First Timothy 1:12-17
‘I thank Christ Jesus our Lord Who has enabled me…who was before a blasphemer and a persecutor…. But I obtained mercy!… This is a faithful saying…, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief!… Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God — be honour and glory, for ever and ever!’ First Timothy 1:12-17.
Calvin comments: “Paul…confesses his unworthiness, and yet affirms that he is an Apostle by the grace of God…. He…turns the circumstances that seemed to detract from his authority to his advantage, by showing that because of them the grace of God shone in him the more brightly…. He is unworthy of so honourable an office…. It is enough that he has been chosen by Christ….
“The fact that Christ had made him an Apostle, provided proof of his faithfulness…. He…says that He had strengthened…him…. (He says he) ‘was before a blasphemer and a persecutor’…. We see how candidly he confesses…. He does not try to extenuate his sins…. By thus willingly acknowledging his own unworthiness, he magnifies the greatness of God’s grace….
“When he says that grace…’abounded exceedingly’ — he implies that the memory of the past was effaced and so completely swallowed up, that it did not disadvantage him…. It was profitable for the Church that he had been the kind of man he was, before he was called to the Apostleship…. Christ gave a remarkable example of His grace, which might bring all men to a sure confidence that access to salvation is closed to no man, however serious and outrageous his sins….
“‘Christ came to save sinners!’… We who are lost in ourselves, should come to Christ to gain our salvation from Him…. The Father a thousand times offers us salvation in Christ…. Whenever any doubt about the forgiveness of sins comes into our mind, we should learn to drive it out!… The more a man feels the burden of his sins, he ought with greater courage to betake himself to Christ….
“‘(To save sinners,) of whom I am the chief!’… The Apostle…wished to make a confession that was…true and…came from the bottom of his heart…. In these words, we are warned …how grave and serious a sin unbelief is in God’s eyes, especially when accompanied by obstinacy and raging cruelty…. When he says ‘chief’ — he is again saying that he is the chief of sinners…, so that no one should doubt that if only he comes to Christ in faith — he may obtain pardon….
“‘To the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God — be honour and glory, for ever and ever!’… These sudden outbursts of Paul’s come…when the vastness of the subject overpowers him…. He calls Him ‘the King eternal’ or King of the ages Who never changes. He calls Him ‘invisible’ because He dwells in light inaccessible…. He calls Him ‘only wise’ because He makes foolish and condemns as vanity all the wisdom of men…. There is no glory, but in God alone!”
Calvin also says in his Institutes I:13:24: “Paul affirms that God alone is ‘immortal,’ ‘wise,’ and ‘true’ (First Timothy 1:17)….. Is not He immortal, Who from the beginning had life so as to bestow immortality on angels? Is not He wise, Who is the eternal Wisdom of God? Is not He true, Who is truth itself?!” He is indeed the King eternal, immortal, God only wise! Do you believe that?
