BRUCE C WEARNE looks at what Paul has to say in I Timothy about the Law – and how he uses his own history to illustrate God’s grace…
Now of course, we know that the law is good, [that is] if it be used lawfully by anyone, and so we know that the law has not been laid down for the man in right-standing but for the lawless, for reckless persons, the ungodly, for transgressors, for the unholy and profane, for those who murder fathers and those who murder mothers, for killers, for sexual deviants, for perverts, for traders in people, for liars, for perpetrators of corruption and whatever else [you might list] which is contrary to healthy teaching, to the Good News of the full manifestation God’s happy embrace with which I have been entrusted.
Thanks I give to the One who has taken hold of my life, Christ Jesus our Lord, having deemed me trustworthy by putting me to work in His service; for it is indeed me, who was previously a blasphemer, a persecutor and arrogantly so [the kind of person for whom the law has been given]: but I was granted mercy, because, being ignorant, I acted in a thoroughly untrustworthy way, and the grace of our Lord has been super-abundantly added to us with faith and love in Christ Jesus.
Trustworthy is this saying, and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am foremost. But for this [too] I was granted mercy, in order that the longsuffering of Jesus Christ might be shown forth in me as a pre-eminent example, for those who would come after me believing in Him [with a hope] for life henceforth.
Now unto the King of [all] epochs, the incorruptible, invisible, who is alone God, be all honour and glory for epochs and epochs. Amen. – I Timothy 1:8-17/transliteration by Bruce C Wearne
Paul explains why the Law was needed (shown are the Ten Commandments in a monument in Austin, Texas). PICTURE: Public Domain.
“Paul has interrupted his own explanation of his life before God, about which he assured Timothy that he has no need to be ashamed – with a brief paean of praise to the Almighty. It is as if he says that whatever honour and status may be ascribed to me for this magnificent work in which I am involved, let it all be given to God, the Creator of time, the One who is alone worthy, the One who is alone God and who, in calling me into service, allows me to make sense of it all, to apprehend that we are indeed part of His purposes.”
Paul is not at all setting the Good News over against the law. The law is so thoroughly good; in fact it is the indispensable corollary of the Good News he has been called to proclaim. The law is what shows us the opposition to the wholesome teaching of the Good News. The law is not given so that some can teach their esoteric account of Biblical stories and genealogies. Sinners need the law so that they are put in their right place; from the law sinners learn of their utter dependence upon the grace and mercy of the God who has given His law.
The law is given to show up why some live by rejecting the authentic wholesome teaching of the Good News of Jesus Christ. This is Paul’s intensely personal confession. He is the former Pharisee, Saul of Tarsus, leader of the campaign to rid the world of this pestilential sect of followers of Jesus of Nazareth, until…until he was confronted by the One who took hold of his life, the One who had given the law so sinner like him, in zealous pursuit of the law’s righteousness, could discover his own opposition to the One who fulfils the law.
The law is given to show up all the perverse and evil dimensions of a way of life that has been configured to wholeheartedly oppose, resist, destroy and countermand the Good News. And, says Paul, it is precisely to throw light on such resistance and opposition to the Good News that it is (now) my responsibility to proclaim:
“The Messiah of Israel, whom I profess, has put me to work in His service. He has entrusted to me a part in His ongoing work. And He has deemed me trustworthy, even though, and before He laid His gracious hand upon me, I was violently and mercilessly laying my hands on any who would dare profess faith in Him. Now I see that the law was given for the likes of me – for the opponents of the wholesome teaching of Christ Jesus. I had formed my life in the same kind of ignorance as these law-teachers, spin- doctors of endless stories and genealogical speculations. I was, in fact, chief sinner of such presumption. My reputation now serves to remind all who hear my proclamation of the Good News of what Christ Jesus has done for me. And this is a faithful saying and worthy of full acceptance without any doubt about it: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am the foremost.”
What more can be said? Paul is left to conclude that it seems that God was concerned to encourage His people with a pre-eminent example of His mercy [a pattern of how He deals with sinners, II Timothy 1:13]. This is the way God in His mercy works.
Paul has interrupted his own explanation of his life before God, about which he assured Timothy that he has no need to be ashamed – with a brief paean of praise to the Almighty. It is as if he says that whatever honour and status may be ascribed to me for this magnificent work in which I am involved, let it all be given to God, the Creator of time, the One who is alone worthy, the One who is alone God and who, in calling me into service, allows me to make sense of it all, to apprehend that we are indeed part of His purposes.
Now he comes to the point: he, Paul, has been called into service, not as a presumptuous teacher of the law – in his former life he may have been a Pharisee – but as a teacher of Gentiles (2:7), of those who have been subject to God’s sunshine and rain, even though they have hitherto lived outside the message of God’s mercy to the entire human race!
OPEN BOOK: PAUL’S FIRST LETTER TO TIMOTHY – PAUL AND THE LAW
BRUCE C WEARNE looks at what Paul has to say in I Timothy about the Law – and how he uses his own history to illustrate God’s grace…
Now of course, we know that the law is good, [that is] if it be used lawfully by anyone, and so we know that the law has not been laid down for the man in right-standing but for the lawless, for reckless persons, the ungodly, for transgressors, for the unholy and profane, for those who murder fathers and those who murder mothers, for killers, for sexual deviants, for perverts, for traders in people, for liars, for perpetrators of corruption and whatever else [you might list] which is contrary to healthy teaching, to the Good News of the full manifestation God’s happy embrace with which I have been entrusted.
Thanks I give to the One who has taken hold of my life, Christ Jesus our Lord, having deemed me trustworthy by putting me to work in His service; for it is indeed me, who was previously a blasphemer, a persecutor and arrogantly so [the kind of person for whom the law has been given]: but I was granted mercy, because, being ignorant, I acted in a thoroughly untrustworthy way, and the grace of our Lord has been super-abundantly added to us with faith and love in Christ Jesus.
Trustworthy is this saying, and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am foremost. But for this [too] I was granted mercy, in order that the longsuffering of Jesus Christ might be shown forth in me as a pre-eminent example, for those who would come after me believing in Him [with a hope] for life henceforth.
Now unto the King of [all] epochs, the incorruptible, invisible, who is alone God, be all honour and glory for epochs and epochs. Amen. – I Timothy 1:8-17/transliteration by Bruce C Wearne
Paul explains why the Law was needed (shown are the Ten Commandments in a monument in Austin, Texas). PICTURE: Public Domain.
“Paul has interrupted his own explanation of his life before God, about which he assured Timothy that he has no need to be ashamed – with a brief paean of praise to the Almighty. It is as if he says that whatever honour and status may be ascribed to me for this magnificent work in which I am involved, let it all be given to God, the Creator of time, the One who is alone worthy, the One who is alone God and who, in calling me into service, allows me to make sense of it all, to apprehend that we are indeed part of His purposes.”
Paul is not at all setting the Good News over against the law. The law is so thoroughly good; in fact it is the indispensable corollary of the Good News he has been called to proclaim. The law is what shows us the opposition to the wholesome teaching of the Good News. The law is not given so that some can teach their esoteric account of Biblical stories and genealogies. Sinners need the law so that they are put in their right place; from the law sinners learn of their utter dependence upon the grace and mercy of the God who has given His law.
The law is given to show up why some live by rejecting the authentic wholesome teaching of the Good News of Jesus Christ. This is Paul’s intensely personal confession. He is the former Pharisee, Saul of Tarsus, leader of the campaign to rid the world of this pestilential sect of followers of Jesus of Nazareth, until…until he was confronted by the One who took hold of his life, the One who had given the law so sinner like him, in zealous pursuit of the law’s righteousness, could discover his own opposition to the One who fulfils the law.
The law is given to show up all the perverse and evil dimensions of a way of life that has been configured to wholeheartedly oppose, resist, destroy and countermand the Good News. And, says Paul, it is precisely to throw light on such resistance and opposition to the Good News that it is (now) my responsibility to proclaim:
“The Messiah of Israel, whom I profess, has put me to work in His service. He has entrusted to me a part in His ongoing work. And He has deemed me trustworthy, even though, and before He laid His gracious hand upon me, I was violently and mercilessly laying my hands on any who would dare profess faith in Him. Now I see that the law was given for the likes of me – for the opponents of the wholesome teaching of Christ Jesus. I had formed my life in the same kind of ignorance as these law-teachers, spin- doctors of endless stories and genealogical speculations. I was, in fact, chief sinner of such presumption. My reputation now serves to remind all who hear my proclamation of the Good News of what Christ Jesus has done for me. And this is a faithful saying and worthy of full acceptance without any doubt about it: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am the foremost.”
What more can be said? Paul is left to conclude that it seems that God was concerned to encourage His people with a pre-eminent example of His mercy [a pattern of how He deals with sinners, II Timothy 1:13]. This is the way God in His mercy works.
Paul has interrupted his own explanation of his life before God, about which he assured Timothy that he has no need to be ashamed – with a brief paean of praise to the Almighty. It is as if he says that whatever honour and status may be ascribed to me for this magnificent work in which I am involved, let it all be given to God, the Creator of time, the One who is alone worthy, the One who is alone God and who, in calling me into service, allows me to make sense of it all, to apprehend that we are indeed part of His purposes.
Now he comes to the point: he, Paul, has been called into service, not as a presumptuous teacher of the law – in his former life he may have been a Pharisee – but as a teacher of Gentiles (2:7), of those who have been subject to God’s sunshine and rain, even though they have hitherto lived outside the message of God’s mercy to the entire human race!
Donate
Sight+ is a new benefits program we’ve launched to reward people who have supported us with annual donations of $26 or more. To find out more about Sight+ and how you can support the work of Sight, head to our Sight+ page.
Musings
Grief
TAKE PART IN THE SIGHT READER SURVEY!
We’re interested to find out more about you, our readers, as we improve and expand our coverage and so we’re asking all of our readers to take this survey (it’ll only take a couple of minutes).
To take part in the survey, simply follow this link…