1 Timothy 2:1

2:1-7 The disciples of Christ must be praying people; all, without distinction of nation, sect, rank, or party. Our duty as Christians, is summed up in two words; godliness, that is, the right worshipping of God; and honesty, that is, good conduct toward all men. These must go together: we are not truly honest, if we are not godly, and do not render to God his due; and we are not truly godly, if not honest. What is acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour, we should abound in. There is one Mediator, and that Mediator gave himself a ransom for all. And this appointment has been made for the benefit of the Jews and the Gentiles of every nation; that all who are willing may come in this way, to the mercy-seat of a pardoning God, to seek reconciliation with him. Sin had made a quarrel between us and God; Jesus Christ is the Mediator who makes peace. He is a ransom that was to be known in due time. In the Old Testament times, his sufferings, and the glory that should follow, were spoken of as things to be revealed in the last times. Those who are saved must come to the knowledge of the truth, for that is God's appointed way to save sinners: if we do not know the truth, we cannot be ruled by it.

I {1} exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; (1) Having dispatched those things which pertain to doctrine, he speaks now in the second place of the other part of the ministry of the word, that is, of public prayers. And first of all, answering the question for whom we ought to pray, he teaches that we must pray for all men, and especially for every type of magistrate. And this thing was at that time somewhat doubted of, seeing that kings, indeed, and most of the magistrates, were at that time enemies of the Church.

1 Timothy 2:1 . I exhort therefore — Seeing God is so gracious, and thou art intrusted with the office of the ministry, I give thee this in charge among other things. He proceeds to give directions, 1st, With regard to public prayers; and, 2d, With regard to doctrine. That supplications — To prevent evil; prayers — To procure good; intercessions — On behalf of others; and giving of thanks — For mercies received; be made for all men — Chiefly in public. “Supplications, δεησεις ,” says Whitby, “are deprecations for the pardon of sin, and averting divine judgments; προσευχαι , prayers, for the obtaining of all spiritual and temporal blessings; εντευξεις , intercessions, addresses presented to God for the salvation of others. And by this rule were the devotions of the church continually directed. For, saith the author of the book De Vocatione Gentium, ‘there is no part of the world in which the Christian people do not put up such prayers as these, praying not only for the saints, but for infidels, idolaters, the enemies of the cross, and the persecutors of Christ’s members; for Jews, heretics, and schismatics.’” Of prayer in general we may observe, it is any kind of offering up of our desires to God. But the true, effectual, fervent prayer, which St.

James speaks of as availing much, implies the vehemency of holy zeal, the ardour of divine love, arising from a calm, undisturbed soul, moved upon by the Spirit of God. “By this exhortation,” says Macknight, “we are taught, while men live, not to despair of their conversion, however wicked they may be, but to use the means necessary thereto, and to beg of God to accompany these means with his blessing.”

1 Timothy 2:1 . Παρακαλῶ , I exhort ) In this chapter he describes public worship: I. In regard to prayers; II. In regard to doctrine, 1 Timothy 2:11-12 .— οὖν , therefore ) This exhortation flows from that sense of grace [spoken of, last chap., 1 Timothy 2:14 ]. Paul intimates not only what he himself wishes, but what Timothy ought to inculcate.— πρῶτον πάντων ποιεισθαι , first of all to make ) The highest duty. [ The apostle here furnishes sufficient employment to prevent any ἀλλοτριοεπισχοπίας , curious investigation into irrelevant questions , ch. 1 Timothy 1:4 .—V. g.]— δεήσεις , προσευχὰς , ἐντεύξεις , εὐχαριστίας ) The plural number indicates force: δέησις (from δεῖ ) is the imploring of grace in any special necessity: προσευχὴ , prayer , is exercised, when on any occasion we offer our wishes and desires to God: ἔντευξις is earnest intercession for other men or creatures, ch. 1 Timothy 4:5 , even if they cannot pray for themselves: εὐχαριστίας , giving of thanks , is becoming to be made also for all men, because, for example, God wishes all men to be saved, and Christ is the Mediator of all.— ὑπὲρ , for ) This is connected with supplications—thanksgivings. All , at separate times, have special necessities.— πάντων , for all ) 1 Timothy 2:4 ; 1 Timothy 2:6 .

I exhort (παρακαλῶ) See on consolation, Luke 6:24. First of all (πρῶτον πάντων) Connect with I exhort. The only instance of this phrase in N.T. Supplications be made (ποιεῖσθαι δεήσεις) The phrase occurs Luke 5:33; Philippians 1:4. olxx. oClass. Δέησις is petitionary prayer. Προσευχὴ prayer is limited to prayer to God, while δέησις may be addressed to men. The two are associated, 1 Timothy 5:5 : the inverse order, Ephesians 6:18; Philippians 4:6. Intercessions (ἐυντεύξεις) Only here and 1 Timothy 4:5. lxx, 2 Macc. 4:8. The verb ἐντυγχάνειν, commonly rendered to make intercession, Romans 8:27, Romans 8:34; Romans 11:2; and ὑπερεντυγχάνειν to intercede in behalf of, Romans 8:26. The verb signifies to fall in with a person; to draw near so as to converse familiarly. Hence, ἔντευξις is not properly intercession in the accepted sense of that term, but rather approach to God in free and familiar prayer. Ἑντυγχάνειν in the passages cited is not to make intercession, but to intervene, interfere. Thus in Romans 8:26, it is not that the Spirit pleads in our behalf, but that he throws himself into our case; takes part in it. So Hebrews 7:25 : not that Jesus is ever interceding for us, but that he is eternally meeting us at every point, and intervening in al our affairs for our benefit. In ἐντεύξεις here the idea of interposition is prominent: making prayers a factor in relations with secular rulers.

CHAPTER 2 1Ti 2:1-15. Public Worship. Direction as to Intercessions for All Men, since Christ Is a Ransom for All. The Duties of Men and Women Respectively in Respect to Public Prayer. Woman's Subjection; Her Sphere of Duty. 1. therefore—taking up again the general subject of the Epistle in continuation (2Ti 2:1). "What I have therefore to say to thee by way of a charge (1Ti 1:3, 18), is," &c. that, first of all … be made—Alford takes it, "I exhort first of all to make." "First of all," doubtless, is to be connected with "I exhort"; what I begin with (for special reasons), is … As the destruction of Jerusalem drew near, the Jews (including those at Ephesus) were seized with the dream of freedom from every yoke; and so virtually "'blasphemed" (compare 1Ti 1:20) God's name by "speaking evil of dignities" (1Ti 6:1; 2Pe 2:10; Jude 8). Hence Paul, in opposition, gives prominence to the injunction that prayer be made for all men, especially for magistrates and kings (Tit 3:1-3) [Olshausen]. Some professing Christians looked down on all not Christians, as doomed to perdition; but Paul says all men are to be prayed for, as Christ died for all (1Ti 2:4-6). supplications—a term implying the suppliant's sense of need, and of his own insufficiency. prayers—implying devotion. intercessions—properly the coming near to God with childlike confidence, generally in behalf of another.

The accumulation of terms implies prayer in its every form and aspect, according to all the relations implied in it.1 Timothy 2:1-3 Paul exhorteth to pray and give thanks for all men,for kings and magistrates especially.1 Timothy 2:4-6 God willeth the savation of all men.1 Timothy 2:7 Paul’s commission to teach the Gentiles.1 Timothy 2:8-10 He directeth how women should be attired,1 Timothy 2:11-14 permiteth them not to teach,1 Timothy 2:15 promiseth that they shall be saved by child-bearingon certain conditions. Timothy (as was said before) was left at Ephesus to manage the affairs of the church there in the absence of Paul, who in this Epistle directs him as to this management. First he exhorts him to see that prayers should be made for all men. Supplications, dehseiv, for supply of wants. Prayers, proseucav, signifieth much the same; some will have it to signify petitions for the conservation or increase of what good things we have. Intercessions, enteuzeiv, prayers for others, whether for the averting of evils from them, or the collation of good things upon them. And giving of thanks; and blessings of God for good things bestowed upon ourselves or others. These Paul wills should be made uper pantwn, which may be of all men, or for all men, but the next verse plainly shows that it is here rightly rendered for all men, for there were at this time no kings in the church.

Verse 1. - First of all , that for that , first of all , A.V.; thanksgivings for and giving of thanks . A.V. I exhort therefore. The insertion of the connecting particle "therefore" marks that this arrangement of Church prayers is a part - as the following words, first of all, mark that it is the first part - of that charge or administration which was now committed to Timothy. Supplications, prayers, intercessions, thanksgivings (see the Prayer for the Church Militant). The question naturally arises whether the first words here used - δεήσις προσευχάς , and ἐντεύξεις - have any distinctive meaning, or are merely accumulated, like synonyms m legal documents, or various phrases in rhetorical addresses, to ensure completeness and to add force. It is against the notion of any distinctive meaning attaching to them that no such distinction can be supported by actual use. In Philippians 4:6 two of the words ( προσευχή and δέησις ) are used in conjunction as here with εὐχαριστία , with no apparent difference, both being the way of making known their requests to God (so also Ephesians 6:18 and 1 Timothy 5:5 ). Again, in the ancient Liturgies, the words δεέσθαι and προσεύχεσθαι are constantly used of the same praying. It may, however, perhaps be said that every δέησις is a προσευχή , though every προσευχή is not a δέησις . The δέησις is a "petition" - a distinct asking something of God, which a προσευχή need not necessarily be.

It may be merely an act of adoration, of confession, of recital of God's mercies, and so on. So as regards ἐντεύξεις , here rendered "intercessions." There is nothing in the etymology/ or in the use of this word, which only occurs elsewhere in the New Testament in 1 Timothy 4:5 , to limit the meaning of it to "intercession." Nor has it this meaning in the passage where it occurs in the Liturgy of St. Clement, near the close, where God is addressed as Ὁ καὶ τῶν σιωπώντων ἐπιστάμενος τὰς ἐντεύξεις , "Who understandest the petitions even of those who are silent." In 2 Macc. 4:8 and Diod. Sic., 16:55 it seems to mean "a request preferred in a personal interview," which is an extension of its common meaning in classical Greek of "access," "an interview," "social intercourse," or the like. But when we turn to the use of the verb ἐντυγχάνω in the New Testament, we seem to get the idea of "intercession." Αντυγχάνειν is to go to someone to ask him to take action against or in favor of some third party (see Acts 25:24 ; Romans 11:2 ; Romans 8:27, 28, 34 ; Hebrews 7:25 ); and so Chrysostom (quoted in Steph., 'Thesaur.') explains ἐντυχία to be the action of one who applies to God to avenge him of those who have done him wrong.