1 Timothy 2
1 I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. 2 Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. 3 This is good and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. 5 For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. 6 He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time. 7 And I have been chosen as a preacher and apostle to teach the Gentiles this message about faith and truth. I’m not exaggerating—just telling the truth.
Wow! What a passage of Scripture! Yeah, this is one of those passages that gets broken up as proof texts for this or that, but look at the whole thing in context. Paul tells Timothy that as a follower of Christ he should: 1)pray for all people, interceding on their behalf, 2)pray for those in positions of governmental authority so as to be able to live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness, 3)remember that God wants EVERYONE to be saved and to understand the truth, 4)remember that Jesus is the ONLY mediator between God and man, and that 5)Paul is a preacher of this Truth. If I am to follow Christ, I must remember these things every day and put them into practice...something I need to do a better job of for sure!
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