1 Timothy
1:12-17— God through Christ shows mercy to repentant
sinners.
Forgiveness is the theme running through the lessons
for this coming Sunday. God’s attitude toward sinners is shown in Jesus’
association with sinners and in His joy when sinners repent. If God did not
forgive sinners they would be destroyed by God’s wrath. God forgives and
accepts those who come in faith as His own. In today’s reading Paul tells of
the mercy of forgiveness he received by his faith in Christ even though he
called himself the chief sinner.
Paul witnesses to God’s mercy in forgiving him as
chief of sinners. Here is a statement that everyone can and should accept. It
sums up the whole mission and nature of Christ. We usually avoid general
statements because investigation often shows that there are exceptions. Here
there are no exceptions. This statement is most certainly true and should be
accepted as the truth.
No one can deny theses three statements; 1. “Christ
came into the world” God became human.
2. “Sinners” the truth about every man, woman,
boy and girl.
3. “Save” Christ came not to judge, condemn but
to reconcile sinners back to God.
The magnitude of the mercy for which Paul praises
Christ is brought out in verse 13 where Paul describes himself as a former
blasphemer, persecutor, and violent aggressor. These words describe both deeds
and words of spitefulness; someone whose insolence and contempt burst forth in outrageous
acts.
Before his conversion Paul acted in the ignorance of
sinful unbelief. Paul explains he was
not acting against his better knowledge. The same mercy Jesus asked of His
murderers (see Luke 23:34) He showed to Paul in 1 Timothy 1:16 which makes
clear that patience was behind Christ’s mercy. Paul’s experience is a model of
what Christ does in general. Because Christ’s patience will not undergo a more
severe test than with Paul. No sinner ever needs to despair.
Paul could never get over what the mercy of Christ had
done for him. His magnification of that mercy constitutes the theme of the
Christian’s life.
Prayer for
likeness to Christ: O God, by the patient suffering of Your
only-begotten Son You have beaten down the pride of the old enemy. Now help us,
we humbly pray, rightly to treasure in our hearts all that our Lord has of His
goodness borne for our sake that following His blessed example we may bear with
all patience all that is adverse to us; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. [2]
Collect for Thursday of the week of Pentecost 13: O Thou whom we seek in all our need and through all the mystery of life and without whom we cannot live bravely or well, forgive us that we so often miss Thee. Show us Thy paths already at our feet. Give us courage and vision to follow in faith Thy ways of love and right until our own lives become Thy revelation and Thy Spirit transforms our deeds. As we thus draw near to Thee, do Thou graciously draw near to us until we become more sure of Thee than the light. In His Name in whose life Thy love becomes light and life. Amen. (Gaius Glenn Atkins)[ 3] -08 September, 2022
[2] Collect for likeness to Christ, Lutheran Service Book, © 2006 Concordia Publishing House. St. Louis
[3] Collect for Thursday of the week of Pentecost 13, For All the Saints, A Prayer Book For and By the Church, Vol. II © 1995 The American Lutheran Publicity Bureau, Delhi, NY
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