Then said Jesus, Father,
forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his
raiment, and cast lots (Luke 23:34).
COMMON GRACE ARGUMENT:
This text is often thought to teach a compassion and desire
of Christ for the salvation of the reprobate.
(I)
Thomas
Aquinas (1225-1274)
[Source: Summa Theologica,
III, Q. 21, Art. 4, ad. 2; emphasis added.]
[In response to an argument
from Luke 23:34 that not every prayer made by Christ was heard by God the
Father, Thomas Aquinas replied,] “Our Lord did not pray for all those who
crucified Him … but for those only who
were predestined to obtain eternal life through Him.”
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(II)
Francis
Turretin (1623-1687)
[Source: Institutes
of Elenctic Theology, vol. 2, pp. 464-465; emphasis added.]
XXI. Third, the same truth is
established by the connection between his satisfaction and the intercession of
Christ. For since they are parts of the same priestly office, they must also be
of the same extent. He should intercede for those for whom he made
satisfaction; nor should he make satisfaction for others than those for as much
of his propitiation (hilasmou) as of
his appearance in the presence of God (emphanismou)
as they are connected indissolubly by Paul and John (I Jn. 2:1, 2; Rom. 8:34).
Now Christ himself expressly declares
that he does not intercede for all, but only for those who are given him by the
Father: “I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me”
(Jn. 17:9). However, since to offer up prayers for anyone is much easier than
to give blood and life for them, who will say that he dies for those to whom he
denies his prayers? or that he would have denied his prayers to those for whose
sake he was just about to pour out his blood at the very moment before his
death?
XXII. Nor is it to be said here
with the Remonstrants that “there is a twofold intercession of Christ, one
universal, which is in respect of the whole world, concerning which Isaiah speaks
(53:12), according to which he is said to have prayed for his persecutors (Lk.
23:34); another particular, which is in respect of believers, which is spoken
of in Jn. 17 and Rom. 8.” It is gratuitously supposed that a universal
intercession can be granted. For as he
is always heard by the Father (Jn. 11:42), if he would intercede for all, all
would be actually saved. Nor is this universal intercession proved from
Is. 53:12, where it is said that he would intercede for the transgressors; not
for all, but for the many of whom mention is there made and whom he is said to
justify (v. 11). Nor is it proved from Lk. 23:34. He does not pray for all those who crucified him, but for those who
sinned from ignorance (as Christ adds there), who also obtained the fruit of
his prayer (Acts 2, 3). If Christ (from a humane affection and an
impulse of love) prayed also for those who perished, it does not follow that
the intercessory prayers which he offered up as Mediator (and in that special
office) are to be extended to others than those elected and given him by the
Father. To these Christ himself
restricts his intercessory prayers.
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(III)
Robert
Lewis Dabney (1820-1898)
[Source: Syllabus and Notes of the Course of
Systematic and Polemic Theology. 2nd Edition (St.
Louis, MO: Presbyterian Publishing Company of St. Louis, 1878), p. 549]
The objects of Christ’s
intercession are the elect particularly. See Jno. xvii : 9. Also, His official
intercession is always prevalent ; if He prayed for all, all would be saved :
but all are not saved. Hence, His prayer for the pardon of His murderers, Luke
xxiii : 34, must be explained, as being limited by its terms to those of His
persecutors who sinned in ignorance. And we conclude that every one of these
was among the “great company of the priests,” Acts vi : 7, who became “obedient
to the faith.” There is an alternative solution, which is less satisfactory :
That this prayer was not Messianic and officially Mediatorial ; but only the
expression of Christian meekness by our pattern, the man Jesus. This attempt to
discriminate between the agency of the divine and human wills in Christ, where
the act is ethical and spiritual, is perilous.
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(IV)
Herman Hoeksema (1886-1965)
[The] scope of this
intercession is strictly limited to those that repent and believe, and,
therefore, to the elect. For, first of all, the Lord Himself tells us that He
prays not for the world but for those whom the Father has given Him. And surely,
to that limitation this prayer can be no exception. Secondly, the scope of this
intercessory prayer cannot be wider than that of His atoning blood. And He gave
His life for His sheep, and they are those that were chosen in Him before the
foundation of the world. Thirdly, the prayer of Christ is always heard; those
for whom He interceded on the cross have forgiveness of their sins, and they
are surely saved. And, finally, this petition of our Lord covers all penitent
sinners, that are truly sorry for their sins, and seek forgiveness and
righteousness in His blood. But it covers none other. And true repentance and
sorrow after God, in which you confess your sins, and seek refuge in the
atoning blood of the Lamb, is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God’s free
and sovereign grace, the out-flow of His gracious election.
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(V)
Prof.
Herman C. Hanko
Check out the following 3-part
commentary this text:
Title: “Luke 23:34—An
Intercessory Prayer for the Elect”
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(VI)
More to
come! (DV)
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