Daniel Tossanus Disputation on Adam and Christ (Part 3)
Disputatio Theologica: De illo loco d. Pauli 1 Cor 15:22. Sicut in Adam omnes moriuntur: Ita et in Christo omnes vivificabuntur: Et de hac quaestione: An Christus pro omnibus sit mortuus?
Original Latin. Part 1. Part 2.
21. For an innumerable theological absurdities follow from such teaching, among these being: [1] that Christ died for no purpose and without any reward for many. [2] Moreover, the efficacy of Christ’s death is able to be rendered ineffective by people. [3] Moreover, with respect to Christ, there is no distinction between the elect and reprobate if Christ effectually died for both. [4] Moreover, Christ died for all sins, but not the sin of unbelief, which is, nevertheless, the greatest of sins, and the root of all others. [5] Moreover, Christ died for past sins, but not for future ones, at least the future sin of unbelief.
22. This teaching also wars with very clear places of Scripture. Is. 53:11: “By his knowledge my servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.” Christ was raised and confirmed a covenant for many in one week, not promiscuously for all, but for those who perceive his grace, as the Apostle teaches in Rom. 5. Similarly, Matt. 1:21: “He will save his people from their sins.” Also, John 10:15: “I give my life for the sheep.” And ch. 17: For them I sanctify myself; As was interpreted beforehand: For those who believe, and whom the Father gave to him. Also, in Rom 3, Paul testifies that those for whom Christ died are justified, saved by his blood, and reconciled. Also, in Eph 5:26. Christ gave himself for her, namely the church: which he simultaneously sanctified and to whom he gave salvation as his body. v. 23
23. So, in Titus 2:14, Paul joins the benefit of redemption with the benefit of sanctification: he who ([Paul] says) gave himself for us in order to redeem us from all iniquity, and to purify for himself a special people zealous for good works. And 1 Pet. 1: having been redeemed by the precious blood of Christ, who was indeed ordained before the foundation of the world but made manifest in these last times for us, who through him believe in God, having purified your souls, having been born again not from mortal seed, etc.
24. Given that these things are so obvious, and from these principles we get that article of faith, I believe in the church, that is, that there is a certain society whom the Lord from eternity chose in Christ for whom Christ gave himself, whom he freely called through the preaching of the gospel and his Spirit, to whom he gives faith, which is particular for the elect, so that afterwards he might give to that society the inheritance of the kingdom of heaven, our adversaries are not able to deny this without great and pernicious error or perhaps by an extraordinary desire to quarrel.[1]
25. But they allege certain other passages of Scripture clearly because they ignore the true point of controversy, as when they bring up chapter 5 of the epistle of Romans: “Christ died for the ungodly.” This does not mean that Christ died for all the ungodly efficaciously—even dying for the reprobate—but as Paul himself interprets this language, he died for us, even while we were still sinners: and previous to us having been called to the knowledge of it, as Paul says in 1 Tim. 1, Christ Jesus came into the world in order to save sinners, of whom I am the chief, “who beforehand was a blasphemer,” etc.
26. In this same way, we ought to understand that passage in 2 Cor. 5: “If one died for all, it follows that all died, and that he died for all, that they who live should not hereafter live for themselves, but for him who died for them.” This certainly cannot be said about the reprobate and unbelieving seeing that they do not live for Christ!
27. The other passage which pertains to those universal ones is Col. 1:2, it pleased God to reconcile to himself all things through him, whether the things on earth or in heaven. The Apostle himself restricts these to the whole body of the church, v. 18 and 21, to those who were once estranged made holy and blameless before God, just as in Eph 1:10. He unites all things in Christ in himself, in whom also we have been gathered, seeing that we had been predestined according to his decree.
28. At the same time, the Apostle rightly uses those particular universals [or universal passages?] in order to distinguish the New Testament church from the Old Testament one and to highlight the greatness of that grace which is not only offered to Jews but also to all the nations through the preaching of the Gospel.
29. But just as it is certain that on account of human sin and unbelief the promises of God or efficacy of grace is not impeded, so again it is apparent that those promises require faith, and from the council and ordination of God, the things promised pertain to those who are the sons of promise and the sons of Abraham not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit, as the Apostle teaches in Rom. 9 and Christ teaches in John 6. This is the will of him who sent me, that whatever he has given to me, I will not lose. Similarly, so that they who believe in the Son might have eternal life.
30. Again, they cite from 1 John 2, that Christ is the propitiation for the sins of the world; and similarly, from 2 Pet 2, that false teachers denied Christ who purchased them. From these texts they wish to conclude that he died efficaciously for all the ungodly. But one cannot conclude this except against such clear passages of Scripture as the ones produced by us above. And this [conclusion] plainly makes a mockery of Christ and renders his death vain and purposeless; to believe that Christ died effectually for all, and that he brought them to the same place; that by the blood of Christ they are washed who never feel the efficacy of his death and always remain impure and morally unclean. Nor is the blood of the covenant able to be called the blood of Christ if it had been poured out for those who have not been embraced by that divine covenant.
[1] Rom. 8. Eph. 1. Tit. 1.