Romans 5:18 - Calvinism's Black Box

What does the word "all" mean anyway? You know how people like to change the meaning of the word "day" in Genesis to mean whatever will fit with their own idea about the creation and age of the universe?

Well the word "all" suffers the very same abuse at the hands of those who want their theology to define Scripture, instead of the other way around.  There is no doubt that Jesus died for our sins, and if we are to believe the Apostle John; He died not only for our sins, but for the sins of the whole world as well! 1Jn 2:2 and countless other verses teach similar things.

The nuCalvinist will tell you that if Jesus died for the sins of the world then everyone would be saved and that is heresy therefore Jesus must have only died for those chosen by God to be saved - the Elect if I use their terminology.

So I bring up Isa 53:6 ... all we like sheep have gone astray... (we're all sinners) and God has laid on Him the sins of us "all" - of course this verse gets played with to redefine what the passage means... if the Calvinist is familiar with the end of the verse at all that is.

But how do you play with Romans 5:18 to make it fit the Calvinist theological understanding?


Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life.

Look at the phrases. What came to all men? Well Judgment came to all men. The Calvinist has no issue with this little tidbit. But what ELSE came "to" all men? Christ's righteous act came to all men. The Christ's "cross-work" came to all men. Not just to the Elect. And what did it result in? "justification of life."

Does this mean all are saved? No. But it does mean that the Christ's propitiation was for all men, and effectual for all men. Those who believe will be saved, those who do not believe won't be.

Don't believe me? Check the Greek for yourself. The same phrase that means Judgment came to all men, is employed to show that God's provision came to all men. Here's a picture of the verse parsed for you.

Be my guest to tell me how "all" can mean everyone through all time in the first part of this verse the very same word, with the very same morphology, can mean "some of all" at the next part of this verse.