Church Series-The Church is Commanded to Pray for the Civil Authorities
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Wednesday November 30, 2016
The Church Series: The Church is Commanded to Pray for the Civil Authorities
Lesson # 21
In 1 Timothy 2:1, Paul urgently requests that corporate prayer be made by the Ephesians on behalf of all unregenerate humanity.
1 Timothy 2:1 Therefore, based upon my previous statements, I first of all urgently request specific detailed requests, reverential prayers, intercessory prayers, thanksgivings be regularly offered up on behalf of all people. (Author’s translation)
The adverb protos, “first” emphasizes the urgency and priority of prayer for all people to be exposed to the gospel of Jesus Christ based upon Paul’s statements in 1 Timothy 1:12-17.
The emphasis is not on prayer in general but rather the content of the prayer in the sense that the Ephesians are to pray for all people to be exposed to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
It stresses that of all that Paul will be commanding the Ephesians, the command to pray for all people to be exposed to the gospel of Jesus Christ to receive eternal life is the most important.
Though the other commands and prohibitions in this epistle are directly related to promoting the spiritual growth of the members of the body of Christ in Ephesus and are critical for the spiritual growth of the church, these are not more important.
Rather, the salvation of lost sinners is the most important.
Spiritual growth is important but not as important as saving the sinner from eternal condemnation since if the sinner is not saved from eternal condemnation then they can never grow up spiritually.
This is why Paul mentions first in 1 Timothy 2:4 that God desires all men to be saved and then he says that the Father desires that they come to an epignosis, “experiential” knowledge of the truth, which can only take place if one is first saved.
The adjective pas, “all” refers to the rest of the commands and prohibitions that appear in 1 Timothy and is a partitive genitive meaning that the word denotes the whole of which the adverb protos is a part.
This indicates that this urgent request to pray for all people to be exposed to the gospel of Jesus Christ in order to be saved, which is the Father’s will, is the most important of all the commands and prohibitions that are mentioned throughout this epistle.
“Specific detailed requests” is the noun deesis which refers to intercessory prayer and specifically to specific detailed requests offered up to the Father by the Ephesians on behalf of all people to be exposed to the gospel of Jesus Christ for eternal salvation.
“Reverential prayers” is the pronoun proseuche, which refers to intercessory prayer offered up to the Father on behalf of all people but from the perspective that it is an expression of worshipping God and dependence upon Him.
“Intercessory prayers” is the noun enteuxis, which refers to intercessory prayer or in other words, prayer on behalf of another, which in our context is for all people to be exposed to the gospel of Jesus Christ in order to delivered from eternal condemnation and receive eternal life.
“Thanksgivings” is the noun eucharistia which refers to the Ephesians thanking the Father for all people since the entire human race was created in the image of God even though that image has been marred by sin.
“Be regularly offered up on behalf of all people” indicates that Paul wants the Ephesians to “regularly” or “make it a habit of” offering up intercessory prayer to the Father for all of unregenerate humanity since the Father desires all of unregenerate humanity to be saved.
In 1 Timothy 2:2, Paul specifies on whose behalf he wants the Ephesians to intercede in prayer to the Father.
In verse 1, he simply requests corporate intercessory prayer in a general sense meaning that he wants the Ephesians to intercede in prayer for all people but here in verse 2, he is specific in the sense that he identifies specific individuals in Roman society on whose behalf he wants them to intercede in prayer to the Father.
1 Timothy 2:2 on behalf of kings as well as each and every one of those individuals who are in authority in order that we may continue to live a peaceful and tranquil life with absolute godliness as well as dignity. (Author’s translation)
“On behalf of kings” not only refers to the Roman Emperor Nero but all those who governed the provinces that were under his authority.
So Paul is not only calling the Ephesians to intercede in prayer for Nero but also those rulers who governed the various provinces of the Empire under his authority.
He wants the Ephesians to pray that these rulers would be exposed to the gospel for their salvation.
Also, he wants them to pray for these rulers in order to protect them from the attacks of Satan and the kingdom of darkness.
Therefore, Paul is urgently requesting that the Ephesians intercede in prayer to the Father “on behalf of” the Roman governmental rulers.
These rulers are to benefit from the intercessory prayers of the Ephesians.
“Each and every one of those individuals who are in authority” refers to those individuals in the Roman government who formed the Emperor’s consortium, which would include the Praefect of the Praetorian Guard as well as magistrates and proconsuls in the various cities and provinces in the Empire.
Thus, Paul is urgently requesting that the Ephesians intercede in prayer on behalf of all those who exist in a state of holding a position of authority in the Roman government.
The clause “in order that we may continue to live a peaceful and tranquil life” presents the purpose for Paul’s request that the Ephesians offer up intercessory prayer for kings and all in authority.
This purpose clause refers to the lifestyle of those belonging to the Christian church who are sons of God and in union with Christ.
Thus, Paul is requesting intercessory prayer from the Ephesians for all those in authority in order that they may conduct their lives in a tranquil and peaceful manner.
Historically, at the time of writing the Christian community was living in a relatively peaceful and quiet manner in relation to the Roman government and Paul wants this to continue by means of the intercessory prayers of the Ephesians.
This purpose clause refers to the activities and affairs and daily functions of everyday human life in the Christian community.
It speaks of the tranquil and peaceful coexistence or conditions with respect to the Roman government and the Christian community.
It also speaks of the quietness of soul as a result of the peaceful political situation in the Roman Empire or the peaceful coexistence between the Roman government and the Christian community.
The Christian community is to pray for the Roman government in order that they might provide them with freedom to proclaim the gospel throughout the empire unhindered.
In verse 3, the apostle Paul points out to the Ephesians that it is according to the Father’s will that they intercede in prayer for the entire human race.
1 Timothy 2:3 This is, as an eternal spiritual truth noble as well as pleasingly acceptable in the judgment of God the Father, our Savior. (Author’s translation)
The apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 2:4 teaches that it is according to the Father’s will that the Ephesians intercede in prayer for the entire human race because He desires all men to be saved and come to an experiential knowledge of the truth.
1 Timothy 2:4 who, as an eternal spiritual truth desires each and every member of the human race to be saved as well as to enter into knowing experientially the truth. (Author’s translation)
The apostle Paul in verse 5 teaches that there is one God and intermediary between God and the human race, namely the man Christ Jesus.
1 Timothy 2:5 For you see there does exist, as an eternal spiritual truth only one God. Also, there does exist, as an eternal spiritual truth only one intermediary between God the Father and the human race, a human being namely Christ, who is Jesus. (Author’s translation)
The apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 2:6 teaches that Christ Jesus gave Himself as a ransom for each and every member of the human race revealing the Father’s purpose to save the entire human race at the appointed time.
1 Timothy 2:6 who gave Himself as a ransom on behalf of each and every one as a substitute, the testimony at His appointed time. (Author’s translation)
In 1 Timothy 2:7, the apostle Paul writes that the Lord appointed him as a herald as well as an apostle for the express purpose of proclaiming Christ’s redemptive work on behalf of all mankind.
He makes an emphatic declaration of truthfulness that he was also appointed to be a teacher of the Gentiles by means of doctrine, which is truth.
1 Timothy 2:7 For this express purpose I myself was appointed a herald as well as an apostle-I am speaking the truth, I am by no means lying-teaching the Gentiles by means of doctrine, which is truth. (Author’s translation)
The apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 2:8 makes a statement that is based upon an inference from his teaching in 1 Timothy 2:1-7.
In this inferential statement, he expresses his desire that the Ephesians intercede in prayer for all people in every place, lifting up holy hands without anger and disputes.
1 Timothy 2:8 Therefore, I myself always want the men in each and every place to make it a habit of occupying themselves with praying by making it a habit of lifting up holy hands apart from anger as well as dissension. (Author’s translation)