The Pastoral Epistles: 1 Timothy 2 (2)

Pray 72.12-14.
For He will deliver the needy when he cries,
The poor also, and himwho has no helper.
He will spare the poor and needy,
And will save the souls of the needy.
He will redeem their life from oppression and violence;
And precious shall be their blood in His sight.

Read and meditate on 1 Timothy 2.3, 4.

Reflect.
1. What is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior?

2. What does it mean to be saved?

Meditate.
God has a vision of how things ought to be among the peoples of the world. In that vision, He sees His people praying all kinds of prayers for all kinds of people (v. 1). This is “good and acceptable” to Him (v. 3). The fruit of such prayers – that we might live peaceably in all godliness and reverence (v. 2) – is also “good and acceptable” to the Lord. It’s just a little harder to realize.

But if we give ourselves to prayer, as Paul exhorts, then we can be certain that we’re doing what God approves, what is exactly in line with His vision for us. The rest of God’s vision we’ll be working on throughout the course of our lives. But we must do so God’s way, by the Gospel of love and good works.

We make the mistake as believers by thinking we can realize the promise of “a quiet and peaceable life” without praying for it, or pursuing the “godliness and reverence” that accompany it. Instead, we pursue peace and quiet through primarily political and material means, giving only a minimal role to prayer and godliness, and hardly ever speaking to anyone about the Gospel. This condition, we can be sure, is not “good and acceptable” to the Lord. 

For God desires all people to be saved, and to know Him. We must make a distinction here between the will of God and what God desires. God’s willis set in stone. Nothing can alter or prevent what He has willed from before the foundations of the world. God desires all men to be saved; but clearly, all men are not going be saved. God loves even those who are His enemies, even though He has not willed their salvation (cf. Matt. 5.44, 45; Rom. 9.14-16). He loves them because they are His creatures, and because He would incite them by His goodness to repent and believe the Gospel (Rom. 2.4). Even thus, God has not willed that all should be saved. Those who will not be saved will receive the wages or their rejection of the knowledge of God (cf. Rom. 3.23; 1.18-32) and their scorn for His goodness. 

We can neither fully understand nor completely reconcile this mystery. What we should learn from it, however, is that, since God desires all people to be saved, and loves and does good to them so that they might, so should we. We should seek the salvation of all the people to whom God sends us each day, beginning in our prayers; and do good to them, that they might know God’s love through us and be saved.

To be saved is to “come to the knowledge of the truth” that is in Christ Jesus (v. 4; cf. Jn. 17.3). All who reject this knowledge and choose to live apart from the Lord are trapped in the lie (Rom. 1.18-25). We who know the Lord – and thus love Him and seek His Presence always – are the means whereby salvation comes to lost people. Let us therefore grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord (2 Pet. 3.18) and go to the world as Jesus did, to bring near the Good News of Christ and His Kingdom (Jn. 20.21; Matt. 4.17).

Reflect.
1. How would you counsel a new believer to pursue what is “good and acceptable” to the Lord Who saved Him?

2. If we desired the people in our life to be saved, as God does, what would we do to express that desire?

3. Are you growing in the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ? In what ways?

Do not be afraid to pray for the Gentiles. God himself wills it. Fear only to pray against anyone. For that God does not will. And if you pray for the heathen, you ought of course to pray for heretics as well, for we are to pray for all humanity and not to persecute. And this is good also for another reason: We are partakers of the same nature. God calls us to have good will and affection toward one another. John Chrysostom (344-407) Homilies on 1 Timothy 7

Lord, make my heart reflect the desires of Your heart, and use me today to…

Pray Psalm 72.1-14.
Praise God for the many benefits of salvation mentioned here. Pray for the lost people in your Personal Mission Field, and your witness to them.

Sing Psalm 72.1-4, 9-14.
Psalm 72.1-4, 9-14 (Martyrdom: Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed)
O give the King Your judgment, Lord, 
and righteousness Your Son.
And let Him judge by Your good Word the need of everyone. 

Let now the mountains ring with peace, the hills in righteousness.
Let justice rise, oppression cease, and all the needy bless. 

And let the Righteous rule the earth, and let His foes bow low. 
Let nations praise His matchless worth, and all His bidding do. 

The Lord the needy rescues when he cries to Him for grace.
All they who suffer violence find mercy before His face.

T. M. Moore

Whatever our calling in life, we are sent to bring the joy of Christ to the people around us. Our book, Joy to Your World!, can show you how to fill your Personal Mission Field with more of the Presence, promise, and power of Christ and His Kingdom. Order your copy, as a supplement to our study of 1 Timothy, by clicking here.

If you value Scriptorium as a free resource for your walk with the Lord, please consider supporting our work with your gifts and offerings. You can contribute to The Fellowship by clicking the Contribute button  at the website or by sending your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Drive, Essex Junction, VT 05452.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing adapted from The Ailbe Psalter. All quotations from Church Fathers from Ancient Christian Commentary Series, General Editor Thomas C. Oden (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2006).All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter (available by clicking here).