The PuritanBoard - View Single Post - "Savior . . . especially of those who believe"

toddpedlar · #2 (**permalink**) 07-01-2008, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kim G

Quote:

1 Tim 4:10--"For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe."

There is a sense in which God, through Jesus Christ's death, is the Savior of all people, and there is a sense in which He is the Savior especially of those who believe. Both are true, and neither should be minimized.

I'm still working through my definition of the intent/extent of Christ's atonement. Someone said the above quote to me recently. What say ye?

The simplest explanation (not the fulness of what I would argue on this, but I have limited time today) is that it is clear that since a) only those who believe are saved and b) not all believe, then clearly Christ cannot be said to be "Savior" to those who will not believe in the same sense as (perhaps, and this is a secondary sticking point) he is to the elect.

This does NOT argue at all for an atoning work on Christ's behalf for all people indiscriminantly (which is often how I've heard it used, though for the life of me I can't understand how anyone actually thinks it DOES speak for universal atonement).

More later, perhaps - but wanted to make this point at least.