The Extent of the Atonement Archives

The Objective Sufficiency of the Atonement

By M.Ferris | April 12, 2025April 12, 2025 by M.Ferris

Discussions on the extent of the atonement frequently confuse atonement acquired with atonement applied. One sees this in statements such as “Everyone limits the atonement.” The thought behind this is that, unless one believes in universalism, then atonement only comes to those who believe. This is true, but it dodges the issue. The issue is whether an atonement even exists for someone. The definite atonement position says that atonement exists if one believes. Note: Not…

A Pardon Refused: The Double Payment Argument and Definite Atonement

By M.Ferris | April 23, 2023April 25, 2023 by M.Ferris

One of the perennial arguments in favor of definite atonement (that Jesus did not die except for a subset of humanity) is that if Jesus paid for the sins of all humanity, then it is logically impossible for those same people to suffer condemnation, or that it would be unjust to exact the same penalty twice. If some suffer condemnation and hell, how could it be possible for someone whose debt of sin has been…

Atoning for Unbelief?

By M.Ferris | August 3, 2022November 20, 2023 by M.Ferris

Does the “Double Payment” Argument have merit? In a prior post, I looked at the idea of faith purchased on behalf of believers. This argument is often central to a defense of definite atonement. Seeing such a purchase seems to require a commitment to the covenant of redemption—at least, in the thinking of John Owen it does. Faith and the transfer of it to the elect is included in the death of Christ, and this…

Davenant’s Defense of God’s Sovereignty in the Atonement

By M.Ferris | January 13, 2022January 16, 2022 by M.Ferris

The Bishop of Salisbury insists God is sovereign to save anyone at any time. John Davenant is part of a rich heritage of “English Hypothetical Universalism.” That is, men who believed and taught that salvation was possible to any and every sinner while they yet lived. This was in contradistinction to definite atonement, that Christ died only for a collection of sinners whom God designated for salvation by his pretemporal decree. Davenant was also a…

Challenges with the Covenant of Redemption

By M.Ferris | August 14, 2021March 16, 2023 by M.Ferris

Within Covenant Theology, there is some diversity of views on whether there are two or three covenants. Most recognize a covenant of works, made with Adam, and a covenant of grace, which God establishes just after the Fall. However, many see a third, the covenant of redemption, that differs from these. The topic is large enough that I will only be able to capture highlights, but I hope to focus on those questions I believe…

John Owen’s Arguments Are Not Irrefutable

By M.Ferris | November 2, 2020April 25, 2021 by M.Ferris

The Oxford divine relies too much on a “logic of inevitability.” The extent of the atonement has a been a topic of study for me for years. On and off I have read various defenses of the definite atonement position, as well as those for unlimited atonement. While the 2013 publication of From Heaven He Came and Sought Her may challenge this, for a very long time many people pointed to John Owen’s Death of…

Can “World” mean “Elect” In John’s Theology?

By M.Ferris | October 30, 2020 by M.Ferris

Examining the Context of John 3:16 Of the several places in Scripture where Jesus is said to die for the sins of the world, John’s writings offer the most occurrences. Those who defend definite atonement have a challenge in explaining the meaning of this as something other than all sinners. The claim of the definite atonement position is that Jesus did not die for the sins of all, but only for those who will ultimately…

Is a “Purchase of Faith” Taught in the New Testament?

By M.Ferris | October 12, 2020June 23, 2021 by M.Ferris

Is faith our response to the gospel, or a substance given? A hallmark of definite atonement is the view that what God requires of people to be saved, he has provided to them. That is, that the faith which brings us into a right relationship with God has been purchased for us at Calvary. The atonement includes the purchase of faith, but only for the elect. How sure is the exegetical ground for this teaching?…

Atonement Views and Trinitarian Disharmony

By M.Ferris | October 2, 2020October 2, 2020 by M.Ferris

Among the arguments made in favor of definite atonement is that it represents a harmony among the persons of the Trinity. Unlimited atonement, on the other hand, undermines and indeed, destroys this harmony because it separates extent from application; that is, the collection of those for whom extent exists differs from those to whom the atonement is applied. The editors of From Heaven He Came and Sought Her make this argument. photo by Ali Arif…

The Double Payment Argument and Definite Atonement

By M.Ferris | September 28, 2020March 30, 2023 by M.Ferris

One of the more popular arguments for definite atonement—that Christ died only for the sins of those who will be saved, and not for mankind as a whole—is the double payment argument. John Owen, in his book The Death of Death in the Death of Christ makes this argument. In that Owen’s work is commonly held to be an unanswerable defense of definite atonement, we may regard his position as emblematic. “If the full debt…