Hands - 1 Timothy 2:1-8

2:1-3 - By showing that he himself was a great sinner, even ignorantly, Paul was able to give an example of the grace of God working in his own life. Because Timothy is in an authoritative position, and because some of the members of his congregation had to be recently excommunicated, Paul urges Timothy to "prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men." This "all men" includes not only those in his own stewardship, but also "for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we made lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty." I guess this is another hard concept for me because again, people are going to do what they are going to do and God's will is going to work in whatever way he has planned. I personally have found more peace in just "accepting" whatever comes, than praying for things and people, etc. I find that praying for something for me just causes anxiety about it because I'm always waiting for something to happen to indicating that I'm doing the right thing. I know it's not about shaping God's will or impacting anyone agency, I'm just really confused about how that all works. I've been trying to do better and I guess it's one of those things where obedience comes first and then the lesson. 2:4-5 - Verses 4 and 5 have a significant JST which says that Jesus, "Who is willing to have all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth which is in Christ Jesus, who is the Only Begotten Son of God, and ordained to be a mediator between God and man; who is one God, and hath power over all men." The KJV just says that Jesus, "who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." This JST gives significantly different meaning because the original says that all men will be saved, which implies that their belief of actions in this life don't matter. We know that this is absolutely false. The JST shows that God has a plan that we can choose to participate in if we want to but leaves our agency intact. 2:6-8 - Paul testifies that Jesus "gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time." Now I'm not exactly sure what "in due time" means here in this context, but it's possible that it might mean "in due time" to every person according to their own plan that God made for them. The word "testified" makes to seem to me that the knowledge of the plan of salvation and God's love of all his children, will come to everyone, but not at the same time or that there is a process of conversion that all people need to go through. Paul testifies that he is "ordained a preacher, and an apostle… a teacher of the gentiles in faith and verity. I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting." The word "hands" here is cross-referenced with Psalm 24:4 which says, "he that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully." And we circle back around to the concept of praying, praying with intent and pure motives.