Preaching on the epistle? Then this is your lucky week! If you're doing the narrative lectionary, here's a meme you might find handy. The citations this week are mostly of historical oddity rather than theological importance, but not exclusively. Also, did you know that there are paraphrases—what some might call misquotes—of scripture in The Book of Concord?

1 Timothy 2:1-7

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity.
— 1 Timothy 2:1-2 (NRSVue)

Verses 1 thru 2 are cited in a footnote to The Small Catechism, The Household Chart (SC Chart.4, n. 115), a footnote that explains the absence of a section in the chart called "What subjects out to do for the governing authority" with several other cited passages and a brief example of why copyright law and intellectual property rights are a thing.

Verse 1 by itself is also kind of quoted in The Small Catechism, The Household Chart, under the section "For All in the Community" (SC Chart.14) as a reminder to pray for everyone. Although as the footnote here mentions, what actually shows up in the household chart here is "A loose paraphrase" (SC Chart.14, n. 124).

Verse 1 also shows up in a footnote to The Large Catechism, Part 3, The Lord's Prayer (LC 3.4, n. 164) as part of a list of citations showing examples of Jesus and the apostles praying.

…who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
— 1 Timothy 2:4 (NRSVue)

Verse 4 is cited through editorial insert in Formula of Concord, Epitome, Article 11: Election, Affirmative Thesis 9 (FC, Ep 11.10) as a quick example in scripture that God's will is for all people to be saved.

For
there is one God;
there is also one mediator between God and humankind,
Christ Jesus, himself human…
— 1 Timothy 2:5 (NRSVue)

Verse 5 is paraphrased in The Augsburg Confession, Article 21: Concerning the Cult of the Saints (AC 21.2, German text only) as a way to emphasize that only Jesus is our mediator. It is of some interest that this passage is not cited in the Latin text even though the same point is made, and as a footnote points out, this paraphrase "does not correspond to the German or Latin texts of the day" (AC 21.2, n. 117).

TheoThru

Prayer matters. God calls and empowers Christians to pray for all people as Jesus did so that we might continue to be in relationship with God through our prayers and so that our relationships with others might change because we are praying for them.

In this election season, are you praying for those who are running for public office regardless of which party they are running under?
Are the leaders of different ages in your congregation praying together? If not, how might you invite them to learn from each other in prayer?