Let’s look at 1 Timothy in it’s proper context:
1 Timothy Chpt 2:
[1-5] First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, godly and respectful in every way. This is good, and it is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
Paul is urging us to prayerfully intercede for not only one another but for those in authority. Paul says that intercessory prayer is good and acceptable to God.
Also 1 Cor 3:9 For we are God’s fellow workers…(RSV)
Some translations have, “For we are God’s co-workers…”(NAB)
God has willed that we work with Christ for the salvation of men and women. Salvation is ultimately God’s work in Christ, but we are Christ’s brothers and sisters. We are “other Christs”, children of God and co-heirs with Christ, anointed-which is what “Christ” means- with the Spirit of God to cooperate with God to bring about the salvation of others and to bring about the kingdom of God. All this is God’s gift to us for without Him we wouldn’t even know where to begin.
Now you’ll argue that God prohibits communicating with the dead.
True. But you forget your scripture.
Mat 22:32 `I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not God of the dead, but of the living."
Those Saints in heaven are alive, not dead, I would argue that they’re more alive than we are.
Now do the prayers of those in heaven do anything? Let’s look at John’s Apocalypse:
Rev 6:9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne;10 they cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before thou wilt judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell upon the earth?”
Also…
Rev 8:3-4 "And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer; and he was given much incense to mingle with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar before the throne; and the smoke of the incense rose with the prayers of the saints from the hand of the angel before God.
So here we see Saints in not just alive, not only standing as silent witnesses, but giving testimony and praying for justice to Almighty God.
Read also (1 Kings 2:13, 19-20) Then Adoni’jah the son of Haggith came to Bathshe’ba the mother of Solomon. And she said, “Do you come peaceably?” He said, “Peaceably.” **So Bathshe’ba went to King Solomon, to speak to him on behalf of Adoni’jah. And the king rose to meet her, and bowed down to her; then he sat on his throne, and had a seat brought for the king’s mother; and she sat on his right. ** Then she said, “I have one small request to make of you; do not refuse me.” And the king said to her, **“Make your request, my mother; for I will not refuse you.” **
Now if we agree that in biblical theology God gave us the Old Covenent so that when He established the New we, with His grace, would recognize it; we see here the mother of the King interceding to the King on behalf of his subjects. The passage speaks volumes about court protocol in ancient Israel.
The mother-Bathsheba- enters the chamber and the King not only rises but bows to her. And then he orders that a seat be placed at his right-the place of honor. All other subjects would bow to him, so it’s obvious that Bathsheba holds a singular position.
In being “like other nations” Israel’s kings had multiple wives. So the dilemma was who do you honor as the queen? The answer was simple, the queen was the mother of the king.
Don’t think so?
1 Kings 15:13 He also removed Ma’acah his mother from being **queen mother **because she had an abominable image made for Ashe’rah; and Asa cut down her image and burned it at the brook Kidron.
2 Kings 10:13 Jehu met the kinsmen of Ahazi’ah king of Judah, and he said, “Who are you?” And they answered, “We are the kinsmen of Ahazi’ah, and we came down to visit the royal princes and the sons of the queen mother.”
Jer 29:2 This was after King Jeconi’ah, and the queen mother, the eunuchs, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the smiths had departed from Jerusalem.
Throughout the books of 1st and 2nd Kings, every king that is named is followed by the name of that king’s mother. One who is truly familiar with Israel would know that that is no literary mistake.
But none of these came close to the true Queen Mother, the one who sits at her Son’s right hand and who intercedes on behalf of her other children, the brothers and sisters of her Son, the King of Kings. The one who is His spouse, His mother, and the Church personified. Her name is Mary.
I love you Mom.
