A Personal Testimony of God’s Saving Grace (1:12-17)

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I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service; even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. And yet I was shown mercy, because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus. It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. And yet for this reason I found mercy, in order 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. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. (1:12-17)

The good news of the Christian gospel is that God has the power to transform lives. History abounds with stories of dramatic conversions that testify to that fact.

One such story is about a nineteenth-century South African named Afrikaner, a chief of the Hottentot tribe. He was a hardened, vicious warrior. He and his men were the terror of South Africa. He was so dangerous that the governor of Cape Town offered a large reward for him—dead or alive. Into the scene stepped Robert Moffat, a young Scottish missionary. Believing that God had called him to preach the gospel to the Hottentots, he sought them out. The first person converted under Moffat’s ministry was Afrikaner. His was a remarkable testimony to God’s saving grace.

Billy Sunday was a hard-drinking professional baseball player in the early days of the sport. Walking down the street one day in Chicago with several of his teammates, he came across a man preaching on a street corner. They stopped to mock the preacher, but something he said struck a responsive chord in Billy Sunday’s heart. He embraced Jesus Christ as his savior and went on to become a noted evangelist.

The list is endless. It includes Martin Luther, a former Roman Catholic monk, John Newton, a former slave trader, and Charles Colson, a former White House aide to President Richard Nixon. It even includes former skeptics such as Lew Wallace, Frank Morison, and C. S. Lewis. In my own church I have seen alcoholics, drug addicts, murderers, adulterers, thieves, fornicators, homosexuals, and even a former motorcycle gang leader give their lives to Christ.

The Bible records the conversions of the maniac at Gadara, the despised tax collector and traitor to his people Matthew, blind Bartimaeus and his friend, the adulterous Samaritan woman, Zacchaeus, the Roman centurion at the crucifixion, Cornelius, the Ethiopian eunuch, the Philippian jailer, and Lydia, among others. But of all the conversions ever recorded none was more remarkable than that of Saul of Tarsus. This bitter enemy of the cause of Christ, in his own words the foremost of all sinners, became the greatest evangelist and theologian the world has ever seen. Acts 9, 22, 26, Galatians 1 and 2, Philippians 3, and 1 Timothy 1 all describe aspects of his conversion. Paul never lost the wonder that God could and did redeem someone like him. He viewed himself as the supreme example of God’s saving grace.

Some commentators have contended that Paul’s testimony in this passage is a digression from his flow of thought in 1 Timothy. That is not the case, however. Paul’s purpose in writing this letter was to charge Timothy with the formidable task of correcting the church at Ephesus. A major part of that task involved dealing with the false teachers described in 1:3-10. Since they were presenting a false gospel, Paul gives his testimony to the true one, which he mentioned in 1:11. In contrast to the errorists’ false view of the law as a means of salvation (1:8-10), Paul shows that a proper use of the law brings conviction of sin and the need of grace. The apostle’s testimony in 1:12-17 is thus an integral part of the epistle. It contrasts the glory of the true gospel with the emptiness of false doctrine.

In giving his testimony, Paul celebrated the significance of God’s grace. In so doing he extolled six elements of grace: the source of grace, the need for grace, the power of grace, the extent of grace, the purpose of grace, and the response to grace.

THE SOURCE OF GRACE

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service; (1:12)

Grace may be defined as God’s loving forgiveness, by which He grants exemption from judgment, and the promise of temporal and eternal blessing to guilty and condemned sinners freely, without any worthiness on their part, and based on nothing they have done or failed to do. Paul directs his thanks to Christ Jesus our Lord because He is the source of that grace (cf. 1:14). The word order in the Greek text emphasizes Paul’s gratitude. It literally reads “Grateful am I.” Paul was grateful continually to Christ Jesus, the Messiah, the earthly Son of God with the heavenly glory. Our includes Timothy, too, as a subject of the Lord.

The Bible repeatedly affirms that Jesus Christ, along with God the Father, is alone the source of all grace. John wrote, “For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17). Romans 3:24 tells us we were “justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus.”

Paul was conscious of the work of grace in his own life. In 1 Corinthians 15:9-10 he wrote,

To the Ephesians he wrote, “To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ” (Eph.3:8).

Paul expresses thankfulness for four aspects of God’s grace in his life. First, for electing grace. Paul was ever conscious of God’s choice of him, both for salvation, and apostleship. In Acts 22:14 and 26:16 he mentions it when giving his testimony. In Romans 1:5 he speaks of God’s electing grace in relation to himself; in Titus 2:11 and Ephesians 2:8-9 to all believers.

Second, for enabling grace. Through God’s grace, Paul was strengthened. God not only graciously elected him to salvation but also graciously gave him the strength he did not have or deserve, but needed to live out that salvation (cf. 2 Cor. 9:8). The Lord strengthened Paul during the darkest hour of his life. He was imprisoned a second time, facing execution, and deserted by all his companions (2 Tim. 4:16), yet he could still testify that “the Lord stood with me and strengthened me” (2 Tim. 4:17). He lived his whole life in the strength the Lord provided. “I can do all things,” he wrote in Philippians 4:13, “through Him who strengthens me.” Believers do not merely receive grace at salvation, they live from then on in the sphere of grace (cf. Romans 5:2).

Third, for entrusting grace. God considered him faithful, or trustworthy, and it was grace that made Paul so. In 1 Corinthians 7:25 he described himself as “one who by the mercy of the Lord is trustworthy.” Through God’s grace, Paul was a faithful steward of the ministry entrusted to him (cf. 1 Cor. 4:1-2).

Fourth, for the employing grace that put him into service. Diakonia (service) refers to lowly, humble service (cf. Col. 1:23-25). By using that term, Paul shows that he is not boasting of his faithfulness or trust-worthiness. William Barclay relates a story that illustrates selfless service:

Like the Spartan, Paul sought no honor for himself. His humble spirit was reflected in his statement that “I bear on my body the brand-marks of Jesus” (Gal. 6:17), and in his desire to “know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death” (Phil. 3:10). The words of Jesus in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “My grace is sufficient for you,” were proven true again and again in Paul’s life.

THE NEED FOR GRACE

even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. (1:13a)

The grace of God was especially vivid in Paul’s mind because of his past. As a great sinner he needed great grace. Before his dramatic encounter with the risen Christ on the Damascus Road, Paul was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. A blasphemer is one who slanders God, who overtly speaks evil of Him. Not only had Paul been a blasphemer, he had compelled others to blaspheme. Giving his testimony before King Agrippa in Acts 26:11, Paul related how he “tried to force [Christians] to blaspheme.” His attack was directed ultimately not against the church, but Jesus Christ (cf. Acts 9:4-5; 22:7-8; 26:14-15).

Paul had shattered the Decalogue, smashing its commandments on the rock of his own pride. As a blasphemer, Paul violated the first half of the Ten Commandments, which speak of man’s relationship to God. As a persecutor and a violent aggressor, he violated the second half, which speak of man’s relationship to man. Paul was a relentless, driven, ferocious persecutor of the church. Acts 8:3 and 9:1 relate the havoc he created, even entering houses to arrest believers. Not only did he approve of Stephen’s death (Acts 8:1), but many others as well (Acts 26:10). A violent aggressor is a person with no normal concern for human kindness. In our vernacular we might call such a person a bully. Hubrist ēs (violent aggressor) denotes the person driven by violence and contempt for others to mistreat them. To see them humiliated and suffering brings him pleasure. We might even call a violent aggressor a sadist. The word appears in the list of sins in Romans 1:30, and our Lord used the verb form to describe the mistreatment He would suffer during His arrest and trial (Luke 18:32).

Given Paul’s violent past, it is no wonder that Ananias (Acts 9:13) and the disciples (Acts 9:26) were slow to accept him. Remembering what he had been delivered from helped Paul to maintain a humble, grateful attitude.

THE POWER OF GRACE

And yet I was shown mercy, because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; (1:13b)

Although Paul’s need for grace was great, the power of grace was greater. Paul was living proof of the truth he expressed in Romans 5:20, “where sin increased, grace abounded all the more.” In spite of his sinful past, he was shown mercy. The aorist passive verb ēleēthēn (I was shown mercy) might be translated “I was mercied.” Paul’s wretchedness was met with God’s compassion. He could say with the hymn writer,

Mercy differs from grace in that grace removes guilt, while mercy takes away the misery caused by sin. Paul received the undeserved relief of misery that accompanies saving grace.

How could so vile a sinner as Paul receive mercy? Because, he writes, I acted ignorantly in unbelief. He was no hardened apostate, rejecting the full light of God’s revelation. He was not like the Pharisees who understood Christ’s teaching and power, but rejected Him. Nor was he to be classed with those who “have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away” (Heb. 6:4-6). He did not understand the ramifications of his actions. Sinning willfully after having the truth can result in permanent judgment (Heb. 10:26-27).

Both the Old and New Testaments speak of unwitting or unintentional sins. Numbers 15:22-29 says

On the other hand,

Those who sinned deliberately and willfully were beyond the hope of atonement because they were unrepentant. Those who sinned unintentionally and came in repentance and faith were covered by the atonement made on the Day of Atonement.

In the New Testament, Jesus prayed for those who had crucified Him, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). Peter affirmed that truth in Acts 3:17: “And now, brethren, I know that you acted in ignorance.”

Paul was responsible for his sin. He was the foremost of sinners (1:15), but he received forgiveness because he “did not prove disobedient to the heavenly vision” (Acts 26:19). When faced with the truth, he believed it (cf. Rom. 7:9; Phil. 3:7-9). The grace of God is powerful enough to redeem the worst sinner who is willing to repent.

THE MEASURE OF GRACE

and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus. (1:14)

Grace appears only here in the passage, yet it permeates Paul’s thought in 1:12-17. Abundant sin gives way to the more than abundant grace supplied by our Lord. More than abundant is from huper-pleonaz ō, a compound word made up of the normal word for abundant,pleonaz ō with the preposition huper added. Paul loved to add huper to words to intensify them. He gives us insight into the surpassing measure of God’s grace, which is greater than man’s sin (Rom. 5:20), and sufficient to meet all our needs (2 Cor. 9:8).

With superabundant grace comes the faith and love which are also found in Christ Jesus. Saving faith is not a meritorious work whereby we earn divine grace. Rather, it is a gift of God’s grace: “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God” (Eph. 2:8). Electing grace grants us the ability to believe in Jesus Christ and trust God for salvation. Faith and love are frequently linked with salvation in the New Testament (cf. Eph. 1:15; 3:17; Col. 1:4; 1 Thess. 1:3; 3:6; 5:8; 2 Thess. 1:3; Philem. 5), since they are part of the salvation package. A true Christian is marked by continuing faith (Col. 1:23) and love (1 John 3:14). God’s grace is so abundant that it includes not only salvation, but the faith and love that accompany it.

THE PURPOSE OF GRACE

It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. And yet for this reason I found mercy, in order 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. (1:15-16)

The phrase it is a trustworthy statement is unique to the Pastoral Epistles, appearing five times (cf. 3:1; 4:9; 2 Tim. 2:11; Titus 3:8). These statements were familiar, recognized summaries of key doctrines. That they were common in the church by the time of the writing of the Pastoral Epistles indicates that a well-articulated theology had developed. Paul indeed quotes them as if they were common knowledge. This one and the one in 1 Timothy 4:9 have the phrase deserving full acceptance appended for added emphasis.

The trustworthy statement in 1:15 acts as a condensed articulation of the gospel. In only eight Greek words is found a marvelous summation of the gospel message. Each word is chosen carefully. Christ Jesus is the word order preferred by Paul in the Pastoral Epistles. He uses it twenty-five times compared to six uses of “Jesus Christ.” Bound up in those two words is all that He is. Christ is the anointed King who came to redeem, and became the earthly Jesus at the Incarnation. That He came into the world implies not only His incarnation but His preexistence. Note carefully that it does not say that He came into existence, or that He was created. He existed somewhere else before coming into the world. This phraseology is used frequently by John, who often speaks of Christ’s coming into the world (cf. John 1:9; 3:19; 6:14; 11:27; 12:46; 16:28; 18:37).

The world refers to the world of humanity, blind, lost, and condemned to hell because of its hostility to God (cf. 1 John 5:19). It is into that world of sinners, of darkness and unbelief, that Jesus came. John 3:17 says, “God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him” (cf. John 12:46-47).

Christ’s purpose in coming into this fallen world was to save sinners. Before his birth the angel told Joseph “it is He who will save His people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21). In Luke 19:10 our Lord stated the purpose of His coming into the world: “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” To save is to deliver from death and darkness, from sin, hell, and judgment. Sinners was a term used by the Jews to describe Gentiles (cf. Gal. 2:15), but our Lord used it to refer to all of fallen mankind (cf. Matt. 9:13). It denotes man’s constant violation of God’s law; men are sinners by nature.

In the realm of sinners, Paul saw himself as foremost of all (cf. 1 Cor. 15:9; Eph. 3:8). Many in our day would hasten to correct Paul’s self-image and restore his self-esteem. But that was a healthy self-view for Paul because it was accurate. It’s hard to imagine anyone worse than a blasphemer of God and persecutor of His church. Such a view of himself also served to keep Paul humble and grateful.

It was for this reason that Paul found mercy. God didn’t save him merely to get him out of hell or into heaven. Nor did He save him to preach the gospel or write the epistles; God could have had others do that. The purpose of salvation, whether Paul’s or ours, is to display God’s grace, power, and patience and produce a true worshiper of God (John 4:21-24). It is for His glory primarily, our benefit is secondary.

It was through saving Paul that Jesus Christ could most clearly demonstrate His perfect patience. Makrothumia (patience) means to be patient with people. Paul’s point is that if the Lord was patient with the worst of sinners, no one is beyond the reach of His grace. As an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life, Paul was living proof that God can save any sinner. He was the hupotup ōsis, the model, type, or pattern. Those who fear that God cannot save them would do well to consider the case of Paul.

THE RESPONSE TO GRACE

Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. (1:17)

Having begun the passage with thanksgiving, Paul now closes it with a doxology. Eternal literally means “of the ages.” It refers to the two ages in Jewish thought, the present age, and the age to come. God had no beginning and will have no end. He exists outside of time, though He acts in it. He is immortal, imperishable, and incorruptible. He will never know death, decay, or loss of strength. Because God is invisible, He can be known only by His self-revelation. That He is the only God is a fundamental truth of Scripture (cf. Deut. 4:35, 39; 6:4; Isa. 43:10; 44:6; 45:5-6, 21-22; 46:9; 1 Cor. 8:4, 6; 1 Tim. 2:5). He alone is worthy of all honor and glory forever and ever. The doxology closes with the emphatic Amen, meaning “let it be said.”

In contrast to the false gospel of the errorists, Paul emphasizes the true gospel and his participation in it by God’s grace. That grace is available to the worst sinner who comes to the Lord Jesus Christ in humble faith and repentance.