By: Jilene Scherenske
1Ti 2:5-6 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
In these verses Paul is making an argument for the command set down in verses 1-3 that we ought to pray for all of our authorities. Why should we lift up our authorities in prayer? Why should we pray for them with supplications and prayers and intercessions and thanksgiving? So what that there is a God Who desires everyone to be saved? Who is this God Who wills that all men be saved and come to the knowledge of truth? Here it is. He is The One and only God. He alone holds our authorities in His hands. He alone can intervene on behalf of our guilty souls. He alone can pardon.
“For there is one God…” To show you how very specific the Word of God is and how important it is to include in your study the Hebrew/Greek definitions, let’s look at the word ‘one’. Here the Greek word is heis which means ‘one’ numerically. This is the feminine form of the noun. The neuter form of the noun is hen which means ‘one in essence’. So in John 10:30 where Jesus states “I and my Father are one…” the noun used is hen meaning one is essence, but two different personalities(1). So, here in our verse, there is ONE God, only one, no more, none other, just ONE God! Numerically ONE! And He is the Supreme Divinity. Exceeding God. He stands alone for there is no other God. Sure there are many who pretend to be gods, but none really are god. They are false gods, seeking to confuse mankind. Only God Almighty is God. Only He sits upon His throne. Only He directs/sustains this universe, the half of which we have only begun to view. Only He created it all. Only He has power. Not one other thing/creature created by Him has even an ounce of power that has not been given him by God. This Greek word for ‘God’ is a general term. It is also used for gods in general. But when used for our One and Only God, Almighty God, it is a term that, to me, encapsulates all that God is in one little 3-lettered word. Of all the things that the word ‘god’ can refer to – and there are many definitions, many applications for this word – but in this context it refers to the God we know Who is over all, in all, and through all. The Only True God. The Only God with power and wisdom and honor and glory. It includes all that God is, all of His attributes, in three letters!
“…and one mediator between God and men…” The Greek word for ‘mediator’ is mesites. It means ‘a middle person’, one whose office it is to reconcile two parties at enmity, peace- maker(2). We certainly needed that for we were the enemies of God in that we were born in sin. Ro 5:10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. We needed someone to stand between us and God and make peace. Why? Because God cannot have sin come into His presence and we were born in sin and had absolutely no way of changing that fact. So as sinful creatures we could not enter the presence of God, let alone fellowship with Him. Sin had to be dealt with, punished. There was only one Man Who had the capabilities to do this – the Man Christ Jesus. Only He could be our Peacemaker.
I am saved because Jesus wanted me to be saved; God saved me “for Christ’s sake”. For His sake God forgives my sin.
Ac 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Joh 10:1 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
In Jesus only I have salvation. The only way I will ever stand before God’s holiness and hear Him say “Well done” is if I stand there in Christ Jesus. The only way I stand there in Christ Jesus is if I have believed on Him and accepted the truth of what He did on the cross and the truth of His resurrection. Here’s the picture I have. I am standing entirely encompassed by Christ and His holiness. I am inside Christ, so to speak. The amazing thing is that, not only am I standing inside Christ’s righteousness, Christ is also simultaneously standing inside me! That picture is the whole motivation for pleasing God. When the day arrives that we will find ourselves standing before God and hearing Him say, “Well done”, it will only be because of what Christ has done for us, because He is our Mediator between God and me.
“..the man Christ Jesus;” He was a perfect human being. Truly a flesh and blood man. Yet He was simultaneously Divine. Php 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Joh 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. Ro 8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
It is Jesus’ manhood, His time in the flesh, that connects Him with us. This time in the flesh is what allowed Him to be our Mediator. Without this time in the flesh, He could not have become our Mediator.
“Who gave himself a ransom for all…” Two words I want to highlight right off the bat. ‘Gave’ and ‘all’. Not only did the Father give His Only Begotten Son for us (John 3:16), Christ gave Himself (Phil 2:5-8). No one made Him do it, not even God the Father. He gave of Himself willingly. Joh 10:18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. Php 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Joh 10:15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. Tit 2:14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. No where do we see that Jesus laid down His life under duress! He willingly gave His life up; He willingly shed His blood; He willingly suffered; He willing bore all of our sin. He did it “for the joy that was set before him” (Heb 12:2)!!! I like what Oliver Greene said, “Satan ‘kidnapped’ the human race through the disobedience of the first Adam; but the second Adam, Jesus Christ, paid the ransom in full, willingly – that we who had been ‘kidnapped’ by sin might go free by faith in His finished work.(3)” This is what He had to do to be our Peacemaker. He had to give Himself up. Die.
“ransom” – The expression is common – “an eye for an eye”, likewise, in the context of our position with God as filthy sinners who could not help ourselves out of our destiny, a life had to be given for life. Absolute obedience was due to God, and therefore no effort on our own could satisfy for even the least failure (Jam 2:10). We were the captive slaves of satan. The only fix was a “life for life”. Jesus was THE ONLY solution for our state of affairs. A ransom had to be paid; a price had to be paid. The price our crime demanded was blood. Nothing could pay for our crimes except death. No one could pay that debt for us except Jesus! He was our ransom. In Lev 25:48 God made provision that if a brother was sold into slavery, the older brother could redeem him. So Jesus, as our elder brother, redeemed us (I Pet 1:18-19); but He, because of His sinlessness, not only redeemed one person, but ALL of humanity, if they would just accept the gift. He ONLY could be our ransom (Eph 1:7). He alone could step in and intercede for us. He was the ONLY payment God could accept. This is why He is our Mediator.
Just as God wants ALL men to be saved, so the remedy is for ALL. Let us remember that in Paul’s day and the philosophy which he had grown up under was the notion that salvation was only available to the Jew, or to those who chose to become Jew. But Christ’s death was accomplished for ALL, not for only a few, not for just some elite, but for ALL. It was enough to accomplish the goal for every human being that God created. This, then, is why we should pray for ALL men as verses 1-3 of this chapter command. There is the same Mediator between God and ALL men, Jesus is not the Mediator for a part of the human race, but for ALL of the creatures God has created. He is not the Mediator for just kings, nor for just the poor, or just the rich, but for ALL. Everyone is on the same level. No one else is a mediator, not Mary, not anyone else. There is only ONE Mediator.
So, if Christ died for ALL, and He did, how is it that so many perish? Yes, He indeed died for ALL, His death was sufficient, it satisfied God Almighty’s justice. But it is a gift, a gift to be received. Those who perish have chosen not to receive it! They have chosen, rather, to go their own way, do their own things, lean on their own desires and pleasures which are but for a short time. There is no defect, no short coming, in the plan of salvation. Jesus died for ALL. That is a fact. There is no bias in Him. There has never been born one person for whom He did not die. Every man has the opportunity to believe in Him and what He has done for us. This is the ultimate of Love. No man can love like Christ did. He proved that by dying for EVERY man. Now God has left the decision up to EVERY man – to choose His gift, or not to choose it. The Gift is available and immensely generous. Its acceptance or rejection determines one’s eternal destiny. It is not God’s fault if one perishes; it is their own decision.
“…to be testified in due time.”
When Jesus came into the world it was a witness, it was an evident thing, a testimony to God’s love. No one could clam that He was never here. There are multitude witnesses to prove that He indeed lived here on earth. Jesus came into the world at the exact time that God willed it to be. Not a moment early; not a moment late. God had Jesus’ coming all planned before He even created the universe. 1Pe 1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, 21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. Just think – God knew He would have to sacrifice His only Son for His creation before He even made the world! Yet He did it! He created us! Perhaps so that He could have somebody to love, some way of displaying His great love. So, again, in God’s perfect timing Jesus came to rescue mankind. Ga 4:4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. 1Ti 6:15 Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;
So, to summarize: “The Apostle's argument runs thus, We ought to pray for all, because there is one God who is good to all; and one Mediator between God and mankind, who took upon Him the common nature of all men, and gave Himself a satisfactory and sufficient ransom for all, which was in due time testified and borne witness to by us his Apostles. We may learn hence, that the only way of friendly intercourse between God and man, is through a Mediator; that there is no other mediator but Jesus Christ, who is called "the man," not to exclude his Divine nature, but to declare emphatically that nature, in which He gave Himself a ransom for us; and that, since this one Mediator gave Himself a ransom for all, whosoever perishes under the Gospel perishes, not because no ransom was paid for him but because he rejects and refuses the offer of salvation. Burkitt(4).”
Lesson one: Let us never forget the truth: There is only ONE God. Because we were born in sin, there was a brick wall between us and God so that we could never have fellowship with God, nor could we ever have hope of eternal life. Isa 59:2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. But then Jesus came. Took upon Himself the fleshly body like our fleshly body; was in every way a human being, only without sin. He never stopped being Divine. He alone paid the price to God that would break down that wall that was between God and us. Now to everyone who believes that there was a wall and that that wall is now broken down between us and God by Christ Jesus, to those who receive that truth, to them is offered forgiveness and eternal life!
Lessons two: If Jesus came at an appointed time, then the happenings of our lives are also at appointed times. Let us not forget this whenever little or huge things enter our lives. It is always God’s appointed time. Ps 90:12 So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
Ec 3:1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
Ec 8:6 Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man is great upon him.
Ps 31:15 My times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me.
Ac 1:7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.
Lesson three: If Christ gave Himself for ALL then we ought to pray for ALL as verses 1-3 of this chapter command. There is no one that our prayers ought to give up on as we pray for their salvation!
Lesson four: Such great and tremendous truth are held in this verse. It makes me want to set down everyone I meet and give them this truth and convince of it! Oh, that we would not hoard it for ourselves! Oh, that we would ask the Lord Who lives inside us to give us the boldness and the wording to offer this truth to all that we meet. I am filled to overflowing with the joy that the remembrance of this truth. Lord, let me never, not for one moment of my day, forget what a spectacular thing You have done for me. I cannot imagine life without You. Blessed be the Lord of my salvation!
Bibliography
- The Hebrew Greek Key Study Bible King James Version, World Bible Publishers, Inc., 1992, Lexical aids pg 1711
- Lexical aids to the The Hebrew Greek Key Study Bible King James Version, World Bible Publishers, Inc., 1992, pg 1737
- The Epistles of Paul the Apostle to Timothy and Titus; Oliver B. Greene, The Gospel Hour, Inc., 1964, pg. 85
- Power Bible; British Family Bible; William Burkitt (1650-1703) Expository Notes on N.T., which has passed through many editions, and is still constantly reprinted (N. Y. 2 volumes 8vo)., I Timothy 2:5