When Paul says ‘above all,’ he’s giving a message we should heed
By Dean Collins
“First of all, then…”
That is how the apostle Paul started the second chapter of his first letter to Timothy. He didn’t have a second of all or third of all, which I think establishes the point that Paul was really saying above everything else or above all things, this is the priority.
Paul told Timothy that every possible kind of prayer should be offered: supplications, intercessions, thanksgiving, and more prayer. The prayers should be offered on behalf of all the people and for the kings and those in authority, that everyone might lead a peaceful and quiet life and behave in a godly and dignified way. According to Paul, living that way is pleasing to God.
Paul told Timothy that every possible kind of prayer should be offered.
Praying for people in leadership was equally important as praying for those who lived at the will of the king. The prayer was the same that everyone would live a life consistent with a God-ordered world. It was and is an appropriate prayer, because it leads to what I think Paul was getting to when he said “first of all” or “above all.” Paul continued by reminding Timothy and us that God our Savior desires all people to be saved and come to the knowledge of this truth: “There is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all.”
Followers of Christ understand that God loved the world so much that he sent his only Son to redeem us and everyone else. God’s purpose is to reconcile the world and to bring about the full restoration of all things. Our role as kingdom people is to live under the authority of the King of kings and share the good news of Jesus far and wide.
Our role is to live under the authority of the King of kings and share the good news of Jesus far and wide.
After Paul’s Damascus road conversion, he was a changed man. His mission was different. His focus was different. Love for Jesus, the gospel, and the lost was the motivator and purpose of his life. Everything else became a distant second.
What would happen if we focused on what is above all or first of all according to the apostle Paul? Here are a few things that might change.
1) We would pray more. And we would pray for government leaders and for all people. We wouldn’t simply pray for our favorites or those who were politically aligned with us. Nero wasn’t aligned with the followers of Christ, yet Paul told Timothy to pray for the kings and all in high positions. Paul understood that God sent Jesus for everyone, not just the ones we prefer.
2) Living under the authority of Jesus would lead to living more peaceful, godly lives where we love more and argue less.
3) Our love for God’s Word would increase, and there would likely be less influence by false teachers because we would be better informed about God’s truth. In chapter 1 of Paul’s letter to Timothy, he warned of false teachers and named two who had been especially difficult and ultimately outed and released back to the enemy camp.
4) God’s grace would be more evident in the lives of the church, which would lead to deeper fellowship with each other and a stronger witness to the lost.
Recognizing God sent Jesus as Mediator, Savior, and King of our lives and of the whole world is above all other things. When we seek Jesus first, the will of Jesus will flow more naturally in our lives, and the pull of the world will weaken day by day.
Your time with God’s Word
1 Timothy 2:1-7 ESV
Photo by Possessed Photography at unsplash.com
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