Not only Jesus but also the Apostle Paul declared for the churches to have a Civil Mandate. Not only that, but Paul declares that the church’s civil mandate should be its “first” priority!

Paul introudces this civil government subject by thereofore declaring Jesus’s civil title - “King eternal!” Then Paul gives Timothy his “charge” to “wage the good warfare” right before he declares to Timothy what is the church’s civil mandate (1 Tim. 1:17-18 NKJV):

“Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare.”

Then the very next chapter Paul starts out declaring this (1 Tim. 2:1a):

“First of all, then, I urge that…”

Paul declares the churches “First…,” priority number one - “First of all”! Paul even pleads with them to obey it, “… I urge that…” And here is what it is (1 Tim. 2:1):

“First of all, then, I urge that requests, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving be made on behalf of all people,”

This is where most Christians stop. Wonderful Christians do pray for others and that is good. But Paul did not stop there. He then gave instructions on who specifically to pray for and for what specifically to pray! (1 Tim. 2:2a):

“…for kings and all who are in authority,”

For whom to specifically pray? - Kings and all civil authorities! Remember, Paul prefaced all of this as church’s first priority - Kings and civil authorities. Let this sink in. You’ll eventually see why this is God’s first priority for the church.

But Paul did not stop here either. He said what specifically to pray for them (1 Tim. 2:2):

“…for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.”

For what to specifically pray? For what specifically benefits Christians! It was all for the benefit of Christians in two general areas:

* That Christians could live a “tranquil and quiet life,” that they could have peace and be free from persecution. We read in Acts how the Christians were out “turning the world upside down” and being greatly persecuted. With peace the gospel could be spread more freely and not be suppressed.

* That Christians could live “godly” lives without being hindered in following Jesus. Part of living a godly life would be obeying Jesus in confessing to others about the Lord Jesus. Also, that Christians would have “dignity,” which by definition means that would be viewed with “honor and respect.” This is also important for reaching cities with the gospel. Authorities can mock Christians or have them be viewed with honor and respect. Non-Christians do not respect the message if they don’t respect the messengers.

After Paul declares the civil mandate to be the church’s first priority, Paul then says what God thinks about it (1 Tim. 2:3):

“This is good and pleases God our Savior,”

There are ONLY six places in the New Testament where it says what “pleases God.” The church’s civil mandate is one of them and it’s the only one where God says it’s the “first” priority for the church.

What Paul says next in the verse is the foundation for the civil mandate (1 Tim. 2:4):

“This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

To reject Paul’s civil mandate for the church today is to reject what “pleases God,” and to fully accomplish what “God… wants” - so authorities will rule for Christians benefit to be able to disciple the nation - “all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

But didn’t Paul only mandate to “pray” for civil authorities?

Yes, because in some countries that is all you could do. However, in the Old or New Testament God NEVER answered any prayer or request from anyone if they could do anything to help fulfill what they prayed for or wanted or needed.

However, in many countries as in America:

* You can vote.

* You can contribute financially to a candidate.

* You can help campaign in many ways for a candidate.

* You can even run for civil office yourself.

Every prayer or request that was ever made to Jesus, He NEVER did anything until His people did EVERYTHING they could do to help the situation. Here are just two examples:

* Raising Lazarus from the dead.

* First, Jesus told them to roll the heavy tomb stone away themselves.

* Second, Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead but that was all He did.

* Third (John 11:44), “Out came the man who had died, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

* Lazarus was wrapped up like a mummy, but Jesus did not even raise Lazarus unbound.

* Feeding the 5000 (plus “wives and children”, estimate over 30,000).

* First, the disciples had to get all the fish and loaves of bread they or anyone else had and bring it all to Jesus.

* Second, the disciples had to organize the 30,000 in small groups all over the side of the mountain.

* Third, the disciples had to walk up and down the mountain handing out all the fish and loaves of bread to the 30,000.

* Fourth, the disciples had to then go back up and down the mountain gathering all the leftovers from all 30,000 and bring it back to Jesus.

* Jesus did not do one thing that was physically possible that any of the disciples could do!

God will NOT make your city or national government (rulers & laws) good, certainly not with godly rulers and God’s Law, if you do nothing but only pray!

The Apostle James makes this truly clear (James 2:17):

“Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”

You can pray in faith all day long, but if you take no action to help DO whatever you are praying for, your prayer faith is “DEAD” with God!

If you think prayer alone will change anything that God gives you a mind and strength to help accomplish, you’re only deceiving yourself (James 1:22):

“Prove yourselves doers of the word, and not just hearers who deceive themselves.”

Solomon also said (Prov. 3:27):

“Do not withhold good… when it’s in your power to help.”

To conclude:

If Paul said, “First of all… to pray… for all authorities,” then Paul commissioned a civil mandate for all churches today! Moreover, now you know, anytime you are to pray for something - “when it’s in your power to help,” it must also be “accompanied by action,” and “prove yourselves doers!”

If all geniune Christians only voted, and for wise godly men, America would soon become a Christian nation with God’s Law reinstated - to the glory of God and His Son - King Jesus. We saw how Jesus’s Great Commission was His civil mandate. We saw here, Paul’s first priority for the church is a civil mandate (Acts 17:27):

“God’s purpose for the nations is to seek after God and therefore feel their way towards Him and find Him.”

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