The Kingdom Come

The issue of what the Bible means by the phrase "all men" [or all people] has been an issue that has been of much controversy in the Church. Typically, the issue is approached in 3 different ways:

1. Universalistic - All men on the planet will be saved.
2. Arminian - All men are offered salvation but only those who choose via freewill will obtain it.
3. Calvinistⁱ - All men must be read in context, where sometimes it speaks of all men on the planet and sometimes it speaks only of "all men" within a specific group.

This study was presented by another man in the study. He offered 9 different categories or definitions of "all men", and the time frames the passage encompasses then he went through 10 passages, asking us to determine which "all men" the passage included.

ALL MEN CATEGORIES

1. All men: elect, non-elect, past, present, future
2. All men: elect, non-elect, present, future
3. All men: elect, non-elect, present
4. All men: elect alone, past, present, future
5. All men: elect alone, present, future
6. All men: elect alone, present
7. All men: non-elect alone, past, present, future
8. All men: non-elect alone, present, future
9. All men: non-elect alone, present

The passages reviewed (hint, check several translations):

Luke 21:17
John 3:26
John 12:32
Acts 17:30
Romans 3:20-25
Romans 5:11-21
Galatians 6:10
1 Timothy 2:1-6
1 Timothy 4:10 (we found this one most difficult)
2 Peter 3:9

I really enjoyed this study.