John Calvin's Unlimited Atonement

Posting 22 WILL ONLY A FEW BE SAVED?

Nothing is gained by speculating whether few or many will be saved. It may be useful, however, to consider why the impression that proportionally "few" will be saved is rather common. We cite the following reasons for this impression:

PREMISE A

Neither the traditional premise A, nor the perspective I propose, premise B (see Introduction), speak directly to the question of whether few or many will be saved. However, the belief that "All persons will be finally lost except those who the Bible declares will be saved" has been the premise that nearly all theologians have worked with ever since the fourth century (see Posting 6). This perspective seems to imply that many (perhaps most) persons will be finally lost.

SCARCITY INCREASES VALUE

Another reason is that scarcity increases the value of most things. Antique collectors are well aware of this. At one time salt was so scarce it was used as money. The chemical composition of salt has not changed, but today it is so plentiful it has lost its value as a medium of exchange. If diamonds were as plentiful as gravel, we might pay someone to haul them away from our property. Because salvation is so extremely valuable, we are biased toward thinking it must be scarce.

Salvation is not scarce: "Where sin increased, grace increased all the more" (Rom. 5:20). Its price is right: "Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost" (Isa. 55:1). The assurance is promised: "For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened" (Matt. 7:8). The command is given: "Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full" (Luke 14:23). The invitation is issued: "The Spirit and the bride say, 'Come!' and let him who hears say, 'Come!' Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life" (Rev. 22:17).

THE KINGDOM PARABLES

To portray the great value of salvation, the kingdom of heaven is depicted as a treasure hidden in a field that a person buys. Consequently, he is the only person who has this "hidden" treasure (Matt. 13:44). Jesus said that the kingdom of heaven is like a pearl "of great value" that one merchant, by selling "everything he had," was able to be the sole owner of that pearl (Matt. 13:45). These two parables depict the high value we ought to place on entering the kingdom of heaven. But we do not conclude from these two parables that few persons will enter the kingdom of heaven.

MATTHEW 7:14

"But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to

life, and only a few find it" (Matt. 7:14).

Does this parable of "The Two Ways" mean that the way is hard to find because the "gate is small," that entering the kingdom is difficult because the road "is narrow," and that rarely does anyone enter because it says "few find it"?

While this conclusion appears to be plausible, that cannot be the lesson that Jesus intended to teach. Jesus is not saying that the kingdom of heaven is given to us as a reward for our diligent searching and careful walk and that because of these difficulties “few” enter the kingdom of heaven. That would be salvation by works.

Furthermore, earlier in Matt. 7 Jesus has already taught that the entrance to the kingdom is not hard to find because everyone "who seeks finds" it. It is not difficult to attain because to everyone "who knocks, the door will be opened." It is not limited to a few because "everyone who asks receives" it (Matt. 7:7, 8). Matt. 7:14 may not be understood to contradict Matt. 7:7, 8.

The "small gate," "narrow road," and "few" finding convey the intrinsic value of salvation, not the extent of its availability. These expressions have the same meaning as finding the "hidden" treasure and selling everything else in order to purchase the "pearl of great value."

These figures of speech are intended to teach us to covet salvation as a rare discovery and an invaluable treasure. We should be willing to forsake all other interests in order to attain it. Even though access to “the road that leads to life” is by grace and therefore not difficult, an attitude of thoughtlessly drifting along with the crowd through a "wide" gate and down a “broad” road is a sure sign that one is not on the road that leads to glory.

The observation has been correctly made that there is no more reason to conclude from the parable of the "Two Ways" that few will be saved than there is to conclude from the parable of the Ten Virgins (Matt. 25:1-13) that precisely as many will be saved as will be finally lost.

MATT. 22:14

"For many are invited, but few are chosen."

This verse is a conclusion to a series of four parables (Matt. 21:28 to 22:14), as the word "for" at the beginning of verse 14 indicates. The parables are: The Two Sons, The Tenants, The Cornerstone, and The Wedding Banquet.

“When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard [these] parables, they knew Jesus was talking about them” (Matt. 21:45). Jesus is speaking of these leaders in Israel as representatives of “his own.” The theme of each of these four parables is the fact that "He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him" (John 1:11). The religious leaders and many of God's covenant people did not respond favorably to Jesus' earthly ministry.

We need not think this was a permanent result even among the "Men of Israel." Peter proclaimed the name of Jesus and "three thousand were added to their number" in one day (Acts 2:22-41).

Even the poor reception Jesus received was overruled for good, as we see in the ministry of Paul and Barnabas: "We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles" (Acts 13:46, 47).

"For many are invited, but few are chosen" refers to the fact that “few” of his countrymen responded to Jesus' invitation and therefore “many” from among the Gentiles were invited and came.

Although the Bible nowhere speaks of the relative number of saved compared to those who will be finally lost, it does reveal that the number of saved will be “great.” "And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore” (Heb. 11:12). Amazingly, "Where sin increased, grace increased all more" (Rom. 5:20).

LUKE 13:23

“Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?”

Jesus did not answer this question. Instead, knowing the questioner's thoughts (Matt. 9:4), Jesus exposed the pride that prompted the question.

Jesus refused to answer this question in the context of what is required for entrance into the Kingdom of God. Luke 13:24, 25 reveals the context: “make every effort to enter.” Jesus knew that the questioner relished the thought that "few" would be saved and he considered himself to be among those favored "few" who "ate and drank with" Jesus and in whose streets Jesus taught (vs. 26). He was among those who claimed "Abraham as our father" (Matt. 3:9) and therefore mistakenly thought that therefore his place "at the feast in the kingdom of God" (Luke 13:28, 29) was secure.

Jesus’ response is that the questioner need not think only the Jews would enter kingdom of God. There would be many coming from all directions (Luke 13:29) and they might well have precedence over those who think their place is secure. Jesus’ concluding thought in response to the question asked in Luke 13:23 is "Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and the first who will be last" (vs. 30).

HONORING GOD'S NAME

There is nothing more sacred than God's name. He does all things for His name's sake. God has proclaimed his name. Not only in the life to come, but also in this present age, God wants to be praised for his exceedingly great mercy. Therefore, he declares who he is over against what he reluctantly does in Exod. 34:6, 7: "The Lord, the Lord the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and a sin" who reluctantly "does not leave the guilty unpunished."

Even though few responded to Jesus’ ministry, nevertheless the outcome is that “People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God” (Luke 13:29).