There Is One Mediator — And It Is Not Mary
Passage: 1 Timothy 2:5 - “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”
Introduction
First Timothy 2:5 is one of those verses that does not ask permission from Rome before it speaks. It does not whisper. It does not leave a little side door open for a religious system to sneak Mary into the office of Christ. It says, “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” One God. One Mediator. One Man. Christ Jesus. That is plain enough to make a theologian nervous and simple enough for a child to believe. The verse does not say there is one main Mediator and a softer motherly mediator underneath Him. It does not say there is one official Mediator and then Mary as a mediatrix of all graces. It does not say there is one Mediator in theory, while in practice frightened sinners should run to Mary because Jesus is too holy, too stern, or too far away. It says what it says, and Rome spends a great deal of time trying to make it say less than it says.
The issue is not whether Mary was blessed. She was. The issue is not whether Mary was highly favoured. She was. The issue is not whether Mary had a unique place in the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ. She did. The issue is whether Scripture ever tells sinners to approach God through Mary. It does not. The issue is whether Scripture gives Mary the office of mediator. It does not. The issue is whether Scripture says Mary hears prayers, dispenses grace, intercedes for souls in heaven, or functions as a motherly channel of access to Christ. It does not. The Roman system gives Mary emotional and devotional functions that Scripture gives to Jesus Christ, then tries to calm everybody down by saying, “We do not worship her.” That is like a man stealing your house, sleeping in your bed, eating your food, wearing your clothes, and then saying, “Do not worry, I have great respect for your property rights.” The practice gives the game away.
This essay is written for Catholics who love Mary but have been trained to run to her in a way the Bible never commands. You may have prayed “Hail Mary” since childhood. You may have held a rosary in fear, grief, sickness, or guilt. You may have been told Mary is your mother, your intercessor, your refuge, your helper, your advocate, or the tender heart that leads you to Jesus. But the Bible never tells you to come to Mary. The Bible tells you to come to Christ. Hebrews says we can come boldly unto the throne of grace. Ephesians says we have access by Christ. Romans says we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. First Timothy says there is one Mediator between God and men. If God gave one Mediator, why did Rome train souls to seek another route? If Christ’s blood opened the way, why are Catholics told to take a Marian detour? The answer is painful, but plain: Rome’s devotion has blurred Christ’s office and placed Mary where the Bible never put her.
Chapter One: One Means One, Unless a System Needs It to Mean More
The verse says “one mediator.” Not two. Not one and a half. Not one supreme Mediator plus a subordinate mediatrix. Not one necessary Mediator and several helpful assistant mediators. One. Religious systems become experts at making simple words complicated when the simple words threaten the system. When the Bible says “one,” Rome says, “Yes, one, but…” And once that “but” enters the room, the verse gets buried under distinctions, categories, terms, and explanations until the average person no longer hears what God said. That is how false doctrine survives. It does not always deny the verse. It smothers the verse.
Paul’s statement in 1 Timothy 2:5 is not a devotional suggestion. It is doctrinal truth. He grounds mediation in the oneness of God and the manhood of Jesus Christ. There is one God, and there is one Mediator between God and men. The one Mediator is not an angel. He is not a priest.