A mediator can be defined as one who interposes between parties in order to reconcile them. At 1 Timothy 2:5, 6, the apostle Paul explains to Timothy that Jesus is the mediator between God and men. Yes, the relationship between God and sinful men needed a mediator in order to reconcile the two opposing parties. Jesus, the promised Christ and Messiah, proved to be that mediator. His death paved the way to ransom mankind from sin and death, thus restoring the severed relationship.
The concept of the ransom is in itself a serious topic that all Christians need to study and understand; however, we are not going to go into that subject or why it was necessary. Our focus will remain on the fact that the Bible specifically addresses Jesus Christ as the mediator between God and men. The question being: who are the men that Jesus mediates for?
A Mediator for Whom?
Is Jesus your mediator? Impulsively Jehovah's Witnesses will likely want to answer in the affirmative. However, a learned Witness who is up-to-date on his beliefs will likely answer “no.” This may or may not surprise you. The publication Worldwide Security Under the “Prince of Peace” answers: “Likewise, the Greater Moses, Jesus Christ, is not the Mediator between Jehovah God and all mankind. He is the Mediator between his heavenly Father, Jehovah God, and the nation of spiritual Israel, which is limited to only 144,000 members.” (ws pp. 10-11 par. 16) According to the beliefs of Jehovah’s Witnesses, Jesus Christ is mediator only for the anointed 144,000. He is not the mediator for the non-anointed “Other Sheep” as well as the rest of mankind.
Surprisingly, many Witnesses are not aware of this detail in their beliefs. Actually, this has not always been the official interpretation of 1 Timothy 2:5. When referencing this verse, The Watchtower stated an alternative view in 1974: “As to his love for the people whom he will rule, Jesus gave his life so that they could have their sins and imperfections removed. He bought the human race—all of them, from the greatest to the least.” (w1974 2/1 p. 70) At that time it appeared that Jesus’ mediatorship involved all mankind and applied to those who faithfully followed him and served Jehovah.
Then in late 1979 a change occurred regarding this teaching. In a study article titled, “Benefiting from ‘One Mediator Between God and Men’”, The Watchtower laid the groundwork for the change by pointing out that the phrase “between God and men” does not actually say “all men”. Then the lesson continued stating:
Jesus’ "corresponding ransom for all" lays the basis for men and women of all sorts to become spiritual Israelites and be brought into the new covenant of which Christ Jesus is the "one mediator." There are still more than 9,000 who profess to be spiritual Israelites in the new covenant. Like Paul and Timothy, these are ‘ministers of a new covenant.’ (2 Cor. 3:6; 1:1) Evidently the new covenant is nearing the end of its operation for the purpose of producing 144,000 spiritual Israelites who meet God’s approval for being associated with Jesus Christ in the heavenly kingdom, the ideal government for mankind. –w1979 11/15 pp. 26-27 pars. 20-22.
Just like that, the majority of Witnesses who are not part of the 144,000 anointed remnant found themselves without a mediator. Evidently, according to the revised teaching, we need a ransom –just not a mediator. Not surprisingly, questions began pouring in from everywhere. The Watchtower addressed these questions a few months later in the April 1, 1979, “Questions From Readers”.
The Watchtower again addressed the topic in the August 15, 1989 edition under “Questions From Readers”. In a rather lengthy and complicated explanation, it defines what the Greek word for “mediator” means, and the use of it as a legal term. However, could this once simple teaching really be so complicated? Paul says “there is one God, and one mediator between God and men.” How could a verse that was so universal in its understanding and application suddenly be wrong –limited now to only 144,000 Christians?
“All Sorts of Men”
To test this inspired expression, let us first consider the context of Paul’s words:
I therefore exhort, first of all, that supplications, prayers, intercessions, offerings of thanks, be made concerning all sorts of men, concerning kings and all those who are in high station; in order that we may go on leading a calm and quiet life with full godly devotion and seriousness. This is fine and acceptable in the sight of our Savior, God, whose will is that all sorts of men should be saved and come to an accurate knowledge of truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, a man, Christ Jesus, who gave himself a corresponding ransom for all—[this is] what is to be witnessed to at its own particular times. For the purpose of this witness I was appointed a preacher and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying—a teacher of nations in the matter of faith and truth. –1 Timothy 2:1-7.
Review the context. Understand its point. What is Paul trying to say? When reading these verses, to what kind of men is he referring? At first he exhorts that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and offerings of thanks be made concerning “kings and all those who are in high station”. Were these men anointed Christians? It is safe to assume they were not. Next, he says that it is God’s will that “all sorts of men should be saved and come to an accurate knowledge of truth”. Obviously, these men are not anointed Christians either since they had not come to an accurate knowledge of truth yet.
After mentioning Jesus as the mediator, Paul then says that Jesus “gave himself a corresponding ransom for all”. Did Jesus give himself a ransom for only the anointed 144,000? Of course not! Lastly, Paul shows that it is his purpose to witness to the “nations” that Jesus is mediator and ransomer. Clearly, all the men mentioned in the context of these verses were not anointed Christians.
Next, when we examine the word “men” in the phrase “between God and men”, we discover the Greek word anthropon. This is a derivative of the word anthrópos, which is the generic term for mankind, the human race, all people –men and women. For example, Jesus used the word anthropon at Matthew 4:19 when he said, “Come after me, and I will make YOU fishers of men [anthropon].” Jesus again used the word at Luke 19:30, “Go into the village that is within sight of YOU, and in it after YOU pass in YOU will find a colt tied, on which none of mankind [anthropon] ever sat.”
Paul used the word anthropon at 1 Timothy 4:10, “For to this end we are working hard and exerting ourselves, because we have rested our hope on a living God, who is a Savior of all sorts of men [anthropon], especially of faithful ones.” Certainly, anthropon in this verse is not limited to anointed Christians, but to all mankind –including ones who are not faithful Christians.
Paul also used the word anthropon at 1 Timothy 2:1, “I therefore exhort, first of all, that supplications, prayers, intercessions, offerings of thanks, be made concerning all sorts of men [anthropon].” He then used the same word again a few verses later when he said, “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men [anthropon], a man, Christ Jesus.” According to this Greek word, Jesus, therefore, must be the mediator between God and mankind in general. The Watchtower makes note that Paul did not use the phrase “between God and all men”; however, the word anthropon implies all men –mankind in general –just as it does in all the other scriptural references.
Lastly, does it make sense that Jesus would give himself as a ransom for all, but not mediate for all he ransomed? In one concise statement Paul says: “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, a man, Christ Jesus, who gave himself a corresponding ransom for all—[this is] what is to be witnessed to at its own particular times.” To say Jesus is mediator for only the 144,000 anointed Christians would be like saying Jehovah is the “one God” only for the 144,000. It just does not make sense that this would be the case.
WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men [anthropon], a man, Christ Jesus, who gave himself a corresponding ransom for all—[this is] what is to be witnessed to at its own particular times.” –1 Timothy 2:5, 6
WHAT WATCHTOWER TEACHES“… Jesus Christ, is not the Mediator between Jehovah God and all mankind. He is the Mediator between his heavenly Father, Jehovah God, and the nation of spiritual Israel, which is limited to only 144,000 members.” (Worldwide Security Under the “Prince of Peace”, chap. 1 pp. 10-11 par. 16)
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