1 Timothy 1:12–20

October 10th, 2023| Topic: 1 Timothy, aBeLOG | 0

God’s superabounding grace appoints believers—once sinners, now mercifully saved—into service, to discharge their ministries faithfully.

Paul begins this section exulting with gratitude for divine strengthening, for being considered faithful, for being appointed to service (1:12); for God’s showing of mercy (1:13, 16); for the superabounding of grace along with faith and love in Christ (1:14); and for the demonstration of divine patience in Paul (1:16). The entirety of Paul’s ministry, then, was a demonstration of God’s patience with sinners, a prototype and paradigm to those who would believe in Christ (1:16). And for this commissioning, Paul is thankful (1:12) and he celebrates with a joyful benediction (1:17).

Paul’s recounting of his appointment into “service” (1:12), is undoubtedly a reminder to Timothy of his own “service”—this protégé of Paul is himself called a “servant” of Jesus Christ (4:6). By extension, all God’s people have been so appointed as well, to discharge their ministries faithfully. This is also implied in the labeling of certain officers of the church as “servants” or “deacons” (3:8, 12, 10, 13).

Faithfulness is the mark of such servants (the root of the word shows up in 1:12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 19). And thus, the exhortations to Timothy to keep “faith” and the parallel condemnation of those who were shipwrecked in their “faith” (1:19), demonstrate the author’s intent that a faithful discharge of duty by all of God’s people who are in Christ’s service furthers the economy of God “in faith.”

Interestingly enough, Paul confesses not that he was the foremost of sinners, but that he is, as though still struck with the wonder of God’s grace and mercy. He is truly awed! And so should all God’s children for this is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance by everyone, everywhere: Christ came to save sinners (1:15)! Not only was Paul proffered grace, but also faith and love (1:14)—a triad of gifts for the apostle’s trifold viciousness as a blasphemer, persecutor, and aggressor (1:13). In this extension of mercy to Paul, Christ also demonstrated his “perfect patience,” making the apostle an example or a type for all who would trust in Jesus Christ for eternal life: this is how it would be for every believer. “Eternal life” in 1:16 is not just for the future but is the “abundant life” that begins in the present (John 10:10)—the life of the godly, now: “life indeed” (1 Tim 4:8; 6:19)—made possible by the work of God in Christ.

It is notable that 1:12–17 breaks down into two sections, 1:12–14 and 1:15–17, each part rehearsing Paul’s life-change as a result of divine “mercy” (1:13, 16). The first begins with thanksgiving (1:12); the second ends with blessing (1:17). This dual panel then asserts that what happened to Paul—the manifestation of superabounding, amazing, and awe-inspiring grace—is what happens all who believe, and this is how they are appointed to divine service, as was Paul (1:12). Paul is so moved by what he has written about that he breaks out into a blessing of his great God, the King eternal, in 1:17. And so the doxology ends with “glory” (1:17).

The remaining verses of this chapter, 1:18–20, form a single sentence. Just as God “appointed” Paul into service with a responsibility in 1 Tim 1:12 (also in 2:7; 2 Tim 1:11), so in 1 Tim 1:18, Paul, in turn, “entrusts” (from the same Greek root) instructions to his protégé Timothy.

The command to Timothy here is nothing new; it is a return to the charge in 1:3–5: “instruct” (1:3) and “instruction” (1:5) are reflected in “instruction” in 1:18. And “good conscience” and “faith” in 1:5 are also duplicated in 1:19. This command, essentially to proscribe false teachers and their heterodoxy, is nothing less than warfare: Timothy is to “fight the good fight” (1:18). Paul takes the actions (and attitudes) of the false teachers very seriously (1:6, 19). In turn, Timothy has just been urged to watch out for his own praxis in teaching and its goals, including the keeping of faith and of a good conscience (1:19).

[For more details, see my commentary on 1& 2 Timothy, Titus.]