1 Timothy 4:10 Destroys Calvinism Hands Down!

1 Tim. 4.10 says "God is the Savior of all men, specially those who believe."

Christians interpret this to mean God provides the opportunity for salvation to everyone (unlimited atonement), since Jesus died on the cross for the sins of the whole world. Therefore, it is specially those who believe because they receive salvation/regeneration.

This verse would not make much sense the way Calvinists read it. They say "God is the Savior of all [kinds of] men [from different places], specially those believe."

If God is the Savior of all kinds of men in different places, wouldn't that be nonsensically redundant to then follow up by saying "specially those who believe," for obviously all those that would be saved would believe?

Other Calvinists say this verse means: "God is the Savior of all men [by faith], specially those who believe."

But isn't that equally problematic since being the Savior of all men by faith, specially those who believe is again nonsensically redundant, since obviously those who have faith are saved and believe?

Who are these others who don't believe who would be saved? Is Calvinism ecumenical?

Calvinists can't seem to agree on how they interpret this verse. They are confused. Still another class of Calvinists believe this verse means "God is the Savior of all men [by giving them breath], specially those who believe."

But the error there is why would a God save a person only by allowing them to exist, rather than saving them to the uttermost? What love is that? And never do we find in Scripture existence should be equated with being saved by a Savior. Salvation is beyond just existing.

Still other Calvinists try to change "specially" to be "particularly" or "specifically" but that still produces the same nonsensical redundancy.

[reformedman]

Hello friend,
you asked for commentary and here's mine.
If you read the context before and after, Paul is addressing believers (only).
For believers and about believers.
Therefore, using the context, Paul is exorting his fellow laborers to carry on the faith with the reminder that God is the savior of all of them, especially those who exercise their hope by their expression of the good works that Paul is asking them to continue in.
Hope it helps.

[elgriego]

"He came to His own and His own did not receive Him."
John 1:11
Jesus came even to those that would not receive Him. He died for those who would not believe in Him.
Calvinist stop holding on to your doctrine and try to make verses mean what they don't mean in order to fit your doctrine.

[chundulo]

1 JOHN 2:2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.( NO LIMITED ATONEMENT HEAR)

[seektruth]

You are spot on! This one verse totally destroys the L of their TULIP - Limited Atonement.
Great job brother. Thx for posting.

[j.alexandermyersen]

"God is the savior of all men" regards common grace that is given to all.
This includes:
restraint from sin (Romans 2:15)
appeasing God's wrath (temporally, and think retroactively into history, Old Testament, etc.)

Psalms 145:9 The LORD is good to all, And His mercies are over all His works.

Matthew 5:45 .. for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

[dragonore]

umm, I sort of like 2 Timothy 2:20 & 21.

Calvinist like to use Romans 9 about the potter and clay, well here is something to consider.  Seems that 2 Timothy indicates choice, something Calvinist seemingly denies when it comes to the potter and clay.

"Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor. 21Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.…"


Notice the word "IF".

[Parture]

So few have the boldness to say what you just said. Praise the Lord for your words.

[Parture]

By giving your life to Christ why are you altering the Creator? Don't believe Satan's lie. By giving your life to Christ you are doing God's will. Amen.

[scabw]

1 Tim 4:10 doesn't say anything about being born-again temporarily. When I say "Savior in a temporal sense" I mean that all people, even unbelievers, experience some earthly (!) benefits from the goodness of God. One of these benefits is common grace - a term that describes God's goodness shown to all mankind universally in restraining sin and judgment, maintaining order in society through government, enabling man to appreciate beauty and goodness, and showering him with temporal blessings.

[Parture]

Calvinists cannot make sense of 1 Tim. 4.10 without shutting their mind down to a crucial point. God does all He can to save to the uttermost and does not stop short as Calvinists would have you believe; thus, 1 Tim. 4.10 is not about just temporarily saving people, whatever that means, but saving whosoever is willing to repent and believe in Him. Praise the Lord! God's infinite foreknowledge is compatible with free will, but no free will in the land of zombie Calvinism.

[taylorbronisz]

What Paul is saying is that Christ is the only Savior of humanity. There is no other means of salvation. Whether you believe or not, Jesus is the only way of salvation. But "especially those who believe " refers to the fact that Jesus has actually saved them, and is not just referring to Jesus' office as Savior.

[Parture]

"Many are called" are all those who are saved, and "few are chosen" are those who receive the reward of returning with Christ to reign during the 1000 years. Even repentance is a gift from God not just faith, but who gets this gift? It is none other than those who search God out with all their heart and soul; these shall surely find Him. "God is the Savior of all men, specially those who believe" is not the same as Matt. 22.14 since all the called are saved. In 1 Tim. 4.10 only the believers are

[Parture]

Certainly, we OSAS Arminians are a "little flock" (Luke 12.32). Very few believe and received the God who predestinates by foreknowing our free choice: a conditional election, unlimited atonement, resistible grace, for preservation of the saints. If you count all the Lutheran's, Anglicans, half of Methodists, Presbyterians there are several hundred million Calvinists. If you remove Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox that's perhaps over a billion who reject OSAS; there are very few of us left.

[jmackcarroll]

First. Believing that the "world" means "everyone" as in "everyone who has ever lived, living, and will live" makes this verse preach universalism. If Jesus is the savior of "everyone" then nobody is going to hell.
Second. Pertaining to the five points of both views you cannot mix and match which ones you believe in. You cannot say we are partially depraved and we still have eternal salvation. If we have the free will to choose Christ, we then have the power to unchoose Christ.

[scabw]

"Especially" must mean that all people enjoy God's salvation in some way like those who believe enjoy His salvation. The simple explanation is that God is the Savior of all people, only in a temporal sense, while of believers in an eternal sense.Paul's point is that while God graciously delivers believers from sin's condemnation and penalty, all people experience some earthly benefits from the goodness of God. (See also Isaiah 63:8-10: God was the Savior of the whole nation in a temporal sense.)

[taylorbronisz]

But answer me this: was Christ's atonement on the cross perfect? If Christ indeed perfectly atoned for all of humanity's sin, why are non-believers still going to end up in Hell? If Christ perfectly atoned for their sins and bore the full weight of wrath for them, why would they still need to suffer in Hell?

[guymoreland]

I would like to ask, do you think God is Required to Respond to man based on a profession of Faith?

[reformedman]

Another observation that I hope you will consider and respond is the following. The verse says that he "IS" the savior of these people. It seems to indicate that there is no question about their relation with this 'savior'. So couldn't there be something that you are missing with regard to the translation of the word "Savior"?
Please look at other places in the bible that use the same word 'Soter'.
LXX Judg 3:9, 2Ki 13:5, Neh 9:27, Ob 1:21
Savior doesn't always refer spiritually.
-peace

[Parture]

Since you agree that God is the Savior of all men then it is God who does the saving not man. This doesn't distinguish Calvinism from Arminian. But God doesn't save all men, so this indicates God provides sufficient grace to all as Savior of all men to have the opportunity to be saved. And the second part of the verse says this further by saying "specially those who believe" out all those God provides the opportunity for salvation.

[Parture]

I merely tried to show you how your thoughts on 1 Tim. 4.10 don't work for, again, what love is that to give grace to exist yet fall short and not supply grace to save? Thus, Calvinists can't make sense of this verse morally and ethically. Free will is the same thing as free choice. I use both terms. How contradictory to claim man has the free choice when in Calvinism you claim a person undergoes irresistibly imposed regeneration. The Bible says be "not doubletongued" (1 Tim. 3.8).