Turgonian wrote:
First, the NIV omits this passage, so it might not have been in God's Word in the first place. Second, it doesn't mean that at all: the text says 'God came to save that which is lost', not 'God came to save everything that is lost'. Sinners are lost; God came to save sinners (but not all); God came to save that which is lost (but not everything).
Youngs literal translation does not translate it with "that which is lost". The last three words in the original Greek for both mat 18:11 and Luke 19:10 are "save the lost". (And Luke 19:10 is in the NIV) There is no phrase the says "that which is". But even if it were, It does not say he came to save some of the lost.
Who did He come to save? The lost.
There are 2 types of people in the world. Saved and lost.
All that have been saved were at one point lost as well.
I do not see why you say that "the lost" does not mean everything that was lost. Can show where "the lost" is used elsewhere or other Greek reasoning that would indicate that "the lost" means only part of the lost?
Realize you cannot use Calvinistic thinking to support you argument, because that would be circular reasoning, and defeats the purpose. But I am all for analyzing the Greek to see where I may be incorrect in my understanding.