We do not consider ourselves to be either Calvinists nor Arminians. We are Independent Baptists. Yet, there are many good and evil men in the Calvinist camp, the Arminian camp, and the camp in between. One might have friends and even enemies in all of these camps, for friendship is not based on 100% or "absolute" doctrinal agreement. (There cannot be any more pleasure, in having one's back stabbed, with absolute agreement, than with partial agreement or even no agreement.) Friendship,  with others, has more to do with the character, respect, attitude,

and charity, which they display or exhibit towards one other. Albeit, doc- trine must play some part at some point in Christian fellowship and friendship.

To whom they are yoked up with, to whom they share church membership, to whom they invite into their pulpits, and with whom they sit  on various platforms is another matter. Moreover, when pressed or challenged in matters of doctrine,  friendships must be put aside to defend and stand for scriptural truth as one sees it.

In this context, we shall consider the word games, which are used to propagate the "Limited Atonement" doctrine, the peak or apex or roof of the "TULIP" hot house.

". . . Christ  died  for  the ungodly . . . while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us . . . when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son . . .so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned . . . Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life."  --Rom.5:6,8,10,12,18

And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. -- John 12:32

I exhort  . . . prayers . . . be made for all men; For kings, and for  all that are in authority . . .  Who will  have  all  men  to  be  saved . . . Who gave himself a ransom  for  all . . . the grace of God that bringeth salvation  hath appeared to all men . . . we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe. --1 Tim. 2:1-11;4:10

The four most hated words in certain TULIP quarters are "all," "every," "world," and "whosoever." The way they circumvent these Bible words is to trick folks into believing that these words mean only the "prospective elect," chosen to be saved before the foundation of the world. The way they play this word game is to direct folks to where "all" does not mean "all" inclusively, such as Acts 19:19 or Acts 21:31, where the word "all" does not mean that every man in the world was witness to their book burning nor was every man in Jerusalem in an uproar, an obvious exager- ration on purpose, according to the accepted rules of language.

A tract ("Election,"by Bob L. Ross) uses 1 Cor 6:12 and 3 John 12, where Paul says "all" things are lawful for him and Demtrius had good report of "all" men to play the game. Such players of this word game, hope, not to win the game but only to "stalemate"  the opposition and remove the force of scripture from the issue.

With but few exceptions "all" always means "all" inclusively, in over eleven hundred New Testament occurrences. Eleven hundred to two, three, or four is not very good odds. Rather than a "stalemate," such word games are  desperate but futile attempts to obviate or make the scriptures of none effect resulting in a linguistic and contextual massacre (in both Greek and English).

Christ clearly died for "lost sinners" and "ungodly enemies," without a single exception. If "all" such have sinned and death and judgement have passed upon "all" men, without a single exception, then the "free gift" came upon all men without a single exception. All men are drawn to Christ, since Christ was lifted up on the cross. Still, many resist, ignore,  or suppress such drawing to their doom and destruction.

If Paul instructs Timothy, to pray for all men and kings, not merely the "elect" men or kings, then the grace of God hath appeared unto all men and Christ was, indeed, a ransom for all men. He then is the Saviour of all men, specially of them that believe! Of course, the above tract (IBID) tells us that he is only a "preserver" of those, who specially believe.

God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that who- soever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. -- John 3:16

. . . the whole world lieth in wickedness.    -- 1 John 5:19

. . . that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.    -- Rom. 3:19

And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.     -- 1 John 2:2

Another hated word, among TULIP word manipulators, is the word "world". They will take you to the place (John 12:19), where the Pharisees complain that the "world" is gone after him, clearly an expression or linguistic overstatement (But then, who would take the word  of a Pharisee, in such matters?). Again, the odds are not very good,  for those who do not realize that the word "world" usually means  all of its people. Would these word manipulators be prepared to say  that the "world" that lieth in wickedness refers to only the "elect"  (1 John 5:19) or that only the "elect" should have there mouths  stopped and become guilty before God (Romans 3:19)? If not, by what linguistic mechanism, do they insist that the "world," in John 3:16, refers to only the elect? Yes, Christ was the propitiation for the elect's sins, but he was also the propitiation for the sins of the WHOLE world.

Bible correcting Word manipulators brush aside the word "whoso- ever," by telling their opposition that the "whosoever wills," are predestined to heaven and the "whosoever won'ts" are predestined to hell. This, of course, is meaningless sophistry without a thus saith the Lord.

That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.  -- John 1:9

Jesus . . . by the grace of God should taste death for every man. -- Heb. 2:9

Bob Ross'  "Election" tract (IBID) tells us that the word "man" is not in the Greek of Hebrews 2:9 and that it means "for every thing or one" (IBID). Unusual scholarship, for a man, who could not recite the Greek alphabet and said that he did not know any Greek (April 1, 1992, in Pensacola, Florida . . . publicly)!  What difference does that make? He did not taste death for every goat.  And then again man is not in the Greek of the verse that he proof-texted his theory with, 3 John 12.

Every man and everyone that comes into the world is lighted by the true light, Jesus Christ. Everyone and all men are drawn to Him. (There has never been a speech or language, where His voice is not heard.) More- over, He tasted death for "every" man, every one of them. Everyone is included, none are excluded, and every man is responsible.

. . . the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many . . . For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. -- Rom. 5:15,19

. . . many be called, but few chosen.  -- Matt. 20:16
 

TULIP word manipulators find comfort in the word "many." They teach that Matthew 20:28 states that Christ gave His life a ransom for the many elect and that Mark 14:24 states that his blood was shed for the many elect. and that Matthew 20:16 refers to the few chosen or elected. If, as such opportunists claim, the "chosen few" are only the "elect," then who are the many "called," if many means elect? Are only few elect chosen of the many elect who are called? Moreover, If Romans 5:15 and 19 are taken in the context of the repeated all's, of Romans 5:1-18, and the many being made righteous, refers only to the "elect" and not "all" men, then did one man's  disobedience make sinners of only the many  "elect" and not make sinners  of all men?  Calvinism is not Bible, it is an unscriptural philosophy.