1Timothy 2
- 1 Timothy 2:1 ¶ I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, [and] giving of thanks, be made for all men;
The exhorting here is the word that means to call one or to summon them to come and do something.
- 1 Timothy 2:2 For kings, and [for] all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
The word king in this verse is commonly translated king but can refer to Christ and even God. He is likely referring to the kings of other people and we no this by the word we see as authority. It only appears twice in the Bible.
Here and in 1 Corinthians 2:1 "And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God."
Now we see in 1 Timothy 2:3-6 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
So the context of these verses is to establish that we should pray for kings in hope that they might be saved and because that is the character of Christ. We see the same thing in John 3:17 "For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."
The important thing to understand is that Christ came that you and the world might be saved. His kingdom was not of the world nor was the peoples religion suppose to be spotted by the world. The world the apostles are talking about was a particular world and we need to understand which one these references are to. There are 5 different words translated world in the Bible.
If we read on in 1 Timothy 2:6 we see a reference to ransom.
- 1 Timothy 2:6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
The word ransom is from antilutron [1] which only appears once in the whole Bible.
There is another word lutron [2] a;so translated ransom which commonly the price paid for a slave.
You see the whole world had gone into bondage under the rulers they created. They had strayed from the ways of God and gone back into the bondage of Cain, Nimrod, Pharaoh and Caesar. They had been slothful in the ways of God and desired one purse, coveting their neighbors goods, and becoming resources of these crowned men.
Christ too was a king but he had no treaties with the world of Caesar yet Caesar would recognize His kingship and that recognition would be nailed to the cross and sealed in His blood.
Footnotes
- ↑ 487 ~ἀντίλυτρον~ antilutron \@an-til’-oo-tron\@ from 473 and lutron ; n n AV-ransom 1; 1) what is given in exchange for another as the price of his redemption, ransom
- ↑ 3083 ~λύτρον~ lutron \@loo’-tron\@ from meaning to loose or untie n AV-ransom 2; 2 1) the price for redeeming, ransom 1a) paid for slaves, captives 1b) for the ransom of life 2) to liberate many from misery and the penalty of their sins