Systematic Theology (Vol 2) - Hodge - XXXVIII - Chapter 8 (For whom did Christ die).

Required reading
Systematic Theology by Charles Hodge (Vol 2) (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read Chapter 8 (For whom did Christ die).

My summary
This week Hodge answers the question, 'Had the death of Christ a reference to the elect which is had not to other men?' 

Hodge answers in the affirmative and defends the doctrine of limited atonement because of:
(i) the nature of the covenant of redemption;
(ii) the doctrine of election;
(iii) numerous passages in which the design of Christ's death is declared to be, to save his people from their sins;
(iv) the love of God of which all sensitive creatures are the object and of whose benefits they are the recipients;
(v) the nature of the union between Christ and his people;
(vi) the fact that the unity of the priestly office rendered the functions of the priesthood inseparable;
(vii) its agreement with the facts of the case.

What grabbed me
I liked Hodge's answers to objections to limited atonement.  Particularly his answers to passages that appear to teach that Christ died for every individual: 'But, in the second place, it is to be remarked that general terms are often used indefinitely and not comprehensively. They mean all kinds, or classes, and not all and every individual. When Christ said, " I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me," He meant men of all ages, classes, and conditions, and not every individual man. When God predicted that upon the advent of the Messiah He would pour out his Spirit upon all flesh, all that was foretold was a general effusion of the Holy Ghost. And when it is said that all men shall see (experience) the salvation of God, it does not mean that all men individually, but that a vast multitude of all classes shall be saved. The same remark applies to the use of the term world. It means men, mankind, as a race or order of beings. No one hesitates to call the Lord Jesus the " Salvator hominum." He is so hailed and so worshipped wherever his name is known. But no one means by this that He actually saves all mankind. What is meant is that He is our Saviour, the Saviour of men, not of angels, not of Jews exclusively, nor yet of the Gentiles only, not of the rich, or of the poor alone, not of the righteous only, but also of publicans and sinners. He is the Saviour of all men who come unto Him. Thus when He is called the Lamb of God that bears the sin of the world, all that is meant is that He bears the sins of men ; He came as a sin-offering bearing not his own, but the sins of others. '

'All' simply means all kinds of people, not every single individual.

Next week's reading
Commence Chapter 9 (Theories of the atonement) by reading up to the heading '4. The governmental theory'.

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