THE PHRASE "ALL MEN" IN THE SCRIPTURES

 

March 21st, 1866.

“And if I be lifted up from the earth? I will draw all men unto me” John 19.32.

That Christ should be lifted up from the Earth as mediator between God and man. And make reconciliation for sin. The Scriptures fully testify. He was verily foreordained before the foundation of the world, to die for the redemption and eternal salvation of the people whom God the Father gave unto him. Their sins he bore on his own body. On the tree of the cross. Justice is fully satisfied in every attribute of God and fully harmonizes and the deliverance Jesus Christ gives to his chosen people. Every obstacle, therefore, is removed so as to open up the way for God to freely give all spiritual blessings promised through the Lord Jesus Christ, “his divine power had given us all things that pertain to life and godliness“  II Peter 1.3. These precious gifts are a certain and sure effects of Christ being lifted up and crucified. He will assuredly draw all men unto him, is the sense of the text. The term men in the text is a supplied word, and even if it were not, the general scope and tense of Scripture, forbid us to think or believe that it embraces all the natural progeny of Adam, or any more of Jews or Gentiles in Christ will finally draw unto him. This drawing to him plenty signifies the certain salvation of all the elect, whether Jews or Gentiles. Who in their sins are far from God by wicked works, far from life and peace, far from righteousness and justification, and therefore must be drawn by him who alone has the right of ademption, as well as the love, power, wisdom, and grace, to bring them to God his own righteousness. And just present a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or sin or guilt or any such thing. Ephesians 5.27. 

Thus of every kindred and tongue embraced in the redemption, he will lose none. But at the last day, with triumphant delight, “Behold I and the children which God has given me” Hebrews 2.13. These are all men that will be drawn to Christ in their desires and affections by his own grace, because they have no will or power naturally to come to Him until a new heart is given them. These are the children of God's promise and the declaration of Christ, that I will draw them unto him, and shall be a sufficient guarantee that the promise is sure to all the seed. The promise of him who has all power in heaven and earth, and by whom all things consist, can never be anything else but sure. All the wisdom, justice, righteousness, truth, and power to make his promise sure are in his own hands, and he will accomplish it.

What? Though all his people are gone astray and dead in sins, He seeks them out and quickens whom He will John 5.21. He gives eternal life to all his sheep, and they shall never perish. They are made alive, brought to repentance, and believe in him, and the whole work of their salvation from first to last is ascribed to him. Just so sure as he was lifted up from the earth by the Determinate Council and foreign knowledge of God, just so sure will he draw all his chosen people of every nation to him. The term all and all men. But seldom in the scriptures mean every individual of the human race. Sometimes it signifies all of a certain class in distinction from another class, and sometimes it signifies all of a certain rank or condition of men as kings, subjects, Jews, Gentiles, high, low, rich, poor, bond, and free. When it is said, he will draw all men unto him, it is hereby signified that God is no respecter of persons. In the sense which the Jews were prone to think he was. 

Thus they claimed, by virtue of their natural descent, all the blessings and privileges of the Gospel Kingdom. To disabuse their minds and to show that these blessings were not confined alone to them and the phrase all men and all the world are frequently introduced by Christ and his apostles. Sometimes God's elect among the Gentile nations are called the “world” and the “whole world.” Even when the same elect people among the Jews are not included. See Romans 9.12 -15; 1 John 2.2; And II Corinthians 5.19. God is no respecter of persons in the bestowal of his grace, that is, he does not bestow his grace upon a king simply because he is a king over men, or upon a poor beggar, because he is poor, nor upon a Jew because he is a Jew, nor a Gentile because he is a Gentile, but he considered all his people under sin, that he might have mercy upon all in the same way.

 And let us notice a few scriptures where the term all men occur and see if there's anything favoring the broad application frequently given by the advocates of the general atonement system. In Luke 13.17 it is said “all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things done by him.” Now this included none but his friends. For in the same verse it is said, that all his adversaries were ashamed. Some of the Jews said to John that “all men” come to Christ, John 3.26. This is a similar expression to that in the text at the head of this article, But yet those who used it never designed to apply it to the same extent as embracing all the elect of God throughout the world to the end of time.

As sold to their possessions and goods, and parted them to “all men, as every man had need” Acts 2.45. Who would be so foolish as to say that these primitive and warm-hearted saints parted their earthly goods to all of Adam's race and to every man of them? Yet it might be said with much propriety and scriptural harmony, as to say to Jesus Christ draws them “all” to him in a way of pardon and salvation. In the healing of the cripple by Peter and John had said, “all men glorified God for that which was done.” Yet in the same connection are some spoken who charged these apostles not to teach at all, nor speak in the name of Jesus, Acts 4.21. Again, many of them also which used curious arts, brought their books together and burned them “before all men,” Acts 19.19. This certainly refers to about a small remnant of the human family. Millions of men were dead before these wicked books were burned, and millions then living were not present, and still millions more were yet unborn. Yet it is said to be before all men because it was publicly done before all classes, ages and conditions of men.

Now commands “all men everywhere to repent” Act 17.30. If this command of God is simply a legal repentance or outward moral reformation, then it applies in the broadest sense to all intelligent human beings. But if it is the repentance which Christ has exalted as a Prince and a savior to give, then it does not extend beyond the purpose of merits of that redemption and forgiveness of sins which are in Him. Precisely the same phrase is used in Acts 21.28. This is the man that teaches “all men” everywhere against the people and the law and this place. Did Paul teach all men or every individual of Adam's race?

I am apprised that these references may be rather dry and formal, but they are introduced to show that it will not do to be governed by the mere sound of a word without regard to the general connection of Scripture. If Christ has or will draw “all men” unto him in the broadest sense of that term, that is all the human family where it is, where is the evidence that it has or will be done? By far the greater portion of even those professing goodness do not claim to have come to him as the only ground of their hope and acceptance with God. They simply claim that Christ has offered salvation conditionally, and that they can accept or reject it at pleasure. Thus their ground of hope is the volition of the depraved human will. But those whom he draws to him are drawn away from all confidence in the flesh or any human agency.

They that believe on his name “are born, and not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, but of God.” They are taught of God to believe, both by his word and by experience, that it is not of him that wills or him that runs, but of God that shows mercy. They are drawn away from sin and the love and practice of sinful pleasures in which ungodly men so much delight. In short, they are not of the world in their views of the gospel doctrine. even as he who has drawn them to him is not of this world. Many who possess to be disciples of Christ turn away their ears from the truth, and are so much opposed to the proclamation of the gospel truth that they have heaped to themselves, teachers after their own lusts. But those who are drawn to Christ love the truth. They have no life spiritually, but Christ, no righteousness but his, no comfort but from him, nor any hope of acceptance with God but in and through him. He is all and in all, the first and the last in their salvation. But I must include my mind is quite barren this morning. What is written, I fear, will not be unto edification my love to All Saints. 

William M. Mitchell

March 21, 1866