All, is the word “pas” in Greek. Not only does it almost never not mean “everyone who ever lived or will ever live” but it can mean the following:

1) to totality with focus on its individual components, each, every, any

2) any entity out of a totality, any and every, every

3) marker of the highest degree of someth., all

4) to a high degree of completeness or wholeness, whole

5) everything belonging, in kind, to the class designated by the noun, every kind of, all sorts of,

Isn’t that last one interesting…hmmm…every kind of, all sorts of, belonging to a class designated by the noun.

The fact is that “all means all!” is a naive statement.

In the book of Titus alone the word “pas” is used in several different ways…the context always dictating the meaning:

Titus 2:9
9 Slaves are to be subject to their own masters in everything, to do what is wanted and not talk back,

Here, it’s used to say that slaves are to be subservient to their masters. Is it REALLY everything that they’ll ever do?

Titus 3:15

15 Everyone with me greets you. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all.

Here the group “everyone” is limited to those who are with Paul, and the “all” at the end is NOT “everyone who ever lived or will ever live without distinction”

Though both words are “pas” the context limits the scope of the word. The second “pas” is limited to the group he’s writing to.

Titus 2:14
14 He gave himself for us to set us free from every kind of lawlessness and to purify for himself a people who are truly his, who are eager to do good.

Here Christ gave himself to set us free from “all” or “every kind of lawlessness” depending on your translation. Is this every kind of lawlessness that ever could be conceived or is it speaking of “lots of different kinds of lawlessness?

Titus 2:15

15 So communicate these things with the sort of exhortation or rebuke that carries full authority. Don’t let anyone look down on you.

Here it’s talking about the kind of authority that Titus is supposed to communicate with.

Titus 3:2
2 They must not slander anyone, but be peaceable, gentle, showing complete courtesy to all people.

Are they REALLY supposed to look in the Middle Eastern White pages and show courtesy to everyone on the planet or to the class known as all kinds of people without exception?

As you can see, Paul uses this word “pas” in several different ways in Titus alone, and context tells us what the scope is.

You have a preconceived idea that God wants everyone who ever lived on the planet or who will ever live on the planet, which colors your understanding of this word.

You have to let scripture tell you what the author intended, not read into it.

The fact is, that we use universal words in a limited context all of the time don’t we?

Can you see that I just did that? I used the all inclusive word “all” but meant it in a more limited context…which meant “many times” didn’t it? But you unconsciously knew from my context what I meant right?

does that make sense?

“Yet he does not mean individual men, but rather describes individual classes, or various ranks of life.”

His sin is thinking beyond what is written (1 Corinthians 4:6). The text does not say this, so Calvin makes God a liar.

Here’s a thorough article that goes through each of the five points of Calvinism, showing how Arminians and Calvinists both believe a false gospel: http://www.atruechurch.info/calvinarmin.html

I wonder what those who argue that Calvin held to general atonement would do with that quote that Nicole cites. Perhaps they would argue that Calvin changed his position. Any ideas? If you ever come across a Calvin scholar who holds that Calvin believed in general atonement and who comments on this quote, please let me know.

Thanks.

Phil

The closest support of Gen Atonement I found in Calvin were his comments on Romans 5:19:

He makes this favour common to all, because it is propounded to all, and not because it is in reality extended to all; for though Christ suffered for the sins of the whole world, and is offered through God’s benignity indiscriminately to all, yet all do not receive him.

and John 1:29 (note the “all without exception” toward the end of the quote):

And when he says, the sin OF THE WORLD, he extends this favour indiscriminately to the whole human race; that the Jews might not think that he had been sent to them alone. But hence we infer that the whole world is involved in the same condemnation; and that as all men without exception are guilty of unrighteousness before God, they need to be reconciled by him.

But both of these quotes could be interpreted in a way consistent with Def Atonement, and since Calvin, contrary to what we would expect from a supporter of Gen Atonement, consistently interprets texts (like the two you noted above) consistent with Def Atonement, it seems to be best to assume that Calvin was consistent rather than inconsistent with himself.

To clinch things, Roger Nicole provides this quote from Calvin:

“I should like to know how the wicked can eat the flesh of Christ which was not crucified for them, and how they can drink the blood which was not shed to expiate their sins” (“On Partaking of the Flesh and Blood,” Calvin: Theological Treatises, ed. J. K. S. Reid, cited by Roger Nicole, “John Calvin’s View of the Extent of the Atonement,” WTJ 47:2 (Fall 1985): 200).