Sermon Tone Analysis

40 minutes 1 Tim 2:1-7

We continue today in Chapter 2 of the epistle or letter from Paul to Timothy.

Timothy is the younger disciple of Paul.

Timothy is likely around 30-35 years old and is Pastoring and overseeing all the house churches in the influential Roman city of Ephesus...a tough assignment for Timothy as this is a pagan epicenter to the goddess Diana.

Paul instructs Timothy to remain in Ephesus, and writes this letter so Timothy, and church leaders throughout all generations will 'know how to conduct themselves in the house of God, which is the church of the living God...' (3:15)

Paul continues in his letter to Timothy now addressing topics that pertain to conduct in the church.

Paul will address several topics about conduct in the church through Chapters 2 and 3.

* And, today we will look at 1 Tim Chapter 2:1-7.

Please open your Bibles to 1 Tim 2:1-7.

Holy Spirit guide us as Paul will Instruct on Prayer.

Let's pray.

Read 1 Tim Chapter 2: 1-7

Chapter 2 Verse 1

Paul begins here with practical instructions on prayer in the church.

Notice he starts with "therefore..."

* When you see "therefore" ask "what's it there for?"

* Therefore typically looks back on an idea that was just finalized and looks forward to an application.

* Paul states in verse 1 that he encourages that prayer be made for all men and in the previous verse he spoke about some men, Hymanaeus and Alexander who blasphemed and shipwrecked their lives...men who undoubtedly needed prayer.

* And, Paul had charged Timothy to charge some other men to only teach sound doctrine because they preferred story telling over healthy teaching.

Men like this certainly needed prayer.

* And, Paul gave his own testimony of being against God, and against the people of God, and violent because he was blind to the truth of God.

Paul was a man who needed prayer.

* Therefore, Paul exhorts in verse 1 of Chapter 2 that prayers be made for all men.

Notice Paul exhorts first of all...

* First, prayer.

Prayer needs to be a priority, not an afterthought.

Our communication to God needs to be one of the first things we do as a church body.

* First is referring to first in matter of importance, not first in order of operations or time.

* In Paul's instructions to Timothy, and to us today, in regards to conduct in the church, prayer is at the top of the list in importance.

* There are various kinds of prayer, but more important than the kinds of prayer is the reality of prayer.

We must be a praying church...

* There are at least seven different Greek nouns for "prayer," and four of them are used here, so let's take a moment to talk about them...

* Supplications- entreaty, petition- these are prayers you present to God for yourself, for your needs, for your insufficiencies... God cares about our needs and wants to hear.

* Jesus said, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you."

Mth 7:7

* And because of Jesus, the writer of Hebrews would say, "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

Heb 4:16

* And Paul would write, "For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father."

Eph 2:18

* Isn't it great to know that you can pray, and you have access to the Father, you can come boldly to the Father, and He wants you to come to Him? Isn't that amazing...we have amazing heavenly privileges even though we are earth bound.

* A caution: As you ask, make sure the prayer is not motivated for selfish desires.

* James spoke truth when he said, "You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures."

Jas 4:2-3.

* A prayer grounded in the word of God and in accordance to God's will is a prayer that will be answered.

* A noteworthy observation is as I read the definitions of these various prayers, I saw the phrase "with a child-like confidence."

We are also to present our prayers to God with the confident faith of a child.

* Prayers- This is a general idea of prayer; an idea of being devoted to God.

Prayer is an act of worship and reverence, not just asking for the things we want and need.

* Intercessions- or "Petitions."

This is when we pray for others.

Prayer is one of the best ways we can live out "Loving God and Loving others."

* Finally, Giving of Thanks- This is grateful language (to God, also as an act of worship).

* Often in prayer groups we will ask, "Do you have any praise reports or prayer requests?"

That is a great question and in alignment with scripture.

* We have much to be grateful for, most of all Jesus...who has paid the price for our sins, and through faith brought us into right relationship with God and granted us everlasting life.

Prayers are to be made for all men.

* That is, for all people, male and females.

* The Greek word used here is anthrōpos which can be defined as human, mankind.

* Later in this chapter, Paul will specifically refer to the genders of male and female using the Greek words

* anēr; a man or husband and

* gunē; a woman:-bride or wife

* But, in this verse Paul instructs Timothy to universally pray for all people in Ephesus, just as we are to pray for all people.

* Don't go overboard with this and grab a phone book to pray for everyone in it, but don't go the opposite extreme either and neglect prayer.

* Pray for people in your life: family, friends, colleagues, and even enemies

* In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught...

* "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven..." Matt 5:44-45

* So, First of all, first...in matter of importance...pray!

continue to verse 2

Verse 2

Specific people we are to pray for...

* kings

* and all who are in authority

* with the hoped result: "that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence."

Pray for the king...

* Well, is he or she a democrat or a republican?

* It doesn't matter.

* In Paul's day, the king was neither, and he was a murderous, insane, tyrant who claimed he was divine, and made others proclaim "Caesar is lord."

* He was Caesar Nero, who took power in 54 A.D., and ultimately would order the beheading of Paul in 67 A.D.

* Paul wrote this epistle to Timothy somewhere around A.D. 64-66

* He had already been under house arrest in Rome for 2 years, so he was close to the scene firsthand to hear about Nero's evil ways.

* For Christians, this was a very tumultuous time beginning with the Great Fire of Rome which burned for six days from Jul 18, 64 to Jul 23, 64.

* Again, Paul wrote this epistle somewhere between 64-67, so very likely after the Great Fire of Rome.

* There were several credible rumors that Nero started the fire...

* One rumor was he sent men acting drunk to start the fire;

* another rumor was he openly sent men to set the fire and Nero watched from a safe place and sang while the city burned;

* also rumored was he had a motive to destroy the city and rebuild it in his own image.

A fire could bypass senate approval.

And, Nero was quick to rebuild burned neighborhoods in Greek style and to begin construction of his new palace, which further propagated this rumor.

* Now according to Tacitus (Roman Senator and Historian) and later Christian tradition, Nero blamed the origin of the fire on Christians [which would conveniently exonerate Nero] and this began the persecution of Christians that would last intermittently for two centuries.

From 64 A.D. to 313 A.D. In 313 A.D. Christianity was legalized under the Edict of Milan by Roman Emperor Constantine.

So, when Paul wrote to pray for the king...the situation was extreme, and Paul said to pray for the king anyhow.

* No matter your political affiliation, and whoever gets elected as President in 2020 and 2024, and so forth, we are to pray for our leaders.

* Leaders would include our President, Government officials on all levels, police and military authority...people who are put into leadership roles in our communities, our states and nationally.

* Governmental authority is appointed by God, and a gift from God to prevent evil and to keep order.

Imagine tonight if we had no law and no police to keep lawbreakers in check.

It would be chaos, riots, murder on a massive scale.

People would do what is right in their own eyes, and that's a scary thought.

* Rom 13:1-5 "Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities.

For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.

3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil.