Magic Glasses for 1 Tim. 2:4

Yes, you too can now behold wonders in 1 Timothy 2:4 and call it "exegesis"!



For previous versions, see here and here.

Erroll Hulse on the Redeemer's Tears

These are a few quotes from Hulse's article in Reformation Today in 1995. As Hulse says on page 25, he borrowed the title of this article from one of John Howe's (1630-1705) expositions of this passage. Where are other Reformed Baptists in our country speaking this way?

"Jesus complained that the people of Jerusalem had steadfastly resisted his efforts to gather them as a hen gathers her chicks (Matt 23:37)."

Erroll Hulse, "The Redeemer's Tears Wept Over Lost Souls," Reformation Today 146 (July/August 1995), 21-22.

"Jesus said of these reprobate Jews, 'How often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chickens, but you were not willing.' Every effort had been expended on seeking to win them.

Fundamental to the gospel is the love of God for all mankind. 'For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.' This love is expressed in the riches of God's kindness, tolerance and patience, kindness intended to lead to repentance (Rom. 2:4). God wants all men to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth (1 Tim 2:4). 'He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance' (2 Peter 3:9)." Ibid., 22.

"Common grace is seen in the fact that Jesus contended with the lost of Jerusalem." Ibid., 23.

"We experience grief just as Jesus did. We experience the sorrow of seeing sinners destroy themselves by unbelief and impenitence. We love them just as Jesus loves them. We seek their salvation just as Jesus does. We know that God's justice will be vindicated in the damnation of sinners, but we also know that he has no pleasure in the death of the wicked. 'Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign LORD. Rather am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live? (Ez 18:23)." Ibid., 23.

"He [Jesus] was willing to save all of them." Ibid., 23.

"The kind of anguish experienced by Christ was the frustration and sorrow of pain and humiliation. What he suffered in his soul was as intense as was the pain suffered in his body. He endured the cross (physical torment) and scorned the shame (spiritual torment – Heb 12:2). He felt acutely the shame of rejection at the hands of those he came to save. We suffer similarly in seeing the gospel of salvation slighted and rejected. His discouragement is expressed in the words of Isaiah 49, 'I have laboured to no purpose; I have spent my strength in vain.' But he is comforted with the response of Jahweh, 'I will make you a light for the Gentiles that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.' Romans 11 declares that there will always be a Jewish remnant that believes as well as a fulness gathered in due course." Ibid., 24.

Sproul Evades the Question: "Does God Desire All People to be Saved?"

On November 13th on Twitter, I said:

Though he seems to allow for it [Chosen by God, pp.195-197], I can't recall R. C. Sproul ever teaching on God's willingness to save all men.

Now there is a video on Justin Taylor's blog of Mark Driscoll explicitly asking R. C. Sproul the question ["Does God Really Want All People to be Saved?"], and Driscoll even distinguishes so as to reference God's revealed will, not the decretal sense. Instead of answering the specific question put to him, Sproul answers a different question, i.e. "Does God take delight in punishing or meeting out wrath upon people?" I left some comments on Justin's blog regarding the question he was actually asked.

Sproul has popularized Calvinistic and Reformed theology for years, but he has neglected talking about God's revealed will. Consequently, this generation [of Calvinists in the U.S.] has a massive blind spot on the subject and this is opening the way for many of them to reject the well-meant offer of the gospel. This is one of the reasons why I frequently post primary Calvinistic sources on my blog. It's crucial for the very life of the church that we understand God's passionate zeal for saving sinners; and although I've benefited from much of his teaching, R. C. Sproul, sadly, has not been helping us in this respect, and neither did John Gerstner in his latter days.

From Thomas Lamb's (died c. 1672 or 1686) Preface to the Reader in the Book Absolute Freedom from Sin by Christs Death for the World

"And from hence it followeth, first, that if those that are saved be but few, and those void of those humane excellencies and worldly helps that others have, this salvation cannot be attributed to any qualification in or proceeding from those persons more than others, but is begun, continued and perfected to and in them by the gift of God alone which excelleth to them above others, and this is the principle matter in the Book.

And secondly, seeing furniture from God by his Spirit is promised and afforded unto these few destitute of humane Arts or Learning, enabling them to defend themselves in the Truth against those that abound therein, this hath imboldened the publishing of this Book, though I had no humane Arts in answering him that had; the Reader therefore may understand that whereas I have been taught of God the precious Truth of Christ crucified for the sins of the world, as the onely Doctrine of the Gospel begetting faith or the belief thereof in the souls of men in whom it is begotten, and charging the belief thereof upon all, and is a firm foundation for such belief from the worse of sinners, condemning all or any for not believing the same, and whosoever do believe it knowingly do believe also themselves sinners, and by this means the remission of all their sins, and are thereby accepted as just in the sight of God.

This knowledg I have for long time since endeavoured to work in the minds of others, as knowing it to be their Life, Prov. 3.18. wherein as some have praised God for my Labours, so have I had no small opposition from others, who first conclude that if Christ died for all mens sins all must needs be saved, they not considering that some bring in damnable Heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction, 2 Peter 2.1. And that none can be condemned or blamed for the sin of unbelief but he whose sins Christ died for.

But further they urge, this denies election of some above others, and concludes free will and a power in man to believe, and the grace of God to man for salvation no other than what depends upon something performed as a condition of his acceptance with God and that final falling away of Saints is a thing possible, as being left by God to the liberty of their own will.

These as I have upon good reason knowingly denied them to be any natural consequences of the death of Christ for all men, yet nevertheless many who own the Death of Christ for all, do own these as true consequences, and these not onely of more common and ignorant sort of people, but men of parts and good esteem for Learning.

Hence it is that the opposers of Christs Death for all are animated to conclude these consequences undeniably to follow, and therefore reject it wholly as false Doctrine."

Hereupon I have been pressed in my spirit to publish something in print, declaring and plainly proving that the Death of Christ for all hath not any affinity with these things, but is a Truth without them..."

Thomas Lamb's "Preface to the Reader," in Absolute Freedom from Sin by Christs Death for the World (London: Printed by H. H. for the Authour, and are to be sold by him, 1656), x-xi. [No Pagination; pages numbered manually from the beginning]

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Thomas Lamb's (died c. 1672 or 1686) First Words to the Reader in a Treatise of Particular Predestination

"For as much as the glory of God ought to bee most deare in our eyes, which wee ought to seeke, and preferre more than our lives; I could not with good conscience and reason, but publish these few lines following, (especially being earnestly desired by some of my deare friends,) and the reasons are, first, because the truth of the Gospel, which holds forth Christs giving himself a ransome for all men, 1 Tim. 2. 6. A propitiation for the sinnes of the whole world, 1 John 2. 2. and that he tasted death for every man Heb. 2. 9. (which is such a glorious truth, as without which first the Gospel of Gods free grace cannot be preached to all men, secondly neither can wicked men nor unbelievers be required to believe; and thirdly neither can the not believing in Christ be concluded to be a sinne,) all which being professed by the people of God (who desire in all sincerity to walke in all the wayes of God, and to bee led wholy by the rule of his word, whatever the hazard be thereby) they are thereby scandalized to hold free-will, and to denie particular election of persons, and persons hereby kept from the truth: to the end therefore that these stumbling blockes might be taken out of the way: these following lines doe manifestly declare Christs dying for all, and particular Election to stand together, which therefore can be no let to hinder people from the wayes of God, nor yet from discerning this particular truth of Christs dying for all, the excellency whereof none can prize, but those that know it; the which excellency if others could know, I am confident they would not bee such enemies to their owne soules as to slight it."

From Thomas Lamb's initial words "To the Impartial Reader," in A Treatise of Particular Predestination (London, 1642), i-ii. [No Pagination; Pages Numbered Manually from the Beginning]

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Thomas Lamb (died c. 1672 or 1686) on Christ's Death for All as a Ground to Preach to All

"...and seeing Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, Joh 14.6. and without him there is no way but wandring, no truth but errour, no life but death; and seeing also that Christ is no otherwise the Way, Truth, and Life, than as He is the Propitiation and atonement for the sins of the whole world, by which He took whatsoever was against us out of the way, nailing it to his Cross, Col. 2.14. It cannot but be truth, that Christ died for the sins of all and every man, as a ground for preaching glad tidings to all and every man, as a ground for faith for every man, as a ground to conclude unbelief a sin in every man; this as Gospel-truth I have preached and disputed for a long time, and been a great sufferer in witness thereof, and do still look upon it as such a glorious Truth as ought to be countenanced and encouraged; yet some there be that both think and say that this cannot stand but by denying Gods election of some above others; and also it maintains free-will, and the liableness of the best of Saints to fall away both totally and finally from God. And I myself have been aspersed to hold these Errours, as I verily believe it not altogether unknown to your Highness."

From Thomas Lamb's dedicatory letter to "His Highness Oliver Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland," in Absolute Freedom from Sin by Christ's Death for the World, as the Object of Faith in Opposition to Conditional, Set Forth by Mr. John Goodwin in his Book (London: Printed by H. H. for the Authour, and are to be sold by him, 1656), iii-iv. [No pagination; pages numbered manually from the beginning of the dedication]

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Dictionary of National Biography

This is an incomplete project I've been working on the last couple of hours. Eventually I will search these volumes for terms such as "non-conformist," "puritan," "divine," "dissenting," and "reformer" in order to find more obscure names of Calvinistic theologians. I will also be using this for some biographical entries of men that I have posted. You can read about this reference work here, or find a person in the Oxford Biography Index here. The Online Books Page has a complete index here (I found this too late, after I did most of the work below).

Volume 1: Abbadie—Anne (Archive, Google)
Volume 2: Annesley—Baird (Archive, Google)
Volume 3: Baker—Beadon (Archive, Google)
Volume 4: Beal—Biber (Archive, Google)
Volume 5: Bicheno—Bottisham (Archive, Google)
Volume 6: Bottomley—Browell (Archive, Google)
Volume 7: Brown—Burthogge (Archive, Google)
Volume 8: Burton—Cantwell (Archive, Google)
Volume 9: Canute—Chaloner (Archive, Google)
Volume 10: Chamber—Clarkson (Archive, Google)
Volume 11: Clater—Condell (Archive, Google)
Volume 12: Conder—Craigie (Archive, Google)
Volume 13: Craik—Damer (Archive, Google)
Volume 14: Damon—D'Eyncourt (Archive, Google)
Volume 15: Diamond—Drake (Archive, Google)
Volume 16: Drant—Edridge (Archive, Google)
Volume 17: Edward—Erskine (Archive, Google)
Volume 18: Esdaile—Finan (Archive, Google)
Volume 19: Finch—Forman (Archive, Google)
Volume 20: Forrest—Garner (Archive, Google)
Volume 21: Garnett—Gloucester (Archive, Google)
Volume 22: Glover—Gravet (Archive, Google)
Volume 23: Gray—Haighton (Archive, Google)
Volume 24: Hailes—Harriott (Archive, Google)
Volume 25: Harris—Henry I (Archive, Google)
Volume 26: Henry II—Hindley (Archive, Google)
Volume 27: Hindmarsh—Hovenden (Archive, Google)
Volume 28: Howard—Inglethorp (Archive, Google)
Volume 29: Inglis—John (Archive, Google)
Volume 30: Johnes—Kenneth (Archive, Google)
Volume 31: Kennett—Lambart (Archive, Google)
Volume 32: Lambe—Leigh (Archive, Google)
Volume 33: Leighton—Lluelyn (Archive, Google)
Volume 34: Llwyd—Maccartney (Archive, Google)
Volume 35: MacCarwell—Maltby (Archive, Google)
Volume 36: Malthus—Mason (Archive, Google)
Volume 37: Masquerier—Millyng (Archive, Google)
Volume 38: Milman—More (Archive, Google)
Volume 39: Morehead—Myles (Archive, Google)
Volume 40: Myllar—Nicholls (Archive, Google)
Volume 41: Nichols—O'Dugan (Archive, Google)
Volume 42: O'Duinn—Owen (Archive, Google)
Volume 43: Owens—Passelewe (Archive, Google)
Volume 44: Paston—Percy (Archive, Google)
Volume 45: Pereira—Pockrich (Archive, Google)
Volume 46: Pocock—Puckering (Archive, Google)
Volume 47: Puckle—Reidfurd (Archive, Google)
Volume 48: Reilly—Robins (Archive, Google)
Volume 49: Robinson—Russell (Archive, Google)
Volume 50: Russen—Scobell (Archive, Google)
Volume 51: Scoffin—Sheares (Archive, Google)
Volume 52: Shearman—Smirke (Archive, Google)
Volume 53: Smith—Stanger (Archive, Google)
Volume 54: Stanhope—Stovin (Archive, Google)
Volume 55: Stow—Taylor (Archive, Google)
Volume 56: Teach—Tollet (Archive, Google)
Volume 57: Tom—Tytler (Archive, Google)
Volume 58: Ubaldini—Wakefield (Archive, Google)
Volume 59: Wakeman—Watkins (Archive, Google)
Volume 60: Watson—Whewell (Archive, Google)
Volume 61: Whichcord—Williams (Archive, Google)
Volume 62: Williamson—Wordon (Archive, Google)
Volume 63: Wordsworth—Zuylestein (Archive, Google)

Supplement:
Volume 1: Abbott—Childers
Volume 2: Chippendale—Hoste
Volume 3: How—Woodward

Errata (Archive, Google)

Index and Epitome: (Archive, Google)

Augustine on God's Love and the Son's Dying for Men

"Who is there, moreover, who should not be earnestly disposed to give the return of love to a God of supreme righteousness and also of supreme mercy, who has first loved men of the greatest unrighteousness and the loftiest pride, and that, too, so deeply as to have sent in their behalf His only Son, by whom He made all things, and who being made man, not by any change of Himself, but by the assumption of human nature, was designed thus to become capable not only of living with them, but also of dying at once for them and by their hands?"

Augustine, "On the Catechising of the Uninstructed," Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, 1st Series, ed. Philip Schaff (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2004), 3:307. This is from chapter 22.39.

Observe:
1) "Who is there..." means everybody. It is all inclusive of every particular living human.
2) Every human should give thanks to God because God loved them.
3) The Father loved them by sending His only Son, "who made all things" [i.e. including every particular human].
4) The Son shares the nature of every human.
5) The Son was designed [by the love of the Father] to die at once for them all, even the one's who "by their hands" killed Him.

Thomas Lever (1521–1577) on Christ's Blood Shed to Save All Men

"Woe, woe, woe unto you hypocrites that stumble at a straw, and leap over a block, that strain out a gnat, and swallow up a camel, that pity more the loss of men's bribery, which was given to corrupt some men, than the treading under foot of Christ's blood, which was shed, to save all men, that do imagine it pity to drive the thieves, murderers and wolves from among the lambs of God, redeemed with Christ's precious blood, and committed unto your governance and keeping."

Thomas Lever, Sermons, ed. Edward Arber (London: Bloomsbury,1871), 85–86. Some spelling and english updated.

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R. C. Sproul on Passive Hardening and Common Grace

"In order to understand it [passive hardening] properly we must first look briefly at another concept, common grace. This refers to that grace of God that all men common enjoy. The rain that refreshes the earth and waters our crops falls upon the just and the unjust alike. The unjust certainly do not deserve such benefits, but they enjoy them anyway. So it is with sunshine and rainbows. Our world is a theater of common grace.

On of the most important elements of common grace we enjoy is the restraint of evil in the world. That restraint flows from many sources. Evil is restrained by policemen, laws, public opinion, balances of power, and so on. Though the world we live in is filled with wickedness, it is not as wicked as it possibly could be. God uses the means mentioned above as well as other means to keep evil in check. By his grace he controls and bridles the amount of evil in this world. If evil were left totally unchecked, then life on this planet would be impossible.

All that God has to do to harden people's hearts is to remove the restraints. He gives them a longer leash. Rather than restricting their human freedom, he increases it. He lets them have their own way. In a sense he gives them enough rope to hang themselves. It is not that God puts his hand on them to create fresh evil in their hearts; he merely removes his holy hand of restraint from them and lets them do their own will."

R. C. Sproul, Chosen by God (Wheaton, ILL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1986), 145.

Robert Harris (1581–1658) on God's Common and Special Love

"But here it must be remembered, that there is a twofold love in God; first, a common love, which he bears to all the creatures: Secondly, a special love, which he placeth upon his own: (like as there is a double providence of God, first general, which extendeth to all, secondly special, which he exerciseth only toward his children) we may not conclude any thing to our selves upon those evidences that seal up a general love of God only, or his general providence; but ground upon such as are signs of his special love, or else we do nothing."

Robert Harris, "Sermons on the Beatitudes: Sermon XIX," in The Works of Robert Harris (London: Printed by James Flesher, for John Bartlet the elder, and John Bartlet the younger, and are to be sold at the Gilt Cup, on the South side of Pauls neer Austins Grace in the new Buildings, 1654), 240. Some spelling changes.

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Notice how Harris connects God's common love with general providence. God provides for all creatures in his general love.

Robert Harris (1581–1658) on God Begging in His Calls and Offers of Grace

"If ye stop your ears to God's calls and offers of grace, he also will be as deaf to your suits and cries: If ye stiffen your necks against God, and make your hearts hard aganst him, when he comes a begging to you, he also will shut his eyes, and stop his ears in your distresses, according to that, Prov. 1. Because I called, and you would not hear, I stretched out my hands unto you, but all to no purpose; Therefore shall ye call upon me, but I will not answer, ye shall seek me early, but ye shall have no answer: And thus shall you receive like for like, measure for measure, &c."

Robert Harris, "Sermons on the Beatitudes: Sermon IX," in The Works of Robert Harris (London: Printed by James Flesher, for John Bartlet the elder, and John Bartlet the younger, and are to be sold at the Gilt Cup, on the South side of Pauls neer Austins Grace in the new Buildings, 1654), 187. Some spelling changes.

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Robert Harris' (1581–1658) Begging Christ

"A man must make to Christ, that quickning spirit, pitch upon his person, partake of his Spirit, derive from him the righteousness of faith, before he can have righteousness of nature and life. Therefore first see all things out of Christ to be no better than chaffe, then huskes, Luk. 15. then offall, then dogs-meat, Phil 3. Next, see, that in him is all fulness of provision, milk, honey, bread indeed, Isa. 55. whatsoever makes for life. Thirdly, that he is most able and willing to supply thee: so willing, as that he begs, commands, prayes, threatens, doth all that can be done to draw thee in, and thereupon thirst and reach after him, and with him after his righteousness of Justification first, of sanctification next, the former whereof is here presupposed, though not directly (I think) intended."

Robert Harris, "Sermons on the Beatitudes: Sermon IX," in The Works of Robert Harris (London: Printed by James Flesher, for John Bartlet the elder, and John Bartlet the younger, and are to be sold at the Gilt Cup, on the South side of Pauls neer Austins Grace in the new Buildings, 1654), 157.

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Robert Harris (1581–1658) on Common and Peculiar Grace

"There are graces of two sorts. First, common graces, which even reprobates may have. Secondly, peculiar, such as accompany salvation, as the Apostle hath it, proper to God's own children only."

Robert Harris, "Sermons on the Beatitudes: Nineteenth Sermon on Matthew 5:9" in The Works of Robert Harris (London: Printed by James Flesher, for John Bartlet the elder, and John Bartlet the younger, and are to be sold at the Gilt Cup, on the South side of Pauls neer Austins Grace in the new Buildings, 1654), 241.

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Stott on Our Need to Apeal in our Proclamations

Tom Ascol tweeted an excellent quote by John Stott:

"It is not enough to expound a thoroughly orthodox doctrine of reconciliation if we never beg people to come to Christ."

John Stott, The Cross of Christ (Downers Grove, ILL: IVP, 1986), 201.

I would add this: And we will never sincerely "beg people to come to Christ" until we are thoroughly persuaded that God himself wishes all men to be saved in the revealed will and through our appeals, as taught by the passage [2 Cor. 5:18–20] that Stott is expounding.