1 Timothy 2:3

For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(3) For this is good and acceptable.—That prayer be offered for all sorts and conditions of men is good and acceptable before God.

In the sight of God our Saviour.—Here, as in 1Timothy 1:1, this title of “Saviour” is given to the Father, and is in this place singularly applicable, as it immediately precedes the famous statement of the next verse, respecting the boundless mercy of the Eternal.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

2:1-7 The disciples of Christ must be praying people; all, without distinction of nation, sect, rank, or party. Our duty as Christians, is summed up in two words; godliness, that is, the right worshipping of God; and honesty, that is, good conduct toward all men. These must go together: we are not truly honest, if we are not godly, and do not render to God his due; and we are not truly godly, if not honest. What is acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour, we should abound in. There is one Mediator, and that Mediator gave himself a ransom for all. And this appointment has been made for the benefit of the Jews and the Gentiles of every nation; that all who are willing may come in this way, to the mercy-seat of a pardoning God, to seek reconciliation with him. Sin had made a quarrel between us and God; Jesus Christ is the Mediator who makes peace. He is a ransom that was to be known in due time. In the Old Testament times, his sufferings, and the glory that should follow, were spoken of as things to be revealed in the last times. Those who are saved must come to the knowledge of the truth, for that is God's appointed way to save sinners: if we do not know the truth, we cannot be ruled by it.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For this is good and acceptable - That is, it is good and acceptable to God that we should pray for all people. The reason is, that he desires their salvation, and hence it is agreeable to him that we should pray for it. If there were no provision made for their salvation, or if he was unwilling that they should be saved, it could not be agreeable to him that we should offer prayer for them.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

3. this—praying for all men.

in the sight of God—not merely before men, as if it were their favor that we sought (2Co 8:21).

our Saviour—a title appropriate to the matter in hand. He who is "our Saviour" is willing that all should be saved (1Ti 2:4; Ro 5:18); therefore we should meet the will of God in behalf of others, by praying for the salvation of all men. More would be converted if we would pray more. He has actually saved us who believe, being "our Saviour." He is willing that all should be saved, even those who do not as yet believe, if they will believe (compare 1Ti 4:10; Tit 2:11).

Matthew Poole's Commentary

To pray for all, as well our enemies as our friends, especially for princes, and such as are in places of magistracy and authority, is

good, being according to the will and commandment of God, and acceptable to God, as all acts of obedience to his will are. The word Saviour may either be understood with reference to the Divine Being, God being our Preserver, who maketh his sun to shine and his rain to fall upon the just and unjust, Matthew 5:45, which our Saviour brings as an argument to enforce his precept of love to our enemies; or with a special reference to Christ, to whom the title of Saviour, with reference to eternal salvation, more strictly belongs, who also by his death, when we were enemies reconciled us to God: so that such a charitable office must be acceptable to God, because in doing it we both show ourselves the children of our heavenly Father, and also the followers of Christ.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour. Not only to live peaceably and quietly under the government men are, since that is the ordination of God, and to live soberly, righteously, and godly, which his grace teaches; but to pray for all sorts of men, and for those who are set in the highest place of government, even though enemies and persecutors: this is good in itself, and in the sight of an omniscient God, who sees not as man seeth; and it is acceptable unto him through Jesus Christ, by whom every sacrifice of prayer or praise is so; for by God our Saviour is meant God the Father, who is the Saviour of all men, in a way of providence, and the Saviour of all the elect in a way of special grace; See Gill on 1 Timothy 2:1.

Geneva Study Bible

{3} For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;

(3) Another argument, why churches or congregations ought to pray for all men, without any difference of nation, type, age, or order: that is, because the Lord by calling of all types, indeed sometimes those that are the greatest enemies to the Gospel, will have his Church gathered together after this manner, and therefore prayer is to be made for all.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Meyer's NT Commentary

1 Timothy 2:3. This verse points back to what was said in 1 Timothy 2:1; not, however, in such a way as to make 1 Timothy 2:2 a parenthesis (so in a former edition of this commentary), but rather so as to include the points mentioned in it.

τοῦτο] does not refer to the thoughts immediately preceding, but to the ποιεῖσθαι δεήσεις … ὑπὲρ πάντων ἀνθρώπων κ.τ.λ.

The highest motive of the Christian to such prayer is the good pleasure of God.

καλὸν καὶ ἀπόδεκτον] ἀπόδεκτος] (like ἀποδοχή) occurs only in this First Epistle to Timothy; it is synonymous with εὐάρεστος in Colossians 3:20 (τοῦτο γὰρ εὐάρεστόν ἐστιν ἐν κυρίῳ).

ἐνώπιον τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Θεοῦ] is referred only to ἀπόδεκτον by several expositors, who either take καλόν absolutely (de Wette: “good in itself;” so also van Oosterzee, Matthies: “καλ. denotes the endeavour recommended in its inner worth and contents”), or, as Leo, supply with it ἐνώπιον τῶν ἀνθρώπων: “which is praiseworthy, sc. before men.” The latter is clearly quite arbitrary; but even for the former there is not sufficient ground, all the more when we compare 2 Corinthians 8:21 : προνοοῦμεν γὰρ καλὰ οὐ μόνον ἐνώπιον κυρίου, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐνώπιον ἀνθρώπων.[86] On ΣΩΤΉΡ, see 1 Timothy 1:1.

Paul uses this name for God here because he has already in mind the thought that follows (Wiesinger).

[86] Heydenieich’s opinion is utterly erroneous, that Paul calls prayer for all καλόν, because it is not only right and good, but “brings a benefit to the Christians, by recommending them to their rulers.”

Expositor's Greek Testament

1 Timothy 2:3. τοῦτο: i.e., prayer for all men.

καλόν: not to be joined with ἐνώπιον, but taken by itself, as in reff. See note on 1 Timothy 1:18. ἀπόδεκτον ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ occurs again, 1 Timothy 5:4. Prayer for all men approves itself to the natural conscience, and it is also in accordance with the revealed will of God.

θεοῦ is almost epexegetical of σωτῆρος ἡμῶν. Our Saviour, if it stood alone, might mean Christ; but it is God the Father that is the originating cause of salvation. See note on 1 Timothy 1:1.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

3. For this is good and acceptable] We should omit For; for the apparent abruptness compare Php 4:5, The Lord is at hand,’ 2 Timothy 4:18 (right reading), ‘The Lord will deliver me.’ The connexion by ‘this’ or ‘these’ occurs in every chapter of this epistle; cf. 1 Timothy 1:18; 1 Timothy 3:14; 1 Timothy 4:11; 1 Timothy 4:15; 1 Timothy 5:7; 1 Timothy 6:2. It is especially characteristic of St John. Cf. John 1:30; John 6:50; John 6:58; 1 John 2:22; 1 John 4:6; 1 John 5:6; 1 John 5:20.

good and acceptable] Are taken best together with ‘in the sight of.’ Cf. a similar coupling and similar added clause in 1 Timothy 4:4.

God our Saviour] Rather, our Saviour God, or ‘our saving God.’ The first of four places where this order is observed, Titus 1:3; Titus 2:10; Titus 3:4; here there is an obvious emphasis, as the thought of the next verse comes into view.

Bengel's Gnomen

1 Timothy 2:3. Τοῦτο γὰρ, for this) The reason, why we must pray for all. It may be asked, why are not more converted? We do not sufficiently pray. It is a religious duty, that in behalf of ourselves, and in behalf of others, we should meet the will of God, which is favourable to us.—καὶ) and, therefore.—τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν, our Saviour) who has actually saved us that believe. The antithesis is in the following verse: Who wishes that all, even including those who do not believe, should be saved: comp. ch. 1 Timothy 4:10. It is strange if a soul, having found in reality the salvation of God, can deny the universality of grace.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 3. - This for for this, A.V. and T.R. Acceptable (ἀπόδεκτον); only here and 1 Timothy 5:4 in the New Testament, and in one doubtful passage in Aquila's version of Song of Solomon 1:13. Found in Plutarch. The verb ἀποδέχομαι, to receive gladly, is frequently used by St. Luke (Luke 8:10; Acts 2:41, where see note; etc.). God our Savior (see 1 Timothy 1:1 and Luke 1:47; Titus 1:3; Titus 2:10, 13 (perhaps); 3:4; 2 Peter 1:1 (perhaps); Jude 1:25, by which it appears that the phrase is confined to the pastoral among St. Paul's Epistles). In the Old Testament the phrase occurs frequently (see 2 Samuel 22:3; Psalm 106:21; Isaiah 43:3; Isaiah 45:21, etc.). 1 Timothy 2:3

Vincent's Word Studies

Acceptable (ἀπόδεκτον)

Pasto. Compare ἀποδοχή acceptation, 1 Timothy 1:15, and Paul's εὐρόσδεκτος acceptable, Romans 15:16, Romans 15:31; 2 Corinthians 6:2; 2 Corinthians 7:12.