1 Timothy 2.3-The Intercessory Prayers Of The Ephesians For The Entire Human Race Is Noble And Pleasingly Acceptable To The Father, Our Savior
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Tuesday March 15, 2011
1 Timothy: 1 Timothy 2:3-The Intercessory Prayers Of The Ephesians For The Entire Human Race Is Noble And Pleasingly Acceptable To The Father, Our Savior
Lesson # 36
Please turn in your Bibles to 1 Timothy 2:1.
1 Timothy 2:1 resumes Paul’s previous train of thought in 1 Timothy 1:12-17 after his parenthetical remarks in 1 Timothy 1:18-20.
It is also the result of an inference from his statements in 1 Timothy 1:12-17.
Thus, Paul’s urgent request that the Ephesians pray for all men to be exposed to the gospel is based upon his teaching in 1 Timothy 1:12-17.
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. (My translation)
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. (My translation)
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 2:1 First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. 3 This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior. (NASU)
1 Timothy 2:3 is composed of the nominative neuter singular form of the immediate demonstrative pronoun houtos (οὗτος) (oo-toce), “this” and the nominative neuter singular form of the adjective (καλός) (kah-loce), “good” and the conjunction kai (καί) (keh), “and” which is followed by the nominative neuter singular form of the adjective apodektos (ἀπόδεκτος) (ahpoethek-toce), “acceptable” and the preposition enopion (ἐνώπιον) (ennopee-own), “in the sight of” and the articular genitive masculine singular form of the noun soter (σωτήρ) (so-peer-deh), “Savior” and the genitive first person plural form of the personal pronoun ego (ἐγώ) (eh-go), “our” and the genitive masculine singular form of the noun theos (θεός) (thay-oce), “of God.”
The immediate demonstrative pronoun houtos, “this” refers to Paul’s urgent request in verse 1 that the Ephesians intercede in prayer to the Father on behalf of all people.
This is indicated by Paul’s statement in verse 4 where he teaches that the Father desires all people to be saved and to come to an experiential knowledge of the truth.
His statement in verse 5 is further indication since he teaches that there is one God and one intermediary between God and the human race, namely Jesus Christ.
Then, in verse 6, the apostle teaches that Jesus Christ gave Himself as a ransom for the entire human race.
Thus, these statements in verses 4-6 indicate quite clearly that houtos in verse 3 does not refer to verse 2a that the Ephesians should pray for their governmental rulers.
Neither does it refer to 2b and living a peaceful and quiet life with absolute godliness as well as dignity.
The reason is that the main point of the paragraph in verses 1-7 is that intercessory prayer for all of humanity is according to the Father’s will since the Father desires all men to be saved and come to an experiential knowledge of the truth.
Thus, verse 2 is parenthetical specifying that the Ephesians must keep in prayer those in governmental authority at all times so that their evangelistic activities would not be hindered but rather aided.
The adjective kalos means “noble” in the sense that from the Father’s perspective, the intercessory prayers of the Ephesians on behalf of all of sinful humanity possesses an outstanding quality and great importance, which is superior to all others.
Here it describes the intercessory prayers of the Ephesians on behalf of the entire human race that is enslaved to sin and Satan as of the utmost importance to the Father since He desires all men to be saved and come to an experiential knowledge of the truth.
The word speaks of the intercessory prayers of the Ephesians on behalf of the human race as of the utmost importance or the most important thing that they could do in life.
In 1 Timothy 2:3, the adjective apodektos pertains “to that which is pleasing in view of its being acceptable” (Louw and Nida, 25.85).
This indicates that the intercessory prayers of the Ephesians on behalf of the entire human race is “pleasing in view of its being acceptable” to the Father since He desires all men to be saved and come to an experiential knowledge of the truth.
The improper preposition enopion means “in the opinion” or “in the judgment of” God the Father.
Therefore, Paul is saying with this word that the intercessory prayers of the Ephesians on behalf of all people is noble as well as pleasingly acceptable “in the opinion” or “judgment of” the Father.
The noun theos means “God” and refers to the Father.
Paul describes the Father as Savior here and not Jesus Christ just as he did in 1 Timothy 1:1.
That the Father is in view and not the Son is indicated in that Paul is speaking in the context of urgently requesting that the Ephesians pray for all people and the Scriptures teach that all prayer by the Christian is to be addressed to the Father and not Jesus Christ, His Son (Luke 11:1-2; John 16:23).
There is a protocol to prayer.
All prayer made by the believer-priest in the church age must be addressed to God the Father (John 14:13-14; 16:23-27; Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:6; Eph. 2:18; 3:14; 5:20; Col. 1:3, 12; 3:17; 1 Pet. 1:17; Rev. 1:6).
Prayer must be made in the name or Person of or through intermediate agency of the Lord Jesus Christ (John 14:13-14; 16:23-24; Eph. 5:20; Col. 3:17).
Prayer must be made in the power of the Spirit or by means of the power of the Filling of the Spirit (Eph. 2:18; 6:18; Jude 20).
In 1 Timothy 1:1, the noun soter was used as a title for the Father emphasizing that He is the member of the Trinity who initiated salvation and is its source.
Here in 1 Timothy 2:3, it is used in the same fashion.
He is the Savior or Deliverer of the human race in a seven-fold sense: (1) Deliverer or Savior from personal sins. (2) Deliverer or Savior from old sin nature (3) Deliverer or Savior from Satan and his cosmic system. (4) Deliverer or Savior from spiritual and physical death (5) Deliverer or Savior from eternal condemnation. (6) Deliverer or Savior from self. (7) Deliverer or Savior from condemnation from the Law.
The Father is the Christian’s deliverer in all these areas and not just the Lord Jesus Christ since it was according to the Father’s plan in eternity past that the Son was sent into the world to save sinners in the first place (See John 3:16-18; Ephesians 1:1-14).
The Son carried out or executed the Father’s plan to save sinful mankind.
Therefore, 1 Timothy 2:3 teaches that the intercessory prayers of the Ephesians on behalf of all people, is according to the Father’s will.
Verse 4 teaches that it is according to the Father’s will because He desires all men to be saved and come to an experiential knowledge of the truth.