitiation” (ἱλασμός) is a noun, not a past-tense verb. He has not saved the whole world; he is “the Savior of the world” (1 John 4:17). He himself and no other is the source of propitiation, salvation, forgiveness, and fellowship. I have had strict particularists push back: “if Christ is the propitiation the world, it is only because he has propitiated the world. If Christ is my propitiation, then he has propitiated me.” That is similar to arguing that if Steve is the judge of Chester County, it is only because he has pardoned Chester County. If Steve is my judge, then he has acquitted me. If Steve is the source for which the county can be pardoned, then the county is necessarily pardoned. It simply does not follow logically. There are many in the county Steve may not pardon even if he is their judge. Christ is the Savior/propitiation of the world, since he is the world’s only source by which they can be saved/propitiated.

For unbelievers, the satisfaction of Christ is potential and provisional (Rom 3:21-25; 5:18; Tit 2:11). For believers, it is actual and effectual (Acts 20:28; Gal 2:20; 3:13-14; Eph 5:25-27; 1 Pt 1:18-21).

As the source of forgiveness and fellowship, Christ has forgiven the “little children” who have responded to the gospel in belief and entered into fellowship with God and his people. And as the source of forgiveness and fellowship, Christ is inviting “the whole world” to respond to the gospel in faith, so that they, too, can be forgiven and enter into fellowship with God and his people. In fact, if Christ did not die for the non-elect, there are no grounds for offering forgiveness and fellowship to the non-elect. Jesus tells the Jews, “I say these things so that you may be saved . . . yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life” (John 5:34, 40; cf. 1 John 4:9, 14-15). The unsaved are offered salvation. Christ expressed the desire and intention to save those who rejected him and never received eternal life. He did not desire and offer that which was not genuinely available to them (cf. John 3:14-18). Suppose I offered my wife a box of cookies from Tiff’s Treats, instructing her to open the box and enjoy the cookies, but unbeknownst to her, there were no cookies inside of the box. Would my offer to open the box and eat her favorite cookies be a sincere offer? Of course not. The inability to confer the cookies makes the offer insincere. Indeed, salvation, eternal life, forgiveness, and divine fellowship are genuinely available to all people, to those who believe and to those who thrust the gospel aside (Acts 13:46; cf. 2:38; 13:38-39).

God loves the world and desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. Therefore, God gave his only Son to die for the sins of the whole world so as to provide forgiveness and salvation for all people. While God has provided for the salvation of all people by Christ’s sacrificial and substitutionary death for all, the benefits of Christ’s death are received by grace through faith and are only effective for those who believe (https://evangelicalarminians.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/FACTS-vs.-TULIP-Chart.pdf; cf. https://evangelicalarminians.org/the-five-articles-of-remonstrance/).

That Christ is the propitiatory sacrifice of believers means they have believed. And, therefore, the benefits of Christ’s death are applied to them. They have become “little children” who are forgiven. They no longer remain under the wrath and condemnation of God (John 3:18; Eph 2:1-3). The Son pleads their case in heaven as their advocate/intercessor (1 John 2:1; cf. Rom 5:10; 8:34; Heb 7:25). 

That Christ is the propitiation for the whole world of hate-filled, Satanically influenced, disobedient, spiritually dead, unbelieving sinners does not mean that God’s wrath has been turned away from them and that they have been cleansed from their sin any more than for Jesus to be the Savior/salvation of the world means he has saved the whole world. Immediately after stating that he is “the Savior of the world” John clarifies that it is only “whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God” who has a relationship with God (1 John 4:15).

Christ is the Savior and propitiation of the whole world of unbelieving sinners, since the satisfaction is provisionary until it is applied, and can be applied only on the condition of faith. As Paul states, God is the Savior of all people, believers and unbelievers, but especially believers because it is only those who believe who are saved (1 Tim 4:10; cf. Tit 2:11). 

Common Objections to Unlimited Atonement

Nearly all Calvinists and non-Calvinists agree: Christ’s death is sufficient for all, but efficient only for those who believe. Though one wonders how a Calvinist can believe Christ’s death is presently sufficient for all when Christ did not accomplish anything for the sins of the non-elect, the disagreement is most obvious regarding for whose sins Christ died. Did Christ die for the sins of all people or for some people (the elect only)?

As it has been demonstrated, exegesis demands unlimited/provisional atonement. Christ clearly paid the satisfactory price for the sins of humanity as their source of forgiveness and fellowship. John explicitly denies the doctrine of limited/particular atonement. It would have been nearly impossible for him to have been more unambiguous. Regardless, exegesis alone is insufficient for most limitarians. They rely heavily on theological and logical deductions. I will highlight a few of the most common. 

Universal Salvation

Limitarians will object: if the satisfaction of Christ were to include unbelievers, it would necessarily require unbelievers to be saved. Christ cannot die for someone he does not save. Therefore, if “the whole world” in 1 John 2:2 refers to unbelievers, then universal salvation is true.

This, however, overlooks the provisionary aspect of the atonement. Christ paid the penalty for the sins of the whole world in a provisionary manner. In other words, the atonement is provisional until it is applied. It is efficacious insofar as one meets the condition of faith. The satisfaction of Christ on the cross makes salvation possible, applying forgiveness and extending fellowship, to anyone who confesses the Son in faith (1 John 2:23; 3:23; 4:9-10, 15; 5:1, 10). The benefits of Christ’s death are not applied irresistibly, but conditionally. One must believe on the Lord to be saved (Acts 16:31).

Leroy Forelines noted, “The only way to deny the provisionary nature of [the] atonement is to consider all people for whom Christ died to be justified before they experience faith” (Classical Arminianism: A Theology of Salvation, edited by Matthew Pinson, [Nashville, Randall House Publications, 2011], p. 234). However, one is not considered justified until one exercises faith (Rom 3:28; 5:1). The moment one responds to the gospel in faith is when the satisfaction is applied and becomes efficacious.

John Owen’s Trilemma Argument 

I have discovered that in nearly every conversation I have with limitarians, the question is not if but when, they will turn to the arguments put forth by John Owen. His arguments typically seem to be the silver bullet for the limitarian.

Owen’s triple choice argument is simply:

Christ was punished on the cross for,

1. All the sins of all people

2. All the sins of some people

3. Some of the sins of some people

The third option is dismissed as a partial atonement. The second option is embraced as true in that apparently Christ “in their stead suffered for all of the sins of all the elect in the whole world.” Owen notes that the first option, that Christ suffered for all the sins of all people, would include the sin of unbelief, to which he asks, “why must that [the sin of unbelief] hinder them more than their other sins for which He died?” What makes the sin of unbelief more important or different from other sins?

This presents a false dichotomy and neglects the provisionary nature of the atonement. It ought to be noted, unbelief is not a one-time offense toward God; unbelief is an ongoing state of existence. One is justified, moving from the state of unbelief to the state of belief, “by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith” (Rom 3:24-25).

Furthermore, Owen conflates the accomplishment of the atonement with the application of the atonement. He assumes that when it was accomplished, it was also applied, long prior to one’s experience of faith. How is it, then, that the unbelieving elect are “by nature children of wrath” and remain under God’s condemnation until they are justified (Eph 2:1-3; cf. John 3:18; Rom 8:1)? Rather, the accomplishment of Christ’s death serves as the basis for which the benefits of his death can be applied. The satisfaction of Christ is universally provided, but conditionally applied. If one does not meet the condition of faith, one is not able to enjoy the benefits of Christ’s propitiatory sacrifice (e.g., forgiveness and fellowship).

John Owen’s Double Payment Argument 

Another objection to unlimited/provisional atonement is that God’s justice prevents the same sin to be punished twice, once by Christ followed by the sinner in hell. If Christ paid for the sins of an unbeliever on the cross, what sins is the unbeliever paying for in hell? 

Again, the atonement is conditional until the benefits of the atonement are received by grace through faith, and upon receiving them by grace through faith the atonement then becomes effective. If one refuses to believe and is condemned to hell, since Christ paid for the sins of all people provisionally, there is no double payment. If one meets God’s condition of faith, Christ’s payment for sin is applied, and, consequently, the individual receives eternal life, is forgiven, and enters into fellowship with God and his people. If Christ, after all, did not die for unbelievers as well, how can they be guilty of rejecting Christ if he did not die for them? And how can the unbelieving elect for whom Christ exclusively suffered and promises to save from eternal wrath remain under the wrath of God prior to their conversion? Owen’s model greatly sabotages the necessity of faith for salvation and habitually overlooks the provisionary nature of the atonement. 

Christ Died for the Sheep 

Another common argument made by limitarians is that since Christ died for the sins of his people (Mt 1:21), his sheep (John 10:11, 14-17), and the church (Acts 20:28; Eph 5:25-27), then Christ died for the elect only. The Calvinist is, then, forced to reinterpret “the whole world” in 1 John 2:2 to be exclusively in reference to believers, despite the overwhelming exegetical evidence contrary to this conclusion.

Claiming that Christ died for his people, his sheep, and his church somehow means that he did not also die for unbelievers is similar to reading 1 John 4:10 — “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” — and concluding he is not the propitiation of the whole world (cf. 1 John 3:16). This is called the Negative Inference Fallacy. Clearly Christ “is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2). Paul says, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal 2:20). Is Paul saying he is the only person for whom Christ loved and sacrificed himself? Of course not! It is a logical fallacy to conclude otherwise.

Many limitarians object further that, according to John 10, Christ laid down his life for the sheep, not for the goats. However, the contrast in John 10 is not between sheep and goats. No mention of goats are even made. The contrast of John 10 involves the question, does Jesus’ Jewish audience listen to the voice of the Pharisees (referred to as strangers, robbers, thieves, perhaps collectively as “the thief”) or to the voice of the Father and the Son (John 10:5, 8, 10, 16, 27, 30)? The sheep are followers. They are God-fearing Old Testament saints living during Jesus’ earthly ministry who were faithful to listen to the Father’s voice spoken through the Scriptures and through the Son’s proclamation of the gospel (John 5:37-40; 6:45-46; 8:42, 47). Those who do not believe are not among his sheep. In fact, Jesus does not say in John 10:26, “you do not believe because you are not among my unconditionally and arbitrarily chosen ones in the eternal decree and irresistibly imparted belief.” Rather, he says, “you do not believe because you are not among my sheep” currently (John 10:26; cf. 8:47). In other words, you do not believe in me because you do not yet follow the Father. That Jesus goes on to command those who were not his sheep to “believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father” means it is not too late (John 10:38). Belief is possible. Eternal life is available. They can become one of his sheep/followers through faith.

Additionally, Jesus declares he not only lays down his life for his Jewish sheep (John 10:11, 14-15, 17), but also for his Gentile sheep, so that there is one flock with one Shepherd (John 10:16). To argue the benefits of Christ’s death are limited strictly to his Jewish sheep or his sheep in general (such as the God-fearing man born blind whom Jesus healed; see John 9:17, 31-31-33, 36-38) and not also for whoever refuses to believe and become his sheep/followers (such as the Pharisees and many of the Jews; cf. John 5:34, 40; 10:38) is to commit the Negative Inference Fallacy.

Christ is, indeed, the satisfaction for the sins of his Jewish people (Mt 1:21), for his sheep/followers (John 10:11, 14-17), and for the church, along with the whole unbelieving world opposed to God and in need of his forgiveness.

Concluding Thoughts

Besides being a theological conclusion in search of a text, the doctrine of limited atonement is expressly denied in 1 John 2:2 and all throughout the New Testament (John 1:29; 3:14-18; Rom 5:18-19; 1 Cor 15:3-11; 2 Cor 5:14-21; 1 Tim 2:1-6; 4:10; Tit 2:11-14; Heb 2:9; 2 Pt 2:1). If limited atonement were true, the non-elect “are in the same unsavable state they would be if Jesus had never come at all” (Allen, The Extent of the Atonement, 774).

Because he so loved the world, God inflicted upon Christ the punishment the world deserved for their sins, so as to make possible a genuine offer of forgiveness and fellowship to all, securing the salvation of only those who believe. Simply by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone is salvation applied and the atonement efficacious. All who respond positively in faith to the enabling grace of God will be forgiven and welcomed into fellowship with the triune God and his redeemed people.