God the Savior of all men

In I Timothy 4:10 we read, “For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, be we trust in the living God who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe.”

This passage is uttered because of thoughts before it. You have to connect the prior thoughts. Paul says in vs. 8b and 9, “but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.” Continuing with verse 10, “for to this end we both labor…

So, in what way is God the Savior of all men? The writer believes in the sense that all men indiscriminately receive what some call “common grace”. Jesus in Matthew 5:46b declares that the Father sends the rain on the just and unjust. Rain is a universal benefit and blessing to all regardless of whether a person is a child of God or not.

Another benefit all receive is labor from hard work. Whether you are eternally saved or damned, everyone that works consistently will benefit from their efforts (Prov 14:23). This is a universal law in the earth.

Most important of all, is that God extends His love in that He gives mankind the opportunity to have eternal life through the  gospel of Jesus Christ; this grace is offered to all men inclusively. Unfortunately, most will reject this most precious offer, the offer to have one’s sins forgiven and paid for forever.

So we see that God does offer a temporal salvation cosmically each and everyday, but not all are saved eternally. Only those that believe are saved eternally.

I believe Paul is also in vs. 10 is stressing that there is no other Savior, but God alone. We see this truth repeated by the Prophet Isaiah:

Isaiah 43:10c, 11: “Before me there was no God formed nor shall be after Me. I, even I am the Lord and besides Me there is no Savior.”

Isaiah 43:25, “I even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake, And I will not remember your sins.”

Isaiah 45:17, “Israel shall be saved by the Lord with an everlasting salvation.”

Isaiah 45:18c,21b, 22 “I am the Lord and there is no other.”

Isaiah 46:5, “To whom will you liken Me, and make Me equal, and compare Me that we should be alike?”

Isaiah 46:9-11 “Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other, for I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying my counsel shall stand, and I do all My pleasure.”

Peter says in Acts 4:12, “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.”

So, it’s clear from the word of God that the God of the Bible is the only Savior of men; both in a temporal sense where God has blessed all men in his creation, has restrained His judgment against them temporarily despite their sin and hatred of Him; declaring His love toward them in commanding them to repent of sin so as not to eternally perish, and  also disclosing Himself through general revelation; that which He has created.

I Timothy 4:10 in no way teaches Universalism, that all men are going to heaven. It teaches God is the universal Savior of all (i.e. preserver and protector), but the personal and eternal Savior of those who believe in Him.

These would be the elect, those who were chosen by the Father before the world began (Eph 1:4,5).