The Sleight of hand

Originally posted on January 16, 2007 – by Andre Piet

One of the objections from the orthodox camp aimed at undermining the message of universal vivification is that “all” does not always mean “all” in the absolute sense.

I just read something like that again on a weblog. There’s nothing inherently wrong with the objection itself, of course—but unfortunately for our opponents… it proves nothing. For instance, it is argued that 1 Cor. 15:22 (“…for even as, in Adam, all are dying, thus also, in Christ, shall all be vivified…”) does not refer to all people because in the preceding verses Paul is speaking about believers. So what?, I think. What does that change about the statement in verse 22?

It is also argued: Paul is making a comparison between all who are in Adam and all who are in Christ. All in Adam refers to all people without exception, but all in Christ refers to a selection, namely, the believers… so goes the reasoning. But don’t be fooled: this is nothing more than a cheap sleight of hand!

Paul does NOT write about “all in Christ,” but about “in Christ all.” Let that difference sink in deeply. Simply shifting the word “all” by one position changes the entire sentence! Just like “not all” means something entirely different from “all not.”

In Adam all are dying, and in Christ all shall be made alive. Twice the same “all.” That is what Paul writes.

By swapping the position of the word “all,” people try to convince us that Christ’s resurrection has far less impact than Adam’s transgression. Adam ate from the forbidden fruit, and through that one offense, all people were appointed as sinners and mortals. Note: appointed (see Romans 5:18, 19). It is not a voluntary choice. It is predetermined that, as soon as we are born, we are mortal and sinful. We do not choose this—we are born that way. Well then, does anyone really believe that when it comes to justification and vivification, God would suddenly make it depend on our choice?

No—according to the apostle Paul, that too is a matter of being appointed (see again Romans 5:19). To be a sinner and mortal “in Adam” is a given fact. The same applies to justification and vivification. Well, yes, “each in his own class” — but nevertheless, the guarantee stands.

If Christ would not encompass all people (as is the case with Adam), then He would wrongly be called “the last Adam” (1 Corinthians 15:46). He would fall far short of matching the patriarch of the now six billion living people. If Adam, through one single act, brought the entire human race into sin and death, while Christ’s resurrection would have a far lesser reach… what a shocking disqualification that would be of Him—of Whom the apostle argues in Romans 5 that He is “much more” than Adam (5:15,17)!

At the end of Christ’s eonian reign (= reign throughout the ages), death, the last enemy, will be abolished. Death will be swallowed up in victory. Death shall be no more… simply because all will have been made alive. The Life that was brought to light when the Firstfruit rose from the grave will become the portion of all those billions who are mortal in Adam. No human being excluded.

Delen: