( 1 Timothy 2:1 -15 )
1 Timothy 2:1 -7 – The Universality of the Gospel
PRAYER is to be made for all men; God is the Savior who wishes all men to be save; Jesus gave His life a ransom for all.
Through Christ God was
reconciling the world unto Himself (2 Corinthians
It was Jesus’ confidence that,
if He was lifted up on His Cross, soon or late He would draw all men unto Him
(John
In Prayer: v. 2-
(1) Request (deesis) – a sense of need. That sense of human weakness is the basis of all human approach to God.
(2) Prayer (proseuche) - used of anything else but approach to God. There are certain needs which can only be brought to God.
(3) Petition (enteuxis) –It tells us that the way to God stands open to us; that we have the right to bring our petitions to one who is God.
(4) Thanksgiving (eucharistia) – Thanksgiving is the integral (essential) part of prayer. Prayer does not mean only asking God for things; prayer also means thanking God for things.
We have the right to bring our needs and our desires and our requests to God; but we have also the duty of bringing our thanksgivings continually to Him.
1 Timothy 2:8-15 – Barriers to Prayer
(1) He who prays must stretch forth and hold up holy hands. He must hold up to God hands which do not touch or handle the forbidden things.
(2) He who prays must no anger in his heart. Matthew
5:23,24;
(3) He who prays must have no doubts in his mind. This phrase meant 2 things.
The word which is used: “dialogismos” can mean both an argument, and a doubt. If we took it in the sense of argument, it would simply restate the fact that bitterness, and quarrels, and angry arguments, and venomous debates are a hindrance to prayer.
It is better to take it in the sense of doubt, Before prayer is answered there must be belief that God will answer. If a man prays hopelessly and pessimistically, if he prays with no real belief that prayer is any use, then his prayer falls wingless to the ground. We must take our prayers to God in the complete confidence that God is the God who hears and who answers prayer.
Women in the Church
This is a passage which cannot be read out of its historical context
(1) It is written against a Jewish background.
We must remember that it was out of a Jewish background like that the Church arose.
(2) It is written against a Greek background.
There is much on the other
side: Mary of Nazareth, Mary of Magdala, the 4
women who of all the disciples stood by the Cross. Priscilla (Acts