THE PASTORAL EPISTLES: GOD'S DIRECTIVES FOR HIS UNDERSHEPHERDS

I. 1 Timothy: Basic Local Church Ministry

D. The Priority Of Prayer For Secular Officials

(1 Timothy 2:1-8)

I. Introduction

A. In view of reports of great needs and problems in various churches, much of which has been produced by Church leaders themselves, we view the Pastoral Epistles, handbooks on local pastoral ministry, for insight.

B. 1 Timothy 2:1-8 addresses the important issue of the local church's ministry in light of significant actions by civil authorities in the government, and what God desires that local church leaders do about it (as follows):

II. The Priority Of Prayer For Secular Officials, 1 Timothy 2:1-8.

A. When Paul wrote this 1 Timothy 2:1-8 passage, the Church was facing mounting threats from the state:

1. Paul had recently been released from his first Roman imprisonment, so he would have been aware of developments of concern to the Church in the Roman government. (Bible Know. Com., N. T., p. 734)

2. Nero had come to the throne, and his "growing resentment toward Christians" would come "to full bloom after the fire in Rome in July, A. D. 64," about the time this letter was written, Ibid., p. 729, 734.

3. The empire had begun to experience "general disintegration" due to Nero's decadence, and Christians had begun to suffer persecution in what was a "deteriorating political atmosphere" for them, Ibid., p. 734.

B. Paul thus directed the men in the Church to make public prayer on this matter their top priority, 1 Tim. 2:1-8:

1. As the first matter of importance (1 Timothy 2:1a), Timothy was to call all adult males to lift up holy hands in the ancient posture of prayer and lead the congregation in public prayer, the word "men" (KJV) in 1 Timothy 2:8 being aner, "man as opposed to woman." (U. B. S. Grk. N. T., 1966, p. 722; Arndt & Gingrich, A Grk.-Eng. Lex. of the N. T., 1967, p. 65-66)

2. The types of prayer these men were to pray were to be all-inclusive, including requests, prayers, intercessions and thanksgivings as the situation required, 1 Tim. 2:1b NIV; Ibid., Bib. Know. Com., N. T.

3. These prayers were to be made in behalf of all men, especially for the "leaders of civil government" whose actions affected the welfare and the liberties of the organized Church, 1 Timothy 2:1c-2a; Ibid.

4. The goal of these prayers was to beseech God to grant that the civil leaders affecting the Church would function in ways that would allow believers to lead peaceful and quiet lives that were godly and dignified, the will of God toward having the Church be able to example and testify the Gospel of God's grace to a needy, lost world that God earnestly desired to save, 1 Timothy 2:2b-4 ESV (Wm. Hendriksen, N. T. Com.: Exp. of The Past. Epis., 1974, p. 95) "(F)reedom from disturbances, such as wars and persecutions, will facilitate the spread of the gospel of salvation in Christ to the glory of God," for "(i)n more ways than one, conditions of tranquility and calm promote the spread of the gospel of salvation," Ibid.

5. The theological reasons this Gospel so greatly needed to be spread is clarified by Paul in 1 Timothy 2:5-7:

a. There is only one true God Who saves as opposed to the many false gods of the lost world, and the Christian Gospel provides lost men the only door to that true God and His salvation, 1 Timothy 2:5a.

b. Also, there is only one true Mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus, 1 Timothy 2:5b, necessitating that the lost hear the Gospel of Christ and be saved as their only way of gaining eternal life!

c. In addition, that Mediator Christ Jesus gave Himself as a ransom for all men, His atonement being universal for the entire lost world, a testimony in need of being given in its proper time, 1 Timothy 2:6.

d. Besides, the Apostle Paul was appointed a preacher and an apostle in truth, a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth that they and not just the Jews might hear the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ, 1 Timothy 2:7.

Lesson: In view of especially the deteriorating political atmosphere under Emperor Nero's rise to power and intrigue and hatred of Christians, Paul ordered Timothy to direct the adult male men of the Church to lead the congregation in prayers of all kinds that God might cause the civil authorities in particular to function in ways that would allow the Christian community to live quiet, dignified lives that they might more effectively spread the only salvation Gospel of Jesus Christ to a very spiritually lost, needy world that desperately needed it.

Application: (1) May we make the TOP priority in our Church's ministry that of our men leading the congregation in public prayer for all men, especially for civil authorities, that we believers might have peaceable, godly, dignified lives better able to spread the all-important and only salvation Gospel of Jesus Christ. (2) May we realize that the TOP mission of the Church is not for us to live a comfortable life as a goal in itself, but to disciple men for Christ.