Redemption: Owen’s 11th Argument against Unlimited Atonement

Owen’s Argument 11: Redemption

P1: Christ’s death redeemed those He died for
P2: Those who are redeemed by Christ are freed from sin
P3: Not all are feed from sin
C1: Therefore, Christ didn’t die for all

http://www.ccel.org/ccel/owen/deathofdeath.i.ix.v.html

Scriptures Cited by Owen

“justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,” Rom. iii. 24;
“in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,” Eph. i. 7
13Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us; for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: - Galatians 3:13

Refutation

This is similar to the justice argument (#6). It also leads to a denial of justification by faith. Romans 1:7 relates redemption to forgiveness, so if Christ’s death at 33 redeemed us, we were forgiven at 33 AD and not when we come to faith.

I disagree with P1. Christ can redeem all, but He does not. Christ wants to redeem all, and His offering is able to be the basis of redemption for all, but He doesn’t actually redeem all. Justification, the declaration that we are not guilty, is through the redemption in Christ. Only those that come to faith are redeemed and declared righteous.

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