1 Timothy 1:13

1:12-17 The apostle knew that he would justly have perished, if the Lord had been extreme to mark what was amiss; and also if his grace and mercy had not been abundant to him when dead in sin, working faith and love to Christ in his heart. This is a faithful saying; these are true and faithful words, which may be depended on, That the Son of God came into the world, willingly and purposely to save sinners. No man, with Paul's example before him, can question the love and power of Christ to save him, if he really desires to trust in him as the Son of God, who once died on the cross, and now reigns upon the throne of glory, to save all that come to God through him. Let us then admire and praise the grace of God our Saviour; and ascribe to the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, three Persons in the unity of the Godhead, the glory of all done in, by, and for us.

The kindness of God in putting me into so noble a service was the greater and more thankworthy, because before that time I was a blasphemer, one who spake of Christ reproachfully, for that blasphemy signifieth. Paul was a zealous man in the Jewish religion, his blasphemy therefore only respected the Second Person in the Trinity, which the Jews owned not. Paul compelled others to blaspheme, Acts 26:11 . And a persecutor: of his persecution, see Acts 8:3 : he entered houses, haled men and women to prison; he breathed threatentings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, Acts 9:1 ; he persecuted Christianity even to death, Acts 22:4,5 . Thus he was injurious, for in other things he was, as to the law, blameless, Philippians 3:6 , bred up a Pharisee according to the strictest sect of the Jewish religion, Acts 26:5 ; but he verily thought with himself that he ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth, Acts 26:9 ; so as he went according to his conscience, (such a one as he had), and, Acts 26:10 , he had also authority from the chief priests. But neither the dictates of his own erroneous conscience, nor yet the command of his superiors, could (according to Paul’s divinity) excuse him from being a persecutor, and injurious, and standing in need of the free pardoning mercy of God, which he saith he obtained of God’s free grace, because he did it ignorantly.

We cannot reasonably think that ignorance of the Divine law (once published) should excuse any transgressor of it, we see men will not allow it as to their laws, after promulgation; so that although Paul persecuted Christians ignorantly, yet he stood in need of mercy. Ignorance excuseth not a toto, but a tanto, not in whole, but in part, and makes the sinner’s sin not to be so exceeding sinful, especially where it is not vincible. Paul’s ignorance here mentioned was vincible; he lived in Judea, where the gospel had been preached some years before he persecuted the professors; he might have heard the sermons preached, and seen the miracles wrought, by Christ and the apostles; but he was bred a Pharisee, and under the prejudices of that sect which were implacable enemies to Christ, this kept him in ignorance. Christ allows something for the prejudices of men’s education. He did what he did also while he was in a state of unbelief. He believed one true and living God, (all the Jews did so), and worshipped him according to the Jewish manner, yet styles himself an unbeliever. Every man is an unbeliever (in a gospel sense) that receiveth not Jesus Christ as the Son of God and his Saviour, though he believes there is one God, &c.

1 Timothy 1:13 . Βλάσφημον , a blasphemer ) against God .— διώκτην , a persecutor ) against holy men , lest others should be converted.— ὑβριστὴν , despiser ) [Engl. Vers., injurious ], in rejecting my own salvation. This threefold relation to God, his neighbour, and himself, is frequent in this epistle especially, and in that to Titus; see presently at 1 Timothy 1:14 , which forms an antithesis to this verse: likewise 1 Timothy 1:5 ; 1 Timothy 1:9 . Titus 2:12 , where the word εὐσεβῶς , godly , is opposed to ἁσεβείᾳ , ungodliness , and yet the two words, soberly , and righteously , are opposed to worldly lusts . So here love ( 1 Timothy 1:14 ) alone has a threefold relation: it is love towards God, of which the opposite is a blasphemer; it is love towards the Church, of which the opposite is a persecutor; it is love towards himself, of which the opposite is a despiser .— ἠλεήθην , I obtained mercy ) This word is resumed, as if after a parenthesis, in 1 Timothy 1:16 . This sense of mercy was perpetual in the mind of the apostle, 1 Timothy 1:2 , note.— ὅτι , because ) Ignorance does not deserve pardon in itself; but in classifying the reasons which might impel a man to reject salvation, it is opposed to pride and every higher degree of wickedness.

Blasphemer - persecutor - injurious (βλάσφημον - διώκτην - ὑβριστήν) Neither βλάσφημος nor διώκτης is used by Paul. Βλάσφημος in Acts 7:11; 2 Peter 2:11; διώκτης N.T.o.; ὑβριστής in Romans 1:30 only; often in lxx. See on blasphemy Mark 7:22, and comp. 1 Corinthians 10:30. Ὑβριστής is one whose insolence and contempt of others break forth in wanton and outrageous acts. Paul was ὑβριστής when he persecuted the church. He was ὑβρισθείς shamefully entreated at Philippi (1 Thessalonians 2:2). Christ prophesies that the Son of man shall be shamefully entreated (ὑβρισθήσεται, Luke 18:32). Similar regretful references of Paul to his former career appear in Acts 22:4; Galatians 1:13, Galatians 1:23. Such a passage may have occurred in some Pauline letters to which this writer had access, or it may be an imitation. I obtained mercy (ἠλεήθην) Comp. 1 Timothy 1:16. In speaking of his conversion, Paul uses χάρις grace. See 1 Timothy 1:14, and the apostleship he speaks of himself as one who has obtained mercy (ἠλεημένος) of the Lord to be faithful. 1 Corinthians 7:25; comp. 2 Corinthians 4:1.

13. Who was before—Greek, "Formerly being a blasphemer." "Notwithstanding that I was before a blasphemer," &c. (Ac 26:9, 11). persecutor—(Ga 1:13). injurious—Greek, "insulter"; one who acts injuriously from arrogant contempt of others. Translate, Ro 1:30, "despiteful." One who added insult to injury. Bengel translates, "a despiser." I prefer the idea, contumelious to others [Wahl]. Still I agree with Bengel that "blasphemer" is against God, "persecutor," against holy men, and "insolently injurious" includes, with the idea of injuring others, that of insolent "uppishness" [Donaldson] in relation to one's self. This threefold relation to God, to one's neighbor, and to one's self, occurs often in this Epistle (1Ti 1:5, 9, 14; Tit 2:12). I obtained mercy—God's mercy, and Paul's want of it, stand in sharp contrast [Ellicott]; Greek, "I was made the object of mercy." The sense of mercy was perpetual in the mind of the apostle (compare Note, see on [2466]1Ti 1:2). Those who have felt mercy can best have mercy on those out of the way (Heb 5:2, 3). because I did it ignorantly—Ignorance does not in itself deserve pardon; but it is a less culpable cause of unbelief than pride and wilful hardening of one's self against the truth (Joh 9:41; Ac 26:9). Hence it is Christ's plea of intercession for His murderers (Lu 23:34); and it is made by the apostles a mitigating circumstance in the Jews' sin, and one giving a hope of a door of repentance (Ac 3:17; Ro 10:2).

The "because," &c., does not imply that ignorance was a sufficient reason for mercy being bestowed; but shows how it was possible that such a sinner could obtain mercy. The positive ground of mercy being shown to him, lies solely in the compassion of God (Tit 3:5). The ground of the ignorance lies in the unbelief, which implies that this ignorance is not unaccompanied with guilt. But there is a great difference between his honest zeal for the law, and a wilful striving against the Spirit of God (Mt 12:24-32; Lu 11:52) [Wiesinger].

Verse 13. - Though I was for who was , A.V. and T.R.; howbeit for but , A.V. A blasphemer ( βλάσημον ); applied, as here, to persons, only in 2 Timothy 3:2 ; applied to words, Acts 6:11, 13 (T.R.). The verb βλασφημεῖν , and the substantive βλασφημία , are very common, both in the sense of "blaspheming" and of "railing" or "reviling." St. Paul was a blasphemer because he spoke against the Name of Jesus, which he had since discovered was a Name above all names. A persecutor ( διώκτης ); only here; but the verb διωκεῖν is applied to St. Paul repeatedly ( Acts 9:4, 5 ; Acts 22:4 ; Acts 26:11 , etc.), and the διώκτης here refers possibly to that very narrative. Injurious ( ὑβριστής ); only here and Romans 1:30 , where it is rendered "insolent," R.V. The verb ὑβρίζειν , both in the New Testament and in classical Greek, means to "treat or use others despitefully," "to outrage and insult" them, not without personal violence ( Matthew 22:6 ; Luke 18:32 ; Acts 14:5 ; 1 Thessalonians 2:2 ). The ὑβριστής is one who so treats others. St. Paul was thinking of his own conduct toward the Christians, whom he not only reviled, but handled roughly and east into prison ( Acts 8:3 ; Acts 9:1 ; Acts 22:19 ). There is no English word which exactly renders ὑβριστής . 1 Timothy 1:13

13 . who was before a blasphemer ] A translation of the ace. masc. of the article taken with the participle. But the neuter of the article has the best support, and is taken with the adverb, giving it a slightly stronger force ‘during the former days’; while the participle has the concessive sense, though I was beforetime . a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious ] R.V. retains ‘injurious’ in spite of its having become a much weaker word since the 17th century, and so we have an anticlimax, whereas the Greek gives us a climax, the last word referring to deeds of outrage and contumely. Cf. Trench, N. T. Syn . § 29. In 1 Thessalonians 2:2 and three other places, we have the verb translated ‘shamefully entreated.’ Tyndal, Coverdale and Cranmer give ‘tyraunt.’ Translate, with Ellicott, a doer of outrage . but I obtained mercy ] howbeit , or ‘but still,’ gives a stronger force than simply ‘but.’ ‘He had not like the worse part of the blaspheming and persecuting Pharisees sinned against his better convictions, Mark 3:28-30 ; he had not deliberately set at nought the counsel of God, and defied Heaven to its face.’ Fairbairn.

1 Timothy 1:13 . ὄντα : concessive: “ though I was ,” etc. βλάσφημον : a blasphemer . The context alone can decide whether βλασφημεῖν is to be rendered rail or blaspheme . It was against Jesus personally that Paul had acted ( Acts 9:5 ; Acts 22:7 ; Acts 26:14 ). This brings into stronger relief the kindness of Jesus to Paul. ὑβριστής , rendered insolent (R.V.), Romans 1:30 , covers both words and deeds of despitefulness. Injurious is sufficiently comprehensive, but, in modern English, is not sufficiently vigorous. ἀλλὰ ἠλεήθην : Obtaining mercy does not in this case mean the pardon which implies merely exemption from punishment; no self-respecting man would value such a relationship with God. Rather St. Paul has in his mind what he has expressed elsewhere as the issue of having received mercy, viz. , to have been granted an opportunity of serving Him whom he had injured. Cf. 1 Corinthians 7:25 ; 1 Corinthians 15:10 , 2 Corinthians 4:1 . ἀγνοῶν ἐποίησα : A possible echo of the Saying from the Cross recorded in Luke 23:34 , οὐ γὰρ οἴδασιν τί ποιοῦσιν . See also John 15:21 ; John 16:3 , Acts 3:17 ; Acts 13:27 , 1 Corinthians 2:8 . There is a remarkable parallel in The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs (Judah xix. 3, ἠλέησέ με ὅτι ἐν ἀγνωσίᾳ τοῦτο ἐποίησα ) dated by Charles between 109–106 B.C. ἐν ἀπιστίᾳ does not so much qualify ἀγνοῶν , as correct a possible notion that all ignorance must be excusable. St.