George Antonios
Well-Known Member
"1Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. 3For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, 6who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time" (1 Timothy 2)
Here we have one of the clearest passages in the Bible, for the Universal Death for the Salvation of the entire human race. This is known as "pontential" salvation.
In every instance in this passage, the word "ALL", refers, not, as some teach, to just an "elect" few, but the whole human race. The "ALL men", here include "ALL those in authority", as kings and other leaders. There is no restriction here that this is limited to only a few leaders, but ALL. Then Paul informs us, that it is "good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior", that we pray for this, because God, "DESIRES" the salvation of ALL MEN, those ALL mentioned earlier. Further, we read that Jesus Christ is the "Mediator between God and men,", that is, the ALL MEN in this passage, the human race. It then says that Jesus Christ, "gave Himself a ransom for all", the same ALL in this entire passage.
No honest, Bible-believing Christian can take these words in any other way, unless for theological bias, than for what it very plainly says, that God desires (wills) that the whole human race were saved. This is exactly what the Apostle John says in his Gospel, 3:16.
This is the heart of the God of the Holy Bible. Yet there are some who oppose this.
Agreed.