Pastoral Epistles: 1 Timothy 2:2 - Striving for Societal Peace

I don’t know about you, but I like quiet and tranquil as opposed to loud and chaotic. The adjectives quiet and tranquil are rare to the New Testament. Tranquil, appearing only here in the New Testament, refers to the absence of external disturbances. The latter, translated quiet, appears only here and in 1 Peter 3:4, refers to the absence of internal disturbances. When the church manifests its love and goodness toward all and pours itself into compassionate, concerned prayer for the lost, it will lessen the hostility that may exist and the saints may enjoy freedom from both internal and external disturbances. It will certainly lead to a lack of internal disturbances as such behavior cannot guarantee that we will not be attacked externally. To promote a tranquil and quiet life, believers must pursue “godliness and dignity.” Godliness is a common word in the pastoral epistles and carries the idea of reverence toward the Lord. We re to live for the majesty, holiness, love, and glory of God.