Evangelistic Praying (2:1-8)

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First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, in order that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony borne at the proper time. And for this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying) as a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and dissension. (2:1-8)

Some years ago I read a book on prayer written by a respected Christian author. In that book he argued that nothing in the Word of God calls us to pray for the lost. He maintained that the only prayer commanded regarding evangelism was that of Matthew 9:37-38: “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.” His thesis was that we do not pray for the salvation of the lost, but rather for laborers to reach them.

Such a view reveals a tragic disregard for the clear commandments of Scripture. Here Paul calls for evangelistic praying first of all, setting this sort of prayer high on the list of priorities in his instructions to Timothy. Fervent evangelistic prayer is not only our spiritual duty, but is also an exercise of spiritual commitment that takes much time and energy. As such it is rather easily set aside. Charles Spurgeon warned,

What Christian does not pray for the salvation of friends and loved ones who do not know the Lord? The issue in this passage, however, is broader than praying for those close to us. It calls us to prayer for the lost in general; on behalf of all men. It raises the issue of whether God answers such prayers, and what part they play in God’s salvation purpose.

The Bible gives several examples of prayer for those outside salvation. In Numbers 14:19 Moses prayed, “Pardon, I pray, the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of Thy lovingkindness, just as Thou also hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.” He cried out to God for the forgiveness of the sinning Israelites.

Samuel the prophet also prayed for Israel’s salvation. In 1 Samuel 7:3-5 we read,

Later in 1 Samuel, after rebuking them for their sin in demanding a king, he said “Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you; but I will instruct you in the good and right way” (1 Sam. 12:23).

The book of Jeremiah gives an interesting insight into Jeremiah’s prayer life. In Jeremiah 7:12-16 we read of God’s judgment on Israel’s sin, and His instructions for Jeremiah to stop praying for the salvation of the people:

Jeremiah had habitually interceded for his people, and only the command of the Lord could stop him (cf. Jer. 14:10-11).

Daniel prayed for God’s forgiveness of his people:

The New Testament relates the testimony of Stephen. While being stoned to death, he prayed what amounted to a prayer for his executioners’ salvation: “And they went on stoning Stephen as he called upon the Lord and said, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!’ And falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them!’ And having said this, he fell asleep” (Acts 7:59-60).

Paul had a deep desire for the salvation of his fellow Israelites. He expressed that desire in Romans 9:1-4:

That deep concern could not help but find expression in his prayer life: “Brethren, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation” (Rom. 10:1).

The Bible, then, clearly expresses the appropriateness and propriety of praying for the lost. In addition to the examples noted above, evangelistic praying is the express teaching of 1 Timothy 2:1-8. These verses are polemical in nature; they confront a problem in the Ephesian church. Since Paul here commands prayer for the lost, we conclude that such praying had slipped from the priority it should have been at Ephesus. There were two strands of false teaching prevalent there that would account for such neglect.

First, 1:7-11 shows there was a Judaizing element at Ephesus. The Judaizers were claiming that salvation was solely for law-keeping Jews or Gentile proselytes who kept the Mosaic ceremonies. The classic example of similar narrowmindedness is Jonah. His flight was not motivated by fear of the Ninevites; he fled because he did not want salvation blessings extended to the Gentiles (cf. Jonah 4:1-11). Such exclusivism would obviously severely restrict evangelistic praying.

Second, a form of intellectual religious elitism, later called Gnosticism, was being taught at Ephesus. Its proponents argued that salvation was only for the elite, who were able to ascend to the high levels of mystical secret knowledge. They, too, would have no motive to pray for the lost.

A common theme in both those heretical teachings was the denial of the universality of the gospel. Paul counters that teaching by showing the need to pray for all men, since the scope of the gospel call is universal. The goal of the church, like Israel before it, is to reach the world with the saving truth of God. Israel failed to be the faithful nation by which God could reach the world, and the responsibility has been passed to the church. (Romans 11: 1ff. explains that Israel’s failure is not the end. The Jews will again be restored to faithfulness and used as an evangel to the world.) Paul writes out of concern that the exclusivity that caused Israel to fail in her mission not cripple the church. History shows that the church has, in fact, become content with itself and often neglectful of sinners.

Paul had left Timothy in Ephesus to set the church there in order. After his introductory remarks in chapter 1, Paul outlined the specific duties Timothy needed to fulfill. First of all, the church must understand the importance of its evangelistic mission and the role of prayer in fulfilling it. That Paul uses urge instead of “command” shows that he speaks from the passion of his heart. Then links this passage with 1:18. The first step in Timothy’s carrying out Paul’s charge to him was to deal with the anti-evangelistic exclusivism in the Ephesian assembly.

That Paul begins his teachings on church order with this topic sheds light on the primary focus for the church. If the primary aim of the church were fellowship, knowledge of the Word, or the holiness of the saints, all those goals could perfectly be accomplished by taking us to heaven. The central function of the church on earth is to reach the lost. Paul knew that the Ephesians would never do that as long as they maintained their selfish exclusivism. To carry out their mission in the world they must be made to understand the breadth of the gospel call. And the first feature in understanding that is to come to grips with evangelistic praying. To assist them to do that, Paul gives five elements of evangelistic prayer: its nature, scope, benefit, reasons, and attitude.

THE NATURE OF EVANGELISTIC PRAYER

First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings,(2:1a)

While the first three terms Paul uses are virtually synonymous, there are some subtle shades of meaning that enrich our concept of prayer. Entreaties is from de ēsis, the root meaning of which is “to lack,” “to be deprived,” or “to be without something.” This kind of prayer arises from the sense of need. Knowing what is lacking, we plead with God to supply it. As we look out on the masses of lost humanity, the enormity of the need should drive us to our knees in evangelistic prayer.

The seventeenth-century English Puritan Richard Baxter wrote,

Proseuch ē (prayers) is a general word for prayer. Unlike entreaties, in Scripture it is used only in reference to God. It thus carries with it a unique element of worship and reverence. Prayer for the lost is ultimately directed at God as an act of worship, because the salvation of sinners causes them to give glory to Him. In 2 Corinthians 4:15, Paul reveals that all his efforts at reaching the ungodly were to spread saving grace to more and more people so they could give thanks to God, which would abound to His glory.

Enteuxis (petitions) appears only here and in 4:5 in the New Testament. It comes from a root word meaning “to fall in with someone,” or get involved with them. The verb from which enteuxis derives is used to speak of both Christ’s and the Spirit’s intercession for us (Rom. 8:26; Heb. 7:25). They identify with our needs, and become involved in our struggles. Enteuxis, then, is a word not only of advocacy, but also of empathy, sympathy, compassion, and involvement. Evangelistic prayer is not cold, detached, or impersonal, like a public defender assigned to represent a defendant. Understanding the depths of their misery and pain, and their coming doom, we cry to God for the salvation of sinners.

Thanksgivings are a fourth element in evangelistic prayers. They call for us to pray with a spirit of gratitude to God that the gospel offer has been extended, that we have the privilege of reaching the lost with that gospel, and that some respond with faith and repentance. Thanksgiving is the only element of prayer that will continue forever.

These four nuances enrich our prayers as we pray effectively for the lost. If they are missing, we need to examine our hearts. Do we fully realize the desperate condition the lost are in? Do we really want to see God glorified by the salvation of souls? Do we sympathize with the compelling reality of their lostness, both for time and eternity? Are we thankful the gospel message is extended to all and for our privilege of sharing it? If those components are lacking in our hearts we will be indifferent. If we are indifferent, it is because we are not obedient to these urgings.

THE SCOPE OF EVANGELISTIC PRAYER

be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority (2:1 b-2a)

Our prayers are all too often narrowly confined to personal needs and wants and rarely extend beyond those of our immediate circle of friends and family. In sharp contrast, however, Paul calls for evangelistic prayer on behalf of all men. There is no place for selfishness or exclusivity. We are not to try to limit either the gospel call or our evangelistic prayers to the elect only. After all, we have no means of knowing who are elect until they respond to the gospel call. Moreover, we are told that God desires all to be saved (2:4). He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather delights when sinners turn from their evil ways and live (Ezek. 33:11). So prayer for the salvation of the lost is perfectly consistent with the heart of God. He has commanded all men to repent (Acts 17:30). We must pray that they will do so and embrace the salvation offered to all (Titus 2:11).

Preaching to unbelieving Jews, Peter said in Acts 3:26, “For you first, God raised up His Servant, and sent Him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways” (emphasis added). God’s purpose in raising up Jesus was to declare that everyone should turn from his or her sins. There was no exclusivism; no one was left out. The gospel call was not restricted to the elect alone. Many are called who are not chosen (Matt. 22:14).

Out of the universal group of all men, Paul specifically singles out some who might otherwise be neglected in evangelistic prayer, kings and all who are in authority. Because ancient (and modern) rulers are so often tyrannical, and even disrespectful of the Lord and His people, they are targets of bitterness and animosity. They are also remote, not part of the everyday lives of believers. Hence there is a tendency to be indifferent toward them.

Such neglect is a serious sin because of the authority and responsibility leaders have. The injunction here calls for the Ephesian assembly to pray for the emperor, who at that time was the cruel and vicious blasphemer, Nero. Although he was a vile, debauched persecutor of the faith, they were still to pray for his redemption. The request for kings and all who are in authority is not limited to just a petition that they would be wise and just, but that they would repent of their sins and believe the gospel for the sake of their eternal souls.

Paul does not command us to pray for the removal from office of evil rulers, or those with whom we disagree politically. Believers are to be loyal and submissive to their government (Rom. 13:1-5; 1 Peter 2:17). If the church today took the time and energy it spends on political maneuvering and lobbying and poured them into intercessory prayer, we might see a profound impact on our nation. We have all too often forgotten that “the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses” (2 Cor. 10:4). The key to changing a nation is the salvation of sinners, and that calls for faithful prayer.

While the contemporary church may have forgotten that lesson, the early church knew it well. The late second-and early third-century theologian Tertullian wrote,

With that sentiment the second-century apologist Theophilus of Antioch agreed:

From those examples we learn that the ancient church, often in the worst eras of persecution, prayed for Christless rulers. If we would influence our society the way earlier Christians did theirs, we must follow their example.

THE BENEFIT OF EVANGELISTIC PRAYER

in order that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. (2:2b)

Prayer for those in authority will create societal conditions favorable for the church’s evangelistic efforts. First of all, when believers are committed to praying for all their leaders it removes any thought of rebellion or resistance against them. It makes the people of Christ into peacemakers, not reactionaries. As Paul wrote to Titus,

There Paul again calls the believers to tranquillity and submissiveness to the pagan or apostate governments over them. He urges us to be subject, eager to do good, never to slander or contend, to be meek and considerate, because we understand that they are sinners like we used to be, incapable of righteousness.

Also, when the church prays unceasingly for the lost, especially their troublesome leaders, people begin to see the church as virtuous, peaceloving, compassionate, and transcendent. Seeing that the church seeks their welfare, they will realize that it poses no threat to society, but is a welcome friend. And as more and more come to saving faith, through the prayers of Christians, the favorable conditions for the church could increase.

The church that is obedient to this mandate will lead a tranquil and quiet life. Eremos (tranquil) and h ēsuchios (quiet) are rare adjectives. The former, appearing only here in the New Testament, refers to the absence of outside disturbances. The latter, appearing only here and in 1 Peter 3:4, refers to the absence of internal disturbances. When the church manifests its love and goodness toward all and pours itself into compassionate, concerned prayer for the lost, it will lessen the hostility that may exist and the saints may enjoy freedom from both internal and external disturbances. The church, while uncompromising in commitment to the truth, is not to be the agitator and disrupter of the national life. That is the clear teaching of Scripture. If we are persecuted, it must be for Christ’s sake, for the sake of righteous living (cf. 1 Peter 2:13-23).

In 1 Thessalonians 4:11, Paul commanded the Thessalonian believers “to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands.” Christians are to be known for their quiet demeanor, not for making disturbances. Unbelievers should see us as quiet, loyal, diligent, virtuous people. In his second letter to the Thessalonians, Paul repeated that command: “For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies. Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to work in quiet fashion and eat their own bread” (2 Thess. 3:11-12). Although we may hate the evil world system that is the enemy of God, we are not to see those in it as our personal enemies. They are captives of the real enemy (cf. 2 Tim. 2:24-26). They are not our enemies, they are our mission field.

To promote a tranquil and quiet life, believers must pursue godliness and dignity. Godliness translates eusebeia, a common word in the Pastoral Epistles (cf. 3:16; 4:7, 8; 6:3, 5, 6, 11; 2 Tim. 3:5; Titus 1:1). It carries the idea of reverence toward God. Believers should live for the majesty, holiness, love, and glory of God.

Semnot ēs (dignity) is used only here, in 3:4, and Titus 2:7. It could be translated “moral earnestness.” Godliness can refer to a proper attitude; dignity to proper behavior. Thus believers are to be marked by a commitment to morality; holy motives must result in holy behavior. Both contribute to the tranquillity and quietness of our lives.

That is not to say, however, that the Christian life will be free of problems. “Indeed,” Paul writes in 2 Timothy 3:12, “all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” As noted in chapter 4 of this volume, the Christian life is a war against Satan and the forces of evil. Paul himself was beaten and imprisoned for his faith. His point in this passage, however, is that if we incur animosity and suffer persecution, it is to be for our godly attitude and behavior. We must not provoke those responses by being a disruptive force in society.

It is true that James 1:2-12 teaches that trials bring about spiritual maturity. Even if He chooses as part of those trials to bring persecution into our lives, it must be for Christ’s sake, and because of our faithfulness to the Word of God (cf. Acts 5:27-29. When persecution comes, our attitude must be that of our Lord (Luke 23:34), or Stephen (Acts 7:60), who prayed for those taking their lives. As our Lord summed it up in Matthew 5:43-44, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you.”

Why? “In order that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (v. 45). Goodness and mercy to one’s enemies reflect the heart of God. And that truth goes to the heart of Paul’s message in 1 Timothy 2.

THE REASON FOR EVANGELISTIC PRAYER

This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony borne at the proper time. And for this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying) as a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. (2:3-7)

This powerful and dramatic passage answers the question “Why pray for the lost?” It is one of the most definitive statements in all of Scripture of the saving purpose of God. It contains several reasons for evangelistic prayer.

EVANGELISTIC PRAYER IS MORALLY RIGHT

This points back to the commandment to pray for the lost in verses 1-2. Kalon (good) refers to what is intrinsically, morally good. God defines prayer for the lost as the noble and spiritually proper thing to do, and our consciences agree. The lost suffer the agony of sin, shame, and meaninglessness in this life, and the eternal hell of unrelenting agony in the life to come. Knowing that, it is the most excellent task to pray for their salvation.

Some might argue that Jesus said in John 17:9, “I do not ask on behalf of the world.” But there Christ was praying as Great High Priest for God’s elect. Because He is sovereign, omniscient Deity, His prayer was specific in a way ours cannot be. It was a prayer exclusively for the salvation of those whom He loved and chose before the foundation of the world to be partakers of every spiritual blessing (Eph. 1:3-4). “The world” was specifically excluded from the saving design of this prayer.

Our prayers, however, are not the prayers of a high priest; we pray as ambassadors of Christ, whose task it is to beseech men and women on His behalf to be reconciled to God (2 Cor. 5:20). We are therefore commanded to offer our entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings … on behalf of all men. Our earnest desire ought to be for the salvation of all sinners (cf. Rom. 9:3; 10:1). We are not to try to limit evangelism to the elect only.

There are two reasons for this. First, God’s decree of election is secret. We do not know who the elect are and have no way of knowing until they respond to the gospel. Second, the scope of God’s evangelistic purposes is broader than election. “Many are called, but few are chosen” (Matt. 22:14). Even Jesus’ high priestly prayer does embrace the world in this important regard. Our Lord prayed for unity among the elect so that the truth of the gospel would be made clear to the world: “that the world may believe that Thou didst send Me…that the world may know that Thou didst send Me” (John 17:21, 23). God’s call to all sinners is a bona fide and sincere invitation to salvation: “‘As I live!’ declares the Lord God, ‘I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways! Why then will you die, O house of Israel?’” (Ezek. 33:11).

EVANGELISTIC PRAYER IS CONSISTENT WITH GOD’S DESIRE

Obviously, in some inscrutable sense, God’s desire for the world’s salvation is different from His eternal saving purpose. We can understand this to some degree from a human perspective; after all, our purposes frequently differ from our desires. We may desire, for example, to spend a day at leisure, yet a higher purpose compels us to go to work instead. Similarly, God’s saving purposes transcend His desires. (There is a crucial difference, of course: We might be compelled by circumstances beyond our control to choose what we do not desire. But God’s choices are determined by nothing other than His own sovereign, eternal purpose).

God genuinely desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. Yet in “the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Eph. 3:11), He chose only the elect “out of the world” (John 17:6), and passed over the rest, leaving them to the damning consequences of their sin (cf. Rom. 1:18-32). The culpability for their damnation rests entirely on them because of their sin and rejection of God. God is not to blame for their unbelief.

Since God desires all men to be saved, we are not required to ascertain that a person is elect before praying for that person’s salvation. God alone knows who all the elect are (2 Tim. 2:19). We may pray on behalf of all men with full assurance that such prayers are good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior. After all, “the Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger and great in lovingkindness. The Lord is good to all, and His mercies are over all His works” (Ps. 145:8-9).

Apodektos (acceptable), is from apodechomai, which means “to receive gladly,” “to accept with satisfaction,” or “to heartily welcome.” The Lord eagerly accepts prayer for the lost because it is consistent with His desire for their salvation.

Such prayer is also consistent with His nature as Savior. The phrase God our Savior appears five other times in the Pastoral Epistles (1:1; 4:10; Titus 1:3; 2:10; 3:4), as well as in Jude 25. God is not only creator, sustainer, king, and judge, but also savior. His saving character is manifested through His Son, Jesus Christ (2:5-6; 2 Tim. 1:10; Titus 1:4; 2:13; 3:6). God is the “Savior of all men” in a temporal sense, but “especially of believers” in an eternal sense (1 Tim. 4:10b).

That truth of God’s saving nature is also taught in the Old Testament (cf. 2 Sam. 22:3; Ps. 106:21; Isa. 43:3, 11). The idea that the God of the Old Testament is a vengeful, wrathful ogre mollified by the gentle, loving, New Testament Christ is not at all accurate.

When God desires all men to be saved, He is being consistent with who He is. In Isaiah 45:22 God said, “Turn to Me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth.” Isaiah 55:1 invites “every one who thirsts” to “come to the waters” of salvation. Again, in Ezekiel 18:23, 32 God states very clearly that He does not desire that the wicked should perish, but that they would sincerely repent (cf. Ezek. 33:11). In the New Testament, Peter writes, “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

No true biblical theology can teach that God takes pleasure in the damnation of the wicked. Yet though it does not please Him, God will receive glory even in the damnation of unbelievers (cf. Rom. 9:22-23). How His electing grace and predestined purpose can stand beside His love for the world and desire that the gospel be preached to all people, still holding them responsible for their own rejection and condemnation, is a mystery of the divine mind. The Scriptures teach God’s love for the world, His displeasure in judging sinners, His desire for all to hear the gospel and be saved. They also teach that every sinner is incapable yet responsible to believe and will be damned if he does not. Crowning the Scripture’s teaching on this matter is the great truth that God has elected who will believe and saved them before the world began. What mystery!

To come to the knowledge of the truth is to be saved. Epign ōsis (knowledge) is used three other times in the Pastoral Epistles (2 Tim. 2:25; 3:7; Titus 1:1). In all four occurrences, it refers to the true knowledge that brings about salvation. Far from desiring their damnation, God desires the lost to come to a saving knowledge of the truth.

Some have argued that this passage teaches universalism. If God desires the salvation of all men, they argue, then all will be saved, or God won’t get what He wants. Others argue that what God wills comes to pass, because all men means all classes of men, not every individual. Neither of those positions is necessary, however. We must distinguish between God’s will of decree (His eternal purpose), and His will expressed as desire. Desire is not from boulomai, which would be more likely to express God’s will of decree, but from thel ō, which can refer to God’s will of desire. This is precisely the distinction theologians often make between God’s secret will and His revealed will.

God desires many things that He does not decree. It was never God’s desire that sin exist, yet the undeniable existence of sin proves that even sin fulfills His eternal purposes (Isa. 46:10)—though in no sense is He the author of sin (James 1:13).

Jesus lamented over Jerusalem, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling” (Matt. 23:37). John Murray and Ned B. Stonehouse wrote, “We have found that God himself expresses an ardent desire for the fulfillment of certain things which he has not decreed in his inscrutable counsel to come to pass” (The Free Offer of the Gospel [Phillipsburg, N.J.: Presb. & Ref., 1979], 26). God desires all men to be saved. It is their willful rejection of Him that sends them to hell. The biblical truths of election and predestination do not cancel man’s moral responsibility.

EVANGELISTIC PRAYER REFLECTS THE UNIQUENESS OF GOD

One of the most fundamental teachings of Scripture is that there is one God (cf. Deut. 4:35, 39; 6:4; Isa. 43:10; 44:6; 45:5-6, 21-22; 46:9; 1 Cor. 8:4, 6). That runs counter to the pluralistic religiosity of our world, which rejects the concept of any exclusive religious truth. We are taught by the spirit of our age that the gods of the Christians, Jews, Moslems, Buddhists, and Hindus are to be charitably considered equally valid. If that were true, there would be many ways of salvation, and hence no need for evangelism. But since there is only one true God, then He is the One in whom all must believe to be saved. There is no other name under heaven by which sinners may be saved (Acts 4:12). Evangelistic prayer recognizes that all must come to the one true God.

EVANGELISTIC PRAYER IS CONSISTENT WITH THE PERSON OF CHRIST

Not only is there only one God, but one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. Mesit ēs (mediator) refers to one who intervenes between two individuals to restore peace, or ratify a covenant. The concept of a mediator is seen in Job’s lament, “There is no umpire between us, who may lay his hand upon us both” (Job 9:33). Because Christ is the only mediator, all must come to God through Him (Acts 4:12). There isn’t an endless series of aeons, or sub-gods, as the Gnostics taught. We do not approach God through the intercession of angels, saints, or Mary. Only through the man Christ Jesus can men draw near to God. The absence of the article before anthr ōpos (man) suggests the translation, “Christ Jesus, Himself man.” As the perfect God-man, he brings God and man together. Hebrews 8:6 calls Him “the mediator of a better covenant,” while Hebrews 9:15 and 12:24 describe Him as the mediator of the new covenant. All men who come to God must come through Him.

EVANGELISTIC PRAYER REFLECTS THE FULLNESS OF CHRIST’S ATONEMENT

Our Lord freely gave His life when He died for our sins. In John 10:17-18 He said,

He voluntarily went to the cross and gave all of Himself, not merely something He possessed.

Ransom is a rich theological term, describing Christ’s substitutionary death for us. It is not the simple word for ransom,lutron, but antilutron, the added preposition intensifying the meaning. Christ did not merely pay a ransom to free us; He became the victim in our place. He died our death, and bore our sin. He gave Himself.

The phrase gave Himself as a ransom for all is a comment on the sufficiency of the atonement, not its design. To apply a well-known epigram, the ransom paid by Christ to God for the satisfaction of His justice is sufficient for all, but efficacious for the elect only. Christ’s atonement is therefore unlimited as to its sufficiency, but limited as to its application.

Real benefits accrue for all because of Christ’s all-sufficient atoning work. The gospel may be preached indiscriminately to all (Mark 16:15); the water of life and the offer of divine mercy are extended freely to all (Rev. 22:17); Christ is set forth as Savior for all to embrace (1 Tim. 4:10; 1 John 4:14). Moreover, in a temporal sense, the entire race was spared from immediate destruction and judgment when Adam sinned (a privilege not afforded to the angels who fell—Heb. 2:16), and individual sinners experience delay in God’s judgment on their sins. Nineteenth-century theologian William G. T. Shedd wrote,

That does not mean that all will be saved. Again, “many are called, but few are chosen” (Matt. 22:14). Christ’s death was sufficient to cover the sins of all people, but it is applied to the elect alone. The price paid was infinite. If billions more had been added to the number of the elect, Christ would not have been required to suffer one more stroke of divine wrath to pay the price for their sin. On the other hand, “had there been but one sinner, Seth, elected of God, this whole divine sacrifice would have been needed to expiate His guilt” (R. L. Dabney, The Five Points of Calvinism [reprint; Harrisonburg, Va.: Sprinkle, 1992], 61).

So the infinite price our Savior paid was certainly sufficient for all. “Christ’s expiation … is a divine act. It is indivisible, inexhaustible, sufficient in itself to cover the guilt of all the sins that will ever be committed on earth” (Dabney, 61). Therefore salvation can sincerely and legitimately be offered to all, though only the elect will respond. Shedd writes, “The extent to which a medicine is offered is not limited by the number of persons favorably disposed to buy it and use it. Its adaptation to disease is the sole consideration in selling it, and consequently it is offered to everybody” (Dogmatic Theology, 2:482).

It is crucial to understand that the atoning work of Christ fully accomplishes everything God declared He would accomplish in eternity past with regard to the salvation of sinners. God’s sovereign purposes are not thwarted in any degree by the unbelief of those who spurn Christ. “I am God,” He states, “and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things which have not been done, saying, ‘My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure’” (Isa. 46:9-10). The atonement of Christ does not represent a failed attempt to save anyone who will not be saved. All those whom God purposed to save from eternity past will be saved (cf. John 17:12).

Yet it is worth reiterating once more that while God’s saving purpose is limited to the elect, His desire for the salvation of sinners is as broad as the human race. He desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. And so Christ gave Himself as a ransom sufficient for all. How graphically the atoning work of Christ reveals to us the heart of God for the salvation of sinners!

That is why Paul refers to the atonement as the testimony borne by Christ at the proper time. This thought precisely parallels Galatians 4:4-5, “But when the fulness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, in order that He might redeem those who were under the Law.” Christ gave Himself as a ransom at exactly the proper time in God’s redemptive plan. His redemptive work is the most eloquent testimony ever borne to God’s saving desire for all sinners. Evangelistic prayer for all men therefore reflects the heart of God, and honors Christ’s work on the cross.

EVANGELISTIC PRAYER IS IN ACCORD WITH PAUL’S DIVINE COMMISSION

And for this, Paul writes in verse 7,1 was appointed a preacher and an apostle. This refers to the great truths that God is our Savior, Christ is our mediator, and Christ gave Himself as a ransom, as discussed in the preceding verses. Paul’s divine commission was based on those truths. Preacher derives from the verb k ēruss ō, which means to herald, proclaim, or speak publicly. The ancient world had no news media, so announcements were made in the city square. Paul was a public herald proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ. An apostle was a messenger, sent on behalf of Christ. If the gospel message was exclusive, that would undercut Paul’s calling.

Paul reinforces the truthfulness of his calling as a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth with the parenthetical statement in verse 7. He affirms I am telling the truth, I am not lying. In case some doubted his teaching in this passage, he insists that he is speaking the truth.

We, too, are called to proclaim the gospel to the lost world. That call, like Paul’s divine commission, is based on God’s desire that all be saved. Evangelistic prayer acknowledges our responsibility.

THE ATTITUDE OF EVANGELISTIC PRAYER

Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and dissension. (2:8)

Therefore indicates that this verse goes with the preceding section, not with what follows. The change of subject comes in verse 9, as the word “likewise” shows (cf. 3:8, 11). Having stressed the importance of evangelistic prayer, Paul now tells us with what attitude we are to pray. Want is from boulomai, and could be translated “I command,” or “I purpose.” Men is from an ēr, and means men as opposed to women. Men are the leaders when the church meets for corporate worship. When prayer is offered for the lost during those times, the men are to do it. In the synagogues, only men were permitted to pray, and that was carried over into the church. The phrase in every place appears four times in Paul’s writings (cf. 1 Cor. 1:2; 2 Cor. 2:14; 1 Thess. 1:8). All four times it refers to the official assembly of the church.

Some might argue that this teaching contradicts 1 Corinthians 11:5, where Paul permits women to pray and proclaim the Word. That passage, however, must be interpreted in light of 1 Corinthians 14:34-35, which forbids women to speak in the assembly. Women are permitted to pray and proclaim the Word, but not “in church”—that is, when the church meets for its corporate worship services. That in no way marks women as spiritually inferior (cf. Gal. 3:28). Not even all men proclaim the Word in the assembly, only those so called and gifted. (For a further discussion of this issue, see my book Different By Design [Wheaton, 111.: Victor, 1994].)

The Old Testament saints frequently prayed lifting up their hands (cf. 1 Kings 8:22; Neh. 8:6; Pss. 63:4; 134:2; 141:2; Isa. 1:15). But Paul’s emphasis here is not on a particular posture for prayer. The hands symbolize the activities of life, thus holy hands represent a holy life. That is a prerequisite for effective prayer (cf. Ps. 66:18). Holy translates hosios, which means “unpolluted,” or “unstained by evil.” Those who pray for the lost must not be characterized by wrath and dissension. They must be holy in heart and deed.

The greatest example of evangelistic praying is our Lord Himself. Isaiah 53:12 tells us He “interceded for the transgressors.” On the cross He prayed, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). God answered those prayers with three thousand converts on the Day of Pentecost, and countless thousands more through the centuries.

Do we pray for the lost like that? Do we have the passion that inspired John Knox to cry out, “Give me Scotland or I die”? Is our attitude that of George Whitefield, who prayed, “O Lord, give me souls or take my soul”? Can we, like Henry Martyn, say, “I cannot endure existence if Jesus is to be so dishonored”?

God honors evangelistic prayer. Standing among those who killed Stephen was a young man named Saul of Tarsus. Could it be that the great apostle’s salvation was in answer to Stephen’s prayer, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them”? Evangelism begins with evangelistic prayer.