Title:Paul: Chief of Sinners and Least of Saints

Text: 1 Timothy 1:12-17

Title:Paul: Chief of Sinners and Least of Saints

Truth:You can be saved too.

Date/Location: Sunday April 29, 2012 at FBC

Introduction

When we look at the Christian faith, we can examine it from what we could call a systematic doctrinal perspective—that is, what does the faith teach or what propositions does it rest on? We could look at it from the perspective of the narratives of Jesus. We could look at it just by reading the Bible in order from front to back. We could look at it by how people express their faith in poetry and song. There are other ways that are a bit farther removed from the Bible, such as an examination of the history of the Christian faith, or the recounting of how people have understood the Bible and faith over time.

Another way we can look at the Christian faith is through the personal stories of people who experienced a transformation because of it.One of those people is the apostle Paul, who was known before his conversion to Christianity by his Hebrew name, Saul.He humbly proclaimed himself to be the chief of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15) and less than the least of the saints (Ephesians 3:8). Let’s see why.

I. Paul in the Past, v. 13

A. Paul was an up-and-coming rabbi of the Pharisee party (Acts 23:6). He was from Tarsus, a city about 350 miles from Jerusalem in modern-day Turkey. He was a student of Rabbi Gamaliel, a respected teacher of the law (Acts 5:34, 22:3).

History tells of Gamaliel that he held a senior position on the San Hedrin court in Jerusalem. Known as Gamaliel the Elder, he “holds a reputation in the Mishnah for being one of the greatest teachers in all the annals of Judaism: ‘Since Rabban Gamaliel the Elder died, there has been no more reverence for the law, and purity and piety died out at the same time’” (Wikipedia, s.v. Gamaliel).

All this is to say that Paul had a top-tier religious education.

B. As far as Paul’s personal conduct, he was very dedicated and zealous.

Acts 22:3 recounts his zeal for God. Philippians 3:5-6 and Acts 26:4-5 tell how he followed all the strict laws of the Jews.

C. Paul later realized that he was actually working against God. In 1 Timothy 1:13, 15, he describes himself as a blasphemer, a persecutor, andinsolent. He was ignorant, unbelieving, and a sinner.

1. Blasphemer – one who defames and denigrates God. Paul thought he was honoring God (Acts 26:9), but was really blaspheming Christ.

2. Persecutor – he imprisoned Christians andcaused their deaths (Acts 26:10).

3. Insolent man – someone who is violent. In English, insolent conveys the idea of rude and arrogant lack of respect.Hubris comes from this root.

4. Ignorant – unaware of the truth—that Jesus is Messiah and that Paul was really going in the wrong direction. We probably read this ignorance as if it were a positive reason FOR God to forgive Paul. On the contrary, his ignorancewas not good. That ignorance is not excusable (it is what we call culpable). Ignorancewas a reason God COULD forgive him. Had he done it knowingly in unbelief, God would not show him mercy.His sin was not high-handed sin against God for which there was no mercy (Num. 15:27-31, Deut. 13:6-11).

5. Unbelief –he did not believe in God; rather he believed a system of thought that he had been brought up in. He was unable to come to terms with the new revelation that God had brought alone in the recent years. He was trying his best to keep what he understood to be the law, but it resulted in his sinning against God!

6. Sinner – someone who does not measure up to the standard of God.

D. Paul also realized that he was placing his confidence for salvation in his personal background and accomplishments. See Philippians 3:7-9. He realized that Romans 10:1-4 was true of himself, as he would later write about many of his Jewish brothers and sisters.

All of this shows that even if you think you zealously pursuing what you think is the right path, you can be headed in thewrong direction.

I can tell you that you are a sinful person until I’m blue in the face, but that just often makes people red in the face with anger. When you recognize you are a sinner for yourself, that your face might still be red—but with shame.

E. For further study: Acts 7:58, 8:1, 8:3, 9:1-2, 22:1-5, 22:25-29, 23:6, 26:4-5, 26:9-11.

II. Paul in the Present, v. 12-14

The meat and potatoes of this passage is that Paul is giving a report of his thanks to God, throughwhat we call a personal testimony of his relationship to God through Jesus Christ. Paul was thankful that he was in “the ministry” despite his past, and that even more importantly, he was a saved sinner.

A. Paul was enabled and placed into the ministry. This means that he was called and gifted by God to serve in the capacity of a personal representative of Jesus, or what we call an apostle.

Jesus considered that Paul would be a faithful minister. Perhaps his zeal that was in the wrong direction would be faithfully applied in the right direction. What is certain is that up to this point, Paul had not been faithful, but he was glad Jesus gave him the opportunity.

The Lord also enabled Paul. He gave strength and ability so that the apostle could not say he was doing his servicein his own strength.

God works through human faithfulness and divinely-given ability to accomplish His purposes.

B. Paul obtained mercy despite his damaging behavior, his ignorance, and his unbelief. Mercy is compassion and pity. The Lord withheld from Paul what he deserved, which was the wages of sin (death, Romans 6:23).

C. Paul received an abundance of grace, which is the Lord’s undeserved favor. Here is a guy who is effectively kicking the Lord in the teeth, and the Lord extended favor to him?!?! Wow.

D. Paul received and in turn exercised the Lord’s gifts of love and faith. The Lord loves us before we love Him (1 John 4:19).

E. Given all this, is it any wonder that Paul is thankful to God?

F. The thing is that Paul’s present was totally changed from his past. Is your present the same as your past? Or has it changed so your present is an experience of the mercy of God and the grace of Christ Jesus?

III. Paul as a Pattern, v. 15-16

Paul’s experience is not just his own. He is made into an example! No matter what your life has been up to this point, Jesus can save you too.

A. Christ came into the world to save sinners. This was His mission. It was not to be a good moral example or a good teacher or whatever. He came to take a heavy penalty, to die in the place of sinners who deserved themselves to die.

This is not just Paul saying so—Jesus said so Himself (Matthew 20:28, 9:13; Luke 19:10), and other places in the Bible agree (Heb. 7:25).

This statement is worthy of our acceptance and approval. It was a faithful saying—a saying so well-known and unarguably true that there was nothing to do but accept it.

B. Paul was among the worst of such people that Jesus came to save, yet the Lord’s mercy and grace was extended to him so that he became part of God’s family.Paul was looking at himself in light of God’s holiness and seeing someone so sinful he was in the worst category.

No one should consider themselves beyond saving, because all those who are utterly bankrupt before God are savable. No one can rightly say “I am beyond the reach of God’s grace.”

No Christian should consider another person too bad to be saved. The worst of sinners can be saved today, just like Paul was.

We should not approach this whole question by comparing ourselves to other people, because if we evaluate ourselves and think we are higher on the scale of sinners, it doesn’t make any material difference.

C. Paul offers himself to us as a pattern that the Lord is very patient with people. Paul was a “prime recipient of extraordinary mercy in view of his infamous past, [and] serves as a model for the certainty of availability of mercy to others” (BDAG). Paul is God’s prototype.Jesus has this kind of patience with people, including YOU. Notice that the text says “all longsuffering” or perfect, unlimited, immense longsuffering.

As I have said before, when I stop to think about this, I for one am extremely glad that God has this kind of patience for unsaved as well as saved people! This gladness is what drives Paul to praise God.

IV. Paul’sPraise of God, v. 17

Having been delivered from certain destruction, Paul has nothing else to say but THANKS TO GOD!

A. The Bible here describes God has the King, eternal, immortal, invisible, and only-wise. These descriptions are overflowing with greatness. God has no beginning and no end; He never dies; He is beyond our sight and in fact impossible to see unless he discloses himself to us; and He alone has true, full, and infinite wisdom regarding all things.

B.These are words of Praise to God.Paul ascribes honor and glory to God, and wishes that those things would be recognized and likewise ascribed by everyone to God forever and ever. The marvel of the transcendent God reaching down to save sinners is beyond words!

Conclusion

If we go back and examine what we have studied at a high level, we might notice that Paul speaks about the gospel in two “rounds.” The first is v. 13-14 and the second is v. 15-16. In both rounds, he highlights sin, followed by the obtaining of mercy, followed by faith in Christ Jesus.

I trust you have considered the gospel, and believed it.MAP

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