1 Timothy 1:12

He Gives Thanks for God’s Grace and Mercy Shown Towards Himself, Pointing Out That God Has Appointed Him To His Service and How As A Gross Sinner He Had Been Graciously Taken Up By His Grace In Spite Of What He Had Been And Fully Enabled For The Task (1 Timothy 1:12-14 ).

‘I thank him who enabled me, even Christ Jesus our Lord, because he counted me faithful (trustworthy), appointing me to his service, though I was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and violently arrogant.’

At the thought of the Gospel Paul’s spirit ignites. He could never speak of it without exulting, and especially in view of what he himself had been. He could never forget that he, who had claimed to be an upholder of the Law, had so far gone against it that he had revealed his disobedience to the Law, by being a blasphemer, a persecutor and an arrogant, overbearing blusterer (hubristes). That was how he had ‘loved his neighbour as himself’, and it was something that he could never forget. He had blasphemed because He had spoken against God’s chosen One and had insulted His Name (Acts 26:11), he had been a persecutor because of what he had done to his fellow-Jews who were members of the Jerusalem church (Acts 8:1-3; Acts 9:1-2; Acts 9:4), and he had been a violently arrogant man because that was precisely what he had been. No one had been more arrogant, and few as violent against the new faith, as he was (something in line with what the Old Testament describes as a ‘scorner’).

But in spite of it all ‘Christ Jesus our Lord’, (note the full title in contrast with his own revealed weakness and sinfulness), had enabled/empowered him and had counted him as trustworthy and had appointed him to His service (diakonia). The thought filled him with wonder. The mighty Lord, Christ Jesus, Whom he had blasphemed and insulted had reached out to him and had not only forgiven him and saved him, but had chosen him as His special servant, entrusting to him a task, the importance of which was beyond reckoning, because He had known that he was trustworthy. And He had empowered him to do it.

Note the word ‘enabled, empowered’, which is a typical Pauline word, compare Romans 4:20; Ephesians 6:10; Philippians 4:13; 2Ti 2:1 ; 2 Timothy 4:17. Note also the use of diakonia which is another regular Pauline description, also used of his ministry by his regular companion Luke. Apart from these instances, and Luke’s description of the ministry of the earliest days, it is rarely used otherwise (only in Hebrews 1:14, of angels; and in Revelation 2:19). Here is true Paulinism.