For Whom Did Christ Die?

by John Owen


The Father imposed His wrath due unto, and the Son underwent punishment for, either:

Premise 1-  All the sins of all men.

Premise 2-  Some of the sins of all men.

Premise 3-  All the sins of some men.
 

In which case it may be said:

A. If the first premise is true, then why are not all men free from the punishment due unto their sins?

You answer: Because of unbelief.

I ask: Is this unbelief a sin, or is it not?

If unbelief is a sin, then Christ either suffered the punishment due unto it, or He did not.
If He died for the sin of unbelief, then why must unbelief hinder them more than their other sins for which He died?
If He did not die for their sin of unbelief, then He did not die for all their sins!

B. If the second premise is true, then all men have some sins to answer for; and so none are saved.

C. If the third premise is true, then Christ in their stead, suffered for all the sins of all the elect in the whole world; and this is the truth.