It is always important before attacking an opponent’s position to ascertain what is being defended.  Having answered this question, it is important to ask oneself whether what one’s opponent is defending is something one would defend oneself.  If we can decide that our opponents in any given area of controversy defend some positions related to the controversy that we too would gladly defend, it will give us greater appreciation for our opponent’s position and greater humility in defending our own. 

What then is limited atonement?  To be brief, it is part of the historical acrostic known within Calvinistic circles as TULIP.  It is necessary to remember this since by itself, limited atonement makes little to no sense once separated from the other pieces of the acrostic TULIP.

1. T stands for total depravity.  Total depravity is the idea that all human beings are so alienated from God that they cannot do anything good in order to merit salvation; they cannot do anything that will please God.  This is different from saying that no one can do anything good.  Of course, many people do many good things, but when it comes to being made right with God, we are all bankrupt.  Depravity refers to the fact that when it comes to God, we have a built-in response to God that expresses itself sometimes in outright hatred or just plain boredom. 

2. U stands for unconditional election.  Simply put, this idea is that God chooses those who will receive salvation based not on what they do since they can’t do anything good to merit God’s favor but on the basis of His own free and unforced choice.  This is entirely fair since again, no one can choose God on their own, so God must choose anyone who will participate in salvation. 

3. L is limited atonement.  This idea is that Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Son, paid for all of the sins of those whom God chose to receive salvation. 

4. I stands for irresistible grace.  This means that those whom God chooses to save will in fact not be able or willing to resist God’s initiative in saving them. 

5. Perseverance of the saints, the last part of our acrostic, means that those whom God has chosen will endure till the end of their lives or until Jesus returns, whichever comes first. 

Limited atonement then logically follows if one accepts the first two parts of the TULIP acrostic.  At this point one might say, “Sure, it follows logically, but can it be supported by Scripture?” 

Many passages might be appealed to, but one will suffice for present purposes.  In John 10:11, Jesus says: I am the good shepherd.  The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”  In verses 14-16, Jesus differentiates His sheep from others by the fact that they know Him and He knows them, likening the relationship between Himself and His sheep to that between Himself and His Father.  He goes on to indicate that there are other sheep who are not of the fold that He must also bring into His flock.  (This seems to me to be a clear anticipation of the Gospel going to Gentiles who will then become part of the one flock). 

Verse 26 is crucial to a proper expression of the doctrine of limited atonement.  “You do not believe, because you are not part of my flock.”  He is addressing the religious leaders of His day who wanted to Kill Him.  He does not address them as potential sheep but as those who are not His sheep.  Their not believing is not the cause of their not being His sheep according to this text, but it is exactly the other way around. 

Having stated what limited atonement is and shown from at least one passage of Scripture its plausibility, I end by noting that before one can adequately answer questions related to the nature of the atonement, one must answer the basic question: What is God’s relationship to humankind?  This question too cannot be answered sufficiently until one asks the ultimate question: What is the nature of God?  All parties to this discussion must surely agree that how this question is answered will in large part determine how we answer questions related to human salvation, and more particularly, the extent of the atonement.

Cody Dolinsek is a native of Des Moines Iowa, graduating with his B.A. in Philosophy from Drake University in 2005; Master of Divinity from Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary in Ankeny, Iowa in 2011, and is now currently working on a PhD in Philosophy from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas.  He has been married to his wife Bettina for 17 years.  They have two cats, Guinness who is a grey and white tabby, and Stella who is a black cat.  His wife Bettina is the first blind person in the world to be certified as a CrossFit coach.  Cody's hobbies include reading, listening to all kinds of music with an emphasis on Neil Young, Bob Dylan, and Leonard Cohen.