Specific Calvinists argue that Christ’s atoning death is tied in with his intercessory work. From this fact they erroneously assume that since Christ intercedes for everyone that he died for, Jesus must not have died for the whole world. Otherwise, this would imply that Jesus is interceding for all those who will not be saved but end up experiencing everlasting destruction.

The problem with this assertion is that it contradicts the God-breathed Scriptures, which expressly teach that Jesus did in fact pray for the salvation of the whole world.

This is mentioned in John’s Gospel where the inspired author records Christ’s prayer to the Father on the night of his betrayal:

“I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe (pisteue) that You sent Me. The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know (ginoske) that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.” John 17:20-23

According to John’s witness, anyone that believes and knows God shall be saved and granted everlasting life:

“And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent… You gave Me I have given to them; and they received them and truly understood that I came forth from You, and they believed that You sent Me… O righteous Father, although the world has not known You, yet I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me;” John 17:3, 8, 25

“He came as a witness, to bear witness about the Light, so that all might believe through him… He came to what was His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” John 1:7, 11-13

“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” John 3:14-18  

“He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” John 3:36

“From that city many of the Samaritans believed in Him because of the word of the woman who bore witness, ‘He told me all the things that I have done.’ So when the Samaritans came to Jesus, they were asking Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. And many more believed because of His word; and they were saying to the woman, ‘It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and know (oidomen) that this One is truly the Savior of the world.” John 4:39-42

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.” John 5:24

“‘Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, set His seal.’ Therefore they said to Him, ‘What should we do, so that we may work the works of God?’ Jesus answered and said to them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.’” John 6:27-29

“Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me will never hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen Me, and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. Now this is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day… Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life.” John 6:35-40, 47  

“I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. And I have other sheep, which are not from this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.” John 10:14-16

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish—ever; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” John 10:27-30

“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die—ever. Do you believe this?’ She said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, the One who comes into the world.’” John 11:25-27

“Therefore many other signs Jesus also did in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.” John 20:30-31  

The following is rather interesting since it again shows that Christ’s desire is for all to know him, and therefore be saved, not just the “elect”:

“If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do them, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, so that you may know and continue knowing that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father.” John 10:37-38

The foregoing makes it abundantly clear that Christ did not intercede only for those who would obtain salvation through faith in him. The fact of the matter is that Jesus made intercession for the entire world, and not just for believers, since God doesn’t desire any to perish but that all men should believe and be saved:

“First of all, then, I exhort that petitions and prayers, requests and thanksgivings, be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the full knowledge of the truth. 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, the witness for this proper time. For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying) as a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.” 1 Timothy 2:1-7

THE EXPOSITORS

With that said I now quote a host of Bible expositors from a variety of Christian backgrounds to see how they interpret John 17:21 and 23. All emphasis is mine:

“… And the influence of this great united body, though invisible in itself, will be such as to compel the acknowledgment of the world as to Christ’s having been sent into the world by the Father to work salvation for all men. There are so many manifestations of the power of God in the work of the Church that at all times some, at least, in the world are convinced and gained for Christ…” (Kretzmann’s Popular Commentary of the Bible, Chapter 17)

Verse 23. That the world may know — That the Jewish people first, and secondly the Gentiles, may acknowledge me as the true Messiah, and be saved unto life eternal. (Adam Clarke’s Commentary, Chapter 17)

That the world may believe — Here Christ prays for the world. Observe the sum of his whole prayer, 1. Receive me into thy own and my glory; 2. Let my apostles share therein; 3. And all other believers: 4. And let all the world believe. (Wesley’s Explanatory Notes, Chapter 17)

The ὅτι σύ με ἀπέστειλας implies belief in the whole Work and Office of Christ. Here our Lord certainly prays for the world , see above on John 17:9…

γινώσκῃ here, parallel as it is to πιστεύσῃ above, cannot be interpreted of a bare recognition, or of a recognition at the final judgment, but must be taken to mean that salutary knowledge by which from time to time the children of the world are by God called to become the children of light. See the same words, and note, ch. John 14:31 , also ch. John 13:35 , and observe that in all three places the recognition is that of love; in ch. John 13:35 , of the disciples one to another; in ch. John 14:31 , of Jesus to the Father; here, of the Father to believers, as perfected into unity in the Son of His love.

“Observe,” says Meyer, “how the glance of the Intercessor reaches in these verses even to the highest aim of His work on earth, when the world shall be believing, and Christ Himself actually the Saviour of the world , ch. John 4:42 , cf. ch. John 10:16.” (Alford’s Greek Testament Critical Exegetical Commentary, Chapter 17)

(1.) His good-will to the world of mankind in general. Herein he is of his Father’s mind, as we are sure he is in every thing, that he would have all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth,1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9. Therefore it is his will that all means possible should be used, and no stone left unturned, for the conviction and conversion of the world. We know not who are chosen, but we must in our places do our utmost to further men’s salvation, and take heed of doing any thing to hinder it… When the world shall see so many of those that were its children called out of its family, distinguished from others, and changed from what they themselves sometimes were,–when they shall see this society raised by the foolishness of preaching, and kept up by miracles of divine providence and grace, and how admirably well it is modelled and constituted, they will be ready to say, We will go with you, for we see that God is with you… (Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary on the Bible, Chapter 17) 

That the world may believe. [ἵνα ὁκόσμος πιστεύσῃ ὅτι σύ μεἀπέστειλας].—The Church, as the blessed congregation of confession and worship, or the communion of saints, is an end to herself; but she is also a means to an end as an institution of healing for immature believers and, especially, as a mission-community for the world. Hence the second ἵνα, the more remote design. The belief that the Father has sent Christ is characterized in John 17:8 as the true believingness of the disciples. The meaning of our passage is, therefore,—that the world may attain unto faith. John 17:9 must be explained accordingly. True, immediate prayer for Christians is true, immediate prayer for the world…

John 17:23. I in them, and Thou in Me, that, etc. [ἐγὼ ἐν αὐτοῖς καὶ σὺ ἐν ἐμοί, ἵνα ὦσιν τετελειωμένοι εἰςἕν, κ.τ.λ.]—“Appositional explication of ἡμεῖς; not isolated, not a new proposition,” etc. Meyer. God’s life in Christ through the Holy Spirit founds the ever richer life of Christ in believers; this founds their ripening to man’s stature, to perfection (Ephesians 4:13); this brings with it their unity; this, finally, is instrumental towards the full conversion of the world, when it not only knows the Christ (does not simply believe), but also knows living Christians in their dignity: and didst love them, as Thou didst love Me. (Lange’s Commentary on the Holy Scriptures: Critical, Doctrinal and Homiletical, Chapter 17)

That the world may believe that thou didst send me. The first ‘that’ here is not to be connected with a verb so far removed as ‘I ask’ of John 17:20. It is a word of purpose, marking the ultimate result of the fulfilment of the prayer. And this result is that the ‘world’ now the enemy of the truth, may be brought to faith. Although (John 17:9) Jesus had not prayed for the world, because He was praying for those who were to act upon it, He was not forgetful of its need. It was the world that He had come to save; and, although it rejected and crucified Him, He looked onward to a time when, as ‘greater works’ were done by His disciples than He Himself had done (chap. John 14:12), the world would own the Divine power appearing in them, and the Divine origin of His mission. It is the spiritual life of the Church, however, that (so far as has yet been spoken of) is to effect this end. Her unity is included, but it does not receive its special emphasis till we come to John 17:23. Her spirituality is mainly before us here, that life which her members live, not conformed to the world, not coming down to the level of the world, with the vain idea that thus they shall bring the world nearer them, but ever rising as far as possible above the world, dwelling in the Father and in the Son, a city of God, from which even now there streams light that shall kindle light in hearts that have been formed for light and life like its own. (Schaff’s Popular Commentary on the New Testament, Chapter 17)

The reason Jesus prayed that the disciples might be in the Father and the Son was so that the world may believe that you have sent me. Their living relationship with the Father and the Son through the Spirit would give credibility to their message about Jesus, and lead many in the world to believe in Jesus. When those of the world believe, they cease to be ‘the world’ and join the number of Jesus’ disciples.(Colin G. Kruse, John: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 4, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2003), 340–341)

2. Jesus prays that the world may be persuaded. There is some disagreement as to whether the hina (‘in order that’ or ‘so that’ in verses 22 and 23) expresses purpose (i.e., ‘May they be one “with a view to” the world coming to believe’; unity as the precondition of faith), or, more probably, whether it expresses consequence (i.e., the unity will in fact result in the world’s coming to believe).

Even on the second alternative the importance of the ‘coming to believe’ is evident. Jesus desires that the world may be persuaded; he longs that it may come to him. We have already witnessed this yearning during his public ministry. It is a yearning which is not contradicted by his conviction that only those whom the Father has given him will in fact respond. The heart of Jesus is as wide and broad as the heart of the God who so loved the world as to send his only Son. The same love underlies his refusal to pray that the disciples may be taken out of the world (15), but rather accepts that they will be left there, in order to fulfil the mission to the whole world. He prays that the world may believe, and the means of answering his prayer is the mission of his people.

This mission has two hands. The ‘first hand’ is that of proclamation, the communicating to the world of the revelation of the Father in the Son, climaxed by his self-sacrifice for the world’s sin. This revelation (6) is commonly expressed in words (8), and must be shared in words so that the world may believe that the mission of Jesus is authentically the mission of the Father in him, and hence that he is the Saviour and Lord of sinners. (Bruce Milne, The Message of John: Here Is Your King!: With Study Guide, The Bible Speaks Today (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993), 249–250)

hast sent] Better, didst send (comp. John 17:18). The eternal unity of believers with one another will produce such external results (‘see how these Christians love one another’), that the world will be induced to believe. Christian unity and love (Matthew 7:12; Luke 6:31; 1 Corinthians 13) is a moral miracle, a conquest of the resisting will of man, and therefore more convincing than a physical miracle, which is a conquest of unresisting nature. Hence the divisions and animosities of Christians are a perpetual stumbling-block to the world. (Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges)

in order that the world may believe (πιστεύῃ, as in the next verse; γινώσκῃ, in the present subjunctive, rather than the aorist) that thou didst send me. The spiritual life and unity of the Church will produce an impression on the world which now rejects the Christ and does not appreciate his Divine commission. The union which springs from the blended life of the various and even contradictory elements in the Church will prove the reality of its origin. The world will believe, – this is the final purpose of the intercession concerning the disciples; so though above he did not pray for the world as the then immediate object of his intercession, the poor world is in his heart, and the saving of the world the end of his incarnation. If the union between the Father and the Son is the sublime type of the union between those who shall believe, it is not the union of a great society in accordance with certain invincible rules of affiliation and government. The union between the Father and Son is not a visible manifestation, but a spiritual inference. The common indwelling in the Father and Son, the identity of the spiritual emotion and purpose in all who have one Lord, one faith, one baptism, will convince the world by producing a similar inference. Alford: “This unity is not mere outward uniformity, nor can such uniformity produce it. At the same time, its effects are to be real and visible, such that the world may see them.” John 17:21…

The end is not here, however, so far as others are concerned; for this unity, when consummated, is to bring about a yet further result on this earth, and in order that the world may come to know (γινώσκῃ.) that thou didst send me, and lovedst them as thou lovedst me. Our Lord has advanced upon the assertion of Ver. 21,

(1) by discriminating between “believing” and “coming to know” by personal experiences, overwhelming conviction, and processes which lead to invincible assent. Faith in its highest form melts into knowledge, full assurance, complete certitude. (Pulpit Commentary)

All scriptural references taken from the Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

FURTHER READING

For Whom Did the OT High Priest Make Atonement? Pt. 1, Pt. 2

HOW JUDAS ISCARIOT REFUTES CALVINISM

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