Since each verse is a stand-alone lesson, I want
to begin this lesson of 1 Timothy 2:5 with the same
commentary from Barclay's Commentary as verse 5 is
continuing the thought began in verses 1-4.
In Barclay's Commentary for 1 Timothy 2:1-7 we read,
'Few passages in the New Testament so stress the
universality of the gospel. Prayer is to be made for
all; God is the Saviour who wants all to be saved;
Jesus gave his life a ransom for all. As Walter Lock
writes in his commentary: 'God's will to save is as
wide as his will to create.'
"The end and intent of the Scripture is to declare
that God is benevolent and friendly-minded to
mankind; that he that declared that kindness in and
through Jesus Christ, his only Son; the which
kindness is received by faith. That is why prayer
must be made for all. God wants all men and women,
and so, therefore, must his Church."
The first 8 verses of Chapter 2 are clearly speaking
to everyone getting an opportunity at Salvation and
the admonition that we should be looking at everyone
we encounter knowing they will have this opportunity
and treating them accordingly.
Now to the verse:
For there is one God -
This is a reason for offering prayer for all people,
and for the declaration 1 Timothy 2:4 that God
desires that all people should be saved. The reason
is founded in the fact that he is the common Father
of all the race, and that he must have the same
desire for the welfare of all his children, He has
made them of one blood Acts 17:26, and he must have
the same interest in the happiness of all; compare
Ephesians 4:6 note; Romans 3:30 note.
~Barnes Notes
Quoted verses:
Acts 17:26
...reference made
that God made all nations in one blood
And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to
dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath
determined the times before appointed, and the
bounds of their habitation;
Ephesians 4:6
...reference made to God
having an interest in all nations
One God and Father of all, who is above all, and
through all, and in you all.
Romans 3:30 ...I will read
verse 29 as well
Romans 3:29-30
29 Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of
the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also:
30 Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the
circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through
faith.
Commentary on Ephesians 4:6:
Ephesians 4:6
One God - The
same God; therefore there should be unity.
Were there many gods to be worshipped, there
could be no more hope of unity than there is
among the worshippers of Mammon and Bacchus,
and the various other idols that people set
up. People who have different pursuits, and
different objects of supreme affection, can
be expected to have no union. People who
worship many gods, cannot hope to be united.
Their affections are directed to different
objects, and there is no harmony or sympathy
of feeling. But where there is one supreme
object of attachment there may be expected
to be unity. The children of a family that
are devoted to a parent, will be united
among themselves; and the fact that all
Christians have the same great object of
worship, should constitute a strong bond of
union among themselves - a chain always kept
bright.
And Father of all
- The meaning here is, that God is
the common Father of “all” his people - of
the rich and the poor; the bond and the
free; the learned and the unlearned. He is
no respecter of persons. Nothing would tend
more to overcome the prejudices of color,
rank, and wealth, than to feel that we all
have one Father; and that we are all equally
the objects of his favor.
Who is above all
- Who is supreme; who presides over all
things.
And through all
- He pervades universal nature, and his
agency is seen everywhere.
And in you all
- There is no one in whose heart he does not
dwell. You are his temple, and he abides in
you; see Ephesians 2:22; notes, 1
Corinthians 6:19. The argument here is, that
as the same God dwelt in every heart, they
ought to be one. See this argument
beautifully expressed in the Saviour’s
prayer, John 17:21; compare John 14:23.
~Barnes Notes
Quoted verses:
Ephesians 2:22
...reference
made to God abiding in us
In whom ye also are builded together for an
habitation of God through the Spirit.
1 Corinthians 6:19
...reference made to God abiding in us
What? know ye not that your body is the
temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you,
which ye have of God, and ye are not your
own?
John 17:21
...Jesus' prayer about the Father being in
us
That they all may be one; as thou, Father,
art in me, and I in thee, that they also may
be one in us: that the world may believe
that thou hast sent me.
John 14:23
...Jesus'
prayer about the Father being in us
Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man
love me, he will keep my words: and my
Father will love him, and we will come unto
him, and make our abode with him.
Commentary on Romans 3:29-30
Is he the God ...
- The Jews supposed that he was the God of
their nation only, that they only were to be
admitted to his favor. In these verses Paul
showed that as all had alike sinned, Jews
and Gentiles; and as the plan of salvation
by faith was adapted to sinners, without any
special reference to Jews; so God could show
favors to all, and all might be admitted on
the same terms to the benefits of the plan
of salvation.
It is one God -
The same God, there is but one, and his plan
is equally suited to Jews and Gentiles.
The circumcision
- Those who are circumcised - the
Jews.
The uncircumcision
- Gentiles; all who were not Jews.
By faith ...through
faith - There is no difference in the
meaning of these expressions. Both denote
that faith is the instrumental cause of
justification, or acceptance with God.
~Barnes Notes
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Now back to the commentary on 1 Timothy 2:5:
The man Christ Jesus -
Jesus was truly and properly a man, having a perfect
human body and soul, and is often called a man in
the New Testament. But this does not prove that he
was not also divine - anymore than his being called
God (John 1:1; John 20:28; Romans 9:5; 1 John 5:20;
Hebrews 1:8), proves that he was not also a man. The
use of the word man here was probably designed to
intimate that though he was divine, it was in his
human nature that we are to consider him as
discharging the office. Doddridge.
~Barnes Notes
Quoted verses:
...all referring to
Jesus as man and God...
John 1:1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God.
John 20:28
And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and
my God.
Romans 9:5
Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the
flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for
ever. Amen.
1 John 5:20
And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath
given us an understanding, that we may know him that
is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his
Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal
life.
Hebrews 1:8
But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for
ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the
sceptre of thy kingdom.
Now let us look at more commentaries on 1 Timothy
2:5
There is one God - Who
is the maker, governor, and preserver of all men, of
every condition, and of every nation, and equally
wills the salvation of all.
And one mediator - The
word mediator, signifies, literally, a middle
person, one whose office it is to reconcile two
parties at enmity; and hence Suidas explains it by a
peace-maker. God was offended with the crimes of
men; to restore them to his peace, Jesus Christ was
incarnated; and being God and man, both God and men
met in and were reconciled by him. But this
reconciliation required a sacrifice on the part of
the peace-maker or mediator; hence what follows.
~Adam Clarke
Now let us look at now the Geneva Bible Translation
Notes handles this:
1 Timothy 2:5: (4) For [there is] one God, and one
mediator between God and men, the (b) man Christ
Jesus;
(4) God should not otherwise be manifested to be the
only God of all men, unless he should show his
goodness in saving all types of men. Neither should
Christ be seen to be the only mediator between God
and all types of men, by having taken upon him that
nature of man which is common to all men, unless he
had satisfied for all types of men, and made
intercession for all.
(b) Christ Jesus who was made man.
~Geneva Bible Translation
Notes
Now let us look at the John Gill commentary:
For there is one God -
This does not so much regard the unity of God, with
respect to himself, or his divine essence, though
that is a truth; but does not carry in it any
apparent and forcible reason why all men should be
prayed for, for which it is produced; but the unity
of God with respect to men, as that there is but one
God, who is the Creator of all men, and who, in a
providential way, is the Saviour of all men; and in
a way of special grace is the one God, the one
covenant God of all sorts of men, of Jews and
Gentiles; for he has taken of the latter into the
covenant of his grace, as well as the former, and
has loved them with a special and distinguishing
love, has chosen them in Christ to salvation, and
has sent his Son to redeem them; and of these he
calls by his grace, regenerates, sanctifies, adopts,
pardons, and justifies; see Romans 3:29 [quoted
above in the other commentary] and therefore all
sorts of men, Gentiles as well as Jews, are to be
prayed for.
and one Mediator between God
and men - a Mediator is of more than one, and
has to do with two parties; and these at variance
among themselves, between whom he stands as a middle
person; his business is to bring them together, and
make peace between them; and such an one is Christ:
the two parties are God and his elect, who in their
natural state are at a distance from God, and at
enmity to him, and who have broken his law, and
affronted his justice; Christ stands as a middle
person, a daysman between them, and lays his hands
upon them both; has to do with things pertaining to
the glory of God, and makes reconciliation for the
sins of the people; brings them that were afar off
nigh to God, and makes peace for them by the blood
of his cross, by fulfilling the law, and satisfying
justice for them; in consequence of this he appears
for them in the court of heaven, intercedes and
pleads for them, is their advocate, and sees that
all covenant blessings, of which he is the Mediator,
are applied unto them, and preserves their persons,
which are committed to his care and charge, safe to
everlasting happiness.
the man Christ Jesus -
not that he is a mere man, for he is truly and
properly God; or that he is a Mediator only
according to the human nature: it was proper indeed
that he should be man, that he might have something
to offer, and that he might be capable of obeying,
suffering, and dying, and so of making satisfaction
in the nature that had sinned; but then, had he not
been God, he could not have drawn nigh to God on the
behalf of men, and undertook for them, and much less
have performed; nor would his blood, righteousness,
and sacrifice, have been available to cleanse from
sin, to procure the pardon of it, justify from it,
make atonement for it, or make peace with God: the
reason why he is particularly mentioned as man, is,
with a view to the argument in hand, praying for all
men; since he who is the Mediator between God and
man, has assumed a nature which is common to them
all: and this Mediator is said to be one, not so
much in opposition to other mediators, angels or
saints departed, though it is a truth, and stands
full against them, but with respect to men; there is
but one Mediator between God and all sorts of men,
through whom both Jews and Gentiles have an access
to God, and peace with him; and therefore prayer
through this Mediator should be made for all. So the
Jews say of the Messiah, that he is a Mediator,
God", a middle person between God and men. And they
call him "the Pillar of mediation" or the middle
Pillar; that is, the Mediator or Reconciler. And
Philo the Jew speaks of the word, a "middle" person,
and standing in the middle between the dead and the
living, and between God and men. The Ethiopic
version here renders it, "there is one elect of
God"; which is one of the characters of the Messiah,
Isaiah 42:1. ~John
Gill
Let us finish now with the related scriptures to
each part of 1 Timothy 2:5 from the Treasury of
Scriptural Knowledge:
For there is one God:
Deuteronomy 6:4
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:
Isaiah 44:6
Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his
redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am
the last; and beside me there is no God.
Mark 12: 29-33
29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the
commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is
one Lord:
30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy
heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind,
and with all thy strength: this is the first
commandment.
31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt
love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other
commandment greater than these.
32 And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou
hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there
is none other but he:
33 And to love him with all the heart, and with all
the understanding, and with all the soul, and with
all the strength, and to love his neighbour as
himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and
sacrifices.
John 17:3
And this is life eternal, that they might know thee
the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast
sent.
Romans 10:12
For there is no difference between the Jew and the
Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all
that call upon him.
1 Corinthians 8:6
But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom
are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus
Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.
Galatians 3:20
Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is
one.
And one mediator between God
and men:
Hebrews 7:25
Wherefore he is able also to save them to the
uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever
liveth to make intercession for them.
Hebrews 8:6
But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry,
by how much also he is the mediator of a better
covenant, which was established upon better
promises.
Hebrews 9:15
And for this cause he is the mediator of the new
testament, that by means of death, for the
redemption of the transgressions that were under the
first testament, they which are called might receive
the promise of eternal inheritance.
Hebrews 12:24
And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and
to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better
things than that of Abel.
The Man Christ Jesus
Matthew 1:23
Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall
bring forth a son, and they shall call his name
Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
Luke 2:10-11
10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for,
behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which
shall be to all people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of
David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
John 1:14
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us,
(and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only
begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
1 Corinthians 15:45-47
45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made
a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening
spirit.
46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual,
but that which is natural; and afterward that which
is spiritual.
47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second
man is the Lord from heaven.
Philippians 2:6-8
6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not
robbery to be equal with God:
7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon
him the form of a servant, and was made in the
likeness of men:
8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled
himself, and became obedient unto death, even the
death of the cross.
Hebrews 2:9-13
9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than
the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with
glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should
taste death for every man.
10 For it became him, for whom are all things, and
by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto
glory, to make the captain of their salvation
perfect through sufferings.
11 For both he that sanctifieth and they who are
sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not
ashamed to call them brethren,
12 Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren,
in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto
thee.
13 And again, I will put my trust in him. And again,
Behold I and the children which God hath given me.
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