1 TIMOTHY 1:15-20 - PAUL A LIVING BILLBOARD AND TIMOTHY TO WAGE WAR

1 TIMOTHY 1:15-20

PAUL A LIVING BILLBOARD and

TIMOTHY TO WAGE WAR

1 Timothy 1:15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

Webster’s 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language:

ACCEPTA'TION, noun

1. Kind reception; a receiving with favor or approbation.

This is a saying worthy of all acceptation 1 Timothy 1:15.

Susie: The phrase “This is a faithful saying” is found only in the Pastoral Epistles. Paul used it to introduce key, basic doctrines.  The doctrine here is that the purpose of the incarnation, Jesus coming to earth as a man, was that He would die on the cross to save sinners.  Jesus Himself affirmed this:

Matthew 9:13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

Luke 19:10 …for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

1 Timothy 1:16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.

Susie: Let me refresh our memories about the apostle Paul. BC (before his encounter with Christ), Paul was a Pharisee commissioned by the High Priest to persecute Christians.  He sought them out to arrest them to be beaten and even executed for the “crime” of following Jesus. 

Susan: Paul was a living advertisement, a billboard, if you will, of God’s overwhelming, abundant, amazing mercy, grace, and patience.

Susie: Paul not only preached the gospel, the plan of salvation through Jesus Christ; his personal testimony was a demonstration of that very grace.

Susan: Paul’s hope was that sharing his personal conversion story, becoming vulnerable and transparent before the people concerning his before and after experience with Christ, would cause other people to come to faith in Jesus Christ and be part of Jesus’ forever, eternal family.

Susie: Earlier, this led us to a discussion of the thieves that were crucified on either side of Jesus. Let’s take a brief look at that passage:

Luke 23:39-43 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.  And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.

Susie: Both of the men crucified with Jesus were guilty of crimes that one of them acknowledged were worthy of death. One saw the dying Jesus in His humanity and mocked that if He were really the Messiah, the Christ, the Anointed One, He should be able to save not only Himself but them as well. But the other had eyes of faith.

Susan: He saw the same Jesus in His earth-suit—beaten to an unrecognizable state, naked, dehydrated, the epitome of weakness—yet he called him Lord. In humility, he asked that Jesus would remember him when He got to His kingdom.

Susie: His faith was immediately rewarded as Jesus assured him that he had a future home with Him in Heaven. The point of this worthwhile rabbit trail is that no matter how vile you are, if you have faith to believe Jesus is the Son of God who died for your sins and rose again, God will graciously receive you into His family just as he did Paul and the believing thief on the cross.

1 Timothy 1:17 Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

1 Timothy 1:17 (CJB)    So to the King — eternal, imperishable and invisible, the only God there is — let there be honor and glory for ever and ever! Amen.

Susie: Paul describes God as eternal, immortal (imperishable) and invisible. What is the significance of each of these descriptors?

Susan: Eternal means He had no beginning and no end. He was, is, and forever will be.

Revelation 1:8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

Susan: God is immortal or as the CJB interprets the word “imperishable.” Jesus’ earth-suit, his physical body, died so that He could serve as the only acceptable sacrifice for the sin of humanity. However, God is spirit, and as such, Jesus was still alive. Peter addressed this reality:

1 Peter 3:18–19 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;

Susie: Why is it important that other than the brief time Jesus walked on earth as the God-man, that the Lord God is invisible?

Susan: This truth is crucial because in being invisible, God can be all places at all times (omnipresent).

Susie: The corollary to that truth is that He can see all things and know all things (omniscient). Perhaps that is why the King James Version also describes God as the only wise God. The most ancient manuscripts omit the word “wise.” It is applicable to the Lord, of course, but the main point is that He is the ONE AND ONLY GOD as the Complete Jewish Bible brought out.

Susan: Therefore, God is the only One deserving of all honor and glory forever and ever (eternity). Amen means “so be it.”

1 Timothy 1:18 This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare; 19 Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:

Susie: Scripture does not tell us the specific prophecies concerning Timothy or who made them, but it is evident that Paul believed them to be valid.  Paul encouraged Timothy that the Lord would enable him to fight a good and faithful fight to combat the false teaching at Ephesus.

Susan: Paul encouraged Timothy in this way later in the letter as well:

1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

Susie: Paul does not specify how others had made a shipwreck of their faith. These had been in the church but had turned away from the truth and followed false doctrine.

Susan: Because they were aware of the truth and walked away from it, the consequences were severe.

1 Timothy 1:20 Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.

Susie: Paul had put these two men out of the church in order to 1) end their influence over other church members and 2) take them out of the safety net of fellowship with other believers. This is not saying that they somehow lost their salvation because no one can take that from one who truly trusted Jesus. The purpose was to give them time to reflect and realize the truth of the gospel in order to be restored to fellowship after repentance.

QUESTIONS:

1.       Do our lives bring the honor and glory to God that He deserves?

2.       Are we walking billboards advertising the saving grace and power of the Lord Jesus?

3.       Has the Lord shown you a particular task to accomplish and are you taking steps to do so?