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Bible Question:
What does Paul mean when he says, ". . . who is the Savior
of all men, especially of believers"? (1 Tim. 4:10)
Bible Answer:
There are several thoughts we want to consider when we ask,
"What does 1 Timothy 4:10 mean?"
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For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have
fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of
all men, especially of believers. (NASB) 1 Timothy 4:10
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Are
All Men Saved? Some have said that 1
Timothy 4:10 teaches that all men are saved. If so, then we
need to ask why did Jesus encourage His disciples to tell others
that they could have their sins forgiven only by believing in
Him?
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And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no
other name under heaven that has been given among men,
by which we must be saved. (NASB) Acts 4:12 |
We should also ask, "Why
did Jesus say that when our earthly life is over, some will
suffer forever and others will not?"
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And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the
righteous into eternal life. (NASB) Matthew 25:46
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The answer to both questions is that not all men
are saved. Those who do not believe in Jesus are going to suffer
forever. That is the message of the next verse too! Those who
are resurrected second (Rev. 20:5-6) will
suffer pain in an eternal fire.
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And death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire.
This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s
name was not found written in the book of life, he was
thrown into the lake of fire. (NASB) Rev. 20:14-15
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Especially
of Believers. The Greek word for "Savior"
is SOTAR. It means more than just "savior." It also
has the sense of "one who rescues" and "preserver."
Jesus is the preserver and the one who rescues all men. Too
often we get trapped in theological ideas and forget these Greek
words were used in everyday life. Jesus does protect and care
for all of us in this life here on earth. He preserves all of
us. He helps even non-Christians build their homes (Ps. 127:1-2).
He provides rain and provides food (Acts 14:17).
But
those
who believe in Jesus are those who are completely saved
. They are saved from
God's anger and from the penalty they deserve because they are
sinners. Only
those who believe or depend on Jesus to forgive them of their
sins
will spend
eternity with God. They will not suffer in the lake of fire.
The names of these men and women are written in the book of
life.
Conclusion:
Yes, God loves all of us. He cares for His creation. But only
those who believe, trust, and depend on Jesus to forgive them
will live with God forever. |
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