Allow me to resate the possible contradiction.
First, while I see Jesus' ministry taking place in a time bound world, I don't think His mission was necessarily evolving.
Joh 5:30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.
Some christians think this verse says Jesus will accomplish a specific task, that being
salvation of
His people.
Matthew 1:21
(NASB) "She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins."
Some christians claim Jesus death was only for the elect, and this verse seems to uphold their position. They don't see the mission of Christ as evolutionary but as part of a covenant God made with
His people, wether they be Jews, Greeks, gentiles or inuits. Men like Calvin, Augustine, Bahnsen, White and Horton take this view.
John Gill takes this view;
By "his people" whom he is said to save are meant, not all mankind, though they are his by creation and preservation, yet they are not, nor will they be all saved by him spiritually and eternally; nor also the people of the Jews, for though they were his nation, his kinsmen, and so his own people according to the flesh, yet they were not all saved by him; many of them died in their sins, and in the disbelief of him as the Messiah: but by them are meant all the elect of God, whether Jews or Gentiles, who were given to him by his Father, as a peculiar people, and who are made willing in the day of his power upon them, to be saved by him in his own way.
However, some christians claim Jesus didn't bring salvation to only His people, but to the whole world, and that all now have a chance to choose Christ. They use this verse as their support;
1John 2:2
(LITV) And He Himself is the propitiation relating to our sins, and not relating to ours only, but also relating to all the world.
They claim Jesus died for the sins of all mankind. That Jesus death makes salvation available to all. Men like Finney, Wesley, Arminius, the pope and Crouch take this view.
Scofield takes this view;
1Jo 2:2 -
propitiation
(Greek, "hilasmos", "that which propitiates").
(See Scofield) - (Rom_3:25).
the sins
Omit words "the sins".
world
Greek, "kosmos", means "mankind".
(See Scofield) - (Mat_4:8).
The possible contradiction is a most serious one, that has served to create a huge schism in christianity. Even the scholars contradict each other on the very interpretations of these two passages, not to mention the very passages themselves. As somebody who is trying to understand all sides (so as not to misrepresent either), I just wondered how they worked together, being that Jesus surely accomplished His purpose.
If you would rather move on, I will understand. and I won't bother with it any longer as well.
God bless,
william
