1 Timothy 1

Introduction

1 Timothy is the first of three epistles known as the Pastoral Epistles, written towards the end of Paul’s life. He was concerned for the future of the church, and hence sent Timothy and Titus instruction regarding holding on to the truth and being aware of error. Within the church they would have to deal with a form of intellectualism, which posed questions, foolish questions, placed pride in intellect, controversies, and dogmatism without knowledge. They also had to deal with asceticism – strict food laws, attempts to persuade the married to renounce this state as impure – but leading to immorality. Money was being made out of false teaching. A mixture of Jewish and Gentile speculations had brought the beginning of a movement called Gnosticism, which troubled the church in the second century.

In chapter 1 Paul gives a warning against the heresies and the risk of slipping back into apostasy. Some had made shipwreck of their faith – Hymenaeus and Alexander – who had been handed over to Satan (1 Timothy 1:20) This phrase may mean excommunication from the church into the world, or it may refer to a physical disaster as punishment, but the aim either way was to restore them ultimately. Paul wanted Timothy to be alive to the dangers, to be strong in the faith, and to fight against error. He needed to cultivate faith, love, clear conscience and sincerity.

But the most valuable part of 1 Timothy 1 is the revelation it gives us about the apostle himself. He shares his testimony, his debt to Christ, and the heart of the chapter is 1 Timothy 1:15 – one of five faithful sayings in the Pastoral Epistles: Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.

The state of sin from which he had been saved

Paul puts his finger on the one thing which above all describes our relationship to God. We are not just rich or poor, men or women, boys or girls – but sinners. This word describes the bomber, the serial killer, the thief and the adulterer – and it describes you and me. A sinner is one whose heart is in rebellion against God, who wants his own way and glory rather than God’s. The ways in which each sinner goes their own way may vary – some will be respectable, polite, cultured, moral and religious, others will be vile, coarse and repulsive. But in both cases, the heart is in rebellion against God, resisting His authority and claims over the life. Each of us has turned to his own way (Isaiah 53:6).

We are in grave danger for we are not just spoiling our lives, marring our character, upsetting our home, but in danger of the wrath of the holy God, a wrath whose full extent will be seen at the judgement seat in the life beyond the grave. Sin is the one thing we all have in common, whatever our differences are. Paul was deeply convicted of his sin, and before God’s holiness and the in-growing light of his experience, he felt he was the chief of all sinners. All true men, however outwardly moral and religious, who know the state of their heart, have repeated Paul’s statement. At the root and the heart of sin is self.

Paul particularizes and spells out how this rebellion was revealed in his own life. He heaps up an impressive pile of words - I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man (1 Timothy 1:13). He had despised Christ and the Cross, had used every means to annihilate the church, and used insolent and brutal violence to get his way.

Have you got to the point of acknowledging your sin? The Gospel never makes sense till you reach this point. If you have the wrong idea about self and God and the Christian faith, you will fail to see how deep and fatal are the wounds of sin because you will not see how the Christian faith is a system of redemption. It is not a philosophy or social lever. But it is the message of God’s grace in Christ, dealing with the penalty, guilt, love of sin and habit of sin.

As Christians, does our involvement and fact of our own sin dominate our thinking? This will keep us from pride, keep our gratitude aflame, urge us to greater effort to please Him, keep us clinging to Christ, and give us concern for our fellows. In Pilgrim’s Progress, Pilgrim’s son was reminded by Mr Great-Heart, “You must know that Forgetful Green is the most dangerous place in all these parts.”

After John Newton was converted, he kept this text above the mantelpiece in his study: Thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt, and the Lord thy God redeemed thee (Deuteronomy 15:15). When Thomas Goodwin felt he was becoming cold in his ministry, or was not filled with amazement at God’s grace, and when he was getting ready to dispense the Lord’s Supper, he would recall his sins: “I take a turn up and down of my past life, and I always come down again with a broken and contrite heart ready to preach the forgiveness of sins.”

The means of salvation

Sin is so deadly and enormous that it could not be dealt with by Paul himself, or anyone else. It required the coming of Christ Jesus into the world. Plainly His pre-existence and therefore His deity are implied. He came of His own free will to pay our ransom, that slaves and criminals under sentence of death might be set free. By His death, the guilt, penalty and slavery of sin were dealt with. If He had not come and died, if the Son of God had not laid aside His glory and taken sin, we would forever be lost. He did for us what we could not do for ourselves.

If someone fell into the sea off a ship, he would not need a swimming lesson, but a rescue. He would not want someone to stand on the bank and give advice. He would need someone to get into the water and rescue him. Jesus Christ gave Himself. He went down so that we might be brought out. He paid the ransom price for our redemption.

So a bridge to God was created. But it is not enough to believe this with our head. This truth must be personally appropriated – I was shown mercy – Paul says. At the Cross, Paul was offered mercy – and he took it. From the Cross flowed mercy, forgiveness, peace with God, new existence and new life. No wonder he concludes, to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17).

The Lord’s dealings with Paul were a pattern to others who would believe afterwards on Him for everlasting life. The change in Paul’s life showed what the Lord could do with other lives. No one is too impossible to deal with. We too can be saved by God’s grace, changed immediately, and radically transformed. Foremost in sin – foremost in grace. Why not me? I can go the way Paul went, and find what Paul found.

Luther’s experience, “My soul was sick. I longed for peace. I could find it nowhere. I went to the priests. They sent me on penances and pilgrimages. Yet my sick soul profited nothing. At last I heard of Jesus. When I received the New Testament set forth by Erasamus, then light came. 1 Timothy 1:15 – that one sentence, through God’s inward working, did so lift up my poor broken spirit, that bones within me leapt for joy and gladness. It was as if after a long dark night, day had suddenly broken.”

A life of service following salvation

Paul’s life could never be the same again. Salvation led to service. After tasting such a great salvation, he could no longer live as though Christ had not died and saved him. Now he was an apostle, sent out to be the representative and herald for Christ Jesus. In being so, he was obedient to a royal command (epitagh) by the command of God our Saviour and of Christ Jesus our hope (1 Timothy 1:1). He was in the service of the glorious Gospel.

Paul was deeply conscious that God had chosen him, not the other way round. He knew he had been heading for destruction, throwing his life away, and it was God who laid a hand on his shoulder and arrested him. Christ had trusted him, who had once been a persecutor, with the Gospel. He had appointed him, not for honour or prestige, but for service. Then He had empowered Paul to carry out this service, for God’s commands are always accompanied by God’s enabling. God had put new splendour and purpose into Paul’s life, he was now on royal service, entrusted with the Gospel, with God’s honour, God’s people and God’s cause – all of which he had once aimed to destroy.

Paul’s task as an ambassador was to pass on the truth about God. His statement in verse 15 was a “Trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance” – and he could proclaim it confidently because he had proved it in his own life. He was offering them a secure lifeline, tried and tested by his own experience.

Since Paul, millions have gone the same way, and proved that this truth is absolutely dependable, worthy to be received by everybody. It should be welcomed by everyone, for it is fitted for everyone, and deals with every man’s condition. Every man has certain basic needs – air to breathe, water to drink, the sun for light and warmth – and Christ for redemption from sin.

Conclusion

Is this truth worthy of your acceptance? Will you treat it as a worthless letter left at the Post Office for you, but never collected? You know its there, but you don’t think it can be very valuable so you can’t be bothered to go and get it? The redemption Christ offers is worthy of full and complete acceptance, by the whole man and by every man. It is more worthy than wealth or honour; it is the worthiest thing under heaven for it will last when all else fades away. When the time comes for us to stand alone before His throne, it is the only thing that will keep us out of hell. That’s how worthy it is of our acceptance. In the hour of death, Christ will plead for us when we are summoned to the bar of justice. This is our eternal consolation through never ending ages. “Lord save me, I perish”.