timfost
Puritan Board Senior
Great conversation, Edward!
You are in good company with your interpretation, as it is also Calvin's.
A word of caution, though. Be very careful with John Gill. Many believe that he was a hyper-Calvinist. Peter Toon makes a very good case for this. Regardless, Gill followed in the Hussey vein and promoted Tobias Crisp, most notably in the doctrine of eternal justification. If you're not familiar with this doctrine, it is the belief that the elect are not justified by the means of faith but from eternity past. According to him, faith is only a recognition of your justification. This doctrine has very detrimental effects on his theology.
In regards to 1 Tim. 2:4, what gives me pause as to only interpreting as classes of men is that we are called to make supplications, prayers, intercessions and thanks for all men. Certainly the context very readily agrees to interpreting classes of people, but we pray for people in all of these classes individually as well as collectively. I'm not sure if the classes referenced in this is to the exclusion of individuals.
Calvin on reconciling the concept of willing repentance unto salvation:
"Now, if the genuine meaning of the prophet is inquired into, it will be found that he only means to give the hope of pardon to them who repent. The sum is, that God is undoubtedly ready to pardon whenever the sinner turns. Therefore, he does not will his death, in so far as he wills repentance. But experience shows that this will, for the repentance of those whom he invites to himself, is not such as to make him touch all their hearts. Still, it cannot be said that he acts deceitfully; for though the external word only renders, those who hear its and do not obey it, inexcusable, it is still truly regarded as an evidence of the grace by which he reconciles men to himself." (Institutes 3.24.15)
You are in good company with your interpretation, as it is also Calvin's.
A word of caution, though. Be very careful with John Gill. Many believe that he was a hyper-Calvinist. Peter Toon makes a very good case for this. Regardless, Gill followed in the Hussey vein and promoted Tobias Crisp, most notably in the doctrine of eternal justification. If you're not familiar with this doctrine, it is the belief that the elect are not justified by the means of faith but from eternity past. According to him, faith is only a recognition of your justification. This doctrine has very detrimental effects on his theology.
In regards to 1 Tim. 2:4, what gives me pause as to only interpreting as classes of men is that we are called to make supplications, prayers, intercessions and thanks for all men. Certainly the context very readily agrees to interpreting classes of people, but we pray for people in all of these classes individually as well as collectively. I'm not sure if the classes referenced in this is to the exclusion of individuals.
Calvin on reconciling the concept of willing repentance unto salvation:
"Now, if the genuine meaning of the prophet is inquired into, it will be found that he only means to give the hope of pardon to them who repent. The sum is, that God is undoubtedly ready to pardon whenever the sinner turns. Therefore, he does not will his death, in so far as he wills repentance. But experience shows that this will, for the repentance of those whom he invites to himself, is not such as to make him touch all their hearts. Still, it cannot be said that he acts deceitfully; for though the external word only renders, those who hear its and do not obey it, inexcusable, it is still truly regarded as an evidence of the grace by which he reconciles men to himself." (Institutes 3.24.15)