Paul & The Gospel

INTRODUCTION

About himself & gospel entrusted to him

Tells story of conversion and commissioning asa filling bewtten the sandwich of 2 statements of praise v12 and v17

1. PAUL’S BLESSINGS v12

a. The Lord has given me strength

b. The Lord has judged me faithful

Not gave strength because saw him faithful. Faithful becuase of the strength Lord has given

c. The Lord has appointed me to his service

2. PAUL’S CONVERSION v13 -16

a. What He Once Was

a blasphener, a persecutor, an insolent opponent.

b. What God did for him

Showed him mercy v13, 16. Not becuase he deserved it. It was an act of grace v14. Not mean grace. Overflowing grace. Stott : river burst its banks. Brought him faith and love.

c. What God delivered to Him

the Gospel: v15

Wonderful verse

d. Why God saved him 16

To use him: as an example. He acted ignorantly. Not excuse but a fact. Shows that even worst can be saved

The Message of 1 Timothy and Titus 2. The Apostle Paul and the Gospel (1:12–17)

it was also a ‘prototype’ (hypotypōsis, BAGD) of all subsequent conversions, because it was an exhibition of Christ’s infinite patience. In fact the conversion of Saul of Tarsus on the Damascus road has proved to be just that. It remains a standing source of hope to otherwise hopeless cases. Paul seems to speak to us across the centuries: ‘Don’t despair! Christ had mercy even on me, the worst of sinners; he can also have mercy on you!’

God’s sovereign purpose for Paul and for all believers works through personal faith. Until Paul was turned by the Holy Spirit from self-righteous works (see Phil. 3:4–7) to faith alone in Christ, he could not be used by God. He was in the same condition as the useless false teachers (vv. 6, 7).1

1 MacArthur, J., Jr. (Ed.). (1997). The MacArthur Study Bible (electronic ed., p. 1861). Nashville, TN: Word Pub.

3.PAUL’S PRAISE v17