1 Timothy 2:1-8

Prayer for All People

2:1 First of all, then, I urge that requests, ¹  prayers, intercessions, and thanks be offered on behalf of all people, ²  2:2 even for kings ³  and all who are in authority, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. 2:3 Such prayer for all ⁴  is good and welcomed before God our Savior, 2:4 since he wants ⁵  all people ⁶  to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 2:5 For there is one God and one intermediary ⁷  between God and humanity, Christ Jesus, himself human, ⁸  2:6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, revealing God’s purpose at his appointed time. ⁹  2:7 For this I was appointed a preacher and apostle – I am telling the truth; ¹⁰  I am not lying – and a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. 2:8 So I want the men ¹¹  to pray ¹²  in every place, lifting up holy hands ¹³  without anger or dispute.

[2:1]  ¹ tn Or “petitions.”

[2:1]  ² tn Grk “all men”; but here ἀνθρώπων (anqrwpwn) is used generically, referring to both men and women.

[2:2]  ³ tn For “even for kings” the Greek says simply “for kings.”

[2:3]  ⁴ tn Grk “this”; the referent (such prayer for all, referring to vv. 1-2) is specified in the translation for clarity.

[2:4]  ⁵ tn Grk “who wants…” (but showing why such prayer is pleasing to God).

[2:4]  ⁶ tn Grk “all men”; but here ἀνθρώπους (anqrwpous) is used generically, referring to both men and women.

[2:5]  ⁷ tn Traditionally this word (μεσίτης, mesith") is rendered “mediator,” but this conveys a wrong impression in contemporary English. Jesus was not a mediator, for example, who worked for compromise between opposing parties. Instead he was the only one able to go between man and God to enable them to have a relationship, but entirely on God’s terms.

[2:5]  ⁸ tn Grk “one mediator between God and mankind, the human, Christ Jesus.”

[2:6]  ⁹ sn Revealing God’s purpose at his appointed time is a difficult expression without clear connection to the preceding, literally “a testimony at the proper time.” This may allude to testimony about Christ’s atoning work given by Paul and others (as v. 7 mentions). But it seems more likely to identify Christ’s death itself as a testimony to God’s gracious character (as vv. 3-4 describe). This testimony was planned from all eternity, but now has come to light at the time God intended, in the work of Christ. See 2 Tim 1:9-10; Titus 2:11-14; 3:4-7 for similar ideas.

[2:7]  ¹⁰ tc Most mss (א* D² H 33^vid Ï) have ἐν Χριστῷ (en Cristw) after λέγω (legw) to read “I am telling the truth in Christ,” but this is probably an assimilation to Rom 9:1. Further, the witnesses that lack this phrase are early, important, and well distributed (א² A D* F G P Ψ 6 81 1175 1739 1881 al sy co). It is difficult to explain the shorter reading if it is not original.

[2:8]  ¹¹ tn The word translated “men” here (ἀνήρ, anhr) refers to adult males, not people in general. Note the command given to “the women” in v. 9.

[2:8]  ¹² sn To pray. In this verse Paul resumes and concludes the section about prayer begun in 2:1-2. 1 Tim 2:3-7 described God’s concern for all people as the motive for such prayer.

[2:8]  ¹³ sn Paul uses a common ancient posture in prayer (lifting up holy hands) as a figure of speech for offering requests from a holy life (without anger or dispute).