Bible Truth #266 - 1 Peter 3:18

1 Peter 3:18

For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;

Many Arminians hold to this verse as proof that we have a choice, and it all hinges around one word in the English - might. “...that He might bring us to God,...”

Surely the Arminian is not saying that Christ failed in something He wanted to do? Jesus said that He came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10). As I’ve written before, either the Arminian believes that Jesus lied or He failed. (I contend He saved everyone He intended to save).

The Greek word translated “might bring” is prosago (Strong’s #4317) and it is used only 3 other times in the New Testament. If you will look at each of the other times it is used you will see that there is no hint of the “bringing” not taking place.

Luke 9:41 - And Jesus answered and said, “You unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.”

Acts 16:20 - and when they had brought them to the chief magistrates, they said, “These men are throwing our city into confusion, being Jews,

Acts 27:27 - But when the fourteenth night came, as we were being driven about in the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors began to surmise that they were approaching some land.

Looking at the definitions for the Greek word prosago it is clear that the better English translation would have been “to render one acceptable to God.” That is definition 1) a) 1).

For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He [might bring] would render us acceptable to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;

There may be a usage in the Greek language for prosago to mean “might bring” but not in God’s Word in this passage. If the Arminian understanding is left as it is written, the verse would contradict many other passages - most of which I’ve already written about.

Some will also say that Peter wrote that Christ died once for ALL - meaning all of humanity. One of the biggest stumbling blocks Arminians have, and anyone who believes in decisional salvation, is that they believe the Greek word pas (Strong’s #3956) can only mean individually (each and every) every time it is used. Not so! This Greek word can be used two ways:

1) individually - each, any, every, all, the whole, everyone, all things, everything. OR
2) collectively - some of all types or groups. I give several examples of “all” being used collectively (some of all types) in Bible Truth #330.

Bottom line - Christ did not lie and He did not fail. He OBTAINED salvation for His Elect (Hebrews 9:12) and His Elect alone. He did not make it “available” for either the Elect, or all mankind.