Mr. D's Notes on I Timothy
Rev. Stanley L. Derickson Ph.D.
Copyright 2000

CHAPTER 7

In the 1800's a Scottish pastor resigned from his church. When asked why he had resigned he explained that he had only let one little boy to the Lord in the past year. He had however lead John Moffat to the Lord and Moffat was used of the Lord to open up South Africa to the Gospel.

In the early 1800's there was a chief in South Africa named Afrikaner. He was chief of the Hottentot tribe, a vicious hardened group of warriors. Afrikaner was known throughout the country and the governor of Cape Town had fixed a hefty price on his head - dead or alive.

Also in the early 1800's there was a young Scottish man by the name of Moffat which God lead into the ministry. One thing led to another and Moffat was led of the Lord to go preach the gospel to the Hottentot tribe in South Africa.

God used Moffat to speak of the Gospel to Afrikaner and Afrikaner became the first convert in the Hottentot tribe.

Moffat needed to go to Cape Town on business and he decided to take Afrikaner with him - so Africkaner dressed as an attendant Afrikaner and Moffet made their trip.

As they made their way through the Dutch farmland Moffat found that he was supposed to have been killed by Afrikaner - or so went the story that had been passed around. One man even told Moffat that he had seen Moffat's bones.

Moffat told one farmer that the Afrikaner he knew was a good man. The farmer did not believe Moffat and said that he would like to see this terror of a man before he himself died. Moffat told the farmer that his attendant was indeed the man Afrikaner. The farmer exclaimed: "O God, what a miracle of Thy power! What cannot Thy grace accomplish!"

I trust this account of what God can do will set the stage for Paul's continuing comments to us from I Timothy.

I Tim. 1.12 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; 13 Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did [it] ignorantly in unbelief. 14 And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

Here is an outline for your possible use.

I. A TRULY THANKFUL MAN

A. Paul the Enabled
B. Paul the Faithful

II. A TRULY ENLIGHTENED MAN

A. Paul Realized Who He was Without Christ
B. Paul Realized What Christ did For Him

III. A TRULY BLESSED MAN

I Tim. 1.12-14

I don't know the inner thoughts of Paul's mind when he went into this portion of his letter but I have to wonder. I wonder if he wasn't sticking this in as one final emphasis to what he has been saying about the false teachers. They are teaching you of the law when they don't understand what the law is for. He then laid out what the law was for - the sinner! He now shifts to illustrate how wrong the Jewish concept of the law was and how he found mercy before the Lord and then describes that mercy unto salvation and ministry in his own life. What a perfect illustration of what he is saying - the law can't bring about salvation, only grace through faith in Christ can do that!

Paul himself was out there putting the law up to all comers while persecuting the saints. He was totally serious and committed to serving the law that he misunderstood. He then shares how fantastic the gospel is in changing a life.

12. And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;

The thought of his being entrusted with the Gospel seems to move Paul to show how thankful he was for Christ's work in his life.

I would like to go back and just read through that time in Paul's life - a time of great turmoil I am sure.

Acts 9.1-20

" And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, 2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. 3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: 4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: [it is] hard for thee to kick against the pricks. 6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord [said] unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. 7 And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man. 8 And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought [him] into Damascus. 9 And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink. 10 And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I [am here], Lord. 11 And the Lord [said] unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for [one] called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth, 12 And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting [his] hand on him, that he might receive his sight. 13 Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: 14 And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name. 15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: 16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake. 17 And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, [even] Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. 18 And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized. 19 And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus. 20 And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God"

Paul takes time out to thank the Lord for His

Enablement
counting him faithful
putting him into the ministry

Any other feeling on the part of a missionary, minister or layperson that ministers within the church is out of line. Every Sunday School teacher, every minister of any kind must be thankful for the enablement God gives them, and realize that it is God that counts them faithful, not themselves. They must also realize that it is God that placed them into the ministry. Any other and they are totally misplaced.

It is God that enables us (Acts 1:8), and it is He that will judge our life, and it certainly should be God that places us into our ministries, no matter what those ministries might be.

The term ministry is closely related to the term for deacon. It is the doing for others in the church. It means "service." Barclay relates an account that illustrates the selfless service the term implies. "[The Greek Writer] Plutarch tells us that when a Spartan won a victory in the games, his reward was that he might stand beside his king in battle. A Spartan wrestler at the Olympic games was offered a very considerable bribe to abandon the struggle; but he refused. Finally, after a terrific effort, he won his victory. Someone said to him: "Well, Spartan, what have you got out of this costly victory you have won?" He answered: "I have won the privilege of standing in front of my king in battle." From William Barclay's THE LETTERS TO TIMOTHY, TITUS, AND PHILEMON; Philadelphia; Westminster; 1975; pp 42-43.

The Olympics have changed a little haven't they!

It is reported that a pastor stated once that the only time that God blessed him was when one of his church people moved away or died.

I have a friend that is in a church of about seventy people. He tells me of the blessings and he tells me of the surprises, and he tells me of the problems. The problems are usually people. In fact he vocalized the above recently - his comment was prompted by the fact that there were a couple of families that were working behind the scenes to cause friction and ultimately have him removed from his pastorate.

He was realistic in knowing that the Lord was in control, and that it was Satan that was moving in his church rather than the Lord, but he still must cope with this background each time he steps into the pulpit or speaks to one of his folks.

If you are looking for your situation/ministry to generate feelings of thankfulness to the Lord, then you are in error and you will most likely not find a time when you are thankful.

Paul was thanking Christ for placing him in the ministry, not the people that he was ministering to. The people may get bad at times, but it is Christ we serve not people. This is a very important distinction.

Paul was not bragging that he was in the ministry, he was only sharing his joy in the fact of it.

There are times when I look in the mirror in the morning and wonder who that is. I am still a hood from Lexington, NE in my mind and I marvel at the fact that the God of the universe allows me to stand before His people to teach and preach. I, to this day do not comprehend what God has done in my life and through my life.

I’d like to just make a comment about the enablement that Paul mentions. We all need the Lord's enablement in all that we do. Our own talents and abilities won't be enough to do the job that the Lord asks us to do.

We need His empowerment to do it all.

We need the gifts that He has given to us to use in the church.

Without both of the above, we will be functioning at a level far below that which He wishes for us.

Don't be a minister unless you are called and placed by God. Do be a minister if He calls and attempts to place you.

The phrase "counted me" pictures the fact that Christ had faith in Paul's ability to carry out the ministry that He had given him. The phrase is used of a king that sent an ambassador to a far country that had confidence in the one sent that he would carry out the desires of the sender.

13 Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did [it] ignorantly in unbelief.

Lenski points out that these terms seem to build on one another - Paul is stacking up a real case against himself - not only was he a blasphemer, but on top of that he was a persecutor and if those two aren't enough he was also injurious!

Thayer says of injurious "one who, uplifted with pride, either heaps insulting language upon others or does them some shameful act of wrong"

When Paul is speaking of his having been a persecutor, he means just that.

Acts 26:10-11, "Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them.

"And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities."

In I Cor. 15.9-10 we are given more information. "For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which [was bestowed] upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me."

MacArthur suggests injurious might be translated “violent aggressor.” He paints a very ugly picture of Paul before He met the Lord.

"Paul had shattered the Decalogue [ten commandments], smashing its commandments on the rock of his own pride. As a blasphemer, Paul violated the first half of the Ten Commandments, which speak of man's relationship to God. As a persecutor and a violent aggressor, he violated the second half, which speak of man's relationship to man. Paul was a relentless, driven ferocious persecutor of the church. Acts 8:3 and 9:1 relate the havoc he created, even entering houses to arrest believers. Not only did he approve of Stephen's death (Acts 8:1), but many others as well (Acts 26:10). A violent aggressor is a person with no normal concern for human kindness." From THE MACARTHUR NEW TESTAMENT COMMENTARY I TIMOTHY; John MacArthur; Moody Press; Chicago; 1995; p 29.

We should note that there is nothing that the Lord can't forgive in salvation. Even the persecution and testifying unto death of the saints.

This is not to say however that the long-term consequences of a life of sin before you are saved won't continue.

The drug addict or alcoholic that is saved and delivered from his addiction may suffer physical shortcomings the rest of their life.

The murderer on death row does not receive a pardon and release because he becomes a Christian.

Recently there was a woman on death row that had become a Christian and there was a great outcry for her. People wanted the government to suspend her death penalty. My question was on what basis? Kindness - yes, but the government does not need to be kind. Grace - yes, but the government does not need to be gracious. Indeed, IF they had been kind and gracious to this woman, they would have needed to be kind and gracious to every other person on death row.

Since we have no indication that Paul struggled inwardly with what he had done, I assume that in his salvation he found release from any guilt about his persecution of Christians. We can be free of pre-salvation guilt! We needn't dwell on those things - just thank God they are gone, yet we may have lasting consequences.

"But I obtained mercy, because I did ignorantly in unbelief."

Some have suggested from this verse that the sinner that is never saved because he never heard the Gospel will have a lesser judgment due to the fact that he did it in ignorance.

What do you think? Can we prove this either way? It would seem to me that the Law is set and that breaking the law will bring a set judgment. Paul knew the law well, and he was not speaking of ignorance of the law. I would guess he was speaking of doing it not knowing that it was against Christ. This may relate to Christ's discussion with him on the road to Damascus. This may have been when Paul realized what he was doing.

Actually the sinner is judged based on the fact that he rejected and refused God. The level of torment may be indicated in this verse, in that the person that does something with full knowledge of error may well be held more accountable than the person that had no concept of the wrong. (Matt. 11:20ff)

Rev 20:12 in the last part mentions that the lost will be judged, "out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works." According to their works would indicate levels of punishment.

They will all be separated from God and will be in torment, however there may be less and more torment according to works.

Paul's comment seems to be in the context of his being in the ministry. I believe that he is saying that mercy was extended in the area of a ministry in that he had sinned in ignorance or it may better be put - "sinned ignorantly." The implication being that had he been sinning in knowledge, that he would have been unworthy and unfit to be in the ministry.

The import of his having done it in ignorance is of great comfort to many. Many of us did many things when lost that we know we should pay the piper for, but this passage shows that the pre-salvation things are gone (not that the consequences are gone). You might look into Num. 15.22-31 for further info on this.

Christ in Jo 16.1-3 predicted the actions of the persecutors, Paul being one of them. " These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended. 2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. 3 And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me."

We could also relate this prophecy of the Lord to the violence that has been seen by Christians through the ages to this prophecy of the Lord. It also relates directly to the martyrdom of many in the book of Revelation. All those that would persecute Christ or His people do it in total ignorance. Is this not what Christ said of his own crucifiers - "forgive them; for they know not what they do"?

Is this not a great tool in witnessing? If we understand this and wrap our minds around the concept, we will be less worried about how others react to us - it isn't personal - it's aimed at Christ through their ignorance of Him!

14 And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

His sinfulness in the former life, seems to intensify his knowledge of the grace that Christ extended to him. I have seen this in many people’s lives. Those that are raised in Christian homes seldom realize the abundance of grace that God showed to each one of us. Those that were saved out of lives of sin often realize just how far down God had to reach to draw them up.

ASV "and the grace of our Lord abounded exceedingly with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus"

The grace extended to Paul was wrapped in faith and love when Paul opened his heart to the Lord. God's love was shed upon him as He accepted the Lord and His work. I would suggest that faith refers to Christ's trust in Paul to handle the ministry given to him.

I like the way Paul put it in Romans 5.20b "But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:" No matter how terrible Paul was or even if he had been twice as bad - grace would have been able to cover it!

This verse seems to speak to the thought of Paul's view of his being saved by the Lord. The Lord extended grace and love to him when he was the likes of what he was.

I marvel many times that He choose me to do His work, any of His work much less preaching and teaching. He can take someone that thumbs their nose at Him and turn them into a usable vessel.

By way of application in relation to Paul's comment that Christ counted him faithful to be in the ministry might I suggest something?

I believe that pastors and teachers have a stronger accountability to the Lord. God has counted them faithful and faithful they should be. Many there are of the high profile pastors that have fallen - fallen because of moral problems.

In relation to this I'd like to cause us to think about something that is currently going around. It has been reported that the church of Satan is praying that Satan will bring down Christian pastors and that is happening across the nation. I've seen believers that are accepting this as truth.

What do you think? Are you getting worried about going into the ministry? Are these truth to these Satan worshiping folks - are they behind pastors falling today?

1. Satan is limited in many ways, thus how can prayers to him move him to do more? 2. He is in a conflict with God. He is going all out! He can do no more, even if some pray he will? 3. He knows pastors are the place to hit and he has been doing if for generations. He isn't hitting them harder because someone is praying to him.

The Satan worshiper may be praying for this, but I don't think their prayers are effective, for Satan has his hands completely filled - he can do no more.

The statistics however show more and more pastors are falling into trouble (1990's) I assume the reports are true, thus I must ask why? 1. Pastors are less spiritual than they used to be. 2. Pastors are allowing themselves into situations they should never be in. 3. Pastors are more prone to go with the world rather than with God. 4. I would assume possibly also that the schools are not preparing our men properly before they go out into the ministry. 5. The creed-o of the Baby Boomer generation is "ME" and satisfying me! Many pastors are boomers - enough said.

I think that a pastor that was an influence in our lives represents one that was found faithful by the Lord. The Lord saw fit to call them into the ministry and that they remained faithful throughout a long ministry.

When God led us off to Bible college, our first pastor in Denver was a man that had planted the church that he was in. When we arrived and started attending, he took me under his wing immediately. He would talk to me from time to time and when we were on visitation, he would take time to explain why he was visiting each person, and after the visit he would explain why he did what he did so that I could learn from his experience and wisdom.

The sad part of the story was that he resigned and moved away shortly after we arrived. We lost track of him and did not hear from or about him for many years.

While at Frontier School of the Bible, he was invited to teach our week long Bible conference. We were able to talk to him, and as he preached it was obvious that he had not changed a bit. He was the same humble man of God that had impressed me so much when we were both a lot younger.

In whatever ministry God has called you into, or might call you into in the future remember that it is God that enables, and that it is God that counts you faithful to accomplish that ministry.

I would like to present a portion of Barnes comment relating to the term ministry which we defined as servant. I would like for you to consider two items as you comprehend his comments. First I would like you to compare this definition of a minister to the modern day "minister" and also compare this definition to your own life as a servant of the Lord.

"It is indeed a work of toil, and of self-denial, and demanding many sacrifices of personal ease and comfort. It requires a man to give up his splendid prospects of worldly distinction, and of wealth and ease. It is often identified with want, and poverty, and neglect, and persecution. But it is an office so honorable, so excellent, so noble, and ennobling; it is attended with so many precious comforts here, and is so useful to the world, and it has such promises of blessedness and happiness in the world to come, that no matter what a man is required to give up in order to become a minister of the gospel, he should be thankful to Christ for putting him into the office. A minister, when he comes to die, feels that the highest favour which Heaven has conferred on him has been in turning his feet away from the paths of ambition, and the pursuits of ease or gain, and leading him to that holy work to which he has been enabled to consecrate his life." From BARNES NOTES; Albert Barnes; Baker Book House; Grand Rapids; 1949; p 120