Intercession among believers in Jesus
Notes
Transcript
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
1 Timothy 2:1-7 “1 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. 7 For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.”
1 Thess 3:11-13 “11 Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, 12 and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, 13 so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.”
James 5:16 “16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”
Hebrews 7:25 “25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.”
Old Testament example of intercession
10 Then all the congregation said to stone them with stones. But the glory of the Lord appeared at the tent of meeting to all the people of Israel.
11 And the Lord said to Moses, “How long will this people despise me? And how long will they not believe in me, in spite of all the signs that I have done among them? 12 I will strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they.”
13 But Moses said to the Lord, “Then the Egyptians will hear of it, for you brought up this people in your might from among them, 14 and they will tell the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that you, O Lord, are in the midst of this people. For you, O Lord, are seen face to face, and your cloud stands over them and you go before them, in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. 15 Now if you kill this people as one man, then the nations who have heard your fame will say, 16 ‘It is because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the land that he swore to give to them that he has killed them in the wilderness.’ 17 And now, please let the power of the Lord be great as you have promised, saying, 18 ‘The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but he will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, to the third and the fourth generation.’ 19 Please pardon the iniquity of this people, according to the greatness of your steadfast love, just as you have forgiven this people, from Egypt until now.”
20 Then the Lord said, “I have pardoned, according to your word.
Mat 5:43-48 “43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
SCRIPTURE ANNOTATIONS (verse by verse exploratory personal exposition and attached commentary)
2:1 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people,
2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.
Paul reminds us of a calling for our behavior regardless of our situation, and to intercede for those in leadership.
3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior,
4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Some usually refer to the scripture of putting ‘hot coals on their head’ (Prov 25:22 and Rom 12:20 ), but the heart of the one who truly loves Jesus has a desire to intercede for their salvation, redemption, and restoration in the body of Christ
5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.
For he who knew no sin, gave Himself for us who were His enemies and became our Redeemer and friend who is closer than a brother. He says to forgiven as we wish to be forgiven (Luke 17:3-4 )
7 For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. 1
COMMENTARY:
Paul was concerned that Ephesian believers pray for everyone. He would emphasize in v. 4 that God wants “all men to be saved” and in v. 6 that Christ died “for all men.” This shows the breadth of his concern. The false teachers among the Ephesians may have limited their concerns to a certain elite group. Kelly says that “Paul makes it plain that narrowness of this kind offends against the gospel of Christ.”3
2:2 The object of these prayers is “everyone,” but Paul reminded his readers that kings and other leaders are the special objects of prayer. To pray for “everyone” does not suggest that we must mention each human being by name but that our prayers should include all groups of human beings. All needy sinners—without distinction of race, nationality, or social position—must receive our prayers.
The terms “kings and all those in authority” refer to the authorities of the state including emperors, governors, and other local authorities. Persecuted Christians could easily omit prayers for their persecuting rulers. Such prayers for leaders had a long history in Judaism (Ezra 7:27–28; 9:6–9).
The final clause of v. 2 designates the content of the prayer. First, Paul’s words imply that Christians must pray that their leaders will have the knowledge needed to guide them in their duties. Freedom from anarchy, persecution, and economic hardship can facilitate the spread of the gospel. Wise rulers can provide sound, solid leadership to accomplish these goals. Paul was not merely requesting that Christians pray for the conversion of their leaders, although this was at least a part of the prayer. The prayers include thanksgivings for those decisions that facilitate the spread of Christianity and requests for wisdom in making important decisions.
Second, Paul desired that believers live “peaceful and quiet lives.” He may not have intended that this “quiet” life be free of all conflict and persecution. Such an interpretation is unlikely in view of Paul’s realistic expectations of persecution in 2 Tim 1:8; 3:12. Vigorous Christianity has spread rapidly even under conditions of severe opposition and persecution.
In 1 Thess 4:11–12 Paul urged the Thessalonian believers to live a quiet life in such a way as to win the respect of unbelievers. Perhaps strife and discord in the church caused outsiders to scoff at the religion of the Ephesian Christians. Paul wanted his readers to live an orderly life free of strife and discord so as to convince unbelievers that Christianity was worthy of their attention.4
An added reason for referring “quiet” to the godly conduct of the Ephesians is that the terms “godliness and holiness” appear to refer to behavior. Godliness involves a proper respect for God, and holiness demands a serious and earnest life-style before observers, even those who are hostile.1
3 3 J. N. D. Kelly, A Commentary on the Pastoral Epistles (1963; reprint, Grand Rapids: Baker, 1981), 60.
4 4 The Greek term for “quiet” in 1 Tim 2:2 is ἡσύχιον, an adjective. The verb of 1 Thess 4:11, ἡσυχάζειν, comes from the same word family. Paul explained the purpose of living this orderly life in 1 Thess 4:12. He wanted them to win the respect of outsiders.
1 Lea, T. D., & Griffin, H. P. (1992). 1, 2 Timothy, Titus (Vol. 34, pp. 87–88). Broadman & Holman Publishers.
2:3 The antecedent of “this” is the reference to prayer for all people in v. 1. Paul stated that God is pleased to see believers earnestly concerned for the salvation of all humankind and not simply for an elitist group. The knowledge that such prayer pleases God provides a throbbing incentive to pray. Paul described God as “our Savior” because he was dealing with the concept of salvation in the verses that follow. Paul’s use of the phrase shows that God is the author of salvation (1 Thess 5:9) and that Paul and his readers had experienced it.
2:4 The relative clause of v. 4 provides the basis for the assertion in v. 3 that prayer for all people is pleasing to God. The goal of the prayers Paul urged is that all people be saved. Intercession for all people pleases the God who desires all to be saved.
The term “all” in v. 4 must refer to the same group as the reference to “everyone” in v. 1. The petitions of v. 1 are to include all human beings, and the objects of Christ’s death must include the same group. It would certainly include all persons without distinctions of race or social standing, but it also refers to all persons individually. The difficulty of praying for every single inhabitant on the earth should not hide us from the fact that God’s “will to save is as wide as His will to create and protect.”5 In suggesting a broad extent for the death of Christ, Paul was taking issue with the idea that only the spiritually elite are the beneficiaries of Christ’s death.
The term for “wants” (thelō) should not be taken to support a universalistic idea. The fact that God desires the salvation of all does not guarantee that all will be saved.6 God will not override the reluctance or opposition of individuals bent upon pursuing their own way in defiance of God. Passages such as Matt 6:10; 7:21; 12:50 suggest that what God delights in may not always be done by disobedient human beings. The will of God does not function as a ruthless bulldozer crushing and forcing into obedience any who resist it. God urges us to repentance with his goodness rather than coercing us toward the truth by the application of naked power (Rom 2:4).7
The use of the term “truth” is a reference to the gospel (cf. Gal 2:5, 14), and it suggests that salvation has a cognitive side. The absence of a reference to faith is no disparagement of the volitional aspect of conversion. To come to the knowledge of the truth is a synonym for conversion. In the Pastorals, Paul frequently used “truth” as a reference to the gospel message (1 Tim 3:15; 4:3; 6:5; 2 Tim 2:15; 3:7–8; Titus 1:1).1
5 5 W. Lock, The Pastoral Epistles, ICC (Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1924), 27.
6 6 The proper meaning of “wants” is the subject of much discussion. The term can mean to take pleasure in as in Matt 9:13, where “desire” is a translation of θέλω. However, the term can also be used with the force of a purpose or resolve by God to do something. In 1 Cor 12:18 θέλω is used to describe the resolve or purpose of God. The same emphasis appears in Rom 9:18; 1 Cor 4:19; 15:38. It is best to see θέλω in 1 Tim 2:4 as expressing the genuine resolve by God that all be saved. The fact that all are not saved can be attributed to the stubbornness of the human will rather than to the weakness of the divine intent.
7 7 Kelly suggests two purposes behind Paul’s mention of the universal scope of God’s plan. First, he feels that Paul opposed the Jewish belief that God willed the destruction of sinners. Second, he feels that Paul opposed the Gnostic idea that salvation belonged only to a group of the spiritually elite (see Kelly, Pastoral Epistles, 63).
1 Lea, T. D., & Griffin, H. P. (1992). 1, 2 Timothy, Titus (Vol. 34, pp. 88–90). Broadman & Holman Publishers.
(3) The Goodness of the Goal of Prayer (2:5–7)
5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time. 7 And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying—and a teacher of the true faith to the Gentiles.
How could Paul affirm that God wants all to be saved? Paul responded to this question by presenting three facts concerning God and Christ (2:5–6).8 He concluded his emphasis with a brief explanation of his role in heralding the message of salvation (2:7).
2:5 First, Paul declared that there is one God. He did not intend that this be a prideful claim by an exclusivist Jew but rather an affirmation that the one God is to receive worship from all people. Paul was countering the idea that human beings face a plethora of angel-like deities to whom they must answer. There is only one God, and Paul wanted all to know him. The knowledge that God has the single purpose of causing all to know him follows from God’s unity. If there were different aims for different individuals to know different beings, the Godhead could be divided in nature.
Second, there is a single mediator between God and humankind. As a mediator Christ removed the separation caused by sin and reconciled humankind with God. As the God-Man, Christ is uniquely qualified to serve as a go-between who can bring sinful people into God’s family. The reference to Jesus as the one mediator between God and humanity rules out any understanding that angels (Dan 6:22; Gal 3:19) served as mediators. It also excludes the Gnostic idea that intermediary deities stand between God and humanity. Paul stated what Christ did to accomplish this mediation in v. 6.
The term “mediator” links Jesus with the concept of covenant (see Heb 8:6; 9:15; 12:24). It pictures Jesus as a “negotiator,” who brings in a new arrangement between God and human beings. The term also emphasizes that God has acted uniquely through him to fulfill his purpose. There is the additional reminder that only through him can human beings reach the goal intended by God. Only through Christ can sinful human beings come to God. Part of the offense of the cross consists in accepting this fact (see John 14:6).1
8 8 Paul’s statement in vv. 5–6 is almost surely a confession or statement of faith with which Paul and his readers were familiar. The statements in the verses form four compact, balanced, and rhythmical assertions. E. Ellis (“Traditions in the Pastoral Epistles,” Early Jewish and Christian Exegesis: Studies in Memory of William Hugh Brownlee, ed. C. A. Evans and W. F. Stinespring [Atlanta: Scholars, 1987], 246) calls it a hymnic-type confession.
1 Lea, T. D., & Griffin, H. P. (1992). 1, 2 Timothy, Titus (Vol. 34, p. 90). Broadman & Holman Publishers.