Sunday
Sunday
The Church’s Global Perspective
God our Savior … wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.
1 Timothy 2:3–4
What is immediately noteworthy about the first seven verses of 1 Timothy 2 is the fourfold repetition (surely deliberate) of the expression “all men,” meaning “everybody.”
Firstly, the church’s prayers should concern everybody—not only all people in general but in particular kings and other national leaders as preservers of the peace—even though at that time there were no Christian rulers anywhere in the world.
Secondly, God’s desire concerns everybody. God wants everybody to be saved (v. 4). That is, the reason why the church is concerned for everybody is that God is. Further, the universality of the gospel offer rests on the unity of God: “For there is only one God” (v. 5 NJB). The first essential basis for world mission is monotheism.
Thirdly, Christ’s death concerns everybody: “There is … one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men” (vv. 5–6). It is not enough to affirm that there is only one God; we have to add that there is only one Mediator, one Savior. The Son of God who first became “the man Christ Jesus” in his birth then in his death gave himself as a ransom for us. It is important for us to keep these three nouns together—man, ransom, and mediator; they allude to his birth, death, and resurrection. Because in no other person has God first become man and then become a ransom, there is no other mediator. Nobody else has his qualifications.
Fourthly, the apostle’s proclamation concerned everybody, for he had been appointed an apostle, a herald, and a teacher to the Gentiles (that is, to all nations). Although there are no apostles today comparable to Paul, there is an urgent need for more heralds and teachers of the gospel.
To sum up, the church must pray for everybody (v. 1) and preach to everybody (v. 7). Why? Chrysostom gave the answer in the fourth century: “Imitate God!” It is because God’s desire and Christ’s death both concern everybody that the church’s duty must concern everybody too. Each church is a local community, but it should have a global perspective.
For further reading: 1 Timothy 2:1–7