by David Bentley Hart

A quick note on 1 Timothy 2:3-4. It seems that certain captious reviewers of my book—one especially confused reviewer in particular—believe that my translation of these verses, which says that “God intends” the salvation of all, is illicitly slanted toward the reading I desire, and without any good etymological justification. Here we see the importance of a classical education for reading the New Testament, as opposed to a smattering of seminary Greek. The verb thelo is stronger in connotation than mere wishing for something. It indicates a positive intention. Hence, the committee that produced the King James version rendered the phrase as “God wills” the salvation of all, much as they might have preferred to do otherwise. The all-but-infallible Lightfoot who points out that to say, “ho basileus bouletai” can be to say, “the king wants,” while to say, “ho basileus thelei” can be to say, “the king ordains.” “The latter in usage seems no weaker than the former.” Hence, also, the Vulgate: “Deo … qui … vult.” Deus vult—the very phrase that the Crusaders used (alas) to mean “God commands!” Thus Ronald Knox’s translation: “since it is his will that all men should be saved, and be led to recognize the truth.” Hence also the Douay rendering: “Who will have all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”