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First, I want you to pray for all people. Ask God to help and bless them. Give thanks for them. 2 Pray for kings. Pray for everyone who is in authority. Pray that we can live peaceful and quiet lives. And pray that we will be godly and holy. 3 This is good, and it pleases God our Saviour. 4 He wants all people to be saved. He wants them to come to know the truth. 5 There is only one God. And there is only one go-between for God and human beings. He is the man Christ Jesus. 6 He gave himself to pay for the sins of all people. We have been told this message at just the right time. 7 I was appointed to be a messenger and an apostle to preach the good news. I am telling the truth. I'm not lying. God appointed me to be a true and faithful teacher of the Gentiles. 2:1–7 Paul made it clear that God wants to save everyone. So Timothy and the believers should pray for all people. They should also pray for all rulers everywhere. Rulers can bring peace and order to their countries. This is helpful for believers as they follow Jesus and spread the good news. Preaching the truth about Jesus was Paul's goal. Jesus is both a human being and God at the same time. Jesus brings God and human beings back together. That is what it means for Jesus to be the go-between. The truth about God is different from what people in Ephesus believed in Paul's time. Most people in Ephesus worshipped the goddess Artemis and also worshipped the Roman ruler Caesar. But Paul said there is only one God. No ruler on earth is God and no one but God can save people.
8 So I want the men in every place to pray. I want them to lift up holy hands. I don't want them to be angry when they pray. I don't want them to argue. 9 In the same way, I want the women to be careful how they dress. They should wear clothes that are right and proper. They shouldn't wear their hair in very fancy styles. They shouldn't wear gold or pearls. They shouldn't wear clothes that cost a lot of money. 10 Instead, they should put on good works as if good works were their clothes. This is proper for women who claim to worship God.
11 When a woman is learning, she should be quiet. She should follow her leaders in every way. 12 I do not let women teach or take authority over a man. They must be quiet. 13 That's because Adam was made first. Then Eve was made. 14 Adam was not the one who was tricked. The woman was tricked and became a sinner. 15 Will women be saved by having children? Only if they keep on believing, loving, and leading a holy life in a proper way.
2:8–15 Jewish women usually didn't speak during services in synagogues. It was different in the worship services of believers. In the community of Jesus' followers, both men and women spoke and prophesied. Both men and women served as deacons. Yet in the city of Ephesus women who weren't believers led the worship of Artemis. Artemis was a false god. This concerned Paul. So he instructed Timothy about how men and women in Ephesus should act during worship services. Prayer is a holy practice. It wasn't to be used as a way for people to argue with each other. People's bodies are also holy. Clothing wasn't to be used to show off. The good works that people did as they followed Jesus should be what others noticed. Paul encouraged all people to study and learn. This would help them to not be tricked by lies about God. God is the only Saviour and the only one worthy of worship. People are saved by believing in Jesus and following him.