A Missional Reading of 1 Timothy 1:12-17 : Test Case #2 for a Missiological Hermeneutic
Readers of the First Timothy are well aware that much of Paul’s letter is spent empowering Timothy to oppose false teachers who are threatening to undercut the Gospel that Paul preached to those in Ephesus. The tone of much of chapter one of First Timothy is serious and combative. Paul does not mince his words in dealing with the threat posed by the false teachers to the nascent Christian community.
Striking to many in this context is the shift that Paul makes in 1:12-17 –
NIV 1 Timothy 1:12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. 13 Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. 14 The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners– of whom I am the worst. 16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
In these verses, Paul offers an autobiographical statement about the grace and mercy that he received from God.
Many have regarded Paul’s words here as an interruption to the flow of Paul’s thought, but in fact, they are essential to the progression of Paul’s argument. A missiological reading points the way forward for understanding Paul’s use of his own story in this context.
Exegetical Notes
Verse eleven ends with Paul stating that he received the Gospel as a trust from God. Paul does not make this claim merely to bolster his own authority or standing with Timothy, but rather to provide background to using himself as an example of God’s work. In essence, Paul says, “Look at me. God has taken a blasphemer, persecutor, and overall violent person and transformed me into one whom He can use to testify to God’s grace throughout the world. If God can use me, He can use anyone. No one is beyond the reach of God’s abundant mercy.” This includes those who are currently promoting false teaching in the church.
Verse 12 opens with Paul expressing gratitude to Jesus Christ because of the calling that Jesus has given to him. Jesus’ choice of Paul renders him “trustworthy†for the task. The great early church leader Augustine, Bishop of Hippo said, “God does not choose anyone who is worthy, but in choosing him renders him worthy.”
God renders his servants trustworthy by strengthening them. Verse 12 is reminiscent of Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” This strengthening empowers Paul to fulfill the ministry/service to which God has called him.
Paul’s gratitude is highlighted further by his confession of his pre-Christian life as “a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a man of violence.” In other words, Paul’s present ministry stands in contrast to his prior life. For additional information about Paul’s pre-Christian life, see Acts 8:1-3, 9:1-21, and Philippians 3:4-6. Paul thus stands as a testimony to the power of God.
Verses 13 and 14 describe the abundant outflow of mercy and grace from God to Paul. This grace transformed Paul from Saul the persecutor to Paul the proclaimer of the Gospel. In light of the truth about Jesus, Paul understands his past to be acts of ignorance and unbelief. Paul claims this on the basis of the Old Testament’s distinction between unintentional and intentional sins (see Numbers 15:22-31). In Paul’s mind, this distinction provided the rationale for God’s mercy and compassion in his life.
Paul sums up his argument with the first of five “sure sayings†scattered across 1and 2 Timothy and Titus (1 Tim 1:15, 3:1, 4:9; 2 Tim 2:11; and Titus 3:8). Here in verse 15, Paul is emphasizing the mission of Jesus Christ to bring salvation, even to sinners. Paul associates himself with sinners and describes himself as the foremost one. Paul is not being overly dramatic nor is he wrought with guilt. He is simply expressing his own view of his past life in light of the incredible kindness shown to him by God.
The rationale for Paul’s autobiographical sharing becomes clear in verse 16. The salvation of Paul serves as a model for others. By saving a person such as Paul, who had seemingly been unreachable as an opponent of Jesus, Jesus demonstrates his patience and the reach of his grace to others, who currently stand outside of the faith.
In verse seventeen, Paul closes this section by changing the focus from himself to the One who has saved him. In light of the mercy and grace shown to him, Paul breaks out in praise to God.
Missional Implications
1) The priority of mission. Paul’s strong teaching against the false teachers throughout this epistle has to be read against Paul’s missional emphasis on God’s desire to bring salvation to all persons (1 Tim 2:3). False teaching must be opposed not merely because it is incorrect doctrine, but because false doctrine hamstrings the missional focus of the Church. False teaching forces a congregation to turn inward rather than outward as it has to stop its missional work to take care of “in-house†matters.
2) Missional hope. The testimony by Paul serves to remind Timothy that even the false teachers, about whom Paul has written strong words (1 Tim 1:3-11), remain within reach of God’s grace. This is significant. Paul is not merely offering his testimony as an example of how God saves a lost person. The language that Paul deploys in 1:12-17 is related strategically to the portrait that Paul paints of the false teachers. Paul saves his strongest words for 1:18-20 in which he names two of the false teachers – Hymeneaus and Alexander – and describes how he forced them out of the Church back into the World (“handed them over to Satanâ€) on account of their blasphemy. Most modern readers focus on the issue of excommunication here and wonder about its modern application. Paul however has missional aims. Notice again Paul’s autobiographical statement. He calls himself a “blasphemer†(v. 13). In other words, Paul uses similar language to describe his pre-Christian past and current life of the false teachers. Why does Paul do this? I think it is to remind Timothy and the Christians in Ephesus that it is not enough merely to “clean house.†False teachers need to be confronted and in some cases even shown the door, but in such cases, those who are put out of the fellowship immediately become the objects of missionary focus. The implication of Paul’s testimony is if God could save Paul, he could save anyone.
Of course, more could be said, but I hope that this helps to demonstrate that a missional reading is not merely an add on to our normal interpretive practices, but arises out of a close reading of the text, provided that we have eyes to see.
Let me know what you think.
© 2006 Brian D. Russell