1 Timothy 2:1-8

Paul refers to this as his first exhortation, even though it is the second chapter, because it is here he begins to give Timothy rules for proper conduct in the church (1 Tim. 3:15).  What is the first area of conduct?  It is that a church be a house of prayer, the dom molitvy as our friends in Ukraine call their churches. 

·        What kinds of prayers are to be offered?  2:1 offers 4 terms: supplication (making request of God), prayers (applying to any kind of prayer), intercessions (coming to God on behalf of others, standing between God and the person or situation), and giving of thanks (meaning, giving of thanks).

·        For whom should we pray?  First, for all people.  But then he emphasizes kings and all who are in authority.  In Paul’s day this would include emperors such as Claudius and Nero, governors such as Felix and Festus, kings like Agrippa II and local leaders such as Gallio (Ac. 18:12-17).

·        What is the immediate goal of this praying?  It is that we might lead a quiet and peaceful life.  It calls for rest (Ac. 9:31) rather than persecution or havoc (Acts 8:1-3; 9:1).  Even ungodly governments serve God by keeping peace.  

·        What is the longer term goal of this praying?  It is that God desires (Greek wills) that all men be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. Prayer for those in authority is so that they do their job of keeping the peace so that believers can spread the gospel.  It’s not that the gospel can’t spread when there is persecution; in fact it did in Acts 8:1ff.  But the peace of Rome (pax Romana) allowed for the rapid spread of the gospel (e.g. Acts 13-28), providing great roads and laws of protection.

The desire for prayer leads to a fantastic rehearsal of the gospel.  To be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth are not synonyms but are, I believe, consecutive ideas.  First we are saved by faith; then we grow in faith, coming to the full knowledge (that is the meaning of the Greek) of the truth, as in Rom. 12:2 when our minds are renewed so we are transformed into Christ’s image.

God so strongly wills this for all men (as in 2:1, anthropos, humanity) that He sent His Son to be, not only the Redeemer, but the ransom (the redemption price) for all.  Note the great statements in 2:5 which reinforce what Paul said in 1 Tim. 1.  There is one God (cf. 1:17) and one Mediator, the Man Christ Jesus (cf. 1:15).  

The reference to one Mediator is packed full of truth that is explained in detail in Hebrews.  Christ, who is God in the flesh (2:11,14), became a man to be our High Priest.  The Priest was always taken from those He represented before God so for Christ to represent us He had to be man (5:1).  As Mediator He established a new covenant by which we are forgiven by grace through faith (8:6).

Don’t you love it when Paul gets side-tracked by the Spirit?  We are called to pray, a duty tied to the greatest truth of all: God has provided redemption for all.  Let us use days of calm for the spreading of the gospel!