Hebrews 2:9—“that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man”

Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings (Heb. 2:8-10).

HYPO-CALVINIST ARGUMENT:

This text is sometimes appealed to by Romanists, Arminians, Amyraldians, and Moderate Calvinists in support of a death of Christ for all men head for head, including the reprobate, at least in some sense.

(I)

George C. Lubbers (1909-2001)

[Source: Comm. on Heb. 2:9-10, in The Glory of the True Tabernacle: Jubilee Exposition of Hebrews (Self-Published, 1984), p. 49]

The divine motive and purpose for exalting the Son, and in Him exalting man, is that God would show forth His grace. God would manifest the glory of His grace in Jesus Christ. Writes the Hebrews epistle here: “in order that by the grace of God he might taste death in behalf of all.” It is quite evident that this grace here is God’s grace to those for whom Christ must taste death. This is God’s saving grace whereby the sinner is brought all the way from death to life, and from sin and guilt to righteousness and glory. The question is: who are the “all” [rendered “every man” in the KJV] here in the text? Does this teach general atonement? It ought to be clear to the believing students of the Bible that “all” is ever limited by the context and its teaching. And, then, when we read verse 11, we notice that the “all” are “all” of the “many sons” which are to be brought to glory. These are the many sons of Abraham, which are as the multitude. These are all the children of God, the sons according to election, whom Jesus calls brethren unashamedly. For all of these sons of God, these brethren, Christ must taste death on the Cross.

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(II)

More to come! (DV)