Survey of the Letters of Paul:  1 Timothy 2:6

1 Timothy 2:6
Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

Since each verse is a stand-alone lesson, I want to begin this lesson of 1 Timothy 2:6 with the same commentary from Barclay's Commentary as verse 6 is continuing the thought began in verses 1-5.

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.

Who gave himself a ransom for all - This also is stated as a reason why prayer should be offered for all, and a proof that God desires the salvation of all. The argument is, that as Christ died for all, it is proper to pray for all, and that the fact that he died for all is proof that God desired the salvation of all. Whatever proof of his desire for their salvation can be derived from this in relation to any of the race, is proof in relation to all. On the meaning of the phrase “he gave himself a ransom,” see the Matthew 20:28 note; Romans 3:25 note; on the fact that it was for “all,”.

Let us look at the commentary for Matthew 20:28
 

Now back into the Barnes Notes for the second half of the verse:

To be testified in due time - Margin, “a testimony.” The Greek is, “the testimony in its own times,” or in proper times. There have been very different explanations of this phrase. The common interpretation, and that which seems to me to be correct, is, that “the testimony of this will be furnished in the proper time; that is, in the proper time it shall be made known through all the world;” see Rosenmuller. Paul affirms it as a great and important truth that Christ gave himself a ransom for all mankind - for Jews and Gentiles; for all classes and conditions of people alike. This truth had not always been understood. The Jews had supposed that salvation was designed exclusively for their nation, and denied that it could be extended to others, unless they became Jews. According to them, salvation was not provided for, or offered to pagans as such, but only on condition that they became Jews. In opposition to this, Paul says that it was a doctrine of revelation that redemption was to be provided for all people, and that it was intended that the testimony to this should be afforded at the proper time. It was not fully made known under the ancient dispensation, but now the period had come when it should be communicated to all. ~Barnes Notes

Let us now continue in other commentaries on today's verse:

Who gave himself a ransom - The word λυτρον signifies a ransom paid for the redemption of a captive; and, the word used here, and applied to the death of Christ, signifies that ransom which consists in the exchange of one person for another, or the redemption of life by life; or, as Schleusner has expressed it in his translation of these words,  “He who by his death has redeemed all from the power and punishment of vice, from the slavery and misery of sinners.” As God is the God and father of all, (for there is but one God, 1 Timothy 2:5), and Jesus Christ the mediator of all, so he gave himself a ransom for all; i.e., for all that God made, consequently for every human soul; unless we could suppose that there are human souls of which God is not the Creator; for the argument of the apostle is plainly this:

1. There is one God;
2. This God is the Creator of all;
3. He has made a revelation of his kindness to all;
4. He will have all men to be saved, and come unto the knowledge of the truth; and
5.He has provided a mediator for all, who has given himself a ransom for all. As surely as God has created all men, so surely has Jesus Christ died for all men. This is a truth which the nature and revelation of God unequivocally proclaim.

To be testified in due time - The original words, are not very clear, and have been understood variously. The most authentic copies of the printed Vulgate have simply, Testimonium temporibus suis; which Calmet translates: “Thus rendering testimony at the appointed time.” Dr. Macknight thus: Of which the testimony is in its proper season. Wakefield thus: “That testimony reserved to its proper time” Rosenmullen: “This is the doctrine which is reserved for its own times;” that is, adds he, “the doctrine which in its own time shall be delivered to all the inhabitants of the earth.” Here he translates, doctrine; and contends that this, not testimony, is its meaning, not only in this passage, but in 1 Corinthians 1:6; 1 Corinthians2:1, etc. Instead of testimony, one MS., [Cod. Kk., vi. 4, in the public library, Cambridge], has, mystery; but this is not acknowledged by any other MS., nor by any version. In D*FG the whole clause is read thus: The testimony of which was given in its own times. This is nearly the reading which was adopted in the first printed copies of the Vulgate. One of them now before me reads the passage thus: “The testimony of which is confirmed in its own times.” This appears to be the apostle’s meaning: Christ gave himself a ransom for all. This, in the times which seemed best to the Divine wisdom, was to be testified to every nation, and people, and tongue. The apostles had begun this testimony; and, in the course of the Divine economy, it has ever since been gradually promulgated; and at present runs with a more rapid course than ever. ~Adam Clarke

Quoted Verses:
1 Corinthians 1:6
Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you.

1 Corinthians 2:1
And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.

Now from the John Gill [edited by me]:

Who gave himself a ransom for all - What the Mediator gave as a ransom for men is "himself", his body and his soul, which were both made an offering for sin; and his life, which is the result of union between soul and body; his whole human nature as in union with his divine person, and so might be truly said to be himself: this he gave into the hands of men, of justice and of death; and that voluntarily, which shows his great love to his people; and also as a "ransom", or a ransom price for them, in their room and stead; to ransom them from the slavery of sin, and damnation by it, from the captivity of Satan, and the bondage of the law, and from the grave, death, hell, ruin, and destruction [second death]: and this ransom was given for "all".

It intends that Christ gave himself a ransom for all sorts of men, for men of every rank and quality, of every state and condition, of every age and sex, and for all sorts of sinners, and for some out of every kindred, tongue, people, and nation, for both Jews and Gentiles; which latter may more especially be designed by all, as they are sometimes by the world, and the whole world; and so contains another argument why all sorts of men are to be prayed for, since the same ransom price is given for them; as that for the children of Israel was the same, for the rich as for the poor.  ~John Gill

Now from the Jamieson, Fausset and Brown

gave himself — (Titus 2:14). Not only the Father gave Him for us (John 3:16); but the Son gave Himself (Philippians 2:5-8).

Quoted verses:

Titus 2:14
Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Philippians 2:5-8
5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
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.

ransom — properly of a captive slave. Man was the captive slave of Satan, sold under sin. He was unable to ransom himself, because absolute obedience is due to God, and therefore no act of ours can satisfy for the least offense. Leviticus 25:48 allowed one sold captive to be redeemed by one of his brethren. The Son of God, therefore, became man in order that, being made like unto us in all things, sin only excepted, as our elder brother He should redeem us (Matthew 20:28; Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 1:18, 1 Peter 1:19). The Greek implies not merely ransom, but a substituted or equivalent ransom: the Greek preposition, “anti,” implying reciprocity and vicarious substitution.

Quoted verses:
Leviticus 25:48
After that he is sold he may be redeemed again; one of his brethren may redeem him:

Matthew 20:28 [discussed above]
Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

Ephesians 1:7
In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

1 Peter 1:18-19
18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

for all — Greek, “in behalf of all”: not merely for a privileged few; compare 1 Timothy 2:1 : the argument for praying in behalf of all is given here.

Quoted verse:
1 Timothy 2:1
I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;

to be testified — Greek, “the testimony in its own due times,” or seasons, that is, in the times appointed by God for its being testified of (1Timothy 6:15; Titus 1:3). The oneness of the Mediator, involving the universality of redemption (which faith, however, alone appropriates), was the great subject of Christian testimony [Alford] (1 Corinthians 1:6; 1 Corinthians 2:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:10).

Quoted verses:
1 Timothy 6:15
Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords.

Titus 1:3
But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour.

1 Corinthians 1:6
Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you:

1 Corinthians 2:1
And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.

2 Thessalonians 1:10
When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day. ~Jamieson, Fausset and Brown

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