Is Jesus Christ Your Mediator?

(1 Timothy 2:5, 6) For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, a man, Christ Jesus, ⁶ who gave himself a corresponding ransom for all—this is what is to be witnessed to in its own due time.

The Watchtower society teaches that Jesus Christ is the mediator of a new covenant between God and only 144,000 Christians that have received a special anointing and are invited to rule with Christ in heaven.

In a questions from readers article, the Watchtower August 15, 1989 explains:

“To grasp what Paul is saying, we must first appreciate that the Bible sets out two destinies for faithful humans: (1) perfect life on a restored earthly paradise and (2) life in heaven for Christ’s “little flock,” numbering 144,000. (Luke 12:32; Revelation 5:10; 14:1-3)”

That the Bible sets out two destinies for faithful humans is merely an assertion with no proof. At the time Jesus spoke about a little flock receiving the kingdom (Luke 12:32) all were anointed Christians. (See The Watchtower January 2020 pgs. 30-31 par. 14)

So when Paul wrote 1 Timothy, Christ served as the mediator for all Christians not just a special heavenly class. Furthermore, there is no proof that the number of 144,000 kingdom heirs spoken of in Revelation is to be taken literally. Rather, the weight of scriptural evidence is to the contrary. In any event the Bible only mentions one hope for Christians. (Eph. 4:4-6)

Paul says that Jesus Christ is the mediator between God and men. Are we to understand this to mean all men or just some? The context clearly indicates that it is all men:

(1 Timothy 2:1-5)First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving be made concerning all sorts of men, ² concerning kings and all those who are in high positions, so that we may go on leading a calm and quiet life with complete godly devotion and seriousness. ³ This is fine and acceptable in the sight of our Savior, God, ⁴ whose will is that all sorts of people should be saved and come to an accurate knowledge of truth. ⁵ For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, a man, Christ Jesus,

Beginning verse 5 with the word “For” is an indication that Paul is continuing his thought about “all sorts of men”. Ignoring this the article turns to the definition of the Greek word for mediator:

“The Greek word me·siʹtes, used for “mediator,” means ‘one who finds himself between two bodies or parties.’ It was a ‘many-sided technical term of Hellenistic legal language.’ Professor Albrecht Oepke (Theological Dictionary of the New Testament) says that me·siʹtes was “one of the most varied technical terms in the vocabulary of Hellen[istic] law.” (Vol. IV pg. 599)

Here the article gives the impression that mesites is a legal term and is only used in legal matters. Is that the case? “A many sided technical term” “one of the most varied technical terms in the vocabulary of Hellenistic law.” Does technical mean legal? And if so, what bearing would this have on whether or not he serves as the mediator for all humans?

Is the term mesites [str. 3316] only used in a legal way? The same reference under technical says: 1. “to act as umpire or peacemaker.” (pg. 601) Obviously one does not have to be a lawyer to be an umpire or to intervene in order to restore peace and friendship between two parties.

It goes on to say:

In addition to the technical sense the word seems to have had two less precise meanings: 2. The “intermediary” in the general spatial sense; 3. The “mediator” or “negotiator” in the sense of one who establishes a relation which would not otherwise exist.” (TDNT pg. 601)

Thayer’s Greek English Lexicon provides this definition:

1) one who intervenes between two, either in order to make or restore peace and friendship, or form a compact, or for ratifying a covenant

2) a medium of communication, arbitrator (J. H. Thayer’s Greek English Lexicon of the New Testament)

Vine’s Expository Dictionary states:

Mesites lit., “a go-between”…is used in two ways in the NT, (a) “one who mediates” between two parties with a view to producing peace, as in 1 Tim. 2:5…(b) “one who acts as a guarantee” so as to secure something which otherwise would not be obtained. Thus in Heb. 8:6; 9:15; 12:24 Christ is the Surety of “the better covenant”,: “the new covenant,” guaranteeing its terms for His people.”(Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words.)

Of course, more important than the literal meaning of the word in Greek or its technical usage, is what meaning is attributed to it by Paul. The article argues that Paul is using it in a legal sense:

“As background, consider what Paul wrote about God’s Law given to Israel assembled before Mount Sinai: “It was transmitted through angels by the hand of a mediator.” (Galatians 3:19, 20) That mediator was Moses. He was the intermediary agent between Jehovah and the fleshly nation of Israel. An agent for what? For establishing a covenant, or legal contract, between God and the nation.”

Does this mean that there is a specific legal sense involved in Jesus’ role as Mediator? Yes. Note Paul’s comment at Hebrews 8:6. After speaking about the tabernacle and other typical representations under the Law covenant, he wrote: “Jesus has obtained a more excellent public service, so that he is also the mediator of a correspondingly better covenant, which has been legally established upon better promises.” The “better covenant” was the new covenant, which replaced the covenant mediated by Moses. (Hebrews 8:7-13) The new covenant was “legally established.” It laid the basis for some of Christ’s followers, beginning with the apostles, to gain “entry into the holy place,” heaven itself.—Hebrews 9:24; 10:16-19.

First of all, while it is true that Jesus is the mediator of the new covenant, nothing is said in 1 Timothy about God establishing a covenant with anyone, not even Christians. Remember, the context indicates that Paul was speaking about “all sorts of men”. Secondly, was establishing the covenant between God and the nation the only function Moses served? Did he not also serve as a medium of communication, an arbitrator between the people and God?

Likewise, are we to understand that Jesus’ only role is to serve as a lawyer so to speak, bringing about a legal contract? Even if Paul had in mind drawing a comparison with the Law Covenant, for whom was Moses the mediator? All of the Jews or just the priestly class? All Jews were in the Law Covenant.

Yet despite the fact that 1 Timothy says nothing about a covenant, the article states:

“This should help us to understand 1 Timothy 2:5, 6. Here the reference to “mediator” was made after the five other occurrences of the word in letters written earlier. Hence, Timothy would have understood Jesus’ mediatorship to be His legal role connected with the new covenant. The Pastoral Epistles, by Dibelius and Conzelmann, acknowledges that at 1 Timothy 2:5 ‘the term “mediator” has a legal significance,’ and “although in this passage, in contrast to Heb 8:6, the [covenant] is not mentioned, one must nevertheless presuppose the meaning ‘mediator of the covenant,’ as the context shows.” Professor Oepke observes that 1 Timothy 2:5 presents Jesus as “the attorney and negotiator.”

The article appeals to the book “The Pastoral Epistles” for support that somehow the context shows that Paul was talking about the new covenant in 1 Timothy. Do you see the contextual support? Professor Oepke does indeed present Jesus as the “attorney and negotiator” (pg. 619) But who are the two parties he has in mind? Consider his statement in context:

“The mediator between God and Israel, on which Jewish particularism relies, is replaced by the mesites theou kai anthropon, who in correspondence with the singularity of God and total humanity is one. He is expressly called man to emphasise that he belongs to all who bear the face of man. The universal validity of His mediatorial self-offering to death gives all a share in salvation from God’s standpoint. This saving act is the central theme of the apostolic witness addressed to all. The mesites is the One who represents God to men and men to God and brings them together. He is the attorney and negotiator…”

Thus, in order to prove their point, the society not only takes Paul’s statement out of context, but also professor Oepke. Clearly his point is just as Moses served as mediator between God and the nation of Israel, Jesus serves as mediator between God and all sorts of men.

The word mesites occurs 6 times in the Greek scriptures. (Gal. 3:19,20; 1 Tim. 2:5; Heb. 8:6; 9:15; 12:24)

According to Hastings Dictionary of the Bible:

“… all the passages that speak of Jesus as ‘Mediator’ do it in direct connexion with His sacrificial death; 1Ti 2:5 ‘one mediator between God and men, himself man, Christ Jesus’ connects with 1Ti 2:6 ‘who gave himself a ransom for all’; Heb 9:15 declares: ‘For this cause he is the mediator of a new covenant, that a death having taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first covenant’ (cf. Rom 3:25); Heb 12:24, where to come ‘to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant’ is to come ‘to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better than that of Abel’; so also Heb 8:6 (cf. the context, Heb 8:3). It is this fact, that Jesus has made the perfect sacrifice for sin, coupled with His unique dignity, as Son of God, which constitutes Him the Mediator sui generis.”

Galatians 3:19 speaks about the law coming about by the hand of a mediator, referring to Moses. In what way did Moses function as a mediator?

The book Insight on the Scriptures states:

“With the blood of animal sacrifices Moses sprinkled the book of the covenant, representing Jehovah as one “party,” and the people (no doubt the representative older men) as the other “party.” He read the book of the covenant to the people, who replied, “All that Jehovah has spoken we are willing to do and be obedient.” (Ex 24:3-8; Heb 9:19) In his office of mediator, Moses was privileged to oversee the building of the tabernacle and the making of its utensils, the pattern of which God gave to him, and to install the priesthood in office, anointing the tabernacle and Aaron the high priest with the oil of special composition. Then he took oversight of the first official services of the newly consecrated priesthood.—Ex chaps 25-29; Le chaps 8, 9. (Insight on the Scriptures vol. 2 pg. 437)

Was it only as respects the law covenant that Moses served as a mediator?

Insight on the Scriptures continues:

“When Moses was in the mountain, Jehovah informed him that the people had turned to idolatry and Jehovah said: “Now let me be, that my anger may blaze against them and I may exterminate them, and let me make you into a great nation.” Moses’ immediate reply revealed that the sanctification of Jehovah’s name was the thing of primary importance to him—that he was completely unselfish and did not desire fame for himself. He asked nothing for himself but, rather, showed concern for Jehovah’s name that He had recently exalted by the Red Sea miracle, and regard for God’s promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jehovah, in approval of Moses’ plea, spared the people. Here it is seen that Jehovah regarded Moses as satisfactorily filling his mediatorial role and that He respected the arrangement through which he had appointed Moses to that office. Thus, Jehovah “began to feel regret over the evil that he had spoken of doing to his people”—that is, because of altered circumstances, he changed his attitude regarding bringing evil upon them.—Ex 32:7-14. (Insight on the Scriptures vol. 2 pg. 437)

Hence, Moses mediatorial role also included serving as an umpire or go-between in order to restore peace between God and the Israelites.

Amazingly the article shows that Christ’s role involved more than serving as mediator between God and those in the new covenant:

“The people of all nations who have the hope of everlasting life on earth benefit even now from Jesus’ services. Though he is not their legal Mediator, for they are not in the new covenant, he is their means of approaching Jehovah. Christ said: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) All who will gain life on earth must direct their prayers to Jehovah through Jesus. (John 14:13, 23, 24) Jesus also serves as a compassionate High Priest who is able to apply in their behalf the benefits of his sacrifice, allowing them to gain forgiveness and eventual salvation.—Acts 4:12; Hebrews 4:15.”

This is precisely the point Paul is making in 1 Timothy 2:5,6. In addition to legally establishing the new covenant between God and all Christians, not merely an elite group, it should be obvious that Jesus serves as mediator in all of these ways. It’s almost as if the Watchtower society is attempting to redefine the word mediator as something that can only be applied to a certain select few in a legal sense. But, according to Paul, just as all Israelites, in order to have God’s approval, had to recognize Moses as the channel that he was using, all mankind must recognize Jesus as God’s channel in order to gain everlasting life.

The NICNT comments:

Still, there is but one Mediator. One must address God through Yeshua; only then is there assurance that God is near, hearing our prayers. Why Yeshua? Because, on the one side, being himself human he is “near” our humanity; but being himself also divine, he is “near” the Father in a way that we are not. “No one has ever seen God; but the Only One, identical with God, the one at the Father’s side”-Yeshua-“he has made him known” (Joh 1:18). He and the Father are one (Joh 10:31), in him lives the fullness of all that God is (Col 2:9), and he is right now “at God’s right hand” interceding for his people (Heb. 7:25-Heb. 8:2).

In at least five ways is Yeshua a middleman for mankind, Jews and Gentiles alike. Besides being (1) prophet, (2) priest, (3) king and (4) mediator of the new covenant with Israel, he is (5) the ransom on behalf of all, as he himself said (Mar 10:45), bridging the gap we human beings have created between ourselves and God by our sins, the gap spoken of in Isa 59:1-2 :

“See, the hand of Adonai is not shortened, so that it cannot save; nor is his ear heavy, so that it cannot hear. Rather, your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.”

Middlemen ease the way for others. Because Yeshua is without sin, so that Isa 59:2 does not apply to him as it does to us, he eases our way into the presence of God. We can approach God because he accepts us as if we had not sinned, provided we have put our trust in Yeshua, who ransomed us. The other mediators were “types,” indicators pointing to him. (New International Commentary on the New Testament)

But still trying to establish their point that this is a special restricted mediatorial role the article concludes by stating:

“Consequently, 1 Timothy 2:5, 6 is not using “mediator” in the broad sense common in many languages. It is not saying that Jesus is a mediator between God and all mankind. Rather, it refers to Christ as legal Mediator (or, “attorney”) of the new covenant, this being the restricted way in which the Bible uses the term. Jesus is also a corresponding ransom for all in that covenant, both Jews and Gentiles, who will receive immortal life in heaven. The apostle John referred to these at 1 John 2:2. But he indicated that others too will receive the benefit of Christ’s sacrifice: “He is a propitiatory sacrifice for our sins, yet not for ours only but also for the whole world’s.” (The Watchtower August 15, 1989 pgs. 30-31)

Contrary to their argument, 1 Timothy 2:6 is not talking about legally establishing the covenant. It is talking about Christ’s ransom sacrifice. The words “in that covenant” do not appear in the verse. It simply says that Jesus gave himself a corresponding ransom for all. 1 John 2:2 confirms this by using the expression “for the whole world’s” Paul’s concluding sentence in the verse reads: “this is what is to be witnessed to at its own particular times.”

Since the Watchtower society teaches that Christ is only the mediator for a limited few anointed witnesses, one wonders what this means for the vast number of witnesses that are not considered part of that anointed class. Does this mean they have no mediator? Or do they have another mediator?

In this illustration, presented in the April 2013 issue of the Watchtower, seated on his throne surrounded by a rainbow, we see Jehovah depicted as head over his organization. (Rev. 4:3) If you look carefully, Jesus is not depicted. According to this picture then, who would serve as mediator between God and men? The governing body? Is this the message of the Bible? Was not Jesus granted all authority in heaven and on earth? (Matt. 28:18; 1 Cor. 15:27) Why then is this not considered Jesus’ organization? Personally I believe this is an oversight since they regularly feature Jesus in their illustrations. But that such an oversight can be made is indeed alarming.

The message of the good news was that Jesus died and was resurrected in order to reconcile mankind back to God. (2 Cor. 5:18-20) This message was to be preached to all nations. (Matt. 24:14)

Furthermore, the apostle John says nothing about a restored earthly paradise. Since their preaching was to gain new sons of the kingdom we can only conclude that the kingdom hope would be extended to the whole world. To all those rightly disposed for everlasting life. (Acts 13:48)

What will be accomplished by the sons of God is another story. (Rom. 8:19-21)