The following, taken from his commentaries on the Bible, show that John Calvin believed that Jesus died for all men without distinction, but intercedes for the elect only. This is important as a common objection many modern 5-point Calvinists have is that those who hold to some form of 4-point Calvinism are inconsistent in their soteriology by having Jesus die for more than those he (1) intercedes for and (2) died for (many even state that, to have Jesus die for everyone means there is a rupture in the unified will of the Father, Son, and Spirit):
Isa 53:12:
He bore the
sin of many. This is added by way of correction, that, when we hear of
the shame of Christ’s death, we may not think that it was a blot on the
character of Christ, and that our minds may not, by being prejudiced in that
manner, be prevented from receiving the victory which he obtained for us, that
is, the fruit of his death. He shows, therefore, that this was done in order
that he might take our sins upon him; and his object is, that, whenever the
death of Christ shall be mentioned, we may at the same time remember the
atonement made for us. And this fruit swallows up all the shame of the death of
Christ, that his majesty and glory may be more clearly seen than if we only
beheld him sitting in heaven; for we have in him a striking and memorable proof
of the love of God, when he is so insulted, degraded, and loaded with the
utmost disgrace, in order that we, on whom had been pronounced a sentence of
everlasting destruction, may enjoy along with him immortal glory.
I have followed the ordinary
interpretation, that "he bore the sin of many," though we might
without impropriety consider the Hebrew word רבים (rabbim,) to denote "Great and Noble." And thus the
contrast would be more complete, that Christ, while "he was ranked among
transgressors," became surety for every one of the most excellent of the
earth, and suffered in the room of those who hold the highest rank in the
world. I leave this to the judgment of my readers. Yet I approve of the
ordinary reading, that he alone bore the punishment of many, because on him was
laid the guilt of the whole world. It is evident from other passages, and
especially from the fifth chapter of the Epistle to the Romans, (Ro 5:12; Ro
5:18) that "many" sometimes denotes "all."
And prayed
for the transgressors. Because the ratification of the
atonement, with which Christ has washed us by his death, implies that he
pleaded with the Father on our behalf, it was proper that this should be added.
For, as in the ancient Law the priest, who "never entered without
blood," at the same time interceded for the people; so what was there
shadowed out is fulfilled in Christ. (Ex 30:10; Heb 9:7) First, he offered the sacrifice of his body, and shed
his blood, that he might endure the punishment which was due to us; and
secondly, in order that the atonement might take effect, he performed the
office of an advocate, and interceded for all who embraced this sacrifice by
faith; as is evident from that prayer which he left to us, written by the hand
of John, "I pray not for these only, but for all who shall believe on me
through their word." (Joh 17:20) If we then belong to
their number, let us be fully persuaded that Christ hath suffered for us, that
we may now enjoy the benefit of his death.
He expressly mentions
"transgressors," that we may know that we ought to betake ourselves
with assured confidence to the cross of Christ, when we are horror-struck by
the dread of sin. Yea, for this reason he is held out as our intercessor and
advocate; for without his intercession our sins would deter us from approaching
to God.
Heb 9:28:
To bear, or, take
away sins, is to free from guilt by his satisfaction those who have sinned. He
says the sins of many, that is, of all, as in Ro
5:15 It is yet certain that all receive no benefit from the death of
Christ; but this happens, because their unbelief prevents them. At the same
time this question is not to be discussed here, for the Apostle is not speaking
of the few or of the many to whom the death of Christ may be available; but he
simply means that he died for others and not for himself; and therefore he
opposes many to one.
As Reformed Protestant R.T. Kendall noted:
Calvin insists that
the death of Christ is not to be regarded ‘from its external act but from the
power of the Spirit’ (Comm. Heb. 9:14. ‘Though Christ offered a visible
sacrifice, it is spiritually . . . that we must reckon it in order to take hold
of its reward and fruits.’ Comm. Matt. 27:51). The issue, he argues, is
not ‘how great’ the power of Christ’s death is, or ‘what efficacy it has in
itself, but to whom He gives Himself to be enjoyed’ (Predestination,
149). ‘Outwardly He shed His blood, but inwardly and spiritually He brought
cleansing. In short, He died on earth, but the power and efficacy of His death
came from heaven’ (Comm. Heb. 8:4). This then is why Calvin says that
all which Christ did on the cross ‘remains useless and of no value’ until we
believe (Inst. III.i.1).
The decree of
election, then, is not rendered effectual in Christ’s death but in His
ascension and intercession at the Father’s right hand. The ascension was the
event that ‘opened the way into the Heavenly Kingdom, which had been closed
through Adam’ (Ibid. II.xvi.16) (R.T. Kendall, Calvin and English Calvinism
to 1649 [Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1979], 16)
Note how the atonement is only efficacious
due to the intercession of Christ. Obviously, this post-dates John 19:30, a
commonly abused “proof-text” by Protestants (see Full Refutation of the Protestant Interpretation of John 19:30 for more).
An Examination and Critique of the Theological Presuppositions Underlying Reformed Theology
