5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 

‘For’ here provides the grounds for what has previously been said.[1] It refers back to ‘This is good and pleases God our Saviour’in v.3, with ‘this’ referring again back to the urge that prayers ‘be made for all people’ in v.1. In essence the reason we need to pray for all people in accordance our Saviour’s will is because there is one God and one mediator, our Christ. The mention of ‘One God’ usually differentiates our Creator God from all other worldly false gods, but just as importantly, it calls back to Shema (Hear O Israel) in Deut 6:4: “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one”. And right from the beginning, there was one thing that you should do to this unique and true God, which is the next verse: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength”.

6 who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time. 

This who clause elaborates on what that one God, as the mediator between Himself and ourselves has done. The phrase ‘for all people’ nails the argument down: the reason we should pray for all people is because God the Mediator gave himself for all people. This is to be witnessed by us through our prayerful and meek, humble lives – God’s equals it to Christ’s death on the cross! (because of Christ’s merit, of course.) We surely know from history and around us not all people accepted it or will accept it. Nevertheless it should not stop us from offering it for all people, just as Christ has done.   

7 And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle – I am telling the truth, I am not lying – and a true and faithful teacher of the Gentiles.

The terms such as truth, legitimacy, lawful are continuously being mentioned so that what the Scripture are really endorsed by – God’s saving plan and achievement through Christ and our witnessing it. Even with respect to the false teachers and false teaching, this is the number one true law to stick by. Far from being too lenient or permissive, it is a solid ground and practice that will clearly differentiate the truth from falsehood.

Lord, our One God and One Mediator! Thank you for your word today that equally humbles us and builds us up! Lord let us remember always how you did things. How unimaginably you so loved the world that you gave your only Son, your very self. Let us remember it and have it as the legitimate solution for everything. Especially, just before one of the most difficult and controversial passages coming up, I pray that this urge from our ONE Lord God through Paul’s voice be engraved in my heart. Then I’d be safe. Lord, praise be to you. Your love is truly unfathomable. Let us live the life you ransomed for us to live out that unfathomable love even in a tiny fraction today. Let us gladly go between you and all people with prayer and humble life, as weak as we are, because of your true mediation.

Image: Abraham sacrifices the ram instead of Isaac, the Lord renews his promise to Abraham (Genesis 22:13-18) oil on canvas 180 x 136 cm circa 1638 by Jan Lievens – Herzog Anton Ulrich-Museum Braunschweig. Public Domain.

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[1] γάρ (gar) ‘for’ (G1063) shows inference or continuation: for, because, indeed, but for; it is, however, frequently used with an ellipsis of the clause to which it has reference, and its force must then be variously expressed: Mt. 15:27; 27:23, et al.; it is also sometimes epexegetic, or introductory of an intimated detail of circumstances, now, then, Mt. 1:18