1 Timothy 1:16 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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1 Timothy 1:16

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‘Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy.’ Yes, Paul, why did God forgive you when you were such a sinner against him and a persecutor and an enemy? We can't understand the electing love of God and the mercy of God in salvation. There is no answer to the question, ‘Why me, Lord?’ Why was that eternal saving love set upon me? Of course he doesn't know the full reason any more than we do, but Paul knows one of the reasons. ‘For this cause’ even – let's insert the word – ‘even I obtained mercy.’ Here is the reason why such a conspicuous sinner was so remarkably saved. ‘That in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all longsuffering.’ ‘In me first’ – all these words are important. There's a tremendous principle here. I obtained mercy that in me first, in such a conspicuous sinner, the full miracle of salvation might be shown. Yes, but that's not what the text says. What it says is, ‘That in me first Jesus Christ might show forth [exhibit] all longsuffering’, long feeling. All the long-held compassion and feeling of the Saviour is going to be seen in the conversion of Saul of Tarsus. It is to disclose something very special about the Lord Jesus Christ. Every form of patient waiting and suffering that is resident in Christ will be seen. Note it is Jesus Christ alone who is mentioned, not in this case the Father, although everything that Christ determines or feels is shared by every member of the Trinity. But there is a special reason why only Jesus Christ is mentioned. He came in the flesh; he assumed human nature, so that he could suffer and feel as we suffer and feel. God is above suffering. He is above being influenced by feelings in a way that would injure him or alter him or weaken him. He doesn't feel in a human sense. He feels in a divine sense, which is not understandable to us. But Christ, because he assumed human personality, could feel as we feel. How long Christ put up with Saul of Tarsus and his pre-conversion arrogance and bigotry and viciousness towards believers! If they are hurt, Christ is hurt: we are his body. And the patience and the long suffering of Christ took it all and waited for the time when he would save Saul. To give us an insight into the mighty heart of Christ and his long suffering.

Application

‘That in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all long-suffering for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting. The Apostle says that one of the great reasons why God should choose him and bring him to prominence, and to save such an injurious person as he was, is to show an example of the Lord's great mercy. Very often when people come under conviction of sin, when they are being drawn to Christ, the first question in their minds is, but can I be saved? And often when people come under conviction of sin, by the activity of the Spirit of God, their sin so touches them that they can scarcely believe they can be saved, or other people can be saved, but I don't believe that I could be saved. And one of the purposes of the salvation of Paul in this remarkable way is this, that he should be a pattern and an example of the great mercy of God. Yes you too can be saved: look how the Lord dealt with the Apostle Paul, Saul of Tarsus as he was, such an injurious person. God is willing to save even blasphemers, even persecutors, even those who commit outrages against him; God is willing to save them and to bless them, and the Apostle is an indication of this. Are there some who have rejected gospel advantages, and it now weighs heavily on your hearts, and you have rejected the testimony of Christian parents or friends, you have rejected a certain amount of light and understanding and gone on in a worldly way. Is there hope for you? Oh yes: ‘Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth’ all his patience and wonderful tenderness and ‘all longsuffering for a pattern’, an example, for instance to them which should hereafter believe on him and therefore receive life everlasting.

How long did he endure, you and me, and our insults and our scorn and our unbelief and our indifference. We may evaluate his patience in terms of all that the incarnate Son had to bear from us before he, in mercy, took the initiative and moved our hearts and humbled us and brought us to long for him and seek him. ‘How be it for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all long suffering.’

‘That in me first’ – never underestimate testimony. We believe in plain speech and persuasion and preaching of the gospel. But your life is a testimony and your word is a powerful testimony. This text puts it right up alongside preaching. Your family and your relations. You left home years ago. You are middle aged. You have got your own family. The family circle has grown. Your life, your testimony, what they know you were, and what they see you are now: that is powerful. ‘That in me first’ – Paul is followed by a long line of demonstrations and testimonies and God will always provide the churches with a number of very radical transformations to help make the point, people converted from extremes to help illustrate the radical nature of conversion.

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1 Timothy 1:16 Commentary and Bible Study