To Save Sinners: A Critical Evaluation of the Multiple Intentions View of the Atonement - Paperback

by Michael Riccardi (Author), John MacArthur (Foreword by)

The atoning work of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross stands as the very epicenter of Christianity, the very heart of the gospel. Because of this, one does not stray far from the heart of the Christian faith when he asks, "For whom has Christ accomplished so great a salvation?" Answers to that question have historically fallen in two broad categories. Either Jesus died for all people without exception, or he died only for those whom the Father has chosen to save. Recently, a mediating view has arisen, arguing that we should not choose between these options, but that Jesus died with multiple intentions for all without exception and for the elect alone. In this book, Michael Riccardi offers a critical evaluation of the multiple intentions view from the perspective of classic particularism. The book demonstrates that while the third way proposed is attractive at first blush, beneath the surface it faces insurmountable biblical and theological problems--including the redefinition of the nature of the atonement itself. Riccardi demonstrates that particular redemption is the teaching of the text of Scripture against the objections of one of its strongest opponents.

Author Biography

Michael Riccardi serves as assistant professor of Theology at the Master's Seminary in Los Angeles, where he also serves on the pastoral staff of Grace Community Church alongside John MacArthur. He is the author of Sanctification: The Christian's Pursuit of God-Given Holiness (2015) and The Forest and the Trees: The Story of Scripture and Biblical Interpretation (2016).