[HarleyD]

Actually, I was just reading an article by John Calvin, the man himself, on 1 Timothy 2:3-5. He explains this quite well but the style is a tad bit hard to read. If you're interested here's the link.

The Salvation of All Men by the one, the only John Calvin

applauses, applauses

[american colleen]

Therefore, seeing it is the will of God that all men should be partakers of that salvation which He hath sent in the person of His only begotten Son, we must endeavor to draw poor, silly, ignorant creatures to us, that we may all come together to this inheritance of the kingdom of heaven, which hath been promised us. But we must observe that St. Paul speaketh not of every particular man, but of all sorts of men, and of all people. Therefore, when he saith that God will have all men to be saved, we must not think that he speaketh of them individually, but his meaning is this: that whereas in times past He chose a certain people to Himself, He meaneth now to show mercy to all the world: yea, even to them that seemed to be shut out from the hope of salvation.

Sorry, John Calvin has twisted "Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth" and "Who gave himself a ransom for all" into something that fits with his personal biblical interpretation of Total Depravity and No Free Will. If the passages sited read "some" instead of "all" then I could agree with him somewhat.