What is wrong with Calvinism ?

[Clare73]

I am only against the doctrine that everyone calls calvinism= tulip ... you are correct about Augustine that is the origination of the doctrine and his roots were gnostic Manicheism. EDD exhaustive divine determinism is the foundational blocks of tulip.
Everything is God's doing even sin...

And Aquinas. . .Luther. . .in opposing camps?

So how do you understand Romans 9:22-24?

 

[enoob57]

And Aquinas. . .Luther. . .in opposing camps?

So how do you understand Romans 9:22-24?

Just as the Jews would have at that time... it is speaking corporately just as it's reference in OT...
Here is a complete resource to provisionism which is finer tuned from Southern Baptist traditionalism
Romans 9 Outline – SOTERIOLOGY 101

 

[rector boy]

Just as the Jews would have at that time... it is speaking corporately just as it's reference in OT...

Formally misput, old computer went on the blink

 

[RickReads]

Sorry, I don't see the connection. Maybe you could explain.

Try a dictionary next time.

Propitiation is the act of appeasing or making well-disposed a deity, thus incurring divine favor or avoiding divine retribution.

 

[rector boy]

Try a dictionary next time.

Propitiation is the act of appeasing or making well-disposed a deity, thus incurring divine favor or avoiding divine retribution.

Are you trying to rattle my cage? I thought maybe you were on to something but sorry no brass ring : )

 

[RickReads]

Are you trying to rattle my cage? I thought maybe you were on to something but sorry no brass ring : )

It's a very basic doctrine of the gospel. Wedding Garment, His Righteousness, Grace, take your pick.

Surely something will ring a bell.

 

[rector boy]

We know all know, have knowledge of, God by what He has made Romans 1:18-22 and I leave all judgment to the Son as The Father has...

Also Rom:2 and notice toward the end of Rom:2, I think Paul indicates they will also be judged by the gospel of Jesus Christ. Amazing ain't it? If that is true it really gives us something to contemplate!

 

[rector boy]

It's a very basic doctrine of the gospel. Wedding Garment, His Righteousness, Grace, take your pick.

Surely something will ring a bell.

When I start hearing bells I will let you know : )

 

[RickReads]

When I start hearing bells I will let you know : )[/QUOTE

13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

 

[rector boy]

13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

No brass rings or bells here, don't go away mad, just go away, please : )

 

[FutureAndAHope]

I would like to add my two cents to this topic. I have a link to my website where I talk about predestination, the fact that I don't believe it, and my case against it. Is Predestination real? | Everybody Matters Ministry

I have also put below, what I believe to be the Biblical method of salvation, in an attempt to clarify the free will argument for salvation (this was taken from another post):

This is an attempt to show, how a person is saved. The overall plan of salvation.

The New Testament states that:

Rom 3:28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.

This shows that salvation is based upon trusting in the sacrifice of Jesus to justify us, not our works, or effort. Without going into detail the bible also states that faith leads to the Holy Spirit empowering us to live close to God’s best. We are encouraged:

Gal 5:13 For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

I first wish to lay out a brief introduction to the method of salvation, and how salvation occurs.


As people when we are born we have no knowledge of God, we walk in a quagmire of maybes, yet at some point in our lives God will give a person light, understanding, and knowledge, this can occur numerous times. As in Job, the rebellious believer is given chance after chance to change:

Job 33:29-30 "Behold, God works all these things, Twice, in fact, three times with a man, To bring back his soul from the Pit, That he may be enlightened with the light of life.


This light, understanding, or knowledge God gives to all people.

Joh 1:9 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.

It is how the individual responds to that light that determines if they move towards salvation, or move towards destruction.

Job 36:10-12 He openeth also their ear to instruction, And commandeth that they return from iniquity. If they hearken and serve him, They shall spend their days in prosperity, And their years in pleasures. But if they hearken not, they shall perish by the sword, And they shall die without knowledge.


What we do with the knowledge God gives us, will determine, our destiny. There are two pathways, our eyes remain open, and we follow after righteousness, or we desire sin more than God and drift into spiritual blindness. I show both of these pathways below:

Rom 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.


LIFE

John 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

Jesus said that if a man loves God, he will attempt to live God’s way. God will open such a person’s eyes to His saving grace. Note that it is often the pure grace of God that leads to salvation, God showing His forgiveness and mercy toward the sinner. But the person then needs to live out their salvation, obeying God, they still need to keep His words.

Joh 6:28-29 Then they said to Him, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?" Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent."

DEATH

The bible tells us that light has come to every man, but some love the darkness more than the light God reveals.

Joh 3:19-21 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."

They suppress the knowledge of God. In doing this God gives them over to a darkened heart, if people refuse repentance they will eventually become totally blind to grace, the light that God gives. If a person lives in the desires of the flesh, refusing to return to God, they will eventually perish.

Rom 1:18-21 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.


Joh 8:43-45 Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me.


2Th 2:10-12 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.


Man is ultimately responsible for His own salvation. As the bible says of the sinner:

Tit 3:11 knowing that such a person is warped and sinning, being self-condemned.

 

[Clare73]

Just as the Jews would have at that time... it is speaking corporately just as it's reference in OT...
Here is a complete resource to provisionism which is finer tuned from Southern Baptist traditionalism
Romans 9 Outline – SOTERIOLOGY 101

But Paul applies "the corporate" to us Christians in 9:23-24: "What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory--even us, whom he also called,"

The corporate is not just Israel, it is NT believers.

"God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden" (9:18) in both the OT and the NT, and
he holds man accountable for his hard heart in both the OT and the NT, and
the clay does not question the potter who, from the same lump of clay, makes some vessels for noble purposes and some for common use (human waste) in both the OT and the NT.

This is more than just a particular situation for a particular group.
This is God's sovereign MO for all mankind, both OT and NT, right?

 

[misput]

But Paul applies "the corporate" to us Christians in 9:23-24: "What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory--even us, whom he also called,"

The corporate is not just Israel, it is NT believers.

"God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden" (9:18) in both the OT and the NT, and
he holds man accountable for his hard heart in both the OT and the NT, and
the clay does not question the potter who, from the same lump of clay, makes some vessels for noble purposes and some for common use (human waste) in both the OT and the NT.

This is more than just a particular situation for a particular group.
This is God's sovereign MO for all mankind, both OT and NT, right?

Romans 9 is basically about God fulfilling His purposes, not about individual salvation. If He has to harden a heart to achieve His overarching purpose He does so but that does not mean that heart is condemned. Look at Annias and Safire, do you really believe they were condemned to hell for one lie? If so we are all in danger of hell fire. Or do you even see any correlation? Why do you keep pushing a doctrine that makes no sense scriptural or otherwise?

 

[John Mullally]

Quite honestly, I haven't studied "Calvinism," I've studied Paul.

I argue Paul, not "Calvinism."

But I suspect some of the stuff out here attributed to "Calvinism" is misunderstanding of Calvin.

All men go to hell no matter what (Romans 5:18), except for the mercy of God to some.

What you state here sounds much more like Calvin than Paul.

“…individuals are born, who are doomed from the womb to certain death, and are to glorify him by their destruction.” (John Calvin, Institutes of Christian Religion, Book 3, Chapter 23, Paragraph 6)

1 Timothy 2:1 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. 3For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, 6who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time, NKJV​

 

[RickReads]

What you state here sounds much more like Calvin than Paul.

“…individuals are born, who are doomed from the womb to certain death, and are to glorify him by their destruction.” (John Calvin, Institutes of Christian Religion, Book 3, Chapter 23, Paragraph 6)

1 Timothy 2:1 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. 3For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, 6who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time, NKJV​

I didn't know I was a Calvinist until I came online in my late 30s and started bickering with them. It caused me to restudy everything I had believed up to that point.

 

[NotreDame]

The old pagan definition of omniscience that we inherited from the pagan Greeks (by idolatry of all thing Greek) that GOD must know all that can be known from eternity past to eternity future, while it seems so perfectly glorious, it contradicts HIS stated view about people in hell* which should have forced a re-evaluation long before now. IF HE knew before their creation who would end in hell all HE had to do to remedy this contravention of HIS desires would have been to not create them in the first place!
*Ezekiel 33:11 Say to them, 'As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked... and
1 Timothy 2:4...who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

May I suggest that a prayerful study of
Acts 15:18 Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world. might prove useful as a starting point for this necessary re-evaluation? This verse limits HIS omniscience to 'all HIS works' and it started at 'the beginning of the world.'[/B] All HIS works describes HIS creative decrees.

Therefore if HE did not decree into creation something, HE did not know it...and I suggest HE did not decree the results of our true free will decisions so HE did not know what those results would be until we decided them for ourselves. When HE created us with a free will, HE did NOT create the results of our free will decisions but let us create them and bring them into reality and into HIS consciousness.

Sorry if I misled...I was not saying that the words meant the same thing but that His knowing certain people and not others defined more tightly what He knew by His omniscience, in some but not all cases.

This definition implies that HE also foresaw who would not have faith but created them anyway just to end in hell, when HE takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked and wants no one to die but all to repent.

So? You have not presented an irreconcilable view. God have perfect foreknowledge that some people would freely choose to reject Him, despite his desire they do not use their freedom in this manner.

The old pagan definition of omniscience that we inherited from the pagan Greeks (by idolatry of all thing Greek) that GOD must know all that can be known from eternity past to eternity future, while it seems so perfectly glorious, it contradicts HIS stated view about people in hell*

Oh spare me the pagan baloney. God’s omniscience is made evident in the Bible. The prophets cannot exist without God’s omniscience. The book of Revelation foretelling of what “must come to pass” isn’t possible without God’s omniscience. The books of the Prophets, foretelling future events, isn’t possible without God’s omniscience. God’s omniscience is a necessity for the conversion of Paul and Pharoah’s relinquishment of the Jews, etcetera.

IF HE knew before their creation who would end in hell all HE had to do to remedy this contravention of HIS desires would have been to not create them in the first place!

So, you write, God’s foreknowledge of who will choose to reject him and consequently spend eternity in hell, conflicts with his desire no one “should perish” in hell but all have “everlasting life.” Hence, the “remedy” isn’t free will, but rather the “remedy” is create only those who use their free will to choose “everlasting life,” so as to satisfy God’s desire “none” perish in hell.

First, it must be acknowledged that there’s no contradiction between A.)God’s desire of all created people with free will to B.) not perish in hell and C) some people, by their free will, choose to perish in hell and D.) God foreknew some people, by an exercise of their own free will, choose to perish in hell.

Regardless, your point is God can avoid sending people to hell by creating a world with people he foreknows will only choose eternal life by their own choice.

Your view parallels Macke’s view, where he argued it must be possible for a loving, omnipotent God to create a world and create people of only people who freely choose moral good. You write God create a world and only create people God foreknew would only choose eternal life by their free will.

The famed Christian apologist and philosophy professor, Alvin Plantinga, articulated a strong counter argument to Macke’s view in the popular work, “God, Freedom, and Evil.” Plantinga’s reasoning is applicable to your view.

Plantinga’s reasoning is, “t is not within God’s power to create a world containing moral good without creating one containing moral evil…that among the worlds God could not have actualized are all the worlds containing moral good but no moral evil.”

Similarly, the reply to your view is the possibility God could not have actualized/created a world, our world as well, where there are only people freely choosing eternal life but not freely choosing eternal death.

A reason for this is the possibility people, all people, in all possible worlds, suffer from TWD, transworld depravity where God seeks to actualize a state of affairs to bring about that possible world such that TWD has the people freely choose moral good and evil and freely choosing eternal life and eternal death.

So, the argument is there are A.) possible worlds where only people who only freely choose eternal life B.) but the people in those worlds suffer from TWD such that C) The possible world is actual, because of TWD, people will freely choose eternal life and eternal death.

So, it is not within God’s power to create or actualize a world where only people freely choose eternal life without dismantling free will.

 

[Jesus is YHWH]

Try a dictionary next time.

Propitiation is the act of appeasing or making well-disposed a deity, thus incurring divine favor or avoiding divine retribution.

PROPITIATION

The value of Christ’s death as a vindication of God’s righteousness is indicated by the word propitiation. Here we enter upon an intricate aspect of the doctrine of the Atonement. The word “propitiation” appears in the English Bible three times. The Apostle John uses it twice in his First Epistle. Speaking of Jesus Christ, he writes,

He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world (I John 2:2).

And again,

Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins (I John 4:10).

The Greek word here is “hilasmos,” and means “that which propitiates.” It signifies expiation. Numbers 5:8 speaks of “the ram of atonement” (propitiation), and again in Psalm 130:4, “There is forgiveness (propitiation) with Thee.” Here is the sole ground upon which God shows mercy to guilty sinners. Christ alone, through the shedding of His Blood in His sacrificial and substitutionary Death on the Cross, is the Propitiation, that which expiates or propitiates. He extinguishes the guilt of the sinner by suffering the penalty for sin. Notice that it does not say that His death was the propitiation, but that He himself is the Propitiation. It is the Person of our Lord which gives efficacy to His atoning work.

In Romans 3:25 the Apostle Paul speaks of Christ,

Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His Blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forebearance of God.

Here the Greek word is not “hilasmos,” meaning “that which propitiates,” but “hilasterion,” which means, “the place of propitiation.” The word “hilasterion” is used in Hebrews 9:5, where we read: “And over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercy seat (hilasterion, or the place of propitiation).”

“Propitiation” means “mercy seat” in Hebrews 9:5, and we must go back to the Old Testament to see what the mercy seat was typically to the Israelite. The mercy seat was the golden lid or the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies. Once a year, on the Day of Atonement, the high priest sprinkled the sacrificial blood of an innocent victim to atone for the broken Law. The tables of stone on which were written the holy Law were kept in the Ark. The sprinkled blood covered the broken Law and made possible a meeting place between God and the sinner (Exodus 25:21-22; Leviticus 16:2, 13-14). The mercy seat was made of pure gold (Exodus 25:17), and covered the whole Ark.

Jesus Christ, the pure Son of God, is the sinner’s Mercy Seat, and His Blood covers all our sin. According to Scripture, therefore, the mercy seat in the Tabernacle was a type of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord fulfilled the type and symbol perfectly. After His death and burial He arose from the grave, ascended into Heaven, and on the ground of His shed Blood made possible a meeting place where the sinner could come to God.

Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own Blood He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us (Hebrews 9:12).

Christ Himself is the Mercy Seat sprinkled with His own precious Blood.

In our Lord’s propitiatory work there is no thought of God placating Himself or of appeasing His own anger. God’s feeling toward mankind has never changed. There never was a time in man’s history when God did not love him. God always has desired to bless man with salvation and its accompanying peace and joy, but the sin of man placed an obstacle in God’s way, separating the sinner from Himself. It is true that God hates sin and will always hate sin. The Death of Jesus Christ did in no wise change God’s view of sin.

The Death of Christ was a purely legal operation. The Judge took upon Himself the penalty so that the judgment seat becomes the mercy seat. The prayer of the publican, “God be merciful to me a sinner” (Luke 18:13), is literally, “God be propitious to me a sinner.” This passage is sometimes misunderstood and misused. This man stood on Old Testament ground before the Death of Christ, and he was actually asking God to offer that one Sacrifice for sin which would put that sin away and thus provide a ground upon which a holy and righteous God could bless him with salvation. Remember, he was not asking God to be generous or lenient with him. He was merely asking God to be propitious, and in making such a request he was justified.

Now we can see plainly that such a prayer need not be uttered today. God has been propitious in Christ. The eternal Son became our Mercy Seat, and to ask God to do what He already has done would be rejecting the Death of Christ. God cannot be lenient with sin, and sinners need not beg mercy from God. God was merciful when He provided for man the Saviour, and man is saved when he believes in and receives the Lord Jesus Christ. God has paid the penalty for sin, and on that basis His mercy is extended to you today.

For Thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon Thee (Psalm 86:5).

. . . With the Lord there is mercy, and with Him is plenteous redemption (Psalm 130:7).The Atonement of Christ | Bible.org

hope this helps !!!

 

[RickReads]

PROPITIATION

The value of Christ’s death as a vindication of God’s righteousness is indicated by the word propitiation. Here we enter upon an intricate aspect of the doctrine of the Atonement. The word “propitiation” appears in the English Bible three times. The Apostle John uses it twice in his First Epistle. Speaking of Jesus Christ, he writes,

He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world (I John 2:2).

And again,

Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins (I John 4:10).

The Greek word here is “hilasmos,” and means “that which propitiates.” It signifies expiation. Numbers 5:8 speaks of “the ram of atonement” (propitiation), and again in Psalm 130:4, “There is forgiveness (propitiation) with Thee.” Here is the sole ground upon which God shows mercy to guilty sinners. Christ alone, through the shedding of His Blood in His sacrificial and substitutionary Death on the Cross, is the Propitiation, that which expiates or propitiates. He extinguishes the guilt of the sinner by suffering the penalty for sin. Notice that it does not say that His death was the propitiation, but that He himself is the Propitiation. It is the Person of our Lord which gives efficacy to His atoning work.

In Romans 3:25 the Apostle Paul speaks of Christ,

Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His Blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forebearance of God.


Here the Greek word is not “hilasmos,” meaning “that which propitiates,” but “hilasterion,” which means, “the place of propitiation.” The word “hilasterion” is used in Hebrews 9:5, where we read: “And over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercy seat (hilasterion, or the place of propitiation).”

“Propitiation” means “mercy seat” in Hebrews 9:5, and we must go back to the Old Testament to see what the mercy seat was typically to the Israelite. The mercy seat was the golden lid or the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies. Once a year, on the Day of Atonement, the high priest sprinkled the sacrificial blood of an innocent victim to atone for the broken Law. The tables of stone on which were written the holy Law were kept in the Ark. The sprinkled blood covered the broken Law and made possible a meeting place between God and the sinner (Exodus 25:21-22; Leviticus 16:2, 13-14). The mercy seat was made of pure gold (Exodus 25:17), and covered the whole Ark.

Jesus Christ, the pure Son of God, is the sinner’s Mercy Seat, and His Blood covers all our sin. According to Scripture, therefore, the mercy seat in the Tabernacle was a type of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord fulfilled the type and symbol perfectly. After His death and burial He arose from the grave, ascended into Heaven, and on the ground of His shed Blood made possible a meeting place where the sinner could come to God.

Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own Blood He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us (Hebrews 9:12).

Christ Himself is the Mercy Seat sprinkled with His own precious Blood.

In our Lord’s propitiatory work there is no thought of God placating Himself or of appeasing His own anger. God’s feeling toward mankind has never changed. There never was a time in man’s history when God did not love him. God always has desired to bless man with salvation and its accompanying peace and joy, but the sin of man placed an obstacle in God’s way, separating the sinner from Himself. It is true that God hates sin and will always hate sin. The Death of Jesus Christ did in no wise change God’s view of sin.

The Death of Christ was a purely legal operation. The Judge took upon Himself the penalty so that the judgment seat becomes the mercy seat. The prayer of the publican, “God be merciful to me a sinner” (Luke 18:13), is literally, “God be propitious to me a sinner.” This passage is sometimes misunderstood and misused. This man stood on Old Testament ground before the Death of Christ, and he was actually asking God to offer that one Sacrifice for sin which would put that sin away and thus provide a ground upon which a holy and righteous God could bless him with salvation. Remember, he was not asking God to be generous or lenient with him. He was merely asking God to be propitious, and in making such a request he was justified.

Now we can see plainly that such a prayer need not be uttered today. God has been propitious in Christ. The eternal Son became our Mercy Seat, and to ask God to do what He already has done would be rejecting the Death of Christ. God cannot be lenient with sin, and sinners need not beg mercy from God. God was merciful when He provided for man the Saviour, and man is saved when he believes in and receives the Lord Jesus Christ. God has paid the penalty for sin, and on that basis His mercy is extended to you today.

For Thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon Thee (Psalm 86:5).

. . . With the Lord there is mercy, and with Him is plenteous redemption (Psalm 130:7).The Atonement of Christ | Bible.org

hope this helps !!!

Often I have found differences between scriptures' use of words and definitions given by a secular dictionary source.

It cannot take the place of a good commentary on a topic. I just think it's a good place to start. I could not have mastered the ability to read King James without one. For years I studied with three translations and a dictionary. I still use the dictionary sometimes.

 

[Clare73]

What you state here sounds much more like Calvin than Paul.

Then Calvin agrees with Paul in Romans 5:18:
". . .the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men."

“…individuals are born, who are doomed from the womb to certain death, and are to glorify him by their destruction.” (John Calvin, Institutes of Christian Religion, Book 3, Chapter 23, Paragraph 6)

1 Timothy 2:1 Therefore I exhort first of all that prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. 3For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, 6who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time, NKJV​

Do you know who is not going to heaven such that you need not pray for him?
Then that leaves all men for whom you are to pray.

 

[John Mullally]

Then Calvin agrees with Paul in Romans 5:18:
". . .the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men."

Calvin agreed with only the first half of what Paul wrote in Romans 5:18. If Paul meant "life for some people" as Calvinists assert, he would not say "life for all people".

Romans 5:18 18 Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people.​

Do you know who is not going to heaven such that you need not pray for him?
Then that leaves all men for whom you are to pray.

The passage I just quoted (1 Timothy 2:1-6) says why we are to pray for all people. Verses 1 says to pray for all people, and verses 2-6 tell us why. Meditate on that.