Objection: All Uses of Matthew’s Greek Word for “That It Might Be Fulfilled” Refer to Events Before the Atonement, So Matthew 8:17 Is Invalid As a Proof That Healing Is in the Atonement

This statement is actually not true, as Matthew 12:17’s use of the word refers to Gentiles trusting in Christ, which happened AFTER His atonement, and its use in Matthew 27:35 refers to soldiers parting Jesus’ clothing, which was DURING His atonement.

Here is a list of the places where Matthew uses this construction other than in Matthew 8:17 and the gist of what he referred to.  (These verses are spelled out in more detail in another objection reply.)

Matt 1:22
Behold a virgin shall be with child

Matt 2:15
Out of Egypt I have called My Son

Matt 2:23
He shall be called a Nazarene

Matt 4:14
The people which sat in darkness saw great light

 Matt 12:17
He shall show judgment to the Gentiles, shall not strive or cry, in His name shall the Gentiles trust

Matt 13:35
He will open His mouth in parables and utter secrets

Matt 21:4
Your king comes to you sitting on a donkey

Matt 26:54,56
Jesus arrested and taken to His death

 Matt 27:35
Jesus' clothing parted among the soldiers

Of the cases other than the two cited in the first paragraph above, I think it is obvious that these would HAVE to have been fulfilled before Jesus was crucified, but what does that really prove?  Nothing.  Jesus would have to have been born and done the other things He did before He was killed.

Matthew 12:17 is enough to disprove the objector’s point – if a few Gentiles trusted in Him, the fulfillment of that verse was still not “over and done with” at that point in time.  Thus, we could expect the same for Matthew 8:17; while some people were healed, Jesus didn’t stop healing people then.

So the only points left would be an assertion that Matthew 8:17 does not mention the atonement, or that Isaiah 53:4/Matthew 8:17 was completely fulfilled when Jesus healed the sick while walking the earth, or that Isaiah 53:4 was chronological, applying first to His earthly ministry and then to His atonement.  You can click on those objections for answers to those.