Death of death in the death of Christ - Owen - VI - Chapter 3 of Book 2

Required reading
Death of death in the death of Christ by John Owen (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read Chapter 3 of Book 2.

My summary
Now Owen starts to look at Scriptures that provide evidence for the thesis he has been teaching, which is: 'Jesus Christ, according to the counsel and will of his Father, did offer himself upon the cross, to the procurement of those things before recounted; and maketh continual intercession with this intent and purpose, that all the good things so procured by his death might be actually and infallibly bestowed on and applied to all and every one for whom he died, according to the will and counsel of God.'

The content of the chapter is actually nicely summarised by Owen himself: 'Let us now see what the Scripture saith hereunto, the sundry places whereof we shall range under these heads:— First, Those that hold out the intention and counsel of God, with our Saviour’s own mind; whose will was one with his Father’s in this business. Secondly, Those that lay down the actual accomplishment or effect of his oblation, what it did really procure, effect, and produce. Thirdly, Those that point out the persons for whom Christ died, as designed peculiarly to be the object of this work of redemption in the end and purpose of God.'

Although, most of the third point is taken up with proving 'many' doesn't mean 'all'.

What grabbed me
I liked the conclusion that was given after we were shown the effects of Christ's death: 'Now, there is none of all these places but will afford a sufficient strength against the general ransom, or the universality of the merit of Christ. My leisure will not serve for so large a prosecution of the subject as that would require, and, therefore, I shall take from the whole this general argument:— If the death and oblation of Jesus Christ (as a sacrifice to his Father) doth sanctify all them for whom it was a sacrifice; doth purge away their sin; redeem them from wrath, curse, and guilt; work for them peace and reconciliation with God; procure for them life and immortality; bearing their iniquities and healing all their diseases; — then died he only for those that are in the event sanctified, purged, redeemed, justified, freed from wrath and death, quickened, saved, etc.; but that all are not thus sanctified, freed, etc., is most apparent: and, therefore, they cannot be said to be the proper object of the death of Christ. The supposal was confirmed before; the inference is plain from Scripture and experience, and the whole argument (if I mistake not) solid.'

It's quite clear that not everyone has the effects of Christ's death and therefore it is also clear that Christ did not die for all.

Next week's reading
Read Chapters 4 and 5 of Book 2.

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.