Kings and all who are in high positions
September 28, 2007
“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Saviour, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” – 1 Timothy 2.1-4 (ESV)
I’m not quite sure whence this idea originated. As I was trying to get to sleep last night, I think. Nehemiah concludes his prayer in chapter 1 by praying:
“Give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.” – Nehemiah 1.11
He then discloses the identity of “this man”: “Now I was cupbearer to the king.”
It seems to me that very similar things are going on in both places. Both start from the premise that the good of the church is in the hands of the civil magistrate, and so prayer is to be made for the civil magistrate so that the church may get on with its business. So Nehemiah prays for mercy in the sight of king Artaxerxes, that Jerusalem may be rebuilt, and this means salvation for the world, because Jerusalem is God’s city where the nations find blessing. Likewise, Paul urges Christians to pray for kings and all who are in authority, so the church can get on with its life, including evangelism, so people are saved.
Calvin writes of Paul in 1 Timothy 2:
“In these words, he recommends the condition of the Church to their protection and guardianship” – Institutes iv.xx.5
He goes on to write of the duties of magistrates:
“This office is specially assigned them by God, and indeed it is right that they exert themseles in asserting and defending the honour of him whose vicegerents they are, and by whose favour they rule.” – Institutes iv.xx.9
October 1, 2007 at 1:36 am
I had always taken the phrase “who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” as an indication that the church shoudl pray for thosein authority because they too included in God’s scope for salvation.
Verse one talks about salvation to “all men”, and in 1: 15 he reminds Timothy that Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of which he (Paul) is the worst. The general thrust of the letter gives me the impresion that Paul is suggesting that those who rule over them, are to be counted in their prayers too, as those who are included amoungst those who Christ came for.
I am in no way negating your conclusion by the way, I’m just not sure if its what THIS passage is implying.
October 1, 2007 at 8:03 am
Thanks, Sam. I’m sure your point that the church should pray for those in authority because they are included in God’s salvation is true and can be taught from this text.
I was just interested that the logic of these verses went:
Pray for the authorities so that we might live godly lives, which is pleasing to God, because he wants people to be saved.
That seems to imply that the ability of God’s people to live godly lives is instrumental in salvation (because they can share the gospel in the context of a holy life) and that this in turn is dependent on the authorities.
October 1, 2007 at 5:52 pm
I think both conclusions can be drawn from the text, though I think I’m with Daniel on the logic.
In fact we have an ABBA structure of sorts, with B specifying A, and with the second half of the structure emphasising goal/result?
A. Pray for all men
B. (Specifying A) for those in Authority
B’. (Goal of B) that we might live godly lives
A’. (Goal of A?) this pleases God who wants all men to be saved.
Thus B/B’ are a part of the more general picture in A/A’. God wants us to pray for all, as he wants all to be saved – more specifically (and relatedly) we must pray for rulers and authorities so that we can live godly lives – after all the church is the pillar of the truth (3:15-16 suggest that salvation and proclamation of Christ to the nations are bound up with the Church and godliness).
October 1, 2007 at 8:09 pm
Thanks for that, Pete. I’m liking the chiasm.
October 1, 2007 at 8:37 pm
Reading it over again, I think you’re right, Daniel.
October 1, 2007 at 11:36 pm
Rereading the text – I think you’re right, Daniel.
November 25, 2007 at 12:33 am
[...] in the gospel age in repentance and faith. I have commented on the significance of 1 Timothy 2.1-4 elsewhere (particularly with reference to Nehemiah’s request in Nehemiah 1.11) but clearly this is one [...]