Double Payment

It goes like this: If Jesus died for all, and yet not all are saved, hell will be full of people for whom Jesus died. He did not only suffer for their sins they too will have to suffer for the very same sins.

This objection is a fallacy posed by those who advocate limit to the extent of Christ’s Atonement.

Answer # 1.

The Bible does not only speak of severity of punishment but it also implies double payment. It says,

How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? (Heb. 10:29, NIV-UK).

In this passage, the blood of the covenant speaks for the death and suffering of Christ for his people. But the same passage warns his audience (the people) of a punishment that is more severe reserved for those who trample on Christ’s death and suffering.

Answer #2.

Double Payment objection works only if the transaction is commercial (also called pecuniary) where the payment is quid pro quo (something for something) which is not in this case because here we are talking about the penal satisfaction of God’s wrath against the sin of the whole world where the only payment is Christ’s death (one-to-many) and the benefit applies only to those whom God chose to pardon or promised to give Christ before the foundation of the world. The atonement of Christ, therefore is efficient only for the elect and double payment will only be valid if they are the ones who will suffer in hell.

Answer #3.

Calvin did not seem to mind double payment. In his Commentary in Acts 4:12, he speaks of being twice damned for refusing the salvation offered them by God,

Neither is there salvation in any other. He passeth from the species [salvation] unto the genus, [or more particular,] and he goeth from the corporal benefit unto perfect health, [or general.] And assuredly Christ had showed this one token of his grace, to the end he might be known to be the only author of life. We must consider this in all the benefits of God, to wit, that he is the fountain of salvation. And he meant to prick and sting the priests with this sentence, when as he saith that there is salvation in none other save only in Christ, whom they went about to put quite out of remembrance. AS IF HE SHOULD SAY, THAT THEY ARE TWICE DAMNED WHO DID NOT ONLY REFUSE THE SALVATION OFFERED THEM BY GOD, but endeavor to bring the same to nought, and did take from all the people the fruit and use thereof. And although he seemeth to speak unto deaf men, yet doth he preach of the grace of Christ, if peradventure some can abide to hear; if not, that they may at least be deprived of all excuse by this testimony.

Now with regards to Heb. 10:29, Calvin said God is closing the way of salvation against those who spurn the Holy Spirit by willful disregard of God’s grace.

For he it is who enlightens our minds by faith, who seals the adoption of God on our hearts, who regenerates us unto newness of life, who grafts us into the body of Christ, that he may live in us and we in him. He is therefore rightly called the Spirit of grace, by whom Christ becomes ours with all his blessings. But to do despite to him, or to treat him with scorn, by whom we are endowed with so many benefits, is an impiety extremely wicked. Hence LEARN THAT ALL WHO WILLFULLY RENDER USELESS HIS GRACE, by which they had been favored, act disdainfully towards the Spirit of God. It is therefore no wonder that God so severely visits blasphemies of this kind; it is no wonder that he shows himself inexorable towards those who tread under foot Christ the Mediator, who alone reconciles us to himself; it is no wonder that he closes up the way of salvation against those who spurn the Holy Spirit, the only true guide.

Contrary to what “Limiters” would have us believe, the Bible does not speak of Christ dying only for the elect. Instead we read from he Scriptures that Christ died for all to effect the salvation of many sons to glory (the elect).

But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honour because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. (Heb 2:9-10)