For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
Paul makes this command to meet a perverse objection: some think we need only pray for believers and the Church, and why concern ourselves with strangers? He cuts through that reasoning and orders us to pray for all men without exception, not limiting our prayers to the body of the Church alone.
AI summary
Commenting on 1 Timothy 2:1-15
Prayer for all men, even kings who persecute us, flows from the very nature of Christian faith. Paul gives no fixed form, trusting the Spirit to guide; he sets only the general heads: supplications to avert evil, prayers for good, intercessions for others, thanksgiving for mercies received. This diffusive charity marks us out from every sect.
AI summary
Commenting on 1 Timothy 2:1-8
Prayer for all men, even for those in highest authority and those who are enemies, is good and acceptable to God because it aligns with His will that all be saved, not a mere conditional offer, but an absolute determination grounded in Christ's redemption and the covenant of grace.
AI summary