Calvin:

God seeks the salvation of all men:

1) He says that whether GOD’s word bring life or death to men, yet it always a good and sweet savor before GOD. True it is that God’s word of itself (as it shall be declared more fully hereafter) is always the savor of life . For what is it that God aims at, if we consider his word in its own nature? The calling of men back to the end that they may be saved. And yet for all that, we see by experience that it is an odor and savor of death, insomuch as the wicked ate are strangled and choked with it, as soon as they do but take the scent or smell of it. They need not to taste of it nor to eat of it: if they do but take the scent of it a great way, it is poison to them, so that is the devil carries them away, and they fall to fretting and chafing against GOD: and all to their own destruction. And do we see that God’s word turns into occasion of death, to a great number of men? Yet must we be of good cheer, says St. Paul. And why? Because it is a good and sweet savor unto God, when men are made inexcusable.

But now let us come to declare how God’s word tends unto life, and how it has that property: notwithstanding that men through their own wickedness, do turn it into their deadly condemnation. This is sufficiently expressed in that it is said, That Moses sent a message of peace to Sihon King of the Ammorites. His desire then is to abstain from all annoyance, if Sehon could abide it. Now let us see to what end the Gospel is preached, and after what manner. What else is contained in it, but that God intends to be reconciled to the world, and says St. Paul in the fifth of the second to the Corinthians (2 Cor 5:20)? In as much then as GOD sends us tidings of peace, so as his desire is to show himself a father to all such as yield themselves teachable unto him, and our Lord Jesus Christ is offered to us as the means to bring us again into the love and favor of our God: it is surely a message of peace. And in deed, the Gospel is so entitled, and not without cause. True it is that the law also was a message of peace (Ephes. 6:15), as in respect of the promises: if we look upon the law strictly, as Saint Paul speaks divers times of it (Roms 4:15): it will be a very message of wrath. But if we look upon the promises that were made to the fathers of old time: even from the beginning of the world, God’s will was that sinners should know his mercy, and come unto him. And for that cause it is said that Jesus Christ brings peace, both to them that are afar off, and to them that are near hand, as says Saint Paul to the Ephesians: and he will have it be preached through the whole world (Eph. 2:17), that God’s only desire is to hold us in his love.

Thus we see how we may find salvation in the Gospel. Now then we see, that God’s word considered in itself, is a commission of peace, furthering us to be joined and made one with him, so as we may call upon him and rest in his goodness. And the means to have this word redound to our salvation, is this, if we can receive it as we ought to do, according as Saint Paul treats thereof in the first to the Romans (Rom. 1:16). And therefore Ministers thereof must have this consideration with them: Behold, GOD sends me: and what puts he in my mouth? Peace, to offer it unto all men, and to the end that even the wicked should be partakers of the same message and understand that GOD seeks them. But yet for all that, we know that this message cannot profit all men. What must it do then? It must make men inexcusable. For what can be said to it, if God handle men out of hand as they deserve? Calvin, Sermons on Deuteronomy, Sermon 13, Deut., 3:14-29, pp., 77-78.

Christ sent for the salvation of the world:

1) Here Peter makes special mention of the high priest. He mentions the entire priestly family; he mentions the elders of the people, the scribes and rulers, as if to say, ‘These are all those who have spiritual authority of the church, who are enemies and adversaries of God.’ It is true Peter does well to use these honourable titles at the outset of when he calls them ‘rulers of the people and elders of Israel’, but then he adds, ‘You are enemies of God, you who crucified the author of life, you who rejected the salvation of the world, you who did all you could to hinder the advancement of the kingdom of God.  John Calvin, Sermons on Acts 1-7, Sermon 10, Acts 4:5-12, p., 132.

2) Luke also adds that they took counsel how they might kill the apostles. Such is the ingratitude unbelievers offer those who bring them the gospel. When God’s servants proclaim that God’s Son came into the world to bring all men salvation, men are so ungrateful that they gnash their teeth against the teaching and try to kill those who seek to help them in this way. John Calvin, Sermons on Acts 1-7, Sermon 21, Acts 5:33-35, 38-39, p., 277.

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Preston:

Free Grace Magnified

Revel. 22: 17

Let him that is a thirst come, and whosoever will let him take the waters of life freely.

Not to stand to open the words, we may observe in them five parts.

First, and offer to all men.

Secondly, that God calls and invites us to come.

Thirdly, that if they so come they shall take of the water of life.

Fifthly, and that freely.

I purpose at this time to speak of the second, viz,. ‘That God invites man to come.’

The point we will deliver is not of controversy we rather decline, but a point of singular and great comfort, and that is that glorious Gospel which Paul did so much magnify, that mystery the Angels did so much labor to pry into, that secret that was so much kept from the Jews, and revealed in due time to the Gentiles, and that is the offer of Christ to all men in the world, that would take him without all exceptions of persons of sins, God does not only or merely offer Christ, but sends out his Ministers and Ambassadors, beseeching us to be reconciled, he does not only tell us that there is a Marriage of his Son, and that whosoever will come may come, but he sends Messengers to beseech, and to use an holy violence and earnest persuasion; and not only thus, but he commands men and charges upon their allegiance to come, “this commandment,” says the Apostle, “that you believe on him whom he has sent,” yea he charges us upon death and damnation o come, “If you believe you shall be saved. If yo believe not you shall¹ be Damned.”

Reas. 1.

The first reason of this is, because God would not have the death of his Son to be of none effect, he would not have the blood of his Son spilt in vain, and therefore he does not make a bare offer of Christ, but he beseeches and compels men to come and believe on him: Saint Paul uses the same reason why he would not preach with elegant words, because then he should convert none to Christ, and if none be converted to Christ, “the death of Christ would be in vain and of none effect,” to say I, if God did not send out his messengers to beseech and persuade and command men to believe, the death of Christ would be in vain.

Reas. 2.

The second reason is to show forth the riches of God’s mercy and the abundance of his love to mankind, the same motives he had to give Christ, the same motive he has to entreat men to believe, and this is his love, and he shows to the elect, that they might know the greatness and largeness of his love to them, and to the wicked, that the glory of his justice might appear in their damnation, when they shall see that they have displeased and despised so gracious an offer.

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Burkitt:

MY little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2 And he is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

Observe here. The compellation. First, My little children. The apostle calls the Christians lo whom he wrote. Children, little children; his little children. He calls them Children, because converted to Christianity; little children, because young and lender Christians, of a low stature in religion, and far short of manly perfections; and his little children, to denote that spiritual relation which was between him and them, and that endeared affection which he bare towards them. St. John, by a loving compellation, makes way for a faithful admonition, which follows in the next words: These things I "write, that ye sin not. This must be understood in a qualified sense, thus: 1. Sin not, that is, as the wicked sin; take heed of scandalous enormities, though you cannot shake off daily infirmities. 2. Sin not, as in the same kind that others sin, so neither in the same manner that you yourselves before sinned; sin not with that fullness of deliberation, with that freedom of consent, sin not with that strength of resolution, with that frequency of action, with which you sinned before you were called to Christianity. 3. Sin not: that is, as fur as human nature will admit, abstain from all sin; let it be your care, prayer, study, endeavor, to keep yourselves from every evil thing. Thus Zachary and Elisabeth were blameless, Luke i. 6, that is, they lived in no sin known to the world, or known to themselves; so it is said of Job, ch. i. alt. he sinned not, that is, had no sin prevailing in him; no sin indulged by him. Observe, 3. As the cautionary direction, sin not: so the comfortable conclusion, but if any man sin, that is, through infirmity and weakness, through the policy of the tempter, or by the surprise of a temptation, we have an advocate, a mediator, and an intercessor in heaven, who is absolutely sinless, even Jesus Christ the righteous. It is a metaphor taken from courts of judicature, where are the guilty person, the accuser, the judge, and the advocate: thus here heaven is the court, man is the guilty person, Satan the accuser, God the judge, Christ the advocate. The proper office of an advocate is, not to deny the fact, or disown the guilt, but to offer something to the judge, whereby the law may be satisfied, and upon which the judge may, without any unrighteousness, discharge the accused. Observe, 4. An invaluable privilege here discovered, that Christ our advocate became a propitiation for us, and for the whole race of mankind, for all that lived before us, or shall live alter us, for Jews and Gentiles: there is a virtual sufficiency in the death of Christ for all persons, and an actual efficacy as to all believers. Learn hence, That our Lord Jesus Christ, suffering death upon the cross for our redemption, did by that one oblation of himself once offered, make a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, oblation and satisfaction, for the sins of the whole world. The original word propitiation, signifies a propitiatory covering, an allusion to the mercy-seat that covered (he ark, in which the law was. In allusion to which, Christ is here called our propitiatory covering, because he hides our sins, the transgressions of the law, from his Father’s sight.

William Burkitt, Expository Notes With Practical Observations on the New Testament (Philadelphia: Published by Thomas Wardle, 1835), 2:767-758. [Italics original; underlining mine.]

Chrysostom:

Sins of “the Many” as opposed to all:

Ver. 28. “So Christ was once offered.” By whom offered? evidently by Himself. Here he says that He is not Priest only, but Victim also, and what is sacrificed. On this account are [the words] “was offered.” “Was once offered” (he says) “to bear the sins of many.” Why “of many,” and not “of all”? Because not all believed. For He died indeed for all, that is His part: for that death was a counterbalance against the destruction of all men. But He did not bear the sins of all men, because they were not willing. And what is [the meaning of] “He bare the sins”? Just as in the Oblation we bear up our sins and say, “Whether we have sinned voluntarily or involuntarily, do Thou forgive,” that is, we make mention of them first, and then ask for their forgiveness. So also was it done here. Where has Christ done this? Hear Himself saying, “And for their sakes I sanctify Myself.” (John xvii.19.) Lo! He bore the sins. He took them from men, and bore them to the Father; not that He might determine anything against them [mankind], but that He might forgive them. “Unto them that look for Him shall He appear” (he says) “the second time without sin unto salvation.” What is “without sin”? it is as much as to say, He sinneth not. For neither did He die as owing the debt of death, nor yet because of sin. But how “shall He appear”? To punish, you say. He did not however say this, but what was cheering; “shall He appear unto them that look for Him, without sin unto salvation.” So that for the time to come they no longer need sacrifices to save themselves, but to do this by deeds. Chrysostom, “Homilies on the Gospel of St. John and the Epistles to the Hebrews,” in The Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, 14:447-448.

Sins of the world:

1) 2. On this account I trust that there may be a good hope; for God will not disdain to look upon such earnestness and zeal, nor will He suffer his servant to return without success. I know that when he has barely seen our pious Emperor, and been seen by him, he will be able at once by his very countenance to allay his wrath. For not only the words of the saints, but their very countenances are full of grace. And he is a person too endowed with abundant wisdom; and being well skilled in the divine laws, he will say to him as Moses said to God, “Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin;—and if not, slay me together with them.” For such are the bowels of the saints, that they think death with their children sweeter than life without them. He will also make the special season his advocate and shelter himself behind the sacred festival of the Passover; and will remind the Emperor of the season when Christ remitted the sins of the whole world. He will exhort him to imitate his Lord. He will also remind him of that parable of the ten thousand talents, and the hundred pence. I know the boldness of our father, that he will not hesitate to alarm him from the parable, and to say, “Take heed lest thou also hear it said in that day, ‘O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desirest me; you ought also to forgive thy fellow-servants!’ Thou dost

to thyself a greater benefit than them, since by pardoning these few offences thou gainest an amnesty for greater.” To this address he will add that prayer, which those who initiated him into the sacred mystery taught him to offer up, and say, “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” Chrysostom, “On the Priesthood; Ascetic Treatises; Select Homilies and Letters; Homilies on the Statutes,” in The Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, 9:355.

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