Those against the Doctrines of Grace still need to reconcile this passage with places like Romans 9. Clearly, God does not prepare everyone for Salvation. And if He does not prepare everyone for Salvation, how can it be His will that all (every person) be saved?
I know that is a passage you do not like to deal with but you can't just ignore it.
Romans 9 is about
BROADENING the scope of election...
not restricting it.
Seriously.
It is.... you don't know that, because you haven't been taught proper exegesis, but Paul's argument doesn't begin in chapter 9...
Start at
chapter 5 and follow Paul's argument through to
chapter 11.
Then, you'll get it.
Non-Calvinists aren't afraid of chapter 9.
We just know that Paul's argument starts in 5 and follows through to 11....and we know Calvinists
don't know that, so it's worthless to engage them on chapter 9 because only Calvinists think the thought process begins there....
That's why non-Cals don't like a "Romans 9" debate...
It's because Paul began the letter at chapter
1....not
9
Every Theological system on the planet knows chapter 9 is in the middle of a MUCH broader argument.
Empty your mind of presuppositions and read it again.
Set aside about 3 hrs....and just empty your mind and let the Scritpture speak for itself, and let Paul use his own voice.... read from chapter 1 through to the end...
then try narrowing it to chapters 5-11 and follow his train of thought.
If you did that....
You'd abandon Calvinism wholesale.
Because, you'd realize that Calvinists have missed even the most BASIC thrust of the whole argument and teach the precise OPPOSITE of what Paul is trying to convey.
Once again...
He's actually BROADENING the scope of election, not NARROWING it...
Try again.