Questions & Answers about Primitive Baptists
by Elder Tim McCool
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What do Primitive Baptists believe about John 3:16? (continued)
For example, in Lk. 2:1, the writer declares that Caesar Augustus sent out a decree that "all the world should be taxed". Obviously, Caesar did not send tax collectors to pre-North America to collect taxes from the native Indians. Rather, he taxed the "world" that was under his jurisdiction. Jesus Christ could not have died for the general population of the world because that is not the "world" under consideration. Also, this would have contradicted the promise of Christ that ALL of His children would never perish (Jn. 10:28). If Christ offered Himself for all the inhabitants of the world, then according to His promise, all the inhabitants of the world would be housed in heaven. On the contrary, Christ declared that He had power over ALL mankind, for the purpose of giving life to "as many as thou hast given him" (Jn. 17:2), and not all the inhabitants of the world. This relates to that innumerable host of children that God the Father foreknew, predestinated, called, justified and glorified in His Son (Rom. 8:29-30). The world that God created was good in God's eyes (Gen. 1:1) until mankind defiled that world with sin. God so loved this created order that He sent His Son to die for whosoever believes in Him. Obviously, this is a factual statement and not a non-contextual offer.
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