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The Apostle now proceeds from his general charge to specific regulations concerning
the worship and organization of the church:
"I exhort therefore, first of all, that supplications, prayers, intercessions,
thanksgivings, be made for all men; for kings and all that are in high place; that we may
lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and gravity. This is good and acceptable in
the sight of God our Saviour; Who willeth that all men should be saved, and come to the
knowledge of the truth" (I Tim. 2: 1-4, R.V.).
The words `first of all' relate not to time but to importance. How easy it is to become
narrow in our praying! Paul would have us take in all men in our prayers. The four
words he uses here throw light on the great ministry of prayer. Deesis (supplications)
brings out the sense of need. Proseuchai (prayers) is the more general word for prayer as
a whole. Enteuxis (intercessions) is the regular word for petition on behalf of someone
else, a vastly important aspect of our prayer life and a ministry in itself. The very variety
of terms serves to emphasize the richness and fullness of this spiritual exercise. Giving
of thanks (eucharistias) is an element that is too often forgotten. "We know not what we
should pray for as we ought" (Rom. 8: 26) is so true, but we need have no difficulty in
giving thanks and praising the Lord for all His goodness and mercy to each one of us! If
we have problems in our prayer life, let us think of the innumerable blessings we receive
from day to day and then express our heartfelt gratitude to the Lord.
Paul brings before Timothy the need for prayer on behalf of kings and those in
authority. Too often this is forgotten. Whether rulers or civil authorities are perverted
and hostile or not, they should be subjects for remembrance at the Throne of Grace, the
object being `that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life' so that the work and witness
for the Lord may not be hindered. Let us not think that rulers are beyond the Lord's
influence:
"The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water; He turneth it
whithersoever He will" (Prov. 21: 1).
The exiled Jews at Babylon were bidden to pray for the pagan city by Jeremiah,
saying `for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace' (Jer. 29: 7), and in the first century,
prayer for those in authority would have included the infamous Nero! Let us not forget
then, in our prayer for `all men' to remember the government of nations and those in
authority, for we are assured, in the context we are studying, that this is good and
acceptable to God our Saviour, and here is the criterion of all prayer and worship. Is it
acceptable and well pleasing to the Lord? If not, it is just `will worship' of our devising
and quite empty and fruitless.
The words "Who will have all men to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth"
(2: 4) have been the centre of controversy for a long time between Calvinism and
Arminianism specially in the seventeenth century. It is not easy to assess the distinction
between (thelo) `will', used here and boulomai also translated `to will' in other passages.
Sometimes they are used interchangeably in Greek, but generally speaking boulomai as
G. Abbott-Smith says in his Lexicon, means "to will, wish, desire, purpose, be minded