1 Timothy 2 - Unpopular Truth
Everything about Christianity is counter cultural, so don't be surprised when culture pushes back.
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1 Timothy 2 (NIV)
1 I urge, then, first of all, that
petitions,
prayers,
intercession
and thanksgiving
be made
for all people—
2 for kings and all those in authority,
that we may live
peaceful and quiet lives
in all godliness and holiness.
3 This is good,
and pleases God
our Savior,
4 who wants all people
to be saved
and to come to a knowledge of the truth.
5 For
there is one God
and one mediator
between God and mankind,
the man Christ Jesus,
6 who gave himself as a ransom for all people.
This has now been witnessed to at the 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 true and faithful teacher of the Gentiles.
8 Therefore I want
the men everywhere to pray,
lifting up holy hands
without anger or disputing.
9 I also want the women to dress modestly,
with decency and propriety,
adorning themselves,
not with elaborate hairstyles
or gold or pearls or expensive clothes,
10 but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.
11 A woman should learn in quietness and full submission.
12 I do not permit a woman
to teach
or to assume authority over a man;
she must be quiet.
13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve.
14 And Adam was not the one deceived;
it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner.
15 But women will be saved through childbearing—
if they continue in
faith,
love
and holiness
with propriety.
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Read previous DIG DEEPER posts on 1 Timothy
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1 Timothy 2 Summary
It's often hard enough to pray for our political leaders, but today's open verse says that praying is just the beginning. It lists three other things we must be doing for "kings and all those in authority (v2)."
Make petitions: make specific requests to God for our leaders.
Intercede: to plead the cause of our leaders before God.
Give thanksgiving: We're very quick to criticize our leaders, but we also fail to realize the way God blesses us through the actions our leaders.
Obviously praying for our leaders benefits our leaders, but v3 reminds us that these prayers are primarily for our benefit, so that we may live peaceful and quiet lives and because God wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth (v4).
This saving truth is the mediation of Christ Jesus described in v5: our Savior standing in the middle between our holy Father and us who have fallen into sin.
Dig Deeper
The letters to Timothy and Titus are often referred to as Pastoral Epistles, since their context is Paul giving these young pastors insight into how to lead their churches.
The instructions given on the roles of men and women in the church is amongst the most controversial topics in the Bible. A Dig-Deeper post from a couple of years ago explains why churches like ours come to the conclusion that passages like v11-15 and others like it limit church offices to men.
Teaching on the roles of men & women in the church or human sexuality have been hot topics these last few decades, but when it comes down to it, nearly every imperative and teaching the Bible gives to us as Christians is massively contrary to our culture and our own sinful natures.
In other words, trying to set aside difficult teachings like this one in order to avoid conflicts with our culture (and even other Christians!) will eventually cause you to set aside nearly everything that the the Bible teaches.
The sooner you realize just how different being in Christ makes you compared to the world around you, the more equipped you'll be to live in accordance with God's Word no matter how conflicting with culture it seems.
AAA Prayer:
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: We come before our one God in prayer through our one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus (v5).
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Bring prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority (v2).
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:
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