Straw,

The classic Bible passage cited to prove a limited extent to the atonement is the tenth chapter of the Gospel of John in which Jesus uses Ancient Near Eastern shepherding practices as a metaphor for his relationship to his followers. A shepherd of those times would call his sheep from a mix of flocks, and his sheep would hearken to his voice and follow, while the sheep of other flocks would ignore any but their own shepherd's voice (John 10:1-5). In that context, Jesus says, "I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,...and I lay down my life for the sheep" (vv. 14-15, ESV), and he tells the Pharisees that they "do not believe because [they] are not part of [his] flock" (v. 26). He continues, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand" (vv. 27f). Since Calvinists and nearly all Christians believe that not all have eternal life with God (based on the Sermon on the Mount among other passages), Calvinists conclude that either Jesus was wrong in saying that he would lose none of his sheep (a conclusion they reject) or that Jesus must not have died for everyone. Formally, the Calvinist position can be expressed thusly:

1. Jesus lays down his life for the sheep. (John 10:14-15)
2. Jesus will lose none of his sheep. (John 10:28)
3. Many people will not receive eternal life. (Matthew 7:13-14)

Therefore, Jesus did not die for everyone but only for those who will ultimately be saved.

Additionally, in the high priestly prayer, Jesus prays for the protection and sanctification of those who believed in him, and he explicitly excludes praying for all: "I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours" (John 17:9b). St. Paul instructs the elders in Ephesus "to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood" (Acts 20:28, NASB), and he says in his letter to the same church that "Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her" (Ephesians 5:25, ESV, emphasis added). Likewise, Jesus foreshadows that he will lay down his life "for his friends" (John 15:13; compare 10:15), and an angel tells Jesus' earthly father Joseph that he "will save His people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21). Calvinists believe that these passages demonstrate that Jesus died for the church (that is, the elect) only.

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When I survey the wondrous cross on which the Prince of Glory died, my richest gain I count but loss and pour contempt on all my pride. - Isaac Watts