by B. B. Warfield
in ePub, .mobi, .pdf & PRINT formats
How many people will be saved? How many people will be left? The answers to these questions often constitute an objection to the goodness of God.Why doesn't God save everyone? Warfield’s essay on the subject addresses these issues relating to the doctrine of salvation. It also includes a biblical study of election and reprobation, and comprehensively addresses and impoirtant theological objection to Christianity.
B. B. Warfield held a very optimistic view of the number of the saved on the last day. “The dicta probantia, relied upon for the establishment of this dogma of the fewness of the saved, are, as will have been observed from the instances cited, ordinarily these four: Mat. 7:14f; Luke 13:23f; Mat. 20:16; 22:14.” But “a scrutiny of these passages will make it sufficiently apparent that they do not form an adequate basis for the tremendous conclusion which has been founded on them.” Warfield explains:
What [Jesus] says is directed to inciting His hearers to strenuous effort to make their calling and election sure, rather than to revealing to them the final issue of His saving work in the world…. We can always learn from these passages that salvation is difficult and that it is our duty to address ourselves to obtaining it with diligence and earnest effort. We can never learn from them how many are saved.
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