Day 12 - I Timothy 2:5-7

Daily Devotional Study of I Timothy

Faithfulness to the Heavenly Call

h 1 Timothy 2:5--7    h

⁵For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, ⁶Who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time, ⁷For which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle—I am speaking the truth in Christ and not lying—a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

I

n this passage, Paul moves from emphasizing the universality of salvation that is available to “all,” to presenting the narrow door through which all may obtain this salvation. In a polytheistic world filled with gods and goddesses, Paul declares that there is one God and one Mediator between God and men (people), the Man (Person) Christ Jesus.

Christ Shares in Our Humanity

The Greek word for “men” and “man” in verse 5 is anthropos, a generic word that literally means “people” or “humanity.” The gender specific word for man as male is aner and the word for woman is gune. The NRSV accurately translates verse 5 as, For there is one God; there is also one mediator between God and humankind, Christ Jesus, himself human.  Paul here uses anthropos of Christ because, in His mediatorial work for all humanity, what is significant is not His maleness, but His humanity. In a world deeply divided by gender (many pagans believed that women had evolved from a lesser, inferior source), Paul adroitly makes the point that men and women share a common humanity and both have one great Mediator before God who shares in their humanity.

The Price Has Been Paid for All

Verse 6 points out that this one Mediator is the same one who gave Himself a ransom for all. The word “ransom” is from the Greek word antilutron, which referred to that which was given in exchange for the redemption or freedom of another. Paul uses it here of Christ’s death as the price that was paid to purchase the freedom of the human race. The price was paid for all, but will be realized only by those who lay hold of it in faith and repentance.

The Divine Call

After presenting this brief, but clear, synopsis of Gospel truth, Paul, in verse 8, reinforces his right to confront the false teachers in Ephesus. He declares that he was appointed (by God) a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. This was Paul’s special assignment from the Lord. At the time of his conversion, in Acts 9:15, God had said that Paul would, Bear My name before the Gentiles . . .. Paul referred to himself as an apostle to the Gentiles (Rom. 11:13) and even the apostles in Jerusalem recognized his special calling to the Gentile world (Gal. 2:9). When giving his defense before King Agrippa, Paul enumerated his conversion and call from God and then said, Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision. Paul is profoundly aware of a divine call and this gives him the sense of confidence, right, and responsibility in confronting the false teachers in Ephesus. Every true minister of Jesus Christ should have a similar conviction of a heavenly call.

Prayer & Reflection

O Lord, fill us with a sense of Divine destiny and purpose. May our hearts not be entangled with the temporal fantasies of this world, but may we live and speak from a sense of eternity. Like Paul, may we not be disobedient to the heavenly vision.