1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; 2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; 4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. 7 Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not;) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity. 8 I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting. (1 Timothy 2:1-8 KJV)
Pray for All Men
Paul gives Timothy a charge to ensure that Christians pray for all people in general and especially for those in authority (1 Timothy 2:1-2). The gospel promotes prayer, and Christ’s followers must be people of prayer—“Pray always with all prayer” (Ephesians 6:18). We are to make supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings—supplications to avert evil, prayers to obtain good, intercessions for others, and thanksgivings for blessings already received.
Timothy was not given a fixed form of prayer, for believers have the Scriptures and the Spirit to guide them. We must pray for ourselves and for all people—the entire world and particular persons who need our prayers. Christianity is not a narrow sect but a faith that teaches love for all people, even those outside its circle.
Paul instructs, “Pray for kings and all who are in authority” (1 Timothy 2:2). Even though kings were heathens and persecutors of Christians, they must still be prayed for. Civil government is for the public good; therefore, we ought to pray for rulers, even when we suffer under them. We should pray for their welfare and that of their nations, and give thanks for the peace and benefits enjoyed under their rule. In their peace, we have peace (Jeremiah 29:7).
The goal of these prayers is that we may lead “a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.” Paul does not say we should pray to gain power or wealth, but rather for peace and the freedom to live godly lives. True godliness is the right worship of God; honesty means good conduct toward all people. Both must go together—there is no true honesty without godliness, and no true godliness without honesty (Isaiah 61:8).
Christians must be people of prayer and concern for others. We should abound in prayer and thanksgiving, not limiting them to ourselves or our families. We are to pray for all, including those in high places, for rulers face many difficulties and temptations. By praying for them, we help create the conditions for a peaceful life.
If we desire a quiet and peaceable life, we must live in godliness and integrity—doing our duty to both God and man. “He who would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil… let him seek peace and pursue it” (1 Peter 3:10-11). This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, for the gospel itself requires it (1 Timothy 2:3).
One reason we should pray for all people is that God’s love extends to all humanity. “God our Savior… wants all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:3-4). There is one God and one Mediator between God and mankind—Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 2:5). God does not desire the destruction of any (Ezekiel 33:11) but the salvation of all. Those who perish do so by their own refusal, not by God’s will (Matthew 23:37).
Salvation comes through the knowledge of the truth, for “Christ is the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). There is one Mediator who gave Himself as a ransom for all. The death of Christ was a ransom, a substitute for sinners. We deserved to die, but He died in our place, giving Himself freely so that humanity might be reconciled to God. Sin had caused enmity between God and man, but Jesus Christ, our Mediator, reconciles both—He “lays His hand upon us both” (Job 9:33).
Christ’s ransom “was to be testified in due time” (1 Timothy 2:6), foretold by the prophets and revealed in the gospel (1 Peter 1:10-11). Paul was appointed to proclaim this message to the Gentiles, to preach redemption and salvation through Jesus Christ (Mark 16:15). He was called to be a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth (Romans 11:13).
It is good and pleasing to God that we pray for kings and all people, leading lives of peace and godliness. God desires the salvation of all; the obstacle lies not in God’s will but in humanity’s unwillingness. Jesus said, “You will not come to me that you may have life” (John 5:40).
Those who are saved must come to the knowledge of the truth, for without knowledge the heart cannot be good (Proverbs 19:2). The unity of God and the unity of the Mediator stand together; thus, the claim of many mediators is as unscriptural as the claim of many gods. The true Mediator gave Himself a ransom—there is no mediator of intercession apart from Him. His atonement forms the foundation for His intercession (Hebrews 7:25).
Paul magnified his office as the apostle to the Gentiles, entrusted to declare that there is one God and one Mediator—Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all. Ministers, likewise, must preach this truth faithfully and sincerely, believing it themselves and teaching it to others in faith and truth.
Finally, Paul directs how prayer should be offered (1 Timothy 2:8). Under the gospel, prayer is not confined to one place; “men should pray everywhere,” for no place is more acceptable to God than another (John 4:21). We should pray in our closets, our homes, at our meals, during journeys, and in assemblies both public and private.
We must lift up holy hands—hands pure from sin, washed in the fountain opened for cleansing (Psalm 26:6; Zechariah 13:1). We must pray without wrath or anger, free from malice toward anyone. We must also pray in faith without doubting (James 1:6), trusting God’s promises and maintaining charity toward all.