Paul's Exhortations & Instructions to Brother Timothy 1st Letter Volume10

Paul Gives Glory to God for His Grace Part 4

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. KJV

Paul now in continuing to give God glory for His amazing grace again tells Timothy (something he surely had done many times during their travels together) how he looked upon himself after he was confronted (on the Damascus road) with the awesome glory that is present and inherent in our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ when he writes these words to him, "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." (1 Timothy 1:15) (KJV). When Paul begins this verse with the little English phrase 'This is a faithful saying', he is trying to communicate to Timothy and anyone else who would read this letter that what he has already written (thus far) and what he writes at present is not the rambling words of a religious zealot or a religious nut, but these words are sure and true and can be trusted. The little English phrase 'This is a faithful' is translated by one Greek word pistos which means objectively trustworthy; subjectively trustful: - believe, faithful, sure, true.

In other words, what Paul writes here to Timothy concerning our Lord Jesus Christ is not speculation, but Paul concludes it to be sure and true, because of what mercy he received (a sinner who killed those people whom Christ Jesus our Lord loves), yet despite that truth and reality he (Paul) was granted and shown mercy by the Person who was the very object of Saul's rage and hatred. When Paul writes 'worthy of all acceptation', this is what Albert Barnes had to say concerning these words of Paul, 'Worthy to be embraced or believed by all. This is so, because: all are sinners and need a Saviour. All, therefore ought to welcome a doctrine which shows them how they may be saved.' Paul means that what he declares here to Timothy should be received with great reverence and honor and should sink down deep into the soul or inner man or inner woman of every person (not just Timothy) who reads these words because of the faithfulness of our God Jesus Christ to fulfilling His own Word just as Paul wrote with these words to the Thessalonian Church, "Faithful is He Who is calling you [to Himself] {and} utterly trustworthy, and He will also do it [fulfill His call by hallowing and keeping you]." (1 Thessalonians 5:24) (Amplified Bible) and also these words, "Yet the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen [you] {and} set you on a firm foundation and guard you from the evil [one]." (2 Thessalonians 3:3) (Amplified Bible).

When Paul writes to Timothy 'that Christ Jesus came into the world', is a reminder to Timothy and to all Christians everywhere of what a tremendous sacrifice was made for our redeemption, for our Lord Jesus Christ is the very God who created us all and He did not owe us/humanity anything, for we plunged ourselves into darkness by virtue of Adam's sin and everyone of our own personal sins against Him, yet He chose to lower Himself below all of His Own creation and suffer ridicule, railing, and reproach from an unworthy creature whom He could have wiped out of His universes and started over, but instead He became the propitiation, that is, atoning and becoming the atonement for our sin and wrongdoing, just as the Apostle John wrote with these words, "And He [that same Jesus Himself] is the propitiation (the atoning sacrifice) for our sins, and not for ours alone but also for [the sins of] the whole world." (1 John 2:2) (Amplified Bible). The little English phrase 'to save' is translated by the Greek word sozo which means to save, that is, deliver or protect (literally or figuratively): - heal, preserve, save, make whole. The English word 'sinners' is translated by the Greek word hamartōlos which means a human being who misses the mark (and so not share in the prize), that is, (figuratively) to err, especially (morally) to sin: - for your faults, offend, sin, trespass; to be sinful, that is, a sinner.

So, in other words, our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ came into this world to deliver and protect, to heal, preserve, and make whole any sinner, that is, sinful human being who would turn to Him for forgiveness made only possible by His death on the Cross and shedding of His Blood and then His Resurrection from the dead and His Ascension back into Heaven to sit now on His Throne of Grace. Finally, when Paul writes to Timothy these words ('of whom I am chief'), he is not being over dramatic or practicing self-loathing, or false humility, but instead he by mercy received that brought to him the grace of God, he sees himself in truth and in reality as he stands up or stacks up against the unpenetrable purity and holiness of our Lord Jesus Christ, therefore, Paul (like every honest sinner should) saw himself as the most heinous sinner that there was against Jesus Christ our God, but truth be told every human being is the chief of sinners (I know I am, thats why I thank and love my Lord Jesus Christ so much), for all are equal in their offense to Almighty God, no matter whether this is believed or not by all of humanity. Oh, by the way this English word 'chief' is translated by the Greek word protos which means foremost (in time, place, order or importance).

"'Christ Jesus came.' Then He was before He came. His own will impelled His feet, and brought Him to earth. 'Christ Jesus came to save.' Then there is disease, for saving is healing; and there is danger, for saving is making secure. 'Christ Jesus came to save sinners'—the universal condition, co-extensive with the 'world' into which, and for which, He came. And so the essence of the Gospel, as it lay in Paul’s mind, and had been verified in his experience, was this—that a Divine Person had left a life of glory, and in wonderful fashion had taken upon Himself manhood in order to deliver men from the universal danger and disease. That is the Gospel which Paul believed, and which he commends to us as 'a faithful saying.'" Alexander MacLaren

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...

Sincerely in Christ,

Clifford D. Tate, Sr.
Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…