Does God Desire the Salvation of All? Understanding the 'Two Wills' of God 上帝愿万人得救吗？理解上帝的“两种旨意”

I. Introduction: The Tension of Divine Desire

一、 引言：神圣愿望中的张力

In the discourse of historical theology, few verses are as frequently cited—or as often misunderstood—as those describing God’s desire for the salvation of humanity. To many, the statement that God “desires all people to be saved” seems to present an insurmountable challenge to His absolute sovereignty. If God is all-powerful and truly desires the salvation of every single person who ever lived, why is not every person saved?

在历史神学的论证中，很少有经文比那些描述上帝渴望拯救人类的经文被引用得更频繁——但也往往被误解得更深。对许多人来说，“上帝愿万人得救”这一陈述似乎给祂绝对的主权提出了一个难以逾越的挑战。如果上帝是全能的，并且确实渴望每一个活过的人都能得救，那为什么不是每一个人都得救了呢？

Paul writes clearly to Timothy:

保罗清楚地写信给提摩太：

"[God] desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth."
— 1 Timothy 2:4

“他愿万人得救，明白真道。”
—— 提摩太前书 2:4

Does this verse imply that God’s eternal purposes can be frustrated by human unwillingness? To answer this, we must look closer at the context and the nature of the divine will.

这节经文是否暗示上帝永恒的旨意会被人类的不情愿所阻沮？为了回答这个问题，我们必须更深入地观察经文的处境以及神圣旨意的本质。

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II. Contextual Clarity: Who are the “All”?

二、 处境中的清晰：谁是这里的“万人”？

In biblical interpretation, “all” does not always mean “every individual without exception.” Often, it means “all kinds of people without distinction.” In the verses immediately preceding 1 Timothy 2:4, Paul is exhorting Christians to pray for “kings and all who are in high positions” (1 Tim 2:2).

在圣经解释中，“万人”或“所有”并不总是意味着“毫无例外的每一个个体”。它往往意味着“各种类别、不分等级的人”。在提摩太前书2:4之前的经文中，保罗正劝勉基督徒要为“君王和一切在位的”祷告（提前2:2）。

1. All Ranks and Classes: The word “all” (pantas) here must be read in the light of the first two verses of the chapter. Paul exhorts prayers to be made for “all people,” and then immediately specifies: “for kings and all who are in high positions” (1 Tim 2:2). As Loraine Boettner observes, “all” in Scripture often means “all kinds” or “all nations” without distinction, rather than “all individuals” without exception. We see this functional usage elsewhere, such as when “all the country of Judea” went out to John the Baptist (Mark 1:5), though certainly not every single individual did so.

1. 不分等级与阶层： 这里的“万人”（pantas）必须结合本章前两节经文来理解。保罗劝勉我们要为“万人”祷告，紧接着就明确指出：“为君王和一切在位的也该如此”（提前 2:2）。正如神学家伯特纳（Loraine Boettner）所观察到的，圣经中的“所有”往往是指不分区别的“各类人”或“各国人”，而非毫无例外的“每一个体”。我们在其它经文中也能看到这种用法，例如说“犹太全地的人”都出去到施洗约翰那里（马可福音 1:5），显然这并不是指那里的每一个个体。

2. The Target of Divine Patience (2 Peter 3:9): A similar tension is often felt in Peter’s second epistle, where he addresses scoffers who mock the delay of Christ’s return. Peter explains that this delay is not “slowness,” but a purposeful, gracious wait:

2. 神圣忍耐的对象（彼得后书 3:9）： 在彼得的第二封书信中也常能感受到类似的张力。彼得在这里回应了那些嘲笑基督延迟再来的戏谑者。他解释说，这种延迟并非“耽延”，而是一种有目的的、恩典的等待：

"The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise... but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance."
— 2 Peter 3:9

“主所应许的尚未成就……其实不是耽延，乃是宽容你们，不愿有一人沉沦，乃愿人人都悔改。”
—— 彼得后书 3:9

To interpret this verse as an argument against sovereign election is to ignore its immediate grammar. Note carefully to whom God is showing patience: “patient toward you” (eis hymas). Throughout the chapter, Peter distinguishes between the “scoffers” (v. 3) and the “beloved” (v. 1, 8). Furthermore, Peter identifies his audience in his first letter as “those who are elect” (1 Peter 1:1). The “all” who must reach repentance are the “all” of the beloved—the full count of the elect.

若将这节经文解析为反对主权拣选的论据，就忽略了其直接的语法结构。请仔细观察上帝正在向谁表现出忍耐：“宽容你们”（希腊文 eis hymas）。在整章经文中，彼得始终将“好戏谑的人”（3节）与“亲爱的”（1节, 8节）区分开来。更进一步看，彼得在第一封信中就明确了其受众是“蒙拣选的人”（彼得前书 1:1）。那些必须达到悔改的“人人”，是指这群“亲爱的”当中的所有人——即上帝选民的全数。

If “any” and “all” here referred to every individual in human history without exception, and if God’s will could not be thwarted, this verse would prove Universalism (the belief that everyone will be saved). However, because Scripture is clear that many perish, we must conclude that Peter is speaking specifically of the certain salvation of all the elect.

如果这里的“一人”和“人人”是指人类历史上每一个毫无例外的个体，且上帝的旨意绝不落空，那么这节经文证明的将是普救论（即所有人最终都会得救）。然而，由于圣经明确指出许多人会沉沦，我们必须得出结论：彼得在这里特指所有选民必然得救。

The delay of the Second Coming is, therefore, a necessity of grace. Christ will not return to judge the world until the full number of His chosen ones has been safely gathered into the fold. Not one of the “you” whom the Father gave to the Son before the foundations of the world will be left behind to perish. His patience is the guarantee of their safe arrival.

因此，基督延迟再来是恩典的必然。在祂所拣选的人数全部平安归入羊圈之前，基督绝不会再来审判这个世界。父在创世之前赐给子那群“你们”中的任何一个，都不会被打发走转而沉沦。上帝的忍耐，正是他们平安抵达终点的保证。

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III. The Three-Fold Will of God

三、 上帝的三重旨意

When we speak of God’s will, we must distinguish between His sovereign authority and a kind of depressing fatalism. As Doris Day famously sang, “Que Sera, Sera” (What will be, will be), many confuse biblical sovereignty with passive fate. However, the Bible presents God’s will in three distinct ways to help us understand His active and holy engagement with the world.

当我们谈论上帝的旨意时，必须区分祂那神圣的主权与一种令人沮丧的宿命论（Fatalism）。正如流行歌曲《世事难料》（Que Sera, Sera）中所唱的“该发生的总会发生”，许多人将圣经中的主权与被动的命运混为一谈。然而，圣经通过三种不同的方式呈现上帝的旨意，以帮助我们理解祂与世界之间那主动且圣洁的关系。

To fully harmonize these truths, historical Christianity has long recognized a distinction between God’s “two wills”—not as two conflicting Gods, but as two ways in which the one will of God relates to His creatures.

为了完全协调这些真理，历史性的基督教信仰长期以来一直承认上帝“两种旨意”之间的区别——这不是说有两个相互矛盾的神，而是上帝唯一的旨意与其受造物发生关联的两种方式。

1. The Preceptive Will (Will of Command): This is what God reveals as His moral standard. He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 33:11), and His command to all men everywhere is to repent. As R.C. Sproul points out, we have the power (the physical ability) to violate this will, but we never have the right to do so. Our disobedience does not nullify His authority; it establishes our guilt.

1. 诫命的旨意（Will of Command）： 这是上帝作为其道德标准所显明的。祂并不喜爱恶人死亡（以西结书33:11），祂给各地所有人的命令就是悔改。正如史普罗（R.C. Sproul）所指出的，我们有能力（肉体上的可能）去违反这一旨意，但我们绝没有权利这样做。我们的不顺服并不能废掉上帝的权威，反而确证了我们的罪责。

2. The Decretive Will (Will of Decree): This is God’s eternal, sovereign purpose which always comes to pass. He ordains whatsoever comes to pass for His own glory. This includes even the sinful acts of men, which God permits and directs for a greater end without being the author of sin. Consider the betrayal of Jesus by Judas: it was God’s certain decree that the Son should be handed over, yet this divine permission gave Judas the power to act, but not the moral right, leaving his treachery no less evil.

2. 预定的旨意（Will of Decree）： 这是上帝永恒的、主权的定旨，且必然成就。祂为了自己的荣耀而预定了万事的发生。这甚至包括人类的罪行——上帝准许并引导这些行为以达成更高的目的，却并非罪的创始者。以犹大出卖耶稣为例：圣子被交给人是上帝确定的定旨，然而这种神圣的准许给了犹大行动的“能力”，却未给他道德上的“权利”，因此他的背叛之恶并未减损。

This leads us to the distinction between a Theoretical Salvation and an Effective Salvation. In the former, God merely “desires” salvation but is frustrated by human will. In the latter—the biblical view—God’s sovereign decree ensures that every single person He has chosen will certainly be brought to faith and glory.

这引出了理论上的救赎与有效的救赎之间的区别。在前者中，上帝仅仅是“渴望”救赎，却被人类的意志所阻挠。在后者——即圣经的观点中——上帝主权的定旨确保了祂所拣选的每一个人都必将进入信心与荣耀。

3. The Will of Disposition (Antecedent and Consequent): This distinction is not a late invention but was deeply articulated by the Church Fathers. St. John of Damascus (8th Century) distinguished between God’s Antecedent Will (His primary desire that all should be saved) and His Consequent Will (His secondary decree of punishment due to human sin). St. Thomas Aquinas later formalized this in the Summa, explaining that while God may “will” a man to be saved in the abstract (Antecedent), He may “will” him to be punished for the sake of justice (Consequent).

3. 喜悦之旨意 (先在与后随旨意)： 这种区分并非晚期的发明，而是由早期教父们深刻阐述过的。大马士革的圣约翰（8世纪）区分了上帝的先在旨意（Antecedent Will，即祂首要的、希望众生得救的愿望）与后随旨意（Consequent Will，即祂因人的罪而执行审判的次要定旨）。圣托马斯·阿奎那后来在《神学大全》中将其规范化，解释说尽管上帝在抽象意义上可能“愿意”人得救（先在），但祂为了公义也会“定意”对其进行惩罚（后随）。

Consider the analogy of a righteous judge: he does not desire (antecedent) that any person should be sentenced to prison, yet he wills (consequent) the sentence because justice demands it. Or consider a man who wills to have a diseased limb removed; he certainly does not desire the loss, but he chooses the outcome for a greater purpose.

可以参考公义法官的类比：他并不在情感上渴望（先在层面）任何人被判刑，但他却定意（后随层面）下达判决，因为公义如此要求。或者考虑一个为了保全生命而定意切除病肢的人：他绝非渴望失去肢体，但他为了更高的目的而选择了这一结果。

As St. Prosper of Aquitaine, a key defender of Augustinian theology, summarized in The Call of All Nations:

正如奥古斯丁神学的坚定捍卫者，阿基坦的圣普罗斯珀（St. Prosper of Aquitaine）在《万民的呼召》中所总结的：

"We must believe that God wills all men to be saved... yet we cannot ignore the depth of His judgment. He calls all by His general providence, but He saves the elect by His special grace, not through any merit of their own, but according to His secret and eternal decree."
— St. Prosper of Aquitaine

“我们必须相信上帝愿意万人得救……但同时我们绝不能忽视祂审判的深邃。祂通过普遍的护理呼召万民，却通过特殊的恩典拯救选民。这并非依靠他们自身的任何功劳，而是根据祂隐秘且永恒的定旨。”
—— 阿基坦的圣普罗斯珀

When we encounter the silence of God regarding His hidden decree, we would be wise to follow the counsel of John Calvin:

当我们面对上帝关于其隐秘定旨的沉默时，效法约翰·加尔文（John Calvin）的劝导是明智的：

"When God closes His holy mouth, I will desist from inquiry."
— John Calvin

“当上帝闭上祂圣洁的口，我也必停止窥探。”
—— 约翰·加尔文

The pursuit of God’s secret, decretive will for our individual futures is an unwarranted invasion of His privacy. As R.C. Sproul warns, we should not be preoccupied with His hidden counsel, which is His business alone. Our calling is to meditate day and night upon His revealed will—His holy commandments—which are the chief business of our lives.

寻求上帝关于我们个人未来的隐秘预定旨意，是对祂隐私的一种无端侵犯。正如史普罗所警告的，我们不应过度痴迷于祂隐藏的定旨，那是属于祂自己的事情。我们的召命是昼夜思想祂已显明的旨意——即祂圣洁的诫命，这才是我们生命中的首要事务。

As St. Augustine famously resolved:

正如圣奥古斯丁著名的解答：

"God, knowing what He would do, permitted the evil which He willed not to be done, yet which He would not have permitted unless He willed it; and He did this that He might show how much better He can bring good out of evil than not permit evil to be at all."
— St. Augustine

“上帝知道祂所要作的，祂准许了那些祂不愿看见成就的恶，然而除非祂愿意，祂绝不会准许；祂这样做是为了显明，祂从恶中引出善的能力，远比完全不准许恶发生的能力大得多。”
—— 圣奥古斯丁

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IV. Conclusion: Resting in the Wisdom of the King

四、 结语：安息在君王的智慧中

The “Golden Chain” of our salvation is not broken by the existence of those who perish. Rather, it is a chain made of pure grace produced by a Sovereign who is both profoundly patient and perfectly just. When we read that He “desires all to be saved,” we hear the heart of a God whose compassion is vast and whose invitation is sincere. But we also rest in the knowledge that His arm is not too short to save those whom He has called from before the foundations of the world.

我们救恩的“黄金链条”并不会因为沉沦者的存在而断裂。相反，这条链条是由一位既极其忍耐又完全公义的主宰所造的纯全恩典。当我们读到祂“愿万人得救”时，我们听到了上帝那浩瀚的怜悯之心及其真诚的召请。但我们也安息在这样的知识中：祂的膀臂并非缩短不能拯救，凡祂从创世之前就召的人，祂必拯救到底。

Salvation is a divine work from beginning to end. It does not hang on the “willing” or “running” of man, but on God who has mercy on whom He will have mercy. This is the True Universalism of Scripture: not that every single individual is saved, but that Christ has purchased for Himself a people from every tribe, and tongue, and nation (Rev. 5:9).

救恩从始至终都是一项神圣之工。它不在乎人的“定意”或“奔跑”，只在乎那要怜悯谁就怜悯谁的上帝。这就是圣经中真正的普世性：并非指每一个个体都得救，而是指基督已为自己从各族、各方、各民、各国中买了人来（启示录 5:9）。

Reflective Question: How does the distinction between God’s “will of command” and “will of decree” help you worship Him during difficult times when His plan seems hidden?

反思： 当上帝的计划看似隐藏时，区分祂的“诫命之旨”与“预定之旨”如何帮助你在难处中依然敬拜祂？