Friday, September 18, 2015

One Mediator Between God and Man 1 Timothy 2:5


According to Paul the apostle, Timothy was to be a man of prayer, and prayer was to be the first priority in his life as he ministered among the church in Ephesus. This practice is “good and acceptable” with God as He desires to “have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” In chapter two and verse five of his letter to Timothy, Paul declares how many Gods there are, and who is the mediator between God and man where we read:

For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

The verse begins, “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men,...” As though it needed to be stated, Paul wrote to Timothy “For” which means “because or since” “there is one God” or “singularly and only one true deity, divinity and trinity” “and one mediator” which is the Greek word “mesites” which means “one who intervenes between two, either in order to make or restore peace and friendship, form a compact or to ratify a covenant, and one who is a medium of communication or an arbitrator”. It is interesting that Paul employs the same word “heis” for the word “one” when stating there is “one God” and “one mediator” to be certain that Timothy and we understand the singularity of them both.

The verse continues, ...the man Christ Jesus;” Paul continued his thought by declaring this “one mediator” is, “the man” or “human being” “Christ” which is the word “Christos” and means “messiah and anointed one” “Jesus” which means “Jehovah is Salvation”. There is only one mediator between God and man, and this “one” is “Jesus” the anointed messiah of God.

As we ponder Paul's words, we understand how this verse creates controversy with those who employ others for mediation or arbitration with God. It is God Almighty our Heavenly Father who desires that all men be saved, and He knows the quickest access to His throne. Paul declared this “one” true and Holy God has deemed “Jesus Christ” the one mediator between Himself and people. We need no other to approach the throne of God. Job in the Old Testament in chapter nine and verse thirty three declared, “Neither is there any daysman between us, that might lay his hand upon us both.” Jeremiah in chapter eight and verse twenty-two of his prophecy asked, Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?” John the apostle wrote in his letter named First John in chapter two and verses one and two, “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” When we have sinned, when we have needs and when we desire to have fellowship with God, our admittance before Him is having a relationship with His Son Jesus who is our “daysman”, our “balm”, our “advocate” and our “propitiation”, and if we have access through Him, why would we ever desire to attempt any other way?

Next time Paul shares about the price Jesus paid for us all, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at http://www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.




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