Is God’s salvific will universal? The answers of Augustine of Hippo and John Chrysostom

 

Is God’s salvific will universal? The answers of Augustine of Hippo and John Chrysostom

Augustine of Hippo (d. 430) and John Chrysostom (d. 407) were two massively influential Christian theologians, venerated as saints in many Christian traditions, including Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy. Both seemed to agree that a portion of human beings will be forever lost and will experience some kind of post-mortem unending torments. As I will show, however, despite these agreements, the two theologians disagreed on how to answer a very important question: is God’s salvific will universal?  This is evident if one reads how they handled a specific Biblical passage that seems to explicitly say that God’s salvific will is universal (i.e. that God wants the salvation of all human beings): 1 Timothy 2:(3-)4.

Augustine of Hippo’s exegesis of 1 Timothy 2:4

“103. Accordingly, when we hear and read in sacred Scripture that God "willeth that all men should be saved,"221 although we know well enough that not all men are saved, we are not on that account to underrate the fully omnipotent will of God. Rather, we must understand the Scripture, "Who will have all men to be saved," as meaning that no man is saved unless God willeth his salvation: not that there is no man whose salvation he doth not will, but that no one is saved unless He willeth it. Moreover, his will should be sought in prayer, because if he willeth, then what he willeth must necessarily be. And, indeed, it was of prayer to God that the apostle was speaking when he made that statement. Thus, we are also to understand what is written in the Gospel about Him "who enlighteneth every man." This means that there is no man who is enlightened except by God.

In any case, the word concerning God, "who will have all men to be saved," does not mean that there is no one whose salvation he doth not will--he who was unwilling to work miracles among those who, he said, would have repented if he had wrought them--but by "all men" we are to understand the whole of mankind, in every single group into which it can be divided: kings and subjects; nobility and plebeians; the high and the low; the learned and unlearned; the healthy and the sick; the bright, the dull, and the stupid; the rich, the poor, and the middle class; males, females, infants, children, the adolescent, young adults and middle-aged and very old; of every tongue and fashion, of all the arts, of all professions, with the countless variety of wills and minds and all the other things that differentiate people. For from which of these groups doth not God will that some men from every nation should be saved through his only begotten Son our Lord? Therefore, he doth save them since the Omnipotent cannot will in vain, whatsoever he willeth.

Now, the apostle had enjoined that prayers should be offered "for all men" and especially "for kings and all those of exalted station," whose worldly pomp and pride could be supposed to be a sufficient cause for them to despise the humility of the Christian faith. Then, continuing his argument, "for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour" -- that is, to pray even for such as these kings--the apostle, to remove any warrant for despair, added, "Who willeth that all men be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth." Truly, then, God hath judged it good that through the prayers of the lowly he would deign to grant salvation to the exalted--a paradox we have already seen exemplified. Our Lord also useth the same manner of speech in the Gospel, where he saith to the Pharisees, "You tithe mint and rue and every herb." Obviously, the Pharisees did not tithe what belonged to others, nor all the herbs of all the people of other lands. Therefore, just as we should interpret "every herb" to mean "every kind of herb," so also we can interpret "all men" to mean "all kinds of men." We could interpret it in any other fashion, as long as we are not compelled to believe that the Omnipotent hath willed anything to be done which was not done. "He hath done all things in heaven and earth, whatsoever he willed," as Truth sings of him, and surely he hath not willed to do anything that he hath not done. There must be no equivocation on this point.” (Enchiridion 103, source: https://www.tertullian.org/fathers/augustine_enchiridion_02_trans.htm )

John Chryostom’s exegesis of 1 Timothy 2:4

“Imitate God! if He willeth that all men should be saved, there is reason why one should pray for all, if He hath willed that all should be saved, be thou willing also; and if thou wishest it, pray for it, for wishes lead to prayers. Observe how from every quarter He urges this upon the soul, to pray for the Heathen, showing how great advantage springs from it; "that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life"; and what is much more than this, that it is pleasing to God, and thus men become like Him, in that they will the same that He does. This is enough to shame a very brute. Fear not therefore to pray for the Gentiles, for God Himself wills it; but fear only to pray against any, for that He wills not. And if you pray for the Heathens, you ought of course to pray for Heretics also, for we are to pray for all men, and not to persecute. And this is good also for another reason, as we are partakers of the same nature, and God commands and accepts benevolence and affection towards one another.” (Homily 7 on 1 Timothy, source: https://historicalchristian.faith/by_father.php?file=John%2520Chrysostom%2FHomilies%2FOn%25201%2520Timothy%2FHomily%25207.html  )

Addendum

Notably, a recent document of the Roman Catholic Church proposed an interpretation of 1 Timothy 2:4 that is closer to the one offered by Chryostom, despite Augustine’s influence on the Latin Christian world:

“Christians are people of prayer. They take to heart the admonition of Paul: “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all” (1 Tim 2:1). This universal prayer is acceptable to God who “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of truth” (1 Tim 2:4), and to whose creative power “nothing is impossible” (Job 42:2; Mk 10:27; 12:24-27; Lk 1:37). It is based on the hope that the whole creation will finally share in the glory of God (cf. Rom 8:22-27). Such a prayer is in line with St. John Chrysostom’s admonition: “Imitate God. If he wants all to be saved, then it is reasonable that one should pray for all”” (The hope of salvation for infants who die unbaptized, 69, source: https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/cti_documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20070419_un-baptised-infants_en.html )

Comments

  1. boundless93September 10, 2026 at 5:10 PM

    Interestingly, in his book 'Salvation Outside the Church: Tracing the History of the Catholic Response' (pp. 44-5), Francis A. Sullivan quotes a passage from the documents of the 'Latin' Council of Quiercy held in 853 that seems to have adopted a perspective more similar to that of John Chrysostom than that of Augustine:

    "Almighty God wills the salvation of all without exception, even though not all are saved. The fact that some are saved is the gift of the saviour; the fact that some perish is their own just deserts.

    Just as there is, has been, and will be no man whose nature was not assumed by Christ Jesus Our Lord, so also there is, has been and will be no man for whom He did not suffer, even though not all are redeemed by the mystery of his passion.

    The fact that not all are redeemed by the mystery of his passion does not have to do with the greatness or abundance of the price paid, but with the part of the unbelievers, and those who do not believe with that faith "which works through love" (Gal5:6)." (DS 872)

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