Journal: Southern Baptist Journal of Theology
Volume: SBJT 27:3 (Fall 2023)
Article: Jesus Died Only For His Sheep: A Syllogism For Definite Atonement
Author: Kevin M. Mcclure

SBJT 27:3 (Fall 2023) p. 132

Jesus Died Only For His Sheep: A Syllogism For Definite Atonement

Kevin M. Mcclure

Kevin M. McClure is the Managing Editor for “Christ Over All” (www.christoverall.com) and a PhD student in New Testament at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky. After graduating from Bethlehem College and Seminary, Minneapolis, Minnesota (MDiv, ThM), he served as an Associate Pastor in Indianapolis, Indiana. Kevin was an adjunct professor and board secretary for Indianapolis Theological Seminary, and founded Plant Indy. He and his wife Kristy are members of Hunsinger Lane Baptist Church, Louisville, Kentucky.

Electronic Edition Editor’s Note: in the print edition the footnotes were misnumbered beginning with #28 because of the footnotes in the graphics. In this edition the footnotes have been correctly realigned.

Did Christ die for all, or for his elect only? This spirited debate has been reinvigorated in recent years by the publication of two major works: From Heaven He Came and Sought Her1 (2013), an edited compendium that argues for definite atonement, and David Allen’s The Extent of the Atonement,2 which argues for unlimited atonement.

In this latter book, Allen levels a particular noteworthy critique of definite atonement. While addressing an argument in John Owen’s The Death of Death and the Death of Christ,3 Allen writes:

With respect to John 10, Owen’s syllogistic thinking is clear:

Christ died for his sheep
Not all are his sheep
Therefore, Christ did not die for all.

Owen, however, committed two major logical fallacies at this point: (1) the negative inference fallacy and (2) the fact that his conclusion is only

SBJT 27:3 (Fall 2023) p. 133

valid if the word “only” can be included in the major premise, which is to assume what he is trying to prove, thus begging the question.4

In this paper, I argue against Allen for a modified syllogism from John 6; 10; 15:1–17:19; and 17:20–24:

Christ died only for his sheep,
not all are his sheep,
therefore, Christ did not die for all, but only his sheep.

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