John Gill answers Hard
Passages (Modern English)
God is the Savior of all men
"This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance."
This statement is completely trustworthy and deserves to be fully believed. The truth Paul is referring to is that godliness carries with it both present and future blessings, just as God has promised (see 1 Peter 3:10–11; Matthew 6:33; Psalm 84:11–12).
It is worthy of acceptance by every believer because it encourages God's people to pursue a life of genuine godliness with confidence that God will faithfully reward those who walk with Him.
"For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe."
Because these promises are true, Paul and his fellow workers willingly endured hardship.
The "labor" mentioned here is not merely the work of preaching the gospel, although they certainly devoted themselves to that ministry. Nor is it referring simply to the inward exercise of faith and love, or to earning their living through ordinary occupations.
Rather, Paul speaks of the exhausting hardships they endured for Christ's sake—beatings, imprisonments, weariness, pain, sleepless nights, fasting, hunger, thirst, cold, and lack of clothing (see 2 Corinthians 11:23–27).
They patiently endured insults, persecution, and public disgrace because of their faith.
Some ancient Greek manuscripts read, "we strive," emphasizing the intense struggle of the Christian life. Like athletes competing in a difficult contest, they fought against sin, Satan, the unbelieving world, and false teachers.
Their willingness to suffer demonstrated that they truly believed God's promises concerning godliness. Their endurance was living proof that they considered Paul's words to be a faithful and trustworthy saying.
Their confidence rested entirely in the living God.
They trusted Him because He possesses both the power and the faithfulness to fulfill everything He has promised. Since God Himself is the source of all life, believers may confidently rely upon Him to grant both the blessings of this present life and the eternal life He has promised.
Unlike lifeless idols, the living God possesses life in Himself. He exists eternally and independently, and He is the Creator and Giver of every kind of life—physical life, spiritual life, and everlasting life.
For these reasons, His people have every reason to trust Him completely.
This does not mean that every person receives eternal salvation.
Rather, God is the Savior of all people in the sense of His common providence. He gives life and breath to every human being, sustains their existence, preserves their lives, and continually provides countless earthly blessings and mercies.
Every person lives under God's preserving care, whether believer or unbeliever.
While God's providential care extends to all humanity, believers enjoy His care in a special and unique way.
God saves His people with an eternal salvation through Christ, but Paul is also speaking of God's particular providential care over His children during their earthly lives.
Before conversion, God preserves His elect so that they may one day hear the gospel and believe. After conversion, He continues to watch over them, protecting them from many dangers, delivering them through countless trials and temptations, and sustaining them until the end.
Believers are the special objects of God's fatherly care. They are precious to Him, guarded as "the apple of His eye."
If God graciously preserves all people in a general sense, then surely He will exercise even greater care for those who belong to Him by faith.
Moreover, if He has already given believers the far greater gift of eternal salvation, they can confidently trust Him to provide the lesser blessings needed for this present life as well.
Therefore, Christians have every reason to trust the living God for the fulfillment of all His promises concerning both this life and the life to come.
The title "Savior" appears to echo Psalm 17:7, where God is described as "the Savior of those who take refuge in You."