The Contradiction

I've found it! An actual Bible contradiction! Task complete!

First we read in Romans 12, "God has allotted to each a measure of faith." (Rom 12:3). Fairly straightforward. Easy to see. But wait! Then we read this. "Not all have faith." (2 Thess 3:2). Oh, now see? One text says God gives everyone faith and the other says not everyone has faith. Now what's up with that?

Okay, there are answers, and you're going to have to figure out what, but this is a common problem. One side will say, "Look! It says that God gives everyone faith!" and leave it there. The other side will say, "Not all have faith" and leave it there. And very few try to make sense of it.

Consider a larger example. First, we know this:

This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1 Tim 2:3-4).

The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9).

It is God's plan, God's good pleasure, that everyone gets saved. And don't forget, "Whatever the LORD pleases, He does, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps." (Psa 135:6). So, does He do what He desires? Let's let Scripture say.

"Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29).

"For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him." (John 3:17).

For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. (1 Cor 15:22).

God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. (2 Cor 5:19).

We have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers. (1 Tim 4:10).

We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. (1 John 4:14).

But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. (2 Peter 2:1).

How much more explicit can it get? He desires to save everyone and He "takes away the sin of the world", He came so that "all will be made alive", He was "reconciling the world to Himself", He is "the Savior of all men", the "Savior of the world". He even "bought" everyone. What more do you need? On what possible basis -- given the mass of Scripture, God's clearly documented desire to save everyone, and the repeated statements that He has saved everyone -- could you say that anyone isn't going to heaven?

Now, you have to know. I do not believe that the first contradiction I listed is an actual contradiction. And I realize that very, very few look at these Scriptures I've listed and understand any of them to actually mean that the Bible teaches Universal Salvation. Why? Because that would be a genuine contradiction. And yet, if someone (say, someone like me) suggests that these texts do not mean that Christ died for the sins of the whole world, that person is heartily rebuffed as an heretick. (I like that Old English spelling.) So, here's what I'm hoping. Whether you do it here or on your own, I'm hoping that you would spend some time actually examining the Scriptures to see what they do say and find out what they do mean rather than haphazardly using texts to prove your point at one moment and then denying those same texts when they disprove your point. The Bible is God's Word. Make sense of it.