Should Christians Vote in the Election? – 1 Timothy 2:1-2

Looking at the principle and application of 1 Timothy 2:1-2

This article is not intended to be an exhaustive investigation of the issue of Christians voting, but rather an observation and application from one particular text of Scripture, 1 Timothy 2:1-2.

1 Tim 2:1-2 – “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.”

The Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy and instructed him to pray for kings and people in high positions.

For what specifically was Timothy supposed to be praying?

He was supposed to be praying that these rulers would allow Christians to live peaceful and godly lives. He was to pray for rulers that allowed Christians to live out their Christ-like calling without persecution from the government. He was to prayer for a government that defended their religious rights and didn’t allow people to harass them. In short, Timothy was to ask God for national rulers that were friendly towards Christians rather than hostile.

If Timothy prayed for this outcome, it seems only rational that Timothy would have also voted for this outcome (if such a system had existed during his time). Generally, when Christians pray for something to occur, they also apply themselves to the work necessary to achieve that outcome. We are the servants of God on the earth. It’s our responsibility to play our small part in seeing that God’s will is done in the areas we can have an impact. One such area is in voting for our elected officials.

While there will never be a perfect candidate (only Jesus is the perfect King), it is rarely the case that one candidate does not stand out above another in terms of honoring God’s principles and promoting biblical morality. While that candidate may not be an especially godly person, their platform generally retains some respect for the Creator and His virtues. They usually belong to a party that will, at the very least, give lip service to God rather than shaking their fist at Him and mocking Him in pride.  

We should pray for leaders who will allow us to live peaceful and godly lives, but we should also work to bring about that outcome. If we pray for the hungry to be fed but never serve at the food bank, what kind of prayer is that? If we pray for people to be saved but never make an effort to talk to people about Jesus, what kind of prayer is that? If we pray for our leaders to let us live peaceful and godly lives but don’t vote for those most likely to do it, what kind of prayer is that?

Who was Adam? - Bible Characters

Short Summary of Adam’s Life:

Adam was the first human created by God, according to the Bible. He lived in the Garden of Eden with his wife Eve, until they disobeyed God and were expelled. He is the father of all humankind and the ancestor of Jesus the Christ. Adam was formed from the dust of the ground and received the breath of life from God. He named all the animals and was given Eve as his companion. He ate the forbidden fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, which brought sin and death into the world. He had three sons who are named in the Bible, Cain, Abel, and Seth, and many other children. According to Genesis 5:5, he died at the age of 930.

Longer Summary of Adam’s Life:

Adam was the first human God created. He was made in the image and likeness of God, and given dominion over the earth and its creatures. He was placed in the Garden of Eden, a beautiful paradise-like garden where Adam had access to every tree except one, the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. God warned him that if he ate from that tree, he would surely die.

God saw that it was not good for Adam to be by himself, so he caused him to fall into a deep sleep and He used one of his ribs to form a woman, Adam named his wife “Eve” because she was the “mother of all living” (Genesis 3:20). She was bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh, and they became one flesh. They were both naked and they weren’t ashamed of it.

One day, a crafty serpent tempted Eve to eat from the forbidden tree. It lied to her and told her God’s threats were empty, telling her she definitely wouldn’t die if she ate the fruit, but she would become like God, knowing good and evil. Eve saw that the fruit was desirable and ate some. She gave some to Adam and he ate it too. Immediately, their eyes were opened, they realized they were naked, and they were ashamed. They used fig leaves to cover themselves and then they hid from God.

God came to the garden and called out to Adam, who confessed that he was afraid because he was naked. God asked him who told him he was naked, and if he had eaten from the tree that he commanded him not to eat from. Adam blamed Eve, and Eve blamed the serpent. God cursed the serpent to crawl on its belly and eat dust, and put enmity between it and the woman, and between their offspring. He also cursed the woman to have pain in childbirth and to be ruled by her husband. He cursed the man to have to work hard to produce food from the ground, which would also produce thorns and thistles. He said that he would return to the dust from which he was created.

God made garments of skin for Adam and Eve and clothed them. He then banished them from the Garden of Eden. This separated them from the Tree of Life and made them mortal, destined to eventually die. He placed cherubim (heavenly beings) and a flaming sword to guard the way to the Tree of Life.

Adam and Eve had children, starting with Cain and Abel. Cain worked in the fields and Abel was a shepherd. They both brought offerings to God, but God accepted Abel’s and rejected Cain’s. Cain became angry and killed his brother. God punished Cain by making him a wanderer on the earth, and put a mark on him to protect him from anyone who would kill him. Cain went to the land of Nod, east of Eden, and had a son named Enoch.

Adam and Eve had another son, named Seth, who was born when Adam was 130 years old. Seth had a son named Enosh. Adam had many other sons and daughters. Adam lived for 930 years and then he died. He is mentioned in the genealogies of Genesis 5, 1 Chronicles 1, Luke 3, and Jude 1. He is also referred to as a type of Christ (Romans 5), who is called the last Adam in 1 Corinthians 15.

5 Men and 5 Women You Should Know About in the Bible

The Bible is full of all kinds of colorful historical characters. Learning about them all will take a lifetime, but its worth highlighting a few significant ones. Here are 5 men and 5 women who are central to the Bible story.

5 Men You Should Know About in the Bible

1. Adam – The first man God created. He was also the first man to sin. Which introduced the problem of sin into the world.

2. Abraham – He was the father of the Israelite nation, part of which would later become known as the Jews. God made him a promise to bless the entire world through his children.

3. Moses – God used Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egyptian slavery. He received God’s law for the Jews on Mount Sinai. God’s Old Testament law is sometimes called the law of Moses.

4. David – The second King of Israel. God promised him his descendants would reign on his throne forever.

5. Jesus – The whole Bible centers around Jesus. He was God in the flesh. He fixed Adam’s sin problem. He was a descendant of Abraham and a blessing to the whole world. He fulfilled the Law of Moses.

5 Women You Should Know in the Bible

1. Eve – The first woman created by God, she disobeyed God and broke God’s command in the Garden of Eden, bringing sin into the world.

2. Ruth – A book in the Bible is named after her. She was not an Israelite woman, but a Moabite. She married Boaz and became the great grandmother of King David.

3. Esther – She also has a book named after her. She saved the Israelite people from a genocide orchestrated by an evil man named Haman.

4. Mary of Nazareth – God selected Mary to be the mother of Jesus. She conceived Jesus as a virgin and raised him with her husband Joseph.

5. Mary Magdalene – A prominent disciple of Jesus during His ministry. Jesus gave Mary Magdalene the privilege of being the first person to see Him after His resurrection.

Decision Paralysis When Trying to Serve God

“One of the best ways to overcome the perfectionistic fear of making a mistake in what you decide to do is to realize that deciding nothing is the biggest mistake. There’s your deal-breaker. That’ll get you going. In other words, you are not in a neutral zone. There are no neutral zones. Not to move toward a God-sized goal in this next season of your life is to disobey. So, standing still is not an option, because it means you’re drifting. You’re never standing still — you’re drifting and you’re coasting with the culture and the way of the world.” - John Piper

Have you struggled to make a decision because you don’t want to make a wrong one? Has this ever happened in your Christian walk when you’re trying to discern the will of God for your life? In this article, John Piper addresses the dilemma of perfectionism in decision making.

Article on Desiring God Website - Decision Paralysis When Trying to Serve God

Daily Bible Study Through the Book of Joshua

2BeLikeChrist leads us through a series of 5-minute Bible studies through the Book of Joshua in the Old Testament. Each study is on YouTube and a free PDF outline is available on their website.

Link to the first study: Joshua 1

The Great Divorce - C.S. Lewis - An Allegory of Faith.

I just finished reading The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis, and I happily recommend it to anyone who wants a unique read on the Christian life. It was written by an original thinker and is unlike anything else on most Christian bookstore shelves. It’s only 160 short pages long.

Goodreads.com summarizes it this way… “a classic Christian allegorical tale about a bus ride from hell to heaven. An extraordinary meditation upon good and evil, grace and judgment…”

Link to the Book: The Great Divorce - C.S. Lewis