1 Timothy 2:5-6

‘For there is one God, one mediator also between God and men, himself man, Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all, the testimony to be borne in its own times,’

The Saviourhood of God is now defined. The words here are delicately balanced. ‘There is one God’, God the Saviour (1 Timothy 2:3). In this description is summed up the whole of the Godhead, Father, Son and Holy Spirit in their eternity of Being. But from the Godhead came One Who entered into the world and became man, and in that Manhood He has become the mediator (the One Who brings two parties together) between God and man. Thus it is no intermediate being to whom we look, but to One Man Who is the mediator between God and man, and that Man ‘Christ Jesus’. The relationship and mediatorship is as close as can be, and as that Man is Christ Jesus, He is therefore also ‘the Lord’ (1 Timothy 1:1-2; 1 Timothy 1:12), and therefore also truly God, which is why He can bring man to God.

And wonderfully this God-Man gave Himself a ransom ‘on behalf of’ (huper) all (but ‘in the place of’ (anti) many - Mark 10:45). Humanly speaking all could respond. None must feel excluded. The word ransom (antilutron) brings out the greatness of the price that He paid on the cross, and the ‘anti’ reveals its substitutionary nature. It was a substitutionary ransom. He paid a price (1 Corinthians 6:20; 1 Peter 1:18-20) that we could not. And it was sufficient for all the sin that could ever have been committed, for it is measured not in terms of quantity but in terms of quality. He did not die for all sins, but for all sin. Thus it is sufficient for all. And while only those will be saved who truly respond to Him and believe, the ransom will achieve its full quota, for it will cover all who believe, who are in the final analysis those on whose behalf it was offered.

The picture is being described from the human side. In the words of the hymn, ‘Whoever will, may come’ (Matthew 7:24 and often; John 3:15-16; John 6:40; John 11:26; John 12:46; Acts 2:21; Acts 10:43; Romans 9:33; Romans 10:11; Romans 10:13; Revelation 22:17). The divine side, the fact that it is all His work, is revealed elsewhere (e.g. John 6:37; John 6:44; Romans 8:28-30; Ephesians 1:4; James 1:18).

‘The testimony to be borne in its own times.’ The ransom having been paid, and the Mediatorship having been offered, testimony concerning them had to be borne to the world. And that testimony is a part of the whole. Without it the ransom would have been ineffective. What it had achieved had to be communicated, and it was through the proclamation of the word. ‘Its own times’ indicates an indefinite period as determined by God, and has been the period from the cross until now, and those ‘due times’ will go on until the end of time. And it includes Paul’s time as the next verse makes clear. God having acted in redemption the next stage was the offering of the testimony. And that was the purpose and reason behind Paul’s appointment. It was made his responsibility to bring this huge eternal event, for in a sense He was offered before time began (Acts 2:23), to all men, including the Gentiles. It is now also in our hands to be offered to the world. How then can we hesitate for a moment?

Note. The Jews believed in many intermediaries between God and man in the persons of the angels, because of man’s unworthiness. The Gnostics believed in many emanations between God and man because flesh was corrupt and spirit was pure. The Roman Catholics believe in many intermediaries in the persons of the saints and Mary. But Paul tells us that there is but One Mediator, and He God Himself. End of note.