Posted on May 24, 2016 by Steven Richichi

Joy to the World

Acts 8:1-8 (ESV)   The death of Stephen signaled the first great persecution of the Church. Instead of putting out the fire of revival it only served to spread it.  “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.”

  1. This was a very significant moment for the Church, as the gospel began to spread to the WORLD (Jews, Samaritans and Gentiles). These events took place from 31/2 to 8 years after Pentecost in exact fulfillment of prophecy. Daniel 9:27 (ESV)    Matthew 10:5-6 (ESV)  Matthew 15:24
  1. The Samaritans were half cousins to the Jews, but were despised and considered inferior to them because of their intermarriages with the Gentiles. Acts 1:8 (ESV)
  1. Consider that from the time of Abraham to the New Testament era, the only Covenant people were the Jews.  In the minds Jews, they were God’s ONLY people.  To pave the way for the inclusion of PEOPLE FROM ALL NATIONS in salvation, such phrases as “the world,” “all men,” “all nations,” and “every creature” were used by the inspired New Testament writers to emphatically correct this extreme bias.  These terms did not indicate that Christ had died for all men, but that He had died to purchase salvation for men of all nations.

“Limited atonement” or “particular redemption.”  How Jesus Died for “All” and Yet For A “Particular People”  Some passages speak of Christ dying for “all men” and His death as saving “the world,” yet others speak of His death as being definite in design and of His dying for a particular people and securing salvation for them.  THEY ARE NOT IN CONFLICT, THEY ARE COMPLEMENTARY.

  1. There are texts that speak of Christ’s saving work in general terms, i.e. those containing the word “world”  John 1:29 (ESV)
    1. John 3:14-17 (ESV)
    1. John 4:39-42 (ESV)
    1. 1 John 2:1-2 (ESV)
    1. 1 John 4:14 (ESV)
    1. Romans 5:18 (ESV)
    1. 1 Timothy 2:1-6 (ESV)
    1. 2 Peter 3:7-9 (ESV)
    1. These inclusive expressions are intended to show that Christ died for all men without distinction (i.e. He died for Jews, Samaritans and Gentiles alike), but they are not intended to indicate that Christ died for all men without exception (i.e. He did not die for the purpose of saving each and every lost sinner).

Both Old and New Testament Scriptures anticipate the inclusion of the Gentiles into the elect, but this had not been revealed to them yet (it was a “mystery” according to (Ephesians 3:4-6 ESV)

  1. When Phillip (a Hellenistic Jew) preached in Samaria, the church in Jerusalem was astounded that the Samaritans (about 8 years after Pentecost) were included in salvation.  Acts 8:14-17 ESV

Later (about 10 years after Pentecost) Peter had to be supernaturally persuaded by a vision to even go to the home of a Gentile (Cornelius).  Acts 10:34-35, Acts 10:44-47

  1. In about 54 AD, at least 20 years after Pentecost, the Jews in Jerusalem listened to Paul’s account of his conversion, but the mention of his being sent to the Gentiles was so contrary to all their national prejudices, that they would hear no more and wanted to kill him.  Acts 22:20-22 (ESV)   Given this extreme prejudice, the Scripture had to be absolutely clear that the GOSPEL WAS NOT EXCLUSIVELY FOR THE JEW ONLY (God’s first elect nation), but for the ELECT of the world (Jew, Samaritan and Gentile).
  1. Romans 9:23-26 (ESV)
  1. 1 Corinthians 1:1-2 (ESV)   
  1. 1 Corinthians 1:23-29 (ESV)

There are many passages that speak of His saving work in DEFINITE terms and show that it was intended TO INFALLIBLY SAVE A PARTICULAR PEOPLE, namely, those given to Him by the Father (the elect).

  1. Matthew 1:21 ESV
  1. Matthew 20:28 ESV
  1. Matthew 26:28 ESV
  1. John 6:37-40
  1. John 10:11 ESV
  1. John 10:14-16 ESV
  1. The Father gave the elect to Jesus, Jesus shed His blood for THEM!  John 10:24-29 ESV
  1. John 17:1-12 ESV
  1. Revelation 5:9-10 ESV