Mediation: Owen’s 7th Argument against Unlimited Atonement

Owen’s Argument 7: Mediation P1: Christ mediates for those whom He died for P2: Christ does not mediate for all C1: Therefore, Christ died not for all http://www.ccel.org/ccel/owen/deathofdeath.i.ix.iii.html Scriptures Cited by Owen Hebrews 9. Refutation P1 is false. Christ is the Mediator of all for whom He died, in that it’s is office to Mediate and He can mediate for all, but not that He actually does mediate for all. Mediation the verb or action, is for believers alone. But Christ is Mediator (the noun and title) for all mankind as 2 Tim 2:5 states. Owen confuses offering with intercession. The offering is not intercession (or mediation), but rather, Christ mediates based on the offering. This can be seen in Hebrews 7: 24But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. 25Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. 26For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; 27Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself. 28For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore. The offering is described as once and in the past tense. Intercession is described as ongoing and in the present. This shows that 1) offering and intercession are different and 2) intercession is based on offering. The offering can be the basis of intercession or mediation for the whole world. Intercession is for believers alone. This difference between offering and mediation can be seen in Hebrews 9 (the text Owen cites) as well. 14How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? The offering is in the past, the purging is in the future. And again: 24For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: 25Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; 26For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: 28So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. Offered is past tense, salvation is in the future, faith being interposed. More on this topic in my review of Owen’s introduction and distinction between Christ’s offering and intercession: http://danchapa.blogspot.com/search/label/H.3.a%20Death%20of%20Death%20in%20the%20Death%20of%20Christ

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