Does God want everyone to be saved?

John Chrysostom c. 349–407 ADOn the Change of Names Homily 3

God never brings anyone by force and compulsion. He wills all to be saved, but compels no one, as Paul says: "who wills all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." Then how are not all saved, if he wills all to be saved? Because not everyone's will follows his will, and he forces no one.

The question every reader asks, put and answered in one breath.

John Chrysostom c. 349–407 ADHomilies on 1 Timothy 7.2, on 1 Timothy 2:4

"He wants all people to be saved," it says, "and to come to the knowledge of the truth." Imitate God. If he wants all people to be saved, it is right to pray for all. If he himself has willed all to be saved, will it yourself too; and if you will it, pray.

Chrysostom reads "all" as everyone, including the pagans and the emperors Paul tells Timothy to pray for.

Augustine of Hippo 354–430 ADAgainst Julian 4.8.44

The Lord knows those who are his (2 Timothy 2:19), and his will is certain for their salvation and entry into his kingdom. So the saying "He wills all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" must be understood in the same way as the saying "Through the righteousness of one, the gift came to all people for justification of life" (Romans 5:18).

Augustine reads "all" as all who are saved, since none is saved except by his will. Elsewhere (Enchiridion 103; Rebuke and Grace 14.44) he reads it as all kinds of people.

Council of QuierzyChapters against Gottschalk Chapters 3–4

Almighty God wills all people without exception to be saved, though not all are saved. That some are saved is the gift of the one who saves; that some perish is the desert of those who perish. Christ Jesus our Lord, as there is, was, or will be no human being whose nature was not assumed in him, so there is, was, or will be no human being for whom he did not suffer, though not all are redeemed by the mystery of his passion.

A synod under Hincmar of Reims against Gottschalk's double predestination. Valence (855) answered with a stricter view.

Peter Lombard c. 1096–1160 ADThe Sentences Book 3, distinction 20, chapter 5

Christ is therefore priest, and himself both victim and price of our reconciliation; who offered himself on the altar of the cross, not to the devil, but to the Trinity, for all, as far as the sufficiency of the price goes; but for the elect only as far as its efficacy goes, because he brought about salvation only for the predestined.

The schoolmen's formula, quoted by both sides for five hundred years: the price is sufficient for all, effective for the elect.

Martin Luther 1483–1546 ADLectures on Galatians on Galatians 3:13

and briefly, which hath and beareth all the sins of all men in his body; not that he himself committed them, but for that he received them, being committed or done of us, and laid them upon his own body, that he might make satisfaction for them with his own blood.

Luther on the curse of Galatians 3:13: Christ bore it by bearing the sins of all men in his own body.

Heinrich Bullinger 1504–1575 ADA Hundred Sermons upon the Apocalipse on Revelation 5:9

for the Lord has died for all: but that all are not made partakers of this redemption, it is through their own fault. For the Lord excludes no man, but him only which through his own unbelief, and misbelief excludes himself.

Bullinger, Zurich's reformer and the author of the Second Helvetic Confession: no one is shut out except by his own unbelief.

Zacharias Ursinus 1534–1583 ADCommentary on the Heidelberg Catechism on Question 40

Therefore, as he died for all, in respect to the sufficiency of his ransom; and for the faithful alone in respect to the efficacy of the same, so also he willed to die for all in general, as touching the sufficiency of his merit, that is, he willed to merit by his death, grace, righteousness, and life in the most abundant manner for all; because he would not that any thing should be wanting as far as he and his merits are concerned, so that all the wicked who perish may be without excuse.

Ursinus, chief author of the Heidelberg Catechism, in his lectures on it: Christ willed to die for all as to the sufficiency of his merit, and for the elect alone as to its efficacy.

Synod of DortCanons of Dort Second Head, Article 3

This death of the Son of God is the only and most perfect sacrifice and satisfaction for sins; it is of infinite value and price, abundantly sufficient to expiate the sins of the whole world.

Dort on the worth of the death, in the same Second Head that confines its saving efficacy to the elect (Article 8). The Latin calls it abundantly sufficient to expiate the sins of the whole world.

Synod of DortCanons of Dort Second Head, Article 8

For this was the sovereign counsel and most gracious will and purpose of God the Father, that the quickening and saving efficacy of the most precious death of His Son should extend to all the elect... it was the will of God that Christ, by the blood of the cross, whereby He confirmed the new covenant, should effectually redeem out of every people, tribe, nation, and language, all those, and those only, who were from eternity chosen to salvation, and given to Him by the Father.

Dort on the purpose of the death: its saving efficacy was intended for the elect, all those, and those only. Read with Article 3 above on its worth.

Edmund Calamy 1600–1666 ADSpeech at the Westminster Assembly Session 522, 22 October 1645

I am far from universal redemption in the Arminian sense; but that that I hold is in the sense of our divines in the Synod of Dort, that Christ did pay a price for all, absolute intention for the elect, conditional intention for the reprobate in case they do believe, that all men should be salvabiles, non obstante lapsu Adami . . . that Jesus Christ did not only die sufficiently for all, but God did intend, in giving of Christ, and Christ in giving Himself, did intend to put all men in a state of salvation in case they do believe.

Calamy on the Assembly floor, claiming the sense of the British divines at Dort. The Minutes record no vote on the question.

Westminster AssemblyWestminster Confession of Faith 3.6

Wherefore, they who are elected, being fallen in Adam, are redeemed by Christ, are effectually called unto faith in Christ by his Spirit working in due season, are justified, adopted, sanctified, and kept by his power, through faith, unto salvation. Neither are any other redeemed by Christ, effectually called, justified, adopted, sanctified, and saved, but the elect only.

"Particular redemption": Christ's death was meant to save the elect.

John Davenant 1572–1641 ADDissertation on the Death of Christ chapter 4

And on this account we hesitate not to assert that Christ died for all men, inasmuch as he endured death, by the merit and virtue of which all men individually who obey the Gospel may be delivered from death and obtain eternal salvation.

Davenant, Bishop of Salisbury and a British delegate at Dort, in lectures from the Dort period, first published at Cambridge in 1650.