What's the Most Important Thing?

It's good to read this chapter as a whole. As you did so, how would you sum up Paul's main point?

I think it can be found in v2. Paul's supreme concern was that the gospel might flourish and spread, and so he urges men to pray that nothing would happen to interfere with that. Interference could come from a number of sources.

Don't we all know that just when we want to devote our attention to something really important

• the phone rings
• somebody needs something
• we remember something that needs urgent attention
• we get distracted by . . . (you name it).

This example may be trivial, but it's also true on a large scale. Paul had experienced all sorts of problems as he had tried to spread the gospel: "in prison frequently, been flogged severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, and I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. I have laboured and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food" (2 Corinthians 11:23-27; compare 2 Corinthians 6:4-5).

Hardly the "peaceful and quiet life" of verse 2.

God wants everybody to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth, and so he instructs Timothy to work at creating an environment in Ephesus where nothing gets in the way.

In a sense, nothing has changed. To this day, anger, arguments about doctrine, sexual sins all tear churches apart and keep people from hearing the gospel. Prayer, Christ-likeness, faith, love and holiness with propriety all create an environment where the gospel can flourish.

Respond in Prayer

Lord, I pray for everyone. That all men and women and all boys and girls would be saved and come to know the whole truth that “Christ Jesus is the only one who can bring us to you" (v 5 CEV). Amen.

Lawson Murray

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version® (NIV®).