The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Timothy — Section 42

of happineSB to hie fellow-men. And as he was made responsihle, so also he was empowered. He we.s not sent a warfare on his own charges. He was supplied with all that was necessary for the discharge of the duties connected with the trust. And iO he cannot refrain from turning aside for a little, to pour forth his soul in gratitude to him who empowered him as he also gave him the trust, even Christ Jesus our Lord, the great Head of the Church, from whom proceed all ministerial appointments and a.ll ministerial qualifications. What called forth his gratitude was, that Christ reposed confidence in him in appointing him to his service. lie saw that he was one who could be used and trusted for the furtherance of the gospel ; and so he gave him the appoint- ment and the qualifications. To be assured of this &8 Paul was is great joy. How thankful ministers should be, if they have some evidence, in their own earnestness and in the fruits of their ministry, that they have not mistaken their calling I IL TeE CONSIDERATION OF ms PREVIOUS LIFl!l. "Though I was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: howbeit I obtained mercy, because I did it ignurantly in unbelief." The gratitude of the apostle was enhanced by the consideration of his persecuting career. He was before a bl38phemer, his evil speaking being directed against the Name of Jesus of Nazareth. He was also a persecutor even in this respect, that he compelled others to blaspheme. And he rose to the full conception of a perse- cutor in the tyrannical way in which he went about the work of persecution. At this stage of his life he was far removed from being the minister of Christ. But though be showed no mercy, he obtained mercy. There was this to be said for him, that what he did against Christ he did ignurantly. He acted under an erroneous impression. It was not that he knew Christ to be the Son of God, and hated him for his Divine cre- dentials, especially because he manifested the Divine goodness. But he wa.~ carried away by zeal for the Jewish religion, which, he thought, was greatly endangered by the triumphs of Christia.nity. He was thus not in the most direct, most deliberate way, against Christ. And, so far as he was not throwing away the most sacred con- victions, he was within the pale of mercy. He was within the scope of the Saviour's intercession from the throne, if we are to regard it as conformed to his intercession from the cross, which was in these words: "Father, forgive them ; for they know not what theydo"-wordA which; are echoed by Peter in his address to the Jews, "And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers." It was in a state of 'IIITl,belief that he was ignorant. This implied that he had not followed his lights as others had followed theirs, not greater than his. He had been directed away from Christianity by confidence in hie own righteousness. And he had given way to the disposition, so natural to the depraved heart, to make a tyrannical use of power. 'He was, therefore, most culpable, standing in need of repentance and forgiveness, as Peter went on to impress on the Jews in the address just referred to: "Repent ye, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out." III. GRACE ABOUNDING EXCEEDINGLY. "And the grace of our Lord abounded exceed- ingly with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus." In Rom. v. Paul says of sin that it abounded; here the same word is used of grace, with an addition to it which gives it the force of a superlative. He labours to express the stretch of grace whicl: our Lord had to make toward him when he, a guilty persecutor, was saved. His salva- tion was accompanied by the two gra.ces,/aith and love. From being a disbeliever in Christianity he became a humble believer in it, even preaching the faith of whicl, formerly he ma.de havoc. From having the spirit of the persecutor he came to haVl' the spirit of the Christian, forgiving those who persecuted him, and seeking to subdu,· men, not by force, but by the power of Christian truth and enmple. It is said of this love that it is in Christ Jesus-subsisting in him, and determined in its outgoings by him. We can understand that his own experience of salvation had to do with his eminence as a minister of Christ. It filled him with deep personal gratitude to his Saviour. It urged him to labour, so as to take revenge on himself for the evil he had done. It fitted him for sympathizing with others in such condition as that in which he had been. And it enabled him tho better to understand the sweet gentle spmt of the religion of Christ, that he could contrast it with his own unlovely persecuting zeal. IV. THE GOSPEL THROUGH WHIOB GRACE OPERATED. 1. Reliab/enes:; uf the gospel.. "Faithful is the s11;yina, and W\ll·thy of all a.cceptation." When our Epistle was writteu. this was one of the s~yings that passed a.s proverbs ~ Christian circles. 'l'his l'' c 30 Till!: FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. [oo. 1, 1-20.