<p>2:1- see on 1 Pet. 3:7.</p><p><i>I urge therefore, first of all, that supplications, prayers, intercessions and thanksgivings be made</i>- In view of the way believers fall away and also because of our great duty to witness to the world, <i>first of all </i>(i.e. most importantly), <i>prayer</i> must be made (1 Tim. 2:1 and context). Indeed, it is an actual sin- albeit a sin of omission- to cease to pray for our brethren (1 Sam. 12:23).</p><p>We naturally ask why these four forms of prayer are spoken of here: &quot;supplications, prayers, intercessions and thanksgivings&quot;. One possible explanation is that these terms are all elsewhere used about the prayer work of the Lord Jesus; indeed, &quot;intercessions&quot; are spoken of as being specifically <i>His</i> work and not within our capability to make (Rom. 8:26,27,34; for the other words, see Heb. 5:7; Lk. 22:19,45). And directly in this context, Paul emphasizes that there is only one mediator, one who can make intercession- and that is not us, but the Lord Jesus (:5). This leads us to reconsider the opening words of this verse: &quot;I urge...&quot;. This translates <i>parakleo</i>, to call near. It could be that Paul is calling out to the Lord Jesus to pray / draw near to God for the things he now mentions.</p><p><i>For all men</i>- If as suggested above Paul is calling the Lord Jesus to pray / intercede &quot;for all men&quot;, this enables us to understand the same phrase being used in :4 concerning God's willingness to save &quot;all men&quot;. The Judaists would have felt that prayer was only appropriate for Jews and not for Gentiles.&nbsp;</p>