Saturday, January 29, 2022

Reformed Protestant David Schrock's Attempt to Explain 1 John 2:1-2

  

Letting Scripture interpret Scripture, John’s epistle addresses his audience as “little children” (teknia in 2:1, 12, 13c, 18, 28; 3:1-2; cf. John 11:52), and then proceeds to remind them of the fact that Christ died as “the propitiation for our sins,” and “not for ours only but also” for the sins of the whole world. Based on such conceptual resonance (children of God), and linguistic similarity in the construction of the contrast (monon all kai, John 11:52 and 1 John 2:2), there is great reason to believe that John is broadening the one sacrifice of Christ from Jews to people of all races. As Long concludes, “John wants to make it clear to his readers in this verse (as well as John 3:16) that the Old Testament particularism in relation to the nations of Israel is now past, so he uses the universal term ‘whole world’” (Long, Definite Atonement, 118). These of whom John speaks are not all people without exception, but all those scattered children who will be taken from (ek) every tribe, language, people, and nation (Revelation 5:9). (David Schrock, “Jesus Saves, No Asterisk Needed: Why Preaching the Gospel As Good News Requires Definite Atonement,” in Whomever He Wills: A Surprising Display of Sovereign Mercy, ed. Matthew Barrett and Thomas J. Nettles [Cape Carol, Fla.: Founders Press, 2012], 112-13)

 

Further Reading


Critique of "The Christ Who Heals"


An Examination and Critique of the Theological Presuppositions Underlying Reformed Theology