Bible

One God, One Mediator: Understanding 1 Timothy 2:5

Elvis Lucas

03 Oct 2025 — 15 min read

Introduction: The Verse That Says It All

Imagine if the Bible contained one verse—just one single sentence—that clearly answered the biggest theological question in Christianity: Who is God, and who is Jesus?

A verse so simple a child could understand it. So clear there's no need for complicated explanations or centuries of theological debate. A verse that just... states the truth plainly.

That verse exists.

"For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus." (1 Timothy 2:5)

Read it again slowly. Let each word sink in.

Paul—the apostle who wrote most of the New Testament, who was personally taught by the risen Christ, who performed miracles and planted churches across the Roman world—summarizes the entire relationship between God and Jesus in one crystal-clear sentence.

And it's not complicated. It's not mysterious. There's no "trinity" mentioned, no "three persons in one God," no "fully God and fully man" paradox.

Just the simple truth:

One God
One mediator between God and mankind
That mediator is the man Christ Jesus

Let's unpack this verse word by word and let it speak for itself.

Part 1: "One God" - Who Is the One God?

The Text Is Specific

Paul doesn't say "one divine essence" or "one Godhead in three persons." He says "one God" (Greek: εἷς θεός - heis theos).

This is the same language used throughout Scripture to affirm monotheism:

"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one." (Deuteronomy 6:4)

"I am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God." (Isaiah 45:5)

"You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder." (James 2:19)

One. Singular. Not three. Not a compound unity. One.

But Which Person Is This "One God"?

This is crucial. When Paul says "one God," does he mean:

The Father alone?
The Trinity (Father, Son, and Spirit together)?
Some undefined divine essence?

The answer is in Paul's own writings. He tells us exactly who this "one God" is:

"Yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live." (1 Corinthians 8:6)

Paul identifies the one God as the Father. Then he distinguishes Jesus as "one Lord"—the Messiah through whom God works.

"There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all." (Ephesians 4:4-6)

Again: "one God and Father." Not "one God who is Father, Son, and Spirit." But "one God" who is specifically identified as "the Father."

"Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope..." (1 Timothy 1:1)

In the very same letter where 1 Timothy 2:5 appears, Paul distinguishes between "God our Savior" and "Christ Jesus." Two distinct persons, not one.

"I charge you, in the sight of God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels..." (1 Timothy 5:21)

Paul lists them separately: God, Christ Jesus, and the angels. Three distinct categories of beings, not "God who is also Christ Jesus."

The Pattern Is Consistent

Throughout Paul's letters, the pattern never changes:

The Father is "God"
Jesus is the "Lord" and Messiah
They are distinguished from each other
Jesus is God's appointed agent, not God Himself

So when 1 Timothy 2:5 says "one God," Paul means what he always means: the Father alone.

Part 2: "One Mediator" - What Does Mediator Mean?

The Concept of Mediation

A mediator stands between two parties to bring them together, represent one to the other, or reconcile them.

Think about it logically:

A mediator must be distinct from both parties
A mediator represents one party to the other
A mediator stands in the middle, not on either side

If Jesus is the mediator between God and humanity, then Jesus cannot BE God. You can't mediate between yourself and someone else. The whole concept requires three distinct parties:

God (one party)
Humanity (the other party)
The mediator (standing between them)

Old Testament Examples of Mediators

This concept isn't new in 1 Timothy. The Bible has always used mediators between God and His people.

Moses was a mediator:

"For you did not come to a mountain that can be touched... But you have come to Mount Zion... to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant..." (Hebrews 12:18, 22, 24)

Moses stood between God and Israel at Mount Sinai. He went up the mountain to speak with God, then came down to tell the people what God said. He represented God to the people and the people to God.

Was Moses God? Of course not. He was God's chosen human representative.

The priests were mediators:

"Every high priest is selected from among the people and is appointed to represent the people in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins." (Hebrews 5:1)

Priests stood between God and the people. They offered sacrifices, interceded, and represented the people before God.

Were the priests God? No—they were human beings appointed by God to serve in this role.

Now Jesus is our mediator:

"Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin." (Hebrews 4:14-15)

Jesus is our High Priest—our mediator. Like Moses and the Old Testament priests, He stands between God and us.

And notice: He can "empathize with our weaknesses" and was "tempted in every way, just as we are." Can God be tempted? Can God empathize with human weakness through personal experience?

No—but a human mediator can.

What Jesus's Mediation Requires

For Jesus to be our mediator, He must:

1. Be truly human - to represent humanity before God 2. Be sinless - to be an acceptable offering and faithful High Priest
3. Be appointed by God - to have the authority to act on God's behalf 4. Be distinct from God - to stand between God and humanity

If Jesus IS God, the whole system breaks down. God can't mediate between Himself and humanity. The mediator must be someone other than God, appointed by God, representing us to God.

That's exactly what Paul says Jesus is.

Part 3: "Between God and Mankind" - The Three Parties

The Clear Distinction

"One mediator between God and mankind"

Let's map this out:

Party 1: God
Party 2: Mankind
Standing between them: The mediator

This requires the mediator to be:

Not God (otherwise there's no "between")
Not merely mankind (he must be able to approach God)
Something/someone special - a qualified representative

Jesus is that special representative. Fully human (so He can represent us), but sinless and specially appointed by God (so He can approach God on our behalf).

Jesus's Own Words Confirm This

Jesus never claimed to mediate between one part of God and another part of God. He consistently presented Himself as the appointed agent standing between the Father and humanity.

"No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6)

Jesus is the way to the Father. Not a second God beside the Father, but the path to the Father. The mediator who brings us to God.

"Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" (John 14:6)

Notice: "comes to the Father"—not "comes to God who is three persons." Jesus brings us to the Father, because the Father is the one true God.

"For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken." (John 12:49)

Jesus mediates God's words to us. He doesn't speak His own message—He delivers God's message. That's what a mediator does.

"Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does." (John 5:19)

Jesus acts as God's representative, doing what the Father shows Him. He's not acting as God independently—He's acting for God as His appointed agent.

"My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all." (John 10:29)

"The Father is greater than I." (John 14:28)

A mediator serves someone greater than himself. Jesus explicitly states the Father is greater—which makes sense if Jesus is the appointed mediator, but makes no sense if Jesus IS God equally with the Father.

Part 4: "The Man Christ Jesus" - Why "Man" Matters

Paul's Specific Language

Paul could have written:

"The divine Christ Jesus"
"The God-man Christ Jesus"
"Christ Jesus in his human nature"
"The incarnate Word"

But he didn't. He wrote: "the man Christ Jesus" (Greek: ἄνθρωπος Χριστὸς Ἰησοῦς - anthropos Christos Iesous).

Anthropos means human being, man, mortal. It's the word used throughout the New Testament for regular human beings.

Paul is emphasizing Jesus's humanity. The mediator between God and mankind is not a divine being, not an angel, not a god-man hybrid—but a man.

Why Jesus Had to Be Human

The entire logic of salvation requires Jesus to be truly human:

"For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man." (1 Corinthians 15:21)

"For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people." (1 Timothy 2:5-6)

"Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death... For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham's descendants. For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest..." (Hebrews 2:14, 16-17)

Notice the logic:

Humanity sinned → humanity needed a savior
Death came through a man → resurrection comes through a man
To be our High Priest → He had to be "fully human in every way"

If Jesus is God, this logic falls apart. God didn't sin. God doesn't die. God doesn't need to "become" fully human—God IS God.

But if Jesus is a man—a special, sinless, God-appointed man, but genuinely human—then the whole plan makes sense.

The Apostles' Consistent Testimony

Peter: "Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know." (Acts 2:22)

"A man accredited by God." Not "God in human form" but "a man" through whom God worked.

Paul: "For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!" (Romans 5:15)

"Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous." (Romans 5:18-19)

Paul's entire argument in Romans 5 depends on Jesus being "the one man" who undoes what Adam (another "one man") did wrong. Two men, two different choices, two different outcomes.

If Jesus is God, the parallel with Adam breaks down completely.

The author of Hebrews: "But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death..." (Hebrews 2:9)

Jesus was "made lower than the angels." Can God be made lower than angels? God has always been and always will be infinitely above all creation, including angels.

But a human can be lower than angels. And this particular human—Jesus—has now been exalted and crowned with glory because of His faithful obedience unto death.

Part 5: How Trinitarians Try to Explain This Verse

To be fair, let's look at how Trinitarian theologians handle 1 Timothy 2:5, since it's so obviously problematic for their view.

Common Explanation #1: "Jesus is mediator in His human nature only"

The claim: "When Paul calls Jesus 'the man Christ Jesus,' he's referring only to Jesus's human nature. Jesus is still fully God, but He mediates in His human capacity."

The problem: Paul doesn't say "Jesus in his human nature" or "Jesus's humanity mediates." He says the mediator IS "the man Christ Jesus."

More importantly, this explanation creates an impossible situation:

If only Jesus's "human nature" mediates, what is His "divine nature" doing?
How can one nature of a person mediate while another nature doesn't?
The whole concept of splitting Jesus into two natures doing different things is a later theological invention, not a biblical teaching

Paul simply says: The mediator is the man Christ Jesus. He identifies Jesus's essence, not just a temporary role.

Common Explanation #2: "One God means the Trinity"

The claim: "When Paul says 'one God,' he means one God in three persons—the Trinity. All three persons are the 'one God.'"

The problem: We already saw Paul's own definition. He explicitly identifies the "one God" as "the Father" in multiple passages:

1 Corinthians 8:6: "one God, the Father"
Ephesians 4:6: "one God and Father of all"
1 Timothy 1:1-2: "God our Savior... Christ Jesus our hope"

Paul never, anywhere, identifies the "one God" as a Trinity. He consistently identifies God as the Father, distinct from Jesus.

Common Explanation #3: "This verse emphasizes Jesus's humanity but doesn't deny His divinity"

The claim: "Paul is focusing on Jesus's role as mediator, which requires emphasizing His humanity. But this doesn't mean Jesus isn't also divine."

The problem: The verse doesn't just emphasize humanity—it creates a structural distinction:

One God (one party)
Mankind (another party)
The man Christ Jesus (mediator between them)

For Jesus to mediate between God and humanity, He must be neither one. He can't be the same as God (then there's no "between") and He can't be ordinary humanity (then He can't approach God on our behalf).

The solution? He's a special man—sinless, appointed by God, exalted to God's right hand, but still a man, not God.

The verse simply doesn't allow for Jesus to BE God. The grammar and logic require Him to be distinct from God.

Part 6: The Context Makes It Even Clearer

Let's look at 1 Timothy 2:5 in its full context:

"I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people." (1 Timothy 2:1-6)

What's Paul's Point?

Paul is explaining why we should pray for all people, including pagan kings and rulers. His reasoning:

God wants all people to be saved (v. 4)
There is one God (v. 5) - not many gods (unlike pagan belief)
There is one mediator for all (v. 5) - Jesus died for everyone, not just Jews

The context is about salvation being available to all people through the one God's one appointed mediator.

Paul is contrasting:

Pagan belief: Many gods, no universal savior
Biblical truth: One God, one mediator for all humanity

If Paul believed Jesus was God, this would be the perfect place to explain it. Instead, he sharply distinguishes:

God (the Father, who wants all saved)
The mediator (the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as ransom)

The Ransom Concept

"Who gave himself as a ransom for all people." (1 Timothy 2:6)

A ransom is a price paid to free someone from captivity or slavery.

Think about the logic:

Who needed to be ransomed? Humanity (enslaved to sin)
Who received the ransom? God (whose justice required payment)
Who paid the ransom? The mediator (Jesus, who gave Himself)

This only works if there are three distinct parties. Jesus can't pay a ransom to Himself. God can't give Himself as a ransom to Himself.

But a perfect man, appointed and empowered by God, can offer his sinless life as payment to satisfy God's justice on behalf of guilty humanity.

That's exactly what the Bible teaches.

Part 7: Why This Matters for Your Faith and Worship

Understanding 1 Timothy 2:5 correctly isn't just theological hairsplitting. It affects everything about how you relate to God and Jesus.

It Protects Pure Worship

"You shall have no other gods before me." (Exodus 20:3)

If Jesus is a second divine person equal to the Father, then worshiping both the Father and Jesus means worshiping two Gods—a violation of the first commandment.

But if Jesus is God's appointed human mediator, then:

We worship the one God (the Father)
We honor Jesus as Lord and Messiah
We come to God through Jesus as our mediator

This preserves biblical monotheism while honoring Jesus in His proper role.

It Makes Prayer Logical

When you pray, who are you talking to?

Jesus taught us to pray: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name..." (Matthew 6:9)

Jesus directed prayer to the Father. Why? Because the Father is God.

But Jesus also said: "I will do whatever you ask in my name." (John 14:13)

We pray to the Father in Jesus's name (through Jesus as mediator). Jesus doesn't tell us to pray to Him as God—He tells us He'll answer our prayers to the Father when we ask through Him.

This is the mediator's role. Jesus brings our prayers to the Father and brings the Father's blessings to us.

It Makes Jesus's Sacrifice Meaningful

If Jesus is God, His death doesn't really cost Him anything. God can't die. A few hours of physical suffering is nothing to an infinite, eternal, omnipotent Being.

But if Jesus is a man—truly human, able to suffer and die, yet choosing to offer His life in perfect obedience—then His sacrifice is real. It costs Him something. His faithfulness matters.

"And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name." (Philippians 2:8-9)

Notice: "God exalted him." God raised Jesus up and gave Him the highest honor because of His obedient death.

Would God need to exalt Himself? Would God give Himself a name above every name as a reward?

No—but God would exalt His faithful human servant who perfectly accomplished the mission given to Him.

It Gives Us Hope

"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin." (Hebrews 4:15)

Jesus empathizes with you because He's been where you are. He faced real temptation. He felt real suffering. He experienced real human weakness, hunger, pain, sorrow, and death.

Not as God pretending to be human, but as a truly human person who trusted God perfectly.

That's what makes Him a merciful High Priest. That's what makes Him able to help you. He's not God experiencing what it's like to be human—He IS human, and He understands.

"Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted." (Hebrews 2:18)

Conclusion: One Verse That Settles the Question

"For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus." (1 Timothy 2:5)

This single verse tells us everything we need to know:

✓ How many Gods? One.
✓ Who is that one God? The Father (as Paul consistently teaches).
✓ Who is Jesus? The mediator between God and humanity.
✓ What is Jesus? A man—"the man Christ Jesus."
✓ What does Jesus do? Stands between God and us, bringing us to God.

It's not complicated. It's not mysterious. It doesn't require centuries of theological debate or church councils to interpret.

Paul simply states the truth:

God is one (the Father)
Jesus is the man who mediates between God and us

Every attempt to make this verse say something else requires adding concepts that aren't there:

"One God in three persons" - Not in the text
"Jesus in His human nature only" - Not in the text
"Jesus is also fully God" - Contradicts the text

When we let Scripture speak plainly, without forcing later theological systems onto it, the truth is clear:

Jesus is the human Messiah, appointed by God as our mediator and High Priest. He is not God. He is God's perfect human representative through whom we come to the Father.

And that's exactly what God planned from the beginning.

Honor the one God, the Father.
Honor His appointed mediator, the man Christ Jesus.
Come to God through Jesus, the only way to the Father.

This is the simple, biblical truth. Accept it. Believe it. Live it.

For Further Study

Read these passages about Jesus as mediator:

Hebrews 4:14-16 (Jesus our High Priest)
Hebrews 7:23-28 (Jesus's permanent priesthood)
Hebrews 9:11-15 (Mediator of the new covenant)
Hebrews 12:24 (Jesus the mediator of a new covenant)

Compare with Old Testament mediators:

Exodus 20:18-21 (Moses mediates between God and Israel)
Leviticus 16:1-34 (High priest mediates on Day of Atonement)
Numbers 16:41-48 (Aaron stands between God and the people)

Study Paul's consistent language about God and Jesus:

Romans 15:6 ("the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ")
1 Corinthians 8:6 ("one God, the Father... one Lord, Jesus Christ")
2 Corinthians 1:3 ("the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ")
Ephesians 1:3 ("the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ")
Philippians 2:9-11 (God exalted Jesus)
Colossians 1:3 ("the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ")

Notice the pattern: Paul NEVER calls Jesus "God" in the absolute sense. He consistently distinguishes between "God" (the Father) and "the Lord Jesus Christ."

Key questions to consider:

Can someone mediate between himself and another party?
If Jesus is God, why does Paul call Him "the man Christ Jesus"?
Why does every description of Jesus's work emphasize He was appointed by God, sent by God, empowered by God?
How can the mediator BE one of the parties He's mediating between?

Your challenge:

Find every place in Paul's letters where he mentions both "God" and "Jesus/Christ" in the same verse. Make a list.

In how many does Paul:

Identify them as the same being?
Identify them as distinct persons?

The evidence is overwhelming. Paul never confuses God and Jesus. He consistently maintains the distinction:

God = the Father
Jesus = the Lord, the Messiah, the man who mediates

Accept what Paul teaches. It's not complicated. It's the simple truth.