Archive for the ‘1 Timothy 2:4-6’ Category

27
May

William Hendriksen (1900-1982) on 1 Timothy 2:1-7

   Posted by: CalvinandCalvinism

[comments below]

Hendriksen:

The final word, thanksgivings (that is, completing the circle, so that the blessings that come from God return to him again in the form of expressed gratitude) is clear enough. Nevertheless, it must be borne in mind that not only supplications, prayers, and intercessions but also thanksgivings must be made in behalf of all men, including kings, etc.

Indeed, such invocations must be made “in behalf of” or “for” (see N.T.C. on John 10: 11, for the meaning of the preposition) all men. Several expositors feel certain that this means every member of the whole human race; every man, woman, and chi ld, without any exception whatever. And it must be readily admitted that taken by itself the expression all men is capable of this interpretation. Nevertheless, every calm and unbiased interpreter also admits that in certain contexts this simply cannot be the meaning.

Does Titus 2: really teach that the saving grace o( God has appeared to every member of the human race without any exception? Of course not! It matters little whether one interprets “the appearance of the saving grace” as referring to the bestowal of salvation itself, or to the fact that the gospel of saving grace has been preached to every person on earth. In either case it is impossible to make “all men” mean “every individual on the globe without exception.”

Again, does Rom. 5: 18 really teach that “every member of the human race” is “justified“?

Does I Cor. 15:22 really intend to tell us that “every member of the human race” is “made alive in Christ“?

But if that be true, then it follows that Christ did not only die for every member of the human race, but that he also actually saved every one without any exception whatever. Most conservatives would hesitate to go that far.

Moreover, if, wherever it occurs, the expression “all men” or its equivalent has this absolutely universalistic connotation, then would not the fol lowing be true:

(a) Every member of the human race regarded John the Baptist as a prophet (Mark 11:32).

(b) Every member of the human race wondered whether John was, perhaps, the Christ (Luke 3: 15).

(c) Every member of the human race marveled about the Gadarene demoniac (Mark 5:20).

(d) Every member of the human race was searching for Jesus (Mark 1:37).

(e) It was reported to the Baptist that all members of the human race were flocking to Jesus (John 3:26).

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Smith:

3. Of the Restitution of all Things. Some who deny everlasting punishment, rest their denial on the assertion that the Scriptures teach the restitution of all things, and the final reconciliation of all moral beings to God. The previous argument refutes this. It only remains to consider some of the passages quoted in favor of this particular view. The position to be taken here is, that all these passages can be interpreted in harmony with the doctrine that there are some who will be forever punished, while, on the other hand, the pas sages which teach final condemnation cannot be interpreted in harmony with the position that there is to be such a restitution of all things. Some of the passages taken alone and without their connections might teach restitution; but we have to interpret the Scripture harmoniously….

1 Tim. ii. 4. Here we must understand, not the will of efficient purpose, but of benevolent desire, as shown in provision, plan, and arrangements.

Heb. ii. 9. Universality of provision1 is asserted.

Henry B. Smith, System of Christian Theology, 2nd ed., (New York: A.C. Armstrong and Son, 1884), 618 and 619. [Footnote values original; Underlining mine.]

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1If all for whom Christ died are to be saved, then this passage would teach universal salvation. It does teach a general atonement.

13
Nov

Samuel Otes (1578/9-1658) on 1 Timothy 2:4: An Informal Reference

   Posted by: CalvinandCalvinism

Otes:

Lastly, the Devil sinned thus: for it could not be ignorance, they being by creation Angels of light, he fell upon mere envy, in knowledge: whereupon Billius in his Anthologia makes the comparison, between him and Christ: Ille voluit esse supra Angelum, ‘He would be above an Angel,’ sed hic infra hominem, ‘but Christ beneath a man,’ and therefore he became a scorn of men, yea, the very outcast of all people: ille coelum dedignatus est, he disdained heaven, but Christ disdained not to walk on the earth: ille omnibus invidit, he envied all men, and would have them to perish, but Christ ‘Loved all, and would have all to be saved’ [1 Tim 2:4.]: but this malice of Satan could not be in ignorance, but in knowledge.

Samuel Otes, An Explanation of the General Epistle of Saint Iude, (London: Printed by Elizabeth Purstow for Nicholas Bourne, an are to be sold at his Shop, at the South Entrance of the Royall Exchange, 1633), 232.  [Some spelling modernized; marginal reference cited inline; and underlining mine.]

[Note: Spurgeon:  OTES (SAMUEL, the elder). Explanation of Jude in forty-one Sermons. Folio. Lond., 1633.  Of the conforming Puritan style, full of quaintnesses and singularities of learning. A book by no means to be despised. Spurgeon, Commenting and Commentaries. ]

31
Aug

Edward Polhill (1622-1694) on 1 Timothy 2:4 (with Ezekiel 33:11)

   Posted by: CalvinandCalvinism

Polhill:

Having thus debated the manner of conversion, I proceed to the last thing proposed, viz.;

Query 3. Whether the will of God touching conversion be always accomplished therein? For answer whereunto, I must first lay down a distinction as a foundation. God may be said to will the conversion of men two ways; either by such a will as is effective, and determinative of the event, or by such a d as is only virtual, and ordinative of the means tending thereunto: both parts of this distinction are bottomed upon scripture.

1. God wills the conversion of some by a will as is effective and determinative of the event. There are some chosen to holiness, (Eph. i. 4), called kata prothesin according to purpose, (Rom. vii. 28); predestinated to be conformed to Christ’s Image, (ver. 29); begotten of God’s own will to be first-fruits to him, (Jam. i. 18); and within that election of grace which doth ever obtain, (Rom. xi. 5, 1). Touching these, the will of God is effective and determinative of the event, in these, conversion is wrought after an irresistible and insuperable manner.

2. God wills the conversion of others by such a will as is only virtual and ordinative of the means tending thereunto. Thus God would have healed Israel, (Hos. vii. 1). Thus God wills “the turning of the wicked, who yet dies in his sin,” (Ezek. xxxiii. 11), because the true tendency of the means is to heal and turn them. Thus the apostle asserts, that God ” will have all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth,” (1 Tim. ii. 4). In which place, as I take it, the word “all” extends further than to the elect; for those words of the apostle are laid down as a ground of that exhortation to “pray for all men,” (ver. 1); and that exhortation to prayer extends further than to the elect: wherefore, the ”all” whom God would have to be saved, being parallel and co-extensive to the “all” whom we are to pray for, must also extend beyond the elect. Wherefore, I conceive that the latter part of the words, viz., “and to come to the knowledge of the truth,” is a key to the former, viz, “that God would have all to be saved.” God would have all to be saved, so far, as he would have all to come to the knowledge of the truth, and he would have all to come to the knowledge of the truth, so far, as he wills means of knowledge unto them; for the true end and tendency of the means (and that from the will of God ordaining the same thereunto) is that men might be turned and saved: wherefore, in respect of that ordination, God may be truly said, by a kind of virtual and ordinative will, to will the turning and salvation of all men.

Edward Polhill, “The Divine Will Considered in its Eternal Decrees,” in The Works of Edward Polhill (Morgan, PA.: Soli Deo Gloria Publications, 1998), 208. [Some spelling modernized, and underlining mine.]

18
Aug

William Tyndale (1494–1536) on 1 Timothy 2:4

   Posted by: CalvinandCalvinism

Tyndale:

How this place (God will have all men saved) is understood.

God will have all men saved.  ¶  That is, will have the Gospell preached to all men, without exception, & offer to all men repentance, and will have all men praied for. Tyndale.

Iohn Marbeck, A Book of Notes and Common Places, collected and gathered out of the works of diuers singular Witers, and brought Alphabetically in order (Imprinted at London by Thomas East, 1581), 24. [Original spelling retained.]

Thanks to Tony for the find.