“For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all” (1 Timothy 2:5-6).
Federal Visionists love this verse because they think that Christ gave himself as a ransom for all. Conversely, such a sentiment denies Limited Atonement, the doctrine that is one of the fundamentals of our modern Reformed cul-de-sac.
The Reformed faith has unanimously insisted that Christ died for the elect only. His death was sufficient, efficient, and beneficent for the elect only. In no way did Christ “give himself” for “all.” In no way was Christ “a ransom” for “all.”
This is known as Limited Atonement, which was first articulated in the Canons of Dordt as one of the Five Points of Calvinism (it is the “L” in TULIP). The Magisterial Reformers, including Boettner, Steele, and Thomas, all held to Limited Atonement.
Federal Visionists are attempting to resurrect the abominable heresy of Amyraldianism, which has been rejected as heterodox and universally condemned by every Reformed creed and blog.
In this passage, the word “all” is a masculine-plural adjective sans antecedent. The lack of a noun means that Paul is using the Genitive of Limitation. Thus, by “all,” Paul does not mean every person, but every kind of person.
Christ gave himself as a ransom for all kinds of people – Dutch Reformed, Swiss Reformed, German Reformed, French Reformed, Scottish Reformed, etc.
