1 Timothy 1:12-17
Read 1 Timothy 1:12-17
Helpful Background Information:
If this passage sounds familiar, it's because we studied this passage two weeks ago! Hence, some of the background information will be repeated to refresh ourselves on context. However, we will examine this passage through proverbial Christmas glasses, as this passage is relevant to Jesus' coming to earth as a man!
1 Timothy was written by the Apostle Paul around 63–65 A.D., between his release from his first Roman imprisonment and his final imprisonment under Nero. Paul wrote to Timothy, his young mentee serving as an elder in Ephesus, to guide him through challenges in the church. After exposing the motives and practices of false teachers, Paul turns to his own testimony, showing how the gospel transformed him from a persecutor of the church into a recipient of grace entrusted with building Christ’s church. In contrast to the false teachers, Paul offers himself as an example of sound doctrine and the true, life-changing power of the gospel.
For our purposes, we must focus on verse 15, where Paul mentions the purpose of Christmas - “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” If we’re to truly understand the magnificence of Christmas, we must understand this. Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity, left the glories and praises of heaven. He took on human flesh just like ours; he grew up from infancy to manhood so that he would redeem his people, pouring out his life on the cross as a sacrifice for the sins of his people. He took the eternal wrath of God - the eternal punishment we deserved- and reconciled to God all those who would believe. The same flesh lying in the manger was destined to have nails driven through it. As Billy Graham once quipped, the purpose of Christmas is Easter!
Reflection Questions:
Verse 15 declares the purpose of Christ’s coming: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.”
How does this purpose reshape the way you view the Christmas season, especially in contrast with cultural celebrations?
What thoughts arise in you when you think of Christmas as the beginning of Christ’s journey toward the cross?
Paul reflects with amazement that God showed him mercy despite his past, and claims his life is an example of the Gospel’s power
In what ways do you identify with Paul’s former blindness or rebellion, and how has Christ transformed your direction?
How could you discuss Christ’s redemptive work on the cross to someone else this Christmas season? How does this text help you to do so?