My Opera"All" means "all," right?
Thursday, June 21, 2007 11:54:57 AM
Recently an Arminian on one of the lists contested that it is unfair
that Calvnists use "all" to mean "all" when it refers to total depravity, but
not when used of the offer of salvation. I stipulated that this was actually
a fair question, but that it had a good answer. That answer was that each case
had to be examined in its local context to determine precisely how all was being
used -- of a group restricted to that context, or of all people everywhere at
all times. The generic example that I often use concerns a young lady at the
mall. As she observed various of her peers, she commented: "Just everyone is
wearing those new blouses." I then checked -- I wasn't wearing one of those new
blouses, and neither was my wife. What she meant, of course, was that many
girls her own age were wearing a particular style of blouse.
Here is a scriptural example for our Arminian friends:
Rom 1:8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because your faith
is being proclaimed throughout the whole world. [NASB]
Now, does anyone wish to argue that Paul means "the whole world" (ὅλῳ τῷ κόσμῳ,
hOLWi TWi KOSMWi) in the most literal possible sense? Did he include the native
Americans, or the tribes in southern Africa? Obviously not. Paul knew Africa
existed (though the larger part of the continent was pretty much shadowed in
mystery even to the best traveled ancient Romans), and did not even know that
the Americas existed. Clearly the gospel had not penetrated to those parts of
the world. For Paul, "the whole world" meant the Roman Empire in general and
particularly the shores touched by the Mediterranean Sea (the Latin *orbs
terrarum*). God knew that one day the gospel would get to those parts of the
Earth, but it would be long after Paul's day.
Now, this does not prove that the "all" is so restricted in the texts regarding
salvation, but it does neatly establish the principle. It also reveals that
"literally" is not always the best way to take a particular text, but rather
according the natural sense of the language as used in context.
that Calvnists use "all" to mean "all" when it refers to total depravity, but
not when used of the offer of salvation. I stipulated that this was actually
a fair question, but that it had a good answer. That answer was that each case
had to be examined in its local context to determine precisely how all was being
used -- of a group restricted to that context, or of all people everywhere at
all times. The generic example that I often use concerns a young lady at the
mall. As she observed various of her peers, she commented: "Just everyone is
wearing those new blouses." I then checked -- I wasn't wearing one of those new
blouses, and neither was my wife. What she meant, of course, was that many
girls her own age were wearing a particular style of blouse.
Here is a scriptural example for our Arminian friends:
Rom 1:8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because your faith
is being proclaimed throughout the whole world. [NASB]
Now, does anyone wish to argue that Paul means "the whole world" (ὅλῳ τῷ κόσμῳ,
hOLWi TWi KOSMWi) in the most literal possible sense? Did he include the native
Americans, or the tribes in southern Africa? Obviously not. Paul knew Africa
existed (though the larger part of the continent was pretty much shadowed in
mystery even to the best traveled ancient Romans), and did not even know that
the Americas existed. Clearly the gospel had not penetrated to those parts of
the world. For Paul, "the whole world" meant the Roman Empire in general and
particularly the shores touched by the Mediterranean Sea (the Latin *orbs
terrarum*). God knew that one day the gospel would get to those parts of the
Earth, but it would be long after Paul's day.
Now, this does not prove that the "all" is so restricted in the texts regarding
salvation, but it does neatly establish the principle. It also reveals that
"literally" is not always the best way to take a particular text, but rather
according the natural sense of the language as used in context.
