1 Timothy 2:1-15 - Authority and Prayer

1 Timothy 2:1-15 

Pray for All Men

1 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time, 7 for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle—I am speaking the truth in Christ and not lying—a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

Men and Women in the Church

8 I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting; 9 in like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing, 10 but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works. 11 Let a woman learn in silence with all submission. 12 And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. 15 Nevertheless she will be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control.

We are called to understand authority and prayer within the church and outwardly to the world which God has put us in and rules over all.  We are strongly urged to pray for all people to include our government rulers; this entails interceding for their safety and salvation and even thanking God for putting them over us (Romans 13:1-2, 3-5) as we submit to the Lord in following their leadership.  In this way, we find peace in living and demonstrate godliness as we respect and honor their leadership.  Too often dislike of our leaders turns to ungodly verbal insults or even outright hostility towards their decisions, attitudes, or behavior.  This is good because it opens the gospel to those who witness our genuine love and godliness in action when we seem to have every democratic right to rebel and criticize harshly.  What we claim as our rights often is unacceptable in the sight of God since we keep the gospel from reaching the ears of those we offend and even cause stumbling blocks by our unloving attitudes and words towards those God put over us for unseen reasons.  We think that we choose our leaders and that they must do what scripture says believers are bound by when they are not because they usually are still lost in their sin and need to hear the good news of grace for redemption.  Then we justify our ungodly actions which do not take into account that God has a plan for the world to get worse and not better until judgment day and neglect to honor their place over us as the Lord works all things for our good and His glory.  We then pray for these ungodly leaders as we submit according to the Bible that we may live in peace with God and man as much as is possible (Romans 12:18, 14:19) and they may stop to hear us tell them of the Mediator Jesus Christ who sacrificed Himself as a ransom to buy condemned men and women back from sin’s penalty.  This is teaching of faith and truth as the apostle reminds us here.  This passage continues to address prayer and authority within the church body as living holy lives without the worldly anger of political battles to be effective in the spiritual warfare for the souls of people.  Within the church, we are to work to maintain authority of the roles God designed from the beginning of creation and in light of the results of the Fall from grace by original sin.  Women are submissive by good works under the authority of their husbands (not all men) but also under the authority of those set over them in the church, just like the men.  The role for women since the entrance of sin caused by Eve’s deceit (2 Corinthians 11:3) and resulting sin spread to Adam in condoning the disobedience to God’s word (Genesis 3:4, 6, 13), but her initial action now makes her descendants under the teaching authority of men chosen to preach or teach in the church according to the roles given them because Adam did not teach the truth to his wife in Eden as his responsibility demanded and brought sin’s penalty on us all.  We see then the authority under rulers and in the church requires prayer for salvation and good order.  Let all things then be done decently and in God’s order of authority and prayer therefore in these difficult areas in light of government and the church.