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Saints not
Sinners -- 1 Timothy 1:8-17
Verses 8-11 -- Definition
of ‘sinner’
Paul clearly establishes the definition of ‘sinner’ in verse
9
as a person who is not a believer.
Paul's
definition of a sinner
·
The opposite of a sinner is a
righteous person
·
A
sinner is a person whose life is characterized by a life given
over to sin
1
Tim. 1:8-11 But we know that the law [is] good if one uses it
lawfully, 9 knowing this:
that the law is not made for a righteous person,
but
for [the] lawless and insubordinate, for [the]
ungodly and for
sinners,
for [the] unholy and profane, for murderers
of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,
10 for fornicators, for sodomites, for
kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if
there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine,
11
according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was
committed to my trust.
This is a continuation of Paul's
usage of the term as seen in Romans 5 where
Paul used the term 'sinners' to describe unsaved man in Adam.
He then uses the term 'righteous' to describe saved man in
Christ.
Sinner
is a descriptive term used to define the state of being of an
unsaved person whose life is characterized by ungodliness and
who is of his father the devil.
-
Sinner
-- (α̉μαρτωλός
, (268)), one who misses the mark (a meaning not to be pressed),
is an adjective, most frequently used as a noun; it is the most
usual term to describe the fallen condition of men; it is
applicable to all men, Rom. 5:8, 19 (Vines)
Verses
12-16 -- Paul contrasts who he was and who God has made him to
be in Christ.
Paul begins the following section with a summary of the work of
God in his life.
Paul demonstrates in various passages his sense of the
awesomeness of the grace of God in not only saving him but also
for allowing him to serve. This verse sets the stage for
Paul's reflection about his former life and the contrast between
who he was and what God had made him to be.
1
Tim. 1:12 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has
·
enabled
me,
·
because
He counted
me faithful,
·
putting
[me]
into the ministry,
Who Paul Was, The Work of God, Who Paul Became (vs. 13-14)
13
although I
was formerly
-
a
blasphemer,
(989
βλάσφημος
slanderous, evil-speaking:
-
2 Tim. 3:2 For men will be lovers of
themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers,
disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
-
a
persecutor,
(1376
διώκτης
a persecutor:
and
-
an
insolent
(5197 ủβριστής
a violent, insolent man:-- insolent, violent aggressor) man;
-
Rom. 1:29-30 backbiters, haters of God,
violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things,
disobedient to parents,
"But, I obtained Mercy" (vs. 13, 16)
-
but
(235 άλλά
adversative particle from; otherwise, on the other hand, but:--
v. 13.-16)
-
I obtained
mercy
(1653 έλεέω;
from ; to have pity or mercy on, to show mercy: v. 13, 16)
-
because I did [it] ignorantly in unbelief.
"The grace of our Lord"
14
And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant,
with faith and
love
which are in Christ Jesus.
Who Paul Was, The Work of God, Who Paul Became (vs. 15-16)
15
This [is] a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that
Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am
chief
(4413
πρω̃τος contr.
superlative of ; first, chief:--first one ) (v. 13).
This [is] a
faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance
-- The first of five statements in the
pastoral Letters designated by the words a trustworthy saying
(see also 3:1; 4:9; 2 Tim. 2:11; Titus 3:8).
"Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners"
is a parallel thought to Luke 5:32 and Rom. 5:8-10 where he
describes the work of Christ in dying for who we were,
'sinners' / 'enemies'. And the result of Christ's work is
that we are now justified, reconciled and saved.
-
Luke 5:32
"I have not come to call [the] righteous, but
sinners, to repentance."
-
Rom. 5:8-10
But God demonstrates His
own love toward us, in that while we
were still sinners,
Christ died
for us. 9 Much more then,
having now been
justified by His blood,
we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10 For if when we
were enemies
we were
reconciled
to God through the
death of His Son, much more,
having been reconciled,
we
shall be saved by
His life.
"of whom I am first" is
defined in verse 16 where Paul uses this term to describe that
he is the "first . . . as a pattern
to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life."
It would be very difficult to
even imagine that Paul was identifying himself as being in his
present state a child of God with the term 'sinner' as he had
used it in the previous verses. While Paul may have had a
very clear image of who he was formerly (a
blasphemer,
a
persecutor, an
insolent)
he certainly did not view himself as that way one he had
obtained mercy
Paul had clearly defined
'sinner' in verse 8 as a part of the list of those whose lives
were characterized by a violation of God's character and His
laws. (lawless, insubordinate,
ungodly,
sinners, unholy, profane, murderers
of fathers, murderers of mothers, manslayers, fornicators, sodomites,
kidnappers, liars, perjurers, any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine)
"The
saying itself, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save
sinners,” is a compact statement of the gospel. Paul immediately
applies this truth to himself. He describes himself as the
“worst” (lit. the first or the foremost), because his sins
directly opposed God’s own Son and God’s plan of salvation!
But, as verse 16
indicates, God makes Paul exhibit A of his mercy and his
unlimited patience. As Paul did, so must others believe on
Christ and by so doing receive eternal life. No sinner need
despair."
Elwell, W. A. 1996, c1989. Evangelical Commentary on the
Bible. (electronic ed.) . Baker Book House: Grand Rapids
"But, I obtained Mercy" (vs. 13, 16)
Paul again comes back to the
previously used phrase
"But, I obtained Mercy"
from verse 13 to contrast who he was 'a
blasphemer,
a
persecutor, an
insolent
man, a sinner with what God was going to do in saving him
and in this instance making him a pattern for those would
believe.
-
16
However
(235 άλλά
adversative particle from; otherwise, on the other hand, but:--
v. 13.-16)
-
for this reason
(1225 ζια ; a prim. prep.; through, on account
of, because of )
-
I obtained
mercy
(1653
έλεέω;
from ; to have pity or mercy on, to show mercy: v. 13, 16)
,
"Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering"
-- Paul never lost sight of who he was,
what his life had been before the Damascus Road experience.
It was a source of great amazement to Paul that God was
longsuffering and would save one who had dedicated his life to
destroying the faith.
-
Ephesians 3:8 To
me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace
was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the
unsearchable riches of Christ,
- 1 Corinthians 15:9
For I am the least of the
apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I
persecuted the church of God.
As a "Pattern" -- Paul was the
'first' in the sense that he was the pattern for those who would
believe.
-
that
in me first
(4413
prwtoV
contr.
superl. of ; first, chief:--first one )
-
Jesus Christ might show
(1731 ένδείκνυμι
(by word or act), to prove, demonstrate)
all
longsuffering,
-
as a
pattern
(5296 ủποτύπωσις
from ủποτύπoω (to
delineate); an outline, sketch, fig. an example)
to those who are going to believe on Him for
everlasting life.
17
Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone
is wise, [be] honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
Bible Knowledge Commentary -- 1 Timothy 1:15. The central
thrust of Paul’s personal digression, begun in verse 12, now
becomes clear. It is a testimony concerning the purpose of the
Incarnation of Christ. Jesus came not merely to set an example
or to show that He cared. He came to salvage sinners from their
spiritual destitution—and Paul said he was the worst of that
lot. In fact it was just for this purpose—that is, to
demonstrate God’s plan to save sinners—that Paul himself was
saved. As the worst of sinners (Paul’s other descriptions of
himself in 1 Cor. 15:9; Eph. 3:8), Paul represents the extreme
example. If God was patient and gracious enough to save Paul, He
is patient and gracious enough to save anyone. All who follow
can look back at Paul as a prototype or pattern. The ultimate
sinner became the ultimate saint; God’s greatest enemy became
His finest servant.
Bible Knowledge Commentary |
