Why would Jesus die for them who are not His sheep? He is the Good Shepherd that is why He dies for His sheep. He would not die for the thieves and robbers, and for the wolves. Why would He?
My initial thinking regarding the scriptures you cited is that, they are misused or taken out of context. Perhaps too, it's because of a narrow understanding of what the life and death of Christ is about.
Tong
R0074
You say that I am being "narrow" when I present all those passages that say that Jesus is the "
propitiation for our sins: and not for our sins only, but also for the sins of the whole world." 1 Jn. 2:2.
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Jn. 3:16. God,
"is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:9."
Jesus died on the Cross for the sins of the
WHOLE WORLD (this is separate from just the sins of believers), Jesus gave the offer of eternal life to the
WORLD that
WHOSOEVER BELIEVES...
not ONLY THE SHEEP...
The Lord is
NOT WILLING that
ANY should perish...
Yet you take one passage out of context and say that Jesus
ONLY DIED FOR THE SHEEP! And you say that I am being too "narrow?"
When is comes to Atonement
effectual, yes, Jesus died only for the Sheep, because only the Sheep benefit directly! Who here has denied it?
Yet, Scripture is plain and clear that the Atonement is for all...
potentially, and conditionally.
In John chapter 10, Jesus tells us in His discourse,
"I am the door; IF ANYONE enters through Me, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture." (V.9).
If ANYONE enters the door through Jesus Christ, he shall be saved; they will become Sheep!
Jesus defines who the Sheep are; What constitutes a "Sheep"?
Verse 27,
"My Sheep hear (present active) My voice, and I know them, and they follow (present active) Me." Who is a Sheep? Only those who presently are hearing and following the Shepard! Being a Sheep is not some state existing in the past, but only in the present! Jesus said so!
To many in the crowd that Jesus is speaking to that did not believe, Jesus
did not say,
"The Shepard does not give His life for you!"
Jesus reasons with them saying,
"If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do them, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father." (verses 37, 38). Why? To what end does Jesus appeal to unbelievers that they should "believe" and "understand"? Was Jesus acting like an arrogant petulant Child saying, "Nah! Nah! You aren't getting to Heaven!" Or is it obvious by what He declared in verse 9 and 27 that Jesus wants those He speaks to, to
BECOME SHEEP?
You cannot rip Jesus out of context and defy all other inspired Scriptures and be teaching that the Atonement is limited, and still say that is what the Bible teaches!