1 Timothy 1:12-17

Read 1 Timothy 1:12-17

Helpful Background Information: 

• 1 Timothy was written by the Apostle Paul sometime around 63-65 A.D. Paul was released from his first Roman imprisonment (from where he wrote Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon) in 63 AD, did further missionary work (during which he wrote 1 Timothy), and was imprisoned again around 65 AD, which would end in his execution by the Roman Emperor Nero in 68 A.D. Timothy, his young mentee, was serving as an elder/pastor at Ephesus - hence Paul wrote to him to advise him on how to properly handle various situations in the church. 

• Our passage today comes right after Paul discusses the malicious practices and motivations of false teachers. Here, he transitions to discuss his own testimony - Jesus Christ and his gospel have radically transformed Paul from a former blasphemer and persecutor of the church (as seen in Acts 8) to a sinner saved by grace, given a mission to evangelize and build Christ’s church. In contrast to false teachers, who preach false doctrine and have ungodly character, Paul is displaying himself as a vessel of true teaching and the proper effect of the gospel. 

• For our purposes, verse 15 shines forth, proclaiming the essential truth of the Christian faith: "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” However, Paul’s next line is a sobering reminder for Christians everywhere: “And I am the worst of them.” We must humbly remind ourselves that the only claim we can make about ourselves apart from God’s grace is that we are the worst of sinners. Before we think about the sins of others, we must remember that we are lowly sinners who must repent and rest in God’s forgiveness. The more we recognize our sinfulness, the more we grasp the magnitude of God’s grace in sending his son to save us. If we are to deeply cherish the Gospel, we must recognize the utter depths of our depravity.

Reflection Questions: 

• From this passage, we learn that when trouble and bad conflict are brewing in marriage or friendships - before we even begin to think about the other person - we must ask ourselves, “What sin am I committing that’s contributing to this problem?”

  • If there is an issue in your marriage/friendship, what sins can you discern in yourself? What would it look like to confess your sins both to God and the other person and walk in repentance? 

• How might humility, recognizing yourself as a sinner saved by grace (Unearned favor from God), change the way you communicate or handle conflict in your marriage/friendship? 

• Paul’s testimony highlights the redemptive power of God to change even the most broken lives. How can you encourage a friend/your spouse with this truth?