1 Timothy 1:12-20

Here is a marvelous encouragement to believers, all of whom are called to serve their Lord in one way or another.  Paul first explains how he, a blasphemer, persecutor and insolent man, could be faithful to Christ.  Then he encourages Timothy, his spiritual son, to be faithful as well.  

v Paul, 1:12-17.

·        Christ did three things for Paul (v12).  He enabled Paul.  Paul was not faithful in his own power.  He considered Paul faithful.  Like Peter (John 21:18) Paul had confidence that Christ had chosen him for something he would complete.  And it was Christ who put Paul in ministry.  He used Barnabas and the elders at Antioch but it was the calling of Christ on the road to Damascus that mattered to Paul (cf. his testimony in Ac. 26:12-23).

·        Further note that Paul twice says I obtained mercy (v13,16).  First he obtained mercy because his pre-conversion life was lived in ignorance and unbelief.  Paul actually thought he did God a favor persecuting Christians (Acts 26:9).  This is not an excuse.  As a Jew he was blinded (study this out in Luke 23:34; Acts 3:17).  But God was merciful and gracious (v14) and brought Paul to himself.  Christ did this so that Paul could be an example of His longsuffering and His ability to save the worst of sinners.  No wonder Paul bursts forth in great praise of God (v17).

·        The fundamental point for Paul is the faithful saying in v15.  Paul is the evidence that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners and no sinner is so sinful as to be beyond the reach of Christ.

v Timothy, 1:18-20.

·        How can Timothy be faithful?  In one phrase, he must wage the good warfare.  He won’t be faithful if he doesn’t remember that he is in a war.  Any ministry that truly serves Christ invites attack from the enemy.  To do this he will need two things: faith and a good conscience.  Faith because it is not his war to win; like Paul he must be enabled by Christ and this happens as we trust Him.  A good conscience because the enemy is always looking for something with which to render the servant of Christ useless.  Too often we see God’s men discredited by immorality or financial failure or some other sin.  Failure to be above reproach invites failure in ministry.

·        Two examples are given of men who failed.  Hymenaeus apparently taught falsely about the resurrection (2 Tim. 2:16-18); his false teaching led others away from the faith.  Alexander may have been the man who resisted Paul’s ministry, even speaking against him at his defense in Rome (2 Tim. 4:14-15).  The only hope for these men was to be turned over to Satan (removed from the Church, as in 1 Cor. 5:5) so they might repent.

As believers we are Christ’s servants; servants must be faithful (1 Cor. 4:2).