Prayer’s Mediator, Message, and Manner

1 Timothy 2:5b-8

Mediator of Prayer

Perhaps a fourth motive of God for His children to pray is that Jesus Christ is the only Mediator. A mediator is “a middle man” or a “go-between.” One who can stand between two parties and act on the behalf of both of them. Although there is a difference or rift in the relationship between God and man our Mediator can represent both God (because He is the Son of God) and man (because He is the son of Man) No one else in all the world or history is qualified to fulfill this role. Before Christ came in the flesh, died, arose, and ascended to Heaven there was no such Mediator. “Nor is there any mediator between us, who may lay his hand on us both” (Job 9:33).

Jesus is not one of many, He is the one and only. This term is applied only here to our Savior and in Heb. 8:6; 9:15; 12:24; Gal. 3:19,20. This doctrine is not very tolerant of religious pluralism which calls for many paths to God or universalism which asserts that everyone will be saved regardless of their belief in Christ. In this age of political correctness prayer in the public venue have been censored to excluded mention of Jesus Christ in prayer. Through no other name can man pray than that of Jesus Christ. Prayers which are offered via the “saints” or the Virgin Mother Mary, Allah, Muhammad, Moses, etc. are empty and void of all power and meaning. Such a prayer will go no where but into the thin air.

As the Mediator Jesus stands between God and Man. Jesus bridges the gap between sinful humanity and the Most Holy God. In prayer, He stands between God’s holy saints and the Heavenly Father. Although He is also our intercessor (Heb. 7:25) the terms are not the same. There are many intercessors between God and man, but there can only be one Mediator. Whereas, a mediator can represent both sides and intercessor represents only one.

The Mediator between God and man must be a man. Only one man can take the job – Christ Jesus. He was God and also became man when He came to earth from Heaven (Matt. 16:27; 22:42-45; 25:31-40; Mk. 14:61,62; Lk. 9:42-44; Jn. 3:35; Rom. 5:15; 21; 1 Cor. 15:49). This was essential to the Scheme of Redemption.

Furthermore, as to be the Mediator Jesus had to give “Himself a ransom for all.” The word ransom means a loosing or freeing, such as, the freedom given to a slave by the paying of the price, therefore, the price paid to free a slave. Man was enslaved by sin. All men have sinned and therefore all are slaves to sin. Jesus paid the ransom for all men. This opposes the Calvinistic doctrine of limited atonement for those souls chosen to be saved before the world began. “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mk. 10:45). Since He died for all, Christians pray for all, as God wants all to be saved. Only Christ could pay the price by willingly giving Himself because He was never a slave to sin, not even for a moment.

Why did God wait so long to send His Son to die and be a ransom for all and only Mediator? God had promises to fulfill and a perfect timing. The great Giver of grace chooses the timing of His Gift (Gal. 4:4).

Messenger of Salvation

Prayer for all men to the One God through the One Mediator for the salvation of all requires someone to share the Truth not just with the Jews but with the Gentiles (2:7). Paul was just such a preacher appointed by Christ Himself. A preacher or herald was one who brought forth important news. Although Judaizers rejected Paul’s apostleship, he affirms that it is not a lie but the truth. Christ sent him as His ambassador to the lost Gentiles. He was to teach them to have faith in Christ and lead them to the knowledge of the Truth.

Manner of Prayer

Paul’s desire was for males, not females to prayer everywhere (2:8). Robertson wrote, “This is men in contrast to women” (Robertson, 527). Although in our English translations the impact of Paul’s choice of wording is not felt as strongly as in the original Greek, the meaning is plain, males are to pray publically or everywhere, not women. This of course, does not mean the women cannot pray in private or bow in prayer with others when a man words a prayer.

It is implied in the context the men under consideration our Christians who can lift up holy hands because they are saints and have access to one God through their only Mediator.

A teacher went into her classroom about fifteen minutes before the class was supposed to begin and caught a bunch of boys in a huddle on their knees in the corner of the room. She asked what they were doing, and one of them shouted back, “We are shooting craps.” She replied, “That’s all right. I was afraid you were praying.”

Today, prayer has been removed from public schools and other like venues. Prayer is not just for the church building. Christians can pray in solitude at home (Mt. 6:6); with others at mealtime (Ac. 21:35); in public settings (Acts 20:36); etc. Jonah could pray out of the belly of the fish. A God who is everywhere can be reached in prayer everywhere No place can be found where there is a blackout or no coverage by our Omnipresent provider of prayer.

Over the years I have been fascinated by the odd names of people I have come across. Once in a phone book I found a man named Weldon Rumproast. Later, in east Texas I met a woman named, Ima Hogg. Visiting our congregation a few years ago was a young lady named Anita Hand. Well, God needs a few good hands when it comes to prayer. “I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting;” (1 Tim. 2:8). Just what are your hands busy doing? Do you have your hands in the cookie jar or involved in the Lord’s Work? Are your hands holding a news paper, the remote, a fishing pole or are they lifted up to God in prayer?

Surely this passage is not focusing on the posture of prayer. In Old Testament times, prayers were made with the face pointed toward heaven and palms turned upward with hands outstretched. This conveyed supplication and longing for God’s blessing. However, prayers were given while in a variety of postures: kneeling (Dan. 6:10; Lk. 22:41; Ac. 20:36; 21:5); standing (Lk. 18:11,13); sitting (2 Sam. 7:18); bowing the head (Gen. 24:26); lifting the eyes (Jn. 17:1); falling on the ground (Gen. 17:3, Dt. 9:18; Mk. 14:35); etc.

The important thing is not the posture of the body but the posture of the heart. The hands are holy because the heart is clean. Jews and Muslim alike wash their hands before prayer. Yet, clean hands do not prove a clean heart. In order for our prayers to be heard by God it is essential to sanctify our hearts. “If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear” (Ps. 66:18). Worshipers with hands stained by unworthy deeds must first be cleansed before approaching God in prayer (Ps. 26:6).

Two other prerequisites to acceptable prayer: without wrath and doubting. Those who lift up hands to pray need to be on good terms with God and one another. The term “doubting” does not refer to offering up prayers without doubts in our hearts. It refers to disputing, strife or contention. God does not care to listen to a troublemaker, but His ears will be inclined to a peacemaker.

Charles Spurgeon said, “I would rather teach one man to pray than ten men to preach.”

– Daniel R. Vess

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Categories: The Forum