1 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. 7 For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
(ESV)
STOP! Think a little 🤔 What is God saying to you?
- What is the writer saying?
- How do I apply this to my life?
Paul begins the main part of his letter which is instructions to Timothy on how to establish and lead the church.
This first section has five occurrences of the word, “all” (and one occurrence of “every”). Go back through the passage and read it and see how God’s focus is on all people, everywhere.
We, as a church, but also as individuals, are to pray for all people. Too often we lead a closed-minded, self-focussed, or when we do pray for others, very nearsighted life. To pray for those close to us is good but we need to expand our concern. God wants us to have His heart for all people. We should focus some of our prayer effort on those in leadership, specifically our government, because those are the people who have the power to make life difficult for us. We should pray that they will allow us to live our faith in a quiet and dignified way. I think the other side is also true, we owe it to our leaders to live out our faith in a quiet and dignified way, never swaying from the truth, but not making our leaders’ lives unnecessary difficult either.
God’s desire is that all people live in fellowship with Him growing in our knowledge of the truth. It’s interesting that the word “saved” here probably doesn’t refer to eternal salvation because Paul uses the same word later in his letter where it definitely can’t refer to eternal salvation. But in order for all people to live in fellowship with God, they need to be saved for eternal life because no one can have fellowship with God without that. In order to have fellowship with the one true God, there is only one Mediator through whom we must go, Jesus Christ, the man who gave His life and removed the sin barrier for all. Jesus’ death makes it possible for all who believe in Him to come to God. Jesus is also the means for fellowship with God as we abide in Him.
How do you need to adjust your prayer life in response to what you’ve learned today?