Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time, 7 for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle—I am speaking the truth in Christ and not lying— a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
The word the Apostle Paul uses in verses one and
four translated men is a generic word for mankind, so supplications; prayers,
intercessions, and giving of thanks are to be made for everyone; not just men,
and certainly not just good ones (Matt. 5:43-48). Specifically the Apostle
mentions prayer for those in authority “…that we may lead a quite and peaceable
life in all godliness and reverence.” Vs. 3 In contrast to
blaspheming them and thus encouraging an attitude of contempt towards those God
places in authority. We should pray for them all. For prayers for those in
authority will by nature expose and subvert the rebellious, disobedient and
raucous amongst us, and will also tangibly affect our lot in life here and now;
by changing us, and even some of them, and thus the lives of others as well, as
doors are opened for the gospel’s furtherance and people become obedient to it.
Consider the Apostle Paul was once a Pharisee charged with authority from the high priest in Jerusalem to arrest any Jew seeking to follow Christ and he traveled even to foreign lands arresting believers and putting them in chains. Yet it was while in Damascus that Jesus Christ changed Paul’s destiny forever (Acts 9:1-31). Therefore Paul saw in his own salvation the potential for everyone’s. “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. Vs. 5-6 Jesus Christ gave Himself a ransom for all mankind; not just the Jews, or the righteous, or the religious, or people we’d like to be saved. God gave Jesus Christ for everyone (John 3:16). That is why Jesus was willingly crucified for our sins and raised from the dead for our justification (Rom. 4:25), so that if anyone calls upon the Name of the Lord they shall be saved (Rom. 10:13). Thus the Apostle concludes of himself and his mission, truly I was appointed a preacher and an apostle in Christ, a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth (vs. 7).
Scripture Quotations
The New King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982
Vs. 1-7 In light of the blasphemy of Hymenaeus
and Alexander the
Apostle Paul now commands Timothy that supplications;
prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men; “for kings
and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in
all godliness and reverence. 3 “For this is good and
acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to
be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. Vs. 2-4
Consider the Apostle Paul was once a Pharisee charged with authority from the high priest in Jerusalem to arrest any Jew seeking to follow Christ and he traveled even to foreign lands arresting believers and putting them in chains. Yet it was while in Damascus that Jesus Christ changed Paul’s destiny forever (Acts 9:1-31). Therefore Paul saw in his own salvation the potential for everyone’s. “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. Vs. 5-6 Jesus Christ gave Himself a ransom for all mankind; not just the Jews, or the righteous, or the religious, or people we’d like to be saved. God gave Jesus Christ for everyone (John 3:16). That is why Jesus was willingly crucified for our sins and raised from the dead for our justification (Rom. 4:25), so that if anyone calls upon the Name of the Lord they shall be saved (Rom. 10:13). Thus the Apostle concludes of himself and his mission, truly I was appointed a preacher and an apostle in Christ, a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth (vs. 7).
From a Pharisee, of the strictest sect in
Judaism, who before salvation would have never even conceived of speaking
to a Gentile sinner, much less sharing the gospel of Christ with them. To now a
born again believer who was appointed and charged by the Lord Jesus Christ to not
only lead as an Apostle in His church, but Paul was to preach and teach the gospel
to all Gentiles, so that they might hear the Good News, and believing be saved
and thus likewise brought to life and be baptized into Christ's Body, as equal
brethren with the Jews as well. The Apostle Paul then was not only breaking
down cultural barriers of his day, he was, by the will of God, overthrowing long
established religious ones. Which is a definite sign of the work of the Holy
Spirit when believers bring God’s reconciliation work through Christ's cross without
partiality to all (Acts 10:34-43; Eph. 2:14-18). For Jesus Christ's Cross is
the great equalizer; bringing us back into a relationship with God the Father solely
by our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. So that God's Righteousness through Jesus
Christ's crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension might be magnified to all (Rom.
3:19-28; Col. 1:19-23).
Scripture Quotations
The New King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982
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