1 Timothy 1:12-13 1599 Geneva Bible (GNV)
12 Therefore I thank him which hath made me strong, that is, Christ Jesus our Lord: for he counted me faithful, and put me in his service:13 When before I was a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and an oppressor: but I was received to mercy: for I did it ignorantly through unbelief.
Brethren:
We should all be so thankful as was Paul, for he, as the song/hymn/scripture says:
“for He saved the worst among you, when He saved a wretch like me”.
Who among us has felt so unworthy as to hang our heads in shame, and unrighteousness. But all praise and glory be to God our Creator for lifting us up from our current state and cleansing us from all unrighteousness via Christ our Savior.
R.P. Woitowitz
“The meaning is, I thank him for
putting me into the ministry, and enabling me to be faithful therein;
who was before a blasphemer — Of Christ; a persecutor — Of his
church; and injurious — In my behavior toward it; or rather a
reviler. But I obtained mercy: He does not say, because I was
unconditionally elected, but, because I did it ignorantly. Because,
though I acted in a very rash, savage, and criminal manner, yet I did
not therein contradict the sentiments of my own conscience; in
unbelief: Not knowing nor believing that Jesus of Nazareth is the
Messiah, or that those whom I persecuted were his servants. Not that
his ignorance took away his sin, but it left him capable of mercy,
which he would hardly have been, had he acted as he did in
contradiction to the conviction of his own mind: for had he knowingly
opposed what he apprehended to be truth, (especially truth of such
unspeakable importance to the glory of God and the salvation of
mankind,) out of regard to his secular interest, he would doubtless
have been left to perish under a judicial blindness and hardness of
heart. It is probable, as Paul was “then a scholar at Gamaliel’s
feet, he might not have been present when any of Christ’s miracles
were performed, as Christ spent but little time at Jerusalem. The
popular cry was strong against him, and the Pharisees and rulers
treated him with so much contempt, and were so full of malignity
toward him, and so ready to advance the most slanderous reports to
the prejudice of his character, that it is the less to be wondered at
that this rash, hot youth was borne down by the torrent. Yet we see
how far Paul was from thinking all this, and whatever could be added
to it, a sufficient excuse. Instead of insinuating, with some, that
the miracle wrought for his conversion to Christianity was a reward
for his extraordinary integrity and virtue while a Jewish zealot, he
speaks of himself as one of the greatest sinners upon earth, and
thereby shows, by the way, how much guilt a man may contract without
acting directly contrary to the convictions of his mind, if he has
neglected an impartial care in forming his principles of action.”
- Joseph Benson
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