Amazing Grace
Puritan Board Junior
Something is wrong here. Either there is a division in the Godhead at this point (unthinkable) or Owen is contradicting the apostle Paul who in 1 Timothy 4:10 wrote that God is "the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe." Their must be a non-salvific sense in which God is the Saviour of all reprobates because all reprobates are included in "all men". Piper is justifying how God can be the saviour of that group of men which do not believe.
Especially is a bad translation. It should be "Namely" Paul is just emphasizing the intent of Christ towards His sheep.
In which Greek dictonary do you find "namely" as a possible tranlsation for malista? The possibility is not even mentioned in BAGD and given that the root mala means "very, exceedingly" and the suffix ista makes it a superlative, i.e. "most of all" or "above all" (Liddell Scott), (LS's possibility "precisely" is not a good description of the usages they cite. A better meaning is "exactly" as in "What exactly is the matter." i.e. the samples provided do not require a more narrow and focused stament of the matter than what has already been given). In view of these facts and the problem that your reading makes Paul contradict himself in the same breath, your interpretation is highly unlikely.
Let us not get involved in a dispute about words. Paul admonishes those who do. To translate it "namely" is proper according to Zodhiates. But just to solidify this thought.
Act 25:26 Of 4012 whom 3739 I have 2192 no 3756 certain 804 thing 5100 to write 1125 unto my lord 2962. Wherefore 1352 I have brought 4254 0 him 846 forth 4254 before 1909 you 5216, and 2532 specially 3122 before 1909 thee 4675, O king 935 Agrippa 67, that 3704, after examination 351 had 1096 , I might have 2192 somewhat 5100 to write 1125 .
Paul uses the same word here. You, thee, specially are ONLY connected to Agrippa.