John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake,
He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. And
of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law
was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ
(John 1:15-17).
ARMINIAN /
COMMON GRACE ARGUMENT:
“The text says that ‘all we’ have
‘received’ of his ‘fulness’ ... ‘grace for grace’ ... Isn’t ‘all we’ referring
to all men head for head? John’s gospel doesn’t seem to be written to
anyone in particular ... And what is his ‘fulness,’ if not his grace, mercy, love,
goodness etc.?”
(I)
Prof. David J. Engelsma
Regarding the “all we” of John 1:16, against understanding this as referring to all humans without exception, including Cain, Esau, Pharoah, Nebuchadnezzar, Judas Iscariot, Nero, and the man who will be the Antichrist, is that the text says the “all” of the text receive the fulness of Jesus Christ and His grace. This is Jesus Christ in the fulness of His salvation. Not that God wishes to give Jesus Christ to this “all,” but that the “all” do in fact receive Him. Do those who insist that “all” refers to every human without exception want to confess that all humans including those mentioned above have received or do receive or will receive the fulness of Jesus Christ?
The grace of the text consists of regeneration, faith, righteousness, holiness, the resurrection of the body, and eternal life. Do all humans receive this fulness? To answer “yes” is either to be a universalist, or to confess that one can receive this grace and still perish eternally. Which of these options do those who appeal to the text as referring to all humans without exception embrace?
“All we” of verse 16 is explained by verses 12 and 13 that precede in chapter 1. They are as many humans as believe on His name, because they have been born of God. No one else! Verse 16 must be understood in light of the preceding verses 12 and 13. And the reason why these humans have been born of God in distinction from others is explained later in the gospel of John (6:44): the Father has drawn them to Jesus, whereas He has not drawn others. And the Father draws them to Jesus because Jesus lays down His life for them as His sheep, that is, He died for them, whereas He has not laid down His life for the others (John 10:15, 26). And Jesus dies for them because the Father has given these people to Christ (in the decree of election: John 10:29; John 17:2).
Advocates of a conditional salvation for all humans, dependent upon their will, do well not to appeal to the gospel of John. But they do well to humble themselves before a sovereign Savior revealed in the gospel of John. I beseech them to give God the glory for the salvation of His people!
(DJE,
06/04/2021)
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(II)
More to come! (DV)
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