What does 1 Timothy 2:5 mean?

This is one of the most memorized, quoted, and useful verses in the Bible. Paul begins with the Old Testament truth that the God of the Bible is the only God who actually exists. This statement is the Shema, meaning "the saying," the foundational saying of the Law: "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might" (Deuteronomy 6:4–5).

The second phrase transitions to the concept of a mediator. A mediator is a person who serves as an intermediary between two people or parties. Jesus serves to bring people to God (John 14:6) and is the only way to God (Acts 4:12). Hebrews 9:15 mentions this same theme, saying, "Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant …" Similarly, Hebrews 12:24 uses the phrase, "Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant."

Paul also highlights the humanity of Jesus, calling him "The man Christ Jesus." He is God in human form, one hundred percent God and one hundred percent man (John 1:1–14).

This verse not only speaks to the reality of the Christian God, but also that Jesus Christ is the only way to be reconciled to God. No other being, spiritual or human, is needed as a go-between for us and God. The symbolism of the torn temple veil (Matthew 27:51) applies here: Jesus is the way we communicate with God, period. There is no additional step, and there is no other channel.