The particle "for" connects this saying with what precedes, as a cause. To what, precisely, does it refer in this force? One may relate it to what immediately precedes: "to come to the knowledge of the truth." Thus: God wills all to be saved through knowledge of the truth, namely, that salvation is in the Lord Jesus, and only in Him, because there is no other path to salvation.
As there is one God, so also there is one Mediator between God and men. In Adam, men fell away from God, in Whom is their life. They fell away and sank into the realm of death. They had either to remain eternally in this death, or a path had to be opened for reunion with God. Without this reunion the power of death could not be cut off, and their life could not enter its true order.
Neither they themselves nor any other creature, even the highest, had power to open and establish this path. Therefore the boundless love for mankind of God interceded for them. The counsel of God appointed that the Only-begotten Son of God should become incarnate for the deliverance of men from their extreme calamity, without separating Himself from the bosom of the Father. Thus, by dying in the flesh, He would destroy the power of death. By making human nature alive in Himself through the Resurrection, He would become the living uniter of men with God.
The Son of God came to earth, was incarnate, suffered, died on the Cross, rose, ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father. He sits there in the human nature which, having been united in His Person with His Godhead, thus remains united with God the Father, with Whom He never ceased to be one. Then those who believe in Him and are mystically joined to Him become one with Him, and through Him are united with God. He Himself bore witness to this when He said to the disciples: "I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you" (Jn 14:20).
There is no other path to reunion with God, in which salvation consists. "No one comes to the Father except through Me" (cf. Jn 14:6), says the Lord. "The Apostle speaks here in the same way as he spoke elsewhere: ‘There is one God the Father, and one Lord Jesus Christ’" (cf. 1 Cor 8:6), says St. Chrysostom.
There is no other Mediator, nor can there be. As God is one, so the Mediator between God and men is one. Seek no other. If someone proposed to show you another, do not follow him. Consequently, there is no other salvation except in living union with the Lord Jesus. This is the truth that God, Who wills all to be saved, wills men to know, receive, and by it obtain salvation.
The Mediator, μεσιτης, is not one who merely speaks an intercessory word in defense. He is one who in deed stands in the middle and unites those between whom He mediates. He is the uniter, "having joined in Himself what was divided," as blessed Theodoret says, and a living uniter. This is His essence.
Since the Apostle, in saying "one God" and "one Mediator," intended only to show that there is no other salvation except in the Lord Jesus, other questions that may arise here can be passed over without harm to the understanding of the Apostle’s words. As God is one, so the Mediator between God and men is one.
Nevertheless, it is permissible, alongside this, to reflect that when it is said, "there is one God," this is not said to the detriment of the truth of God’s three Hypostases. Rather, it shows that the Incarnation of one Person of the tri-hypostatic God did not produce any division in the one divine nature.
The incarnate Son did not come to be outside God, though the word "Mediator" might suggest such a thought. For in the Mediator between God and men there is God from God and man from men. Having become such through the Incarnation, the Son did not come to be outside the Father. He assumed, accomplished, and holds the incarnate mediation without leaving the bosom of the Father. Established for our salvation, this mediation did not divide God. Even with it, God is one.
Likewise, when it is said, "one Mediator," this is not said to the detriment of the truth of two natures in the Mediator. Rather, it shows that the two natures in Him do not make two mediators. Even with two natures, He is one. As Mediator, He is God from God and man from men. Yet the Person is one: the incarnate Son of God.
Oecumenius writes: "Since the one who was to be Mediator between God and man had to share in both, so as to be able to mediate between them, the Son of God, the pre-eternal Word, came to us on earth in the flesh. Thus He was of two natures, Godhead and humanity. Yet after their union He is understood and worshiped in one Hypostasis."
Therefore, when it is then said, "the Man Christ Jesus," this does not affirm a unity of nature in Him, as though He were only man and not also God. It only shows how He became Mediator. He became Mediator through becoming man. Thus blessed Theodoret says: "The Apostle called Christ Jesus a man because he called Him Mediator, and Christ became Mediator by becoming man."
For this reason one may understand the word "man" as "the One Who became man." Thus: there is one Mediator, the One Who became man, meaning the Son of God, called Christ Jesus. Our commentators chiefly direct their word here to clarifying the meaning of mediation.
Blessed Theodoret writes: "As one who intends to reconcile two persons who are disputing with one another stands in the midst of them, holding one with his right hand and the other with his left, and brings them into friendship, so Christ, having united humanity with the divine nature, established an unshakable and unbreakable peace. But if Christ, according to the teaching of Arius and Eunomius, does not share in the essence of the Father, what kind of Mediator is He? In that case He will be united with us, since according to His humanity He is consubstantial with us. But He will have no union with the Father if, as they teach, He is separated from the divine nature. Yet the divine Apostle called Him Mediator. Therefore He is united both with the Father according to the Godhead and with us according to humanity."
St. Chrysostom says: "A mediator must share in both sides with respect to which he is mediator. For it belongs to a mediator, possessing what belongs to both sides for which he is mediator, to bring them into mutual communion. But if he has what belongs to one side and is separated from the other, then he is not a mediator at all. Therefore, if Christ Jesus does not share in the nature of the Father, He is not Mediator, but is separated from Him. For this reason we confess that, just as He became a partaker of human nature because He came to men, so also He is a partaker of the divine nature because He came from God. Since two natures were united through Him, He had to be near to both natures. For just as a place occupying the middle between two regions touches each of them, so the one who unites two natures to one another must be a partaker of both natures. Therefore Christ Jesus, as He became man, was also God. If He were only man, He would not have become Mediator, because He had to converse with God in a divine manner. Likewise, if He were only God, He would not have been Mediator, because those for whom He serves as Mediator would not have received Him." Oecumenius says they would not have endured Him. Better: He would not have been able to represent the person of those for whom He mediates.
"Who gave Himself a ransom for all." Ransom, αντιλυτρον, means a price of redemption. Mediation was no easy matter. It did not consist only in an intercessory word, but in deed, and it required sacrifice. This was because of the condition of those for whom the Mediator undertook intercession.
They had fallen away from God through sin and stood under the wrath of God because of the guilt of sin. Because of sin, they were subject to the tyranny of Satan, and through both of these to death. God was well pleased to be reconciled with the fallen. But for the fallen to rise to the capacity of entering into reconciliation, they had to be freed from all the bonds that held them in low slavery. These were the bonds of the angered righteousness of God, sin, the devil, and death.
The Mediator undertook to accomplish this, bearing without guilt what lay upon the guilty ones for whom He mediated. Having become incarnate, He assumed human nature, pure and sinless. By this nature He gave Himself over to death on the Cross, and through this He satisfied the righteousness of God. The righteousness of God, having been satisfied, opened the gates for the outpouring of mercy and grace upon the guilty. When they are received into mercy and sanctified by grace, they break the bonds of sin. Through this they also cast off the bonds of slavery to the devil. In this way, finally, they become sons of the resurrection, over whom death has no power.
Through all these things together, the ransom is accomplished, and the mystery of mediation enters into force. The root and beginning of everything is that the incarnate Son of God, as Mediator, gave Himself, giving Himself over to death on the Cross. Therefore the Apostle gathers the whole work of mediation into this one phrase: "Who gave Himself a ransom."
Blessed Theodoret writes: "When all were under the dominion of death, Christ was not subject to death. As God He had an immortal nature, and as man He committed no sin, which caused death. But He gave Himself over to death as a certain redeeming price, and freed all from slavery to death."
Let us note here in passing: perhaps the Apostle also said beforehand of the Mediator that He is "the Man Christ Jesus" because he was about to say, "Who gave Himself a ransom." For in order to offer such a sacrifice, He had to have something to offer, namely humanity, and had to become man. "It is necessary for this One also to have something to offer" (Heb 8:3), says the Apostle elsewhere.
What is this something? Flesh and blood. "Since the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise partook of the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver those who through fear of death were subject to bondage" (cf. Heb 2:14-15).
"The testimony in its own times." These are supplementary words. It is difficult to determine what thought the Apostle had here. Let us place these words in relation to what precedes. The Son of God, having become incarnate for mediation between God and men, gave Himself over to death for the redemption of all, not only of the Jews, but also of the Gentiles. This work of boundless love for mankind by God the Father, Who gave the Son, and by God the Son, Who gave Himself, is a testimony.
A testimony of what? That God wills all to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth, not only Jews, but also Gentiles. Therefore you faithful, when praying for unbelieving Gentiles, do something pleasing to God. By this you assist the fulfillment of what God desires, namely the salvation of all, including the Gentiles.
That this is God’s direct desire is clear from the fact that the mediation established by Him between Himself and men embraces all men. It is also clear because the Mediator, in giving Himself over to death, gave Himself over for the redemption of all men without distinction or exception.
St. Chrysostom sees this sequence of thoughts in the Apostle: "Who gave Himself a ransom for all. What then, tell me? For the Gentiles too? Yes. And since Christ died even for the Gentiles, will you not agree to pray for them? Why then, you say, did they not believe? Because they did not wish to." Above he said: because the whole world has not yet attained to the truth. "On His part, everything has been done. His Passion bears witness to this, he says."
THEOSIS