For All Peoples (Fifteenth Sunday After Pentecost September 18, 2022)

FOR ALL PEOPLES

Text: 1 Timothy 2:1-7

1 Timothy 2:1-7 I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— (2) for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. (3) This is good, and pleases God our Savior, (4) who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. (5) For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, (6) who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time. (7) And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying—and a true and faithful teacher of the Gentiles (NIV).

Paul knew the clock is ticking and that one day it will be his last day. For now he was still fighting the good fight (1 Timothy 6:12) and running his race (Acts 20:24) while imparting his wisdom to Timothy his spiritual son in the faith (1 Timothy 1:2). Paul knew how to number his days as God gave him the wisdom for each day (Psalm 90:12 paraphrased). His mission was his purpose and his purpose was his mission. He had been called by God to be a missionary to the Gentiles. He could not accomplish this mission without prayer and the guidance of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:13). In this second chapter of this epistle Paul shares with Timothy why petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving must be made for all people (1 Timothy 2:1). The word “all” says it all. Christ died for us all and God is not willing that anyone should perish but that “all” come to repentance (II Peter 3:9).

We all have positions where we are for God’s glory. We all have a purpose for which we appointed. We are all called to pray for all people.

POSITIONS

Don’t we all have positions in this life?

1) Positions: We all have positions don’t we? How many flaunt their rank that have power over others? Paul mentions worldly positions in the secular realm.

> We have kings and kings have kingdoms.

> Paul mentions those in authority and people in authority by God’s design are supposed to watch out after those in their care much like a shepherd watches out for the sheep. Are we always the kind of watchman God called us to be?

> Paul mentions Christians and their responsibilities to petition, pray, intercede and to give thanks for all the people ---great and small; strong and weak; filthy rich and dirt-poor, those in fellowship with the Lord and even those that are wayward because they are out of fellowship with the Lord.

2) Abusive impostors: Though governments were established by God for the good of those in their governance (Romans 13: 1 -2) they can still deviate from their position. Bad leaders can go against God’s appointment of them in abusive and dominating ideals. The Bible mentions bad leaders who were pretenders----pretending to be godly but who resisted God’s will to pursue their own will. God does not look favourably upon those false prophets who are wolves in sheep’s clothing (Matthew 7:15). How many are false leaders who pretend to care for those in their care while planning to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10)? Paul once said, “Act 20:29 I know that after I leave, fierce wolves will come among you, and they will not spare the flock” (GNB).

Was the Apostle Paul hinting at reacting to people who were biased, dishonest and ungodly in their position?

1) Dishonest scales: Proverbs 11:1 says “Dishonest scales are an abomination to the LORD, but an accurate weight is His delight”. Hosea 12:7 says “The [native] merchant uses dishonest scales and loves to defraud” (NIV). Deception, dishonesty, and fraud is the way of Satan who is the father of lies (John 8:44).

2) Inclusive concern: Although Paul does not say it specifically, he seems to stress how “all people” (the sinners and the saved) need prayer from the righteous, to the religious pretenders, from the wayward and unrighteous in character to those who are the secular and scornful because they all need our prayers.

3) Mediator: Christ: Jesus Christ is our mediator. He is both fully human and fully divine. He came to us as one of us to save us. Consider Romans 5:8-10 But God has shown us how much he loves us—it was while we were still sinners that Christ died for us! (9) By his blood we are now put right with God; how much more, then, will we be saved by him from God's anger! (10) We were God's enemies, but he made us his friends through the death of his Son. Now that we are God's friends, how much more will we be saved by Christ's life (GNB)!