1 Timothy 1:12-20

12-17 18-20

12-17

12

After Paul’s introduction and warning on false teachers he then stops and thanks Jesus Christ, as we all should do, but Paul is especially thankful for his appointment as an Apostle. He says that Christ had judged him faithful, but this is neither a boastful patting himself on the back and saying that he himself did anything of worth to earn the position nor is it him saying that he was a faithful Jew, especially given how he goes on to describe himself in verse 13. Christ, by appointing Paul an Apostle, was showing his sovereign will and purpose through Paul and Paul’s faith and he is giving Christ his due thanks and glory.

13

Before Paul, then Saul, was struck down by Christ and converted he was a zealous persecutor of Christians and thus Christ, as Christ himself asked why he was persecuting Him Acts 9:4 “And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”” But Christ had mercy on Paul and a different plan for him. He was not to be Saul the blaspheming persecutor of the Christians, who was arrogant in his lineage and the belief that he himself was keeping the law perfectly, but Paul the Apostle and missionary of the gospel to the gentiles.

14

But God removed Saul’s heart of stone and with mercy and grace and replaced it with a heart of flesh that now overflows with love for and a firm faith in Jesus Christ.

15

Christ indeed came into this world and his first coming was not to rule an earthly kingdom and be the king that the Jews were expecting, but to be a servant and save the lost sinners, that is the saying that is trustworthy and true, it is the cornerstone of our faith. We also should all admit the same thing that Paul does, I am the foremost, the worst sinner I know. We know what we have done, we know what our thoughts and desires of our hearts are, and we should all be with Paul of confessing to be the foremost sinner we know.

16

But Christ did not come for the righteous but for the sinner, and through the through the double substitution, our punishment on Christ and his righteousness on us Christ displays his patience, his power, his glory, his sovereignty in being the way, the only way for us to have eternal life.

17

Jesus, the King of kings for all eternity, who suffered and died for our sins, but defeated death and will never die again, immortal, who is everywhere all the time, invisible but always near, three distinct persons in one God, to him be all the honor and all the glory for all time. Amen.

18-20

18

The charge that Paul entrust to Timothy that he mentions in verse 18 is the same that he charged him with in verse 3, to refute, rebuke and admonish those who were teaching a different and false doctrine that the true gospel of faith in Jesus Christ. He addresses Timothy as his child, or his son, showing the closeness and love Paul had for Timothy. He then reminds Timothy of the prophecies, plural that had been made about him. This mention of prophecies leads tot he belief that the spiritual gifts given to him and the appointment of Timothy to the ministry was confirmed by God through prophets. Timothy being as young as he was may have had a difficult time convincing or proving to the early church leaders that he should be entrusted with the duties he was without these prophecies from God. Paul here reminds him of these to spur him on and encourage him to fight the good fight of the gospel of Christ and cling to the the faith.

19

In contrast to waging the good warfare and holing to the faith and a good conscience, those who reject the gospel and lead others astray with false teachings have made a shipwreck of their faith, it is destroyed and they are sunk, and damned.

20

Then Paul mentions two that he has already dealt with, Hymenaeus and Alexander, Paul mentions Hymenaeus again in 2 Timothy 2:17–18 “and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have swerved from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some.” Some take Paul’s words of “handing them over to Satan” to mean that just as Christ had given some, especially the Apostles, the gifts of healing the sick, he also gave some the gift of eternally damning people. The more logical meaning of “handing over to Satan” is that Paul put them out of the Church and thus they are out of the house of God and given to the world which us under the rule of Satan. Paul viewed them as non-believers and like all non-believers they need a the grace of God that brings about salvation and the new heart to be able to not blaspheme God.