'Not Willing That Any Should Perish' — Who Are the 'Any'? (2 Peter 3:9)

Calvinist Claim: "You" in 2 Peter 3:9 refers to the elect — God is patient toward the elect, not wishing any of THEM to perish. This is about God's patience in gathering His chosen, not universal salvific will.

Non-Calvinist Response:

1. The context is about scoffers and the delay of judgment for the world, not the gathering of the elect. Peter is explaining why the second coming has not yet occurred — and his answer is God's patience toward humanity generally.
2. If "any" means only "any of the elect," the verse explains nothing. On the Calvinist view, the elect will inevitably be saved through irresistible grace. There would be no need for patience — just execute the decree. The verse only makes sense if some whom God wishes to save might still perish without the extended opportunity.
3. The parallel in 1 Timothy 2:4 is explicit: God "desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." The same universal desire appears across multiple texts.
4. Peter's audience ("toward you") includes the broader Christian community addressed in the letter, but "any" and "all" extend the scope universally. The patience is toward believers; the desire not to lose anyone extends to all humanity.

Calvinist Claim: God's "wish" is merely His revealed will (what He commands), not His decretive will (what He actually ordains). He commands repentance of all but only decrees it for the elect.

Non-Calvinist Response:

1. Splitting God's will into contradictory revealed and decretive wills creates a God who publicly desires what He secretly opposes. This makes God's public statements deceptive.
2. The word βούλομαι (boulomai) is used for deliberate, purposeful willing — not merely a surface-level wish. It expresses genuine desire and intention.
3. If God's decretive will is that many perish, then His patience is not an expression of desire for their salvation — it is merely the waiting period of an already-determined outcome. This evacuates 2 Peter 3:9 of all meaningful content.
4. Scripture presents God's grief over human rebellion as genuine — Matt 23:37 ("How often I wanted to gather your children... and you were unwilling"), Ezek 33:11 ("I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked"). These are not performances; they are revelations of God's heart.

Source: Synthesized from Cheryl Schatz's theological framework (The Giving blog, articles 374, 375, 384)