George Martin Ophoff (1891-1962) on Luke 6:35-36

(I)

[Source: The Standard Bearer, 15 May, 1926, vol. 2]

What is there that tells the expositor how a term or the terms of any one text should be construed? And the answer: the surroundings of a text. Now, when the Reformed exegete speaks of the surroundings of any one text, he has in mind not only the near but the far surroundings as well. To the Reformed exegete the entire Scriptures must be regarded as the surroundings of any one text in virtue of the fact that the word of God in its entirety is one organical whole. The expositor must regard his text as an integral part, not only of the chapter from which it is taken, not only of the book or epistle in which it appears, but of the sixty-six books comprising the Bible. The renderings of him whose method is not as that described above, are absolutely worthless.

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(II)

[Source: The Standard Bearer, 1 July, 1926, vol. 2]

Let us apply this rule [that we must explain each individual text only by itself] to such passages as Rom. 4:5; I Cor. 15:22; II Cor. 5:15; I Tim. 2:6, and notice the results. Rom. 4:5 contains this clause: “But believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly.” The clause does not state that the elect ungodly are meant; hence, these words of the apostle must be made to apply to the reprobate ungodly as well. Conclusion: God justifies the reprobate ungodly. I Cor. 15:22 reads: “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” The text as such does not state that the group denoted by the term all include only the elect. Hence, the group includes the reprobate also. Conclusion: the reprobate shall live in Christ. II Cor. 1.5 contains this clause: “And that He died for all.” Applying [this method of interpreting Scripture texts] we must conclude that Christ died for the reprobate. I Tim. 2:6 reads: “Who gave Himself a ransom for all to be testified in due time.” Apply [this] method of exegeting a text and you shall have to conclude that according to the Apostle Paul, Christ gave Himself a ransom for the reprobate … It is a fact, however, that the surroundings of these several Scriptures plainly teach that God justifies the elect ungodly only, that only the elect shall live in Christ, that Christ gave Himself a ransom for the elect only.