I Timothy 1: 12-17
Paul's amazement that God would choose him, as we left off yesterday's study, has brought on this thanksgiving.
(12) I thank Christ Jesus our Lord,
The word order of "Christ Jesus" is giving the Lord the title of "The Anointed One." The Son of God was anointed by the Father to be Lord over all creation.
The
Lordship of Jesus finds increasing emphasis in Paul's later epistles.
As he walks with God through the years, studying His word and serving
Him, he is coming to a more full understanding that Jesus is our Lord,
the Lord God of the Old Testament.
who has strengthened me,
The word used here is endynamosanti, and can be translated as, "who has empowered me." The Lord God has given Paul the power to serve Him.
because He considered me faithful, putting me into service,
Paul concludes that the Lord counted him to be faithful to his beliefs, and put him into His service, strengthening him to not being as susceptible to going astray from His Truth.
(13) even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor.
He admits that he used to be a terrorist against the church of Christ, violently attacking believers. He was to the extreme in passionately fighting against the God he thought he was serving.
Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief;
Because he was not aware of what he was doing, God had mercy on him, and supernaturally turned him around instead of punishing him for what he had done.
(14) and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus.
It was more than mercy that Paul received from God. He declares, "The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus." This is another of the apostle's great trilogies. "Grace" provided his salvation, "faith" appropriated it, and "love" applied it.
This phrase, "was poured out on me abundantly" translates one word in the Greek, hyperepleonase, "exceedingly abounded." Paul is fond of compounds with hyper, "above." This one is found only here in the New Testament.
(15) It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance,
This is literally, "faithful the word" (pistos ho logos), "faithful word." This formula is used only in the pastoral epistles. Here and in 4: 9 we find the added words, "deserving full acceptance." This doubled statement emphasizes that the maxim relating to doctrine or practice demands heavy reliance on its truth.
that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners,
This truth is the Good News, the heart of the gospel, that the Son of God came into this world to do the work that will save sinners. This is the "joy set before Him" that strengthened Him to "endure the cross" (Hebrews 12: 2), that we would be made fit to live with Him as He lived with us.
among whom I am foremost of all.
And Paul considered himself the worst sinner of all!
(16) Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.
He's saying that if God could save Paul, the worst of all, how much more can anyone else be saved, who isn't even as bad as Paul was!
God created the human race to be His children. Not just His servants, but His personal, intimate family members. This is the highest honor that can possibly be bestowed upon a created being. That's why He is "not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance," admitting that they deserve crucifixion, letting Jesus take their place on the cross (II Peter 3: 9).
(17) Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
And Paul breaks out in spontaneous praise again, thinking and writing about God's wonder and grace and mercy. How He is the Great King, who will reign forever, never again subject to death, in Spirit in the spiritual realm, the only God that is God; that all honor and all glory and all credit will go to Him forevermore!
O my Father, You only are God over all. Everything and everyone else is Your creation, Your imagination. If You were not thinking of us, we would cease to exist! So You are always looking upon all You have made, loving it all, and working Your plan that You plotted out before You began to make it.
And all Your will will be worked out, using all the choices and decisions and actions of Your created ones who have the freedom of choice. Whether we choose the right or the wrong, You will use it to further Your story You wrote for us.
And You told us that story, Father! The Bible You gave us tells us the whole story of Mankind, from before its beginning to past the end of the whole human era. And even laid out the progress of the nations before they even came about (in Daniel). And how all of our choices bring consequences in our own lives and posterity, for good or bad.
O Father, teach us Your ways, so that our decisions will align with Your good intentions for us. Protect us from making choices that will detract from the bounty You placed here for us, and the relationships with one another that honor You.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, forever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come swiftly, Lord Jesus!
