Christ Purchased Faith: Owen’s 9th Argument against Unlimited Atonement

Owen’s Argument 9: Christ Purchased Faith

P1: Christ purchased faith for whom He died for
P2: not all have faith
C1: Therefore, Christ died not for all

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

Scriptures Cited by Owen

“All men have not faith,” 2 Thess. iii. 2

Phil. i. 29, “It is given unto us, on the behalf of Christ, for Christ’s sake, to believe on him.”

“author and finisher of our faith,” Heb. xii. 2

Refutation

Faith is no doubt a gift (see argument 3). But I am not sure in what sense Christ purchased faith. Owen doesn’t make that clear. The scriptural language is more commonly that Christ purchased us. In that the Son draws all men to himself (John 12:32) He is giving all men faith. I suppose in some sense, if He has it to give, He purchased it. But it’s not purchased in the same sense we were purchased out of slavery from sin. But this sense would been needed for P1 to stand.

Comments

Anonymous said…
II Peter 1:1 Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:
May 31, 2013 at 9:14 PM
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