1 Timothy 2:6 Commentary and Bible Study

‘Who gave himself a ransom for all.’ Not literally every single one who has ever lived, but people out of every land and nation and type, all types and groups. He gave himself as a ransom for all, a purchase price sin. In a mysterious way our guilt constitutes a huge debt to God. That debt will be met by eternal punishment except in the case of all who are redeemed, for whom Christ came and took the debt upon himself, and suffered and died and paid the ransom price. ‘To be testified’, to be spoken of, to be the subject of the testimony, ‘in due time’, at the proper time. What is the proper time? The gospel age, from the moment Christ came, and paid the price, offered up his righteousness, that was the beginning of the testimony and the substance of the testimony. He was signified and typified in the Old Testament by the elaborate ceremonial worship that was given to the Jews. The high priest entered once a year into the holy of holies. He symbolised Christ, who would come and be witnessed to at the proper time when prophecy would be fulfilled, at the time in the plan of God when he would carry out his mighty and everlasting redeeming work. Christ also witnessed in his own person, by his holy character, and by his teaching. He taught as no other man ever taught by his miracles, thousands of them, compassionate healing miracles, and other miracles also. He witnessed to his own power and divinity and his purpose to save. Add to that the witness of the apostles, who most of them died for him the witness of the early church. The witness of the whole of the church age of which we are part is also included. We live in the age of the gospel when the role of the church is to testify to Jesus Christ, the only mediator. The due time is running still, and it runs until the return of Christ: the age of the gospel, the age of Christ, ‘who gave himself a ransom for all.’