The Salvation of All: What “Especially” Really Means
Let’s talk about one small word that religion regularly misunderstands: “especially.”
It’s a word most second graders could define — yet somehow, theologians and church traditions get it completely wrong when reading 1 Timothy 4:10.
Let’s warm up with a few simple examples:
- “We rely on Olivia, who loves all food — especially pizza.”
- “Mike likes all women — especially brunettes.”
Now, what do these sentences actually mean?
Does Olivia only love pizza and hate all other food? Of course not. She loves all food, but has a special preference for pizza.
Does Mike dislike blondes and redheads because he especially likes brunettes? No. He appreciates all women, but has a particular fondness for brunettes.
That’s how the word “especially” works. It singles out something within a larger group for special emphasis — without excluding the rest of the group.
Now apply that to 1 Timothy 4:10:
“We rely on the living God, who is the Savior of all mankind — especially of believers.”
Just like in the sentences above, believers are given special mention, but they’re still part of a larger group: all mankind. That means all people are saved, but believers experience something extra, something special.
This verse isn’t saying God only saves believers — in fact, it says just the opposite.
The Original Greek Agrees
The Greek word used for “especially” is malista (Strong’s G3122), which means:
most of all, especially, particularly.
It’s used 12 times in the New Testament — and it never means “exclusively.”
Let’s look at one example to prove the point:
2 Timothy 4:13 – “When you come, bring the cloak I left in Troas with Carpus, and the scrolls — especially the parchments.”
Did Paul only want Timothy to bring the parchments and not the scrolls? Of course not. He wanted both — he just had a special preference for the parchments. That’s exactly how “especially” works in 1 Timothy 4:10.
Believers and Unbelievers: Two Groups, One Humanity
There are only two types of people in the world: believers and unbelievers. Together, they make up all mankind. So if God is the Savior of all mankind — especially of believers — then He is also the Savior of unbelievers in a basic, foundational sense.
Believers receive a special salvation — relationship, awareness, joy, and reward in this life and the coming ages. But unbelievers are not excluded from salvation. They too are part of the “all mankind” that God saves.
Let’s not overlook what the verse doesn’t say. It doesn’t say:
“…the Savior of all mankind, exclusively of believers.”
That would be a contradiction. “Especially” includes the whole group and simply highlights one part.
Common Objections Answered
Some people claim that “Savior of all mankind” only means God offers salvation to all — not that He actually saves all. But think about this: can someone truly be called a Savior if they don’t save?
It would be absurd to say a lifeguard is “the savior of all swimmers” — if he only saves a few while the rest drown. That’s not a savior; that’s a potential savior.
Others argue that Paul was talking about “all kinds of people,” not every person. But that argument falls apart when you realize the structure of the verse. If “all mankind” means “all types of people,” then the special salvation for believers still assumes those other “types” are also saved — just not in the same way. Either way, the result is the same: salvation extends to all.
What About the Verses on Eternal Hell?
We’ll get to that in another article. But here’s a spoiler: eternal hell is a mistranslation, and the original manuscripts say no such thing. God’s justice is restorative, not eternal torment.
Every Translation Gets It Right
This is one of the few verses where every major Bible translation — from the NIV to the King James — agrees:
- “…the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.” – NIV
- “…the Savior of everyone, and especially of those who believe.” – Berean Standard
- “…the Savior of all men, specially of those that believe.” – KJV
They all say the same thing. Why? Because the Greek is crystal clear.
Conclusion: God Saves All, But Believers Get More
1 Timothy 4:10 isn’t vague. It’s one of the clearest, most powerful declarations of the salvation of all humanity in Scripture. Believers experience a deeper, more immediate form of salvation and life and rulership in the ages to come — but everyone is included in God’s saving purpose.
The word “especially” means what it always means. And once we let it mean what it says — we see just how far God’s grace really goes.
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