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1Ti_2:1. After directing Timothy’s attention generally to the στρατεία to which he had been appointed, Paul proceeds to mention in detail the things for which, in his office, he had to care. This connection of thought is marked by the particle of transition οὖν (Wiesinger), which therefore does not stand (as de Wette, following Schleiermacher, thinks) without any logical connection.[82]
ΠΡῶΤΟΝ ΠΆΝΤΩΝ ] is not to be taken with ΠΟΙΕῖΣΘΑΙ , as Luther does: “to do before everything else,” but with ΠΑΡΑΚΑΛῶ (Heydenreich, Matthies, de Wette, Wiesinger, van Oosterzee).
ΠΟΙΕῖΣΘΑΙ ΔΕΉΣΕΙς Κ . Τ . Λ .] The apostle herewith begins to give “instructions regarding public prayer” (Wiesinger). The idea of prayer is here expressed by four words. ΔΈΗΣΙς and ΠΡΟΣΕΥΧΉ are connected in other passages as synonyms—in Eph_6:18, Php_4:6; the difference between them is this, that ΔΈΗΣΙς can be used only of petitionary prayer, ΠΡΟΣΕΥΧΉ of every kind of prayer. Not less general in meaning is ἜΝΤΕΥΞΙς , from ἘΝΤΥΓΧΆΝΕΙΝ ΤΙΝΊ incidere in aliquem, adire aliquem, and in reference to God: pray (Wis_8:21; Wis_16:28). The reference to another is not contained in the word itself, but in the preposition connected with it, as in Rom_11:2 : κατά τινος ; and Rom_8:34; Heb_7:25 : ὙΠΈΡ ΤΙΝΟς . Accordingly, the substantive ἜΝΤΕΥΞΙς , which occurs only here and in chap. 1Ti_4:5, does not in itself possess the meaning of intercession for others, but denotes simply prayer as an address to God (Wiesinger); comp. Plutarch, Vita Numae, chap. 14: μὴ ποιεῖσθαι τὰς πρὸς τὸ θεῖον ἐντεύξεις ἐν ἀσχολίᾳ καὶ παρέργως . The three words, accordingly, are thus distinguished: in the first, the element of insufficiency is prominent; in the second, that of devotion; and in the third, that of child-like confidence (prayer—the heart’s converse with God). Calvin is right in his remark, that Paul joined these three words together here “ut precandi studium et assiduitatem magis commendet ac vehementius urgeat.”[83]
εὐχαριστίας ] “prayers of thanksgiving,” the apostle adds, because in Christian prayer the giving of thanks should never be wanting; comp. Php_4:6 : ἐν παντὶ τῇ προσευχῇ καὶ τῇ δεήσει μετὰ εὐχαριστίας τὰ αἰτήματα ὑμῶν γνωρίζεσθαι πρὸς τὸν Θεόν .
ὑπὲρ πάντων ἀνθρώπων ] is not to be referred merely to εὐχαριστία , but also to the preceding words (Wiesinger). The prayer of the Christian community (for this and not private prayer is here spoken of) is—in petition and thanksgiving—to embrace all mankind.
[82] Hofmann’s reference of οὖν to 1Ti_1:15 and the conclusion of ver. 16 is far-fetched: “If Christ came into the world to save sinners, and if the long-suffering of God towards the man whom He made His apostle from being a reviler, was to be a prophecy regarding the conversion of those who were afterwards made to believe on Him, it becomes Christians not, in sectarian fashion, to limit its command to its sphere at that time, but to extend it to all men.”
[83] In regard to the more precise definition of the word, there is much that is arbitrary in expositors older and more recent. Thus δέησις is understood to be prayer for averting the punishment of sin; προσευχή , prayer for the bestowal of benefits; ἔντευξις , prayer for the punishment of the unrighteous (Theodoret: δέησίς ἐστιν , ὑπὲρ ἀπαλλαγῆς τινῶν λυπηρῶν ἱκετεία προσφερομένη · προσευχή ἐστιν αἴτησις ἀγαθῶν · ἔντευξίς ἐστι κατηγορία τῶν ἀδικούντων ; so, too, Theophylact and Oecumenius). Photius (ad Amphil. qu. 193) explains ἐντυχία in the same way: ἐντυχία ( ὅταν τὶς κατὰ τῶν ἀδικούτων ἐντυγχάνῃ τῷ Θεῷ , προσκαλούμενος αὐτὸν εἰς ἐκδίκησιν ); but the other two words differently: δέησις μὲν λέγεται , ὅταν τὶς Θεὸν ἀξεοῖ εἰς πρᾶγμα · προσευχὴ δὲ , ὅταν ὑμνῇ τὸν Θεόν . Origen ( περὶ εὐχῆς , § 44) finds a climax in the succession of the words, and distinguishes προσευχαί from δεήσεις in this way, that the former are prayers joined with a δοξολογία , made for greater things and μεγαλοφυέστερον , while ἐντεύξεις are the prayers of one who has παῤῥησίαν τινὰ πλείονα .—Still more arbitrary is Kling’s explanation, that δεήσεις are prayers in reference to the circumstances of all mankind; προσευχαί , prayers for some benefit; ἐντεύξεις , prayers for the aversion of evil. Matthies is partly right, partly wrong when he says: δέησις is the prayer made with a feeling of the need of God, so that the inner side of the need and of uprightness (?) is particularly prominent; προσευχή , prayer, in the act of devotional address to the Godhead, therefore with reference to the outward exercise (?); ἐντεύξεις , intercession, made not so much for ourselves as on behalf of others (?).—There is no ground whatever for the opinion of Heydenreich, that the first two expressions are used of prayer ( δέησις = petition; προσευχή = thanksgiving) for the whole Christian community, while the other two ( ἔντευξις = petition; εὐχαριστία = thanksgiving) are used of prayer for the whole of mankind. Lastly, we may note the peculiar view of Augustine (Ep. 59), according to which the four expressions are to be understood of prayers used at the celebration of the Lord’s Supper, δεήσεις being the precationes before consecration; προσευχαί , the orationes at the benediction, consecration, and breaking of bread; ἐντεύξεις , the interpellationes at the benediction of the congregation; and εὐχαριστία , the gratiarum actio at the close of the communion. Plitt so far agrees with this view of Augustine, that he thinks the apostle’s various expressions denote the various liturgical prayers, as they were defined even in ancient times at the celebration of the Eucharist (?).