Men-Come Out with Your Hands Up

Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations (3103 The Ten Most-Wanted Men)

The Ten Most-Wanted Men1. The man who puts God’s business above any other business.2. The man who brings his children to church rather than sends them.3. The man who is willing to be the right example to every boy he meets.4. The man who thinks more of his Sunday School class than he does his Sunday Sleep.5. The man who measures his giving by what he has left rather than by the amount he gives.6. The man who goes to church for Christ’s sake rather than for himself or someone else.7. The man who has passion to help rather than to be helped.8. The man who can see his own faults before he sees the faults of others.9. The man who stands firm in his convictions, based on the Word of God, i.e. a “backbone” Christian.10. The man who is more concerned about winning souls for Christ than he is about winning honor.

The first pastoral letter of Paul to Timothy, in which Paul counsels Timothy toward excellence in leadership.

Lexham Survey of Theology (Prayer in the Life of the Church)

Prayer, according to Scripture, is conversation directed to God that, like human conversation, may take many different forms. It may come as an expression of desire or appeal, of sorrow or apology, of love or admiration, of gratitude or appreciation, of dissatisfaction or frustration—or of hopes and joys, fears and doubts, questions and curiosities. All these forms of communication can be broadly grouped under three major conversational categories: (1) entreaty (or request), (2) esteem (or worship), and (3) fellowship (or communion). In Scripture, prayer may take any or all of these forms.

Holy Hands: (ref):

1, 2 Timothy, Titus ((1) An Appeal to the Men (2:8))

In calling for men to “lift up holy hands,” Paul was not prescribing a universal posture for prayer but was alluding to the mode of prayer normally practiced by Jews and many early Christians. Standing with uplifted hands was seen among both Jews and Christians in the first century

The Pastoral Epistles: An Introduction and Commentary (a. The Importance and Scope of Public Prayer (2:1–8))

Although constant prayer is here regarded as a matter of Christian obligation, the gesture mentioned is incidental to the qualifying adjective holy. Worshippers with hands stained by unworthy deeds must first be cleansed before approaching God in prayer (cf. Ps. 26:6).

Ps. 24:4 “He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; Who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, Nor sworn deceitfully.”

Ps. 63:4 “Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.”

Ps. 134:2 “Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, And bless the Lord.”

Luke 24:50 “And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them.”

1, 2 Timothy, Titus ((1) An Appeal to the Men (2:8))

Paul’s primary emphasis was the attitude that the men were to bring to prayer. The term “holy hands” describes hands that are morally pure. This calls for a devout life-style that seeks passionately to please God (John 4:34).

Rev. Tony Evans says, “A kingdom disciple can be defined as a believer in Christ who takes part in the spiritual developmental process of progressively learning to live all of life in submission to Jesus Christ.”

“without anger or disputing” because - Controversy and contempt would vitiate (spoil or impair the quality or efficiency of) the effectiveness of prayers.

Lea, T. D., & Griffin, H. P. (1992). 1, 2 Timothy, Titus (Vol. 34, p. 95). Broadman & Holman Publishers.

The Pastoral Epistles: An Introduction and Commentary (a. The Importance and Scope of Public Prayer (2:1–8))

The closing words of this verse without anger or disputing show that wrong attitudes of mind are as alien to the holy place of prayer as sullied hands. Not merely pure actions but pure motives are essential in Christian worship.