At this
point we want to recap a bit before exploring
verse 11. Beginning with verse 8 we see just
who the law is for and what it specifically
condemns. The list of what it condemns is
purposely loathsome and ugly. We automatically
repel from it. Our very hearing is soiled by
even having to contemplate these works of the flesh
going on in the world and in the lives of humans.
To make this clear, let us read that list from
verses 9 and 10:
1. lawless
2. disobedient
3. ungodly
4. sinners
5. unholy
6. profane
7. murderers of fathers
8. murders of mothers
9. manslayers
10. whoremongers
11. them that defile themselves with mankind.
12. menstealers.
13. liars
14. perjured persons
15. any other thing that is contrary to sound
doctrine.
We then come to verse 11 which ends this passage in
Chapter 1 and declares the cleaning power of the
Word of God. As we ended our discussion
regarding verse 10, we showed four glorious things
regarding the gospel word:
1] The Word of God is sound teaching.
2] The Word of God is good news.
3] The Word of God comes from God.
4] The Word of God comes through men and
women---firstfruits.
Let us confirm this as we go through the
commentaries on verse 11.
According to the glorious
gospel - The gospel is a system of divine
revelation. It makes known the will of God. It
states what is duty, and accords in its great
principles with the law, or is in harmony with it.
The law, in principle, forbids all which the gospel
forbids, and in publishing the requirements of the
gospel, therefore, Paul says that the law really
forbade all which was prohibited in the gospel, and
was designed to restrain all who would act contrary
to that gospel. There is no contradiction between
the law and the gospel. They forbid the same things,
and in regard to morals and true piety [religious
devotion and reverence to God], the
clearer revelations of the gospel are but carrying
out the principles stated in the law. They who
preach the gospel, then, should not be regarded as
arrayed against the law, and Paul says that they who
preached the gospel aright really stated the true
principles of the law. This he evidently intends
should bear against the false teachers who professed
to explain the law of Moses. He means here that if a
man wished to explain the law, the best explanation
would be found in that gospel which it was his
office to publish; compare Romans 3:31.
Romans 3:31
Do we then make void the law through faith? God
forbid: yea, we establish the law.
~Barnes Notes
According to the glorious
Gospel - The sound doctrine mentioned above,
which is here called the Gospel of the glory of the
blessed or happy God - a dispensation which exhibits
the glory of all his attributes; and, by saving man
in such a way as is consistent with the glory of all
the Divine perfections, while it brings peace and
good will among men, brings glory to God in the
highest. Sin has dishonored God, and robbed him of
his glory; the Gospel provides for the total
destruction of sin, even in this world, and thus
brings back to God his glory.
~Adam Clarke
According to the glorious
Gospel of the blessed God - For no doctrine
is sound, but what is agreeable to that: this is a
very great encomium of the Gospel. The doctrine
preached by the apostles was not only Gospel, or
good news, and glad tidings, but the Gospel of God;
of which he is the author, and which relates to his
glory, the glory of all his perfections; which
reveals his purposes, shows his covenant, and
exhibits the blessings and promises of it; and is
the Gospel of the blessed God, who is blessed in
himself, and is the fountain of blessedness to
others; and particularly he blesses his chosen ones
with spiritual blessings, and which are set forth
and declared in the Gospel; for which reason this
epithet seems to be given to God here: and it is a
glorious one; it discovers the glory of God, of his
wisdom, grace, and love in the salvation of men; its
doctrines of peace and pardon, righteousness and
salvation by Jesus Christ, are glorious ones; and so
are its promises, being great and precious, all yea
and amen in Christ, absolute, unconditional,
unchangeable, and irreversible; its ordinances also
are glorious ones, being amiable and pleasant, and
not grievous and burdensome to believers; and it is
glorious in its effects, being the power of God unto
salvation, the means of enlightening the blind, of
quickening the dead, of delivering men from bondage
and servitude, of turning men from sin and Satan to
God, and of refreshing and comforting distressed
minds, and of reviving the spirits of drooping
saints, of establishing and strengthening them, and
nourishing them up to eternal life.
~ John Gill
According to the glorious
gospel — The Christian’s freedom from the law
as a sanctifier, as well as a justifier, implied in
the previous, 1 Timothy 1:9, 1 Timothy1:10, is what
this 1 Timothy1:11 is connected with. This exemption
of the righteous from the law, and assignment of it
to the lawless as its true object, is “according to
the Gospel of the glory (so
the Greek, compare Note, see on 2 Corinthians 4:4)
of the blessed God.” The Gospel manifests God’s
glory (Ephesians 1:17; Ephesians 3:16) in accounting
“righteous” the believer, through the righteousness
of Christ, without “the law” (1 Timothy 1:9); and in
imparting that righteousness whereby he loathes all
those sins against which (1 Timothy 1:9, 1
Timothy1:10) the law is directed. The term,
“blessed,” indicates at once immortality and supreme
happiness. The supremely blessed One is He from whom
all blessedness flows. This term, as applied to God,
occurs only here and in 1 Timothy 6:15 : appropriate
in speaking here of the Gospel blessedness, in
contrast to the curse on those under the law (1
Timothy 1:9; Galatians 3:10).
~Jamieson, Fausset, Brown
2 Corinthians 4:4
In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds
of them which believe not, lest the light of the
glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God,
should shine unto them. Does this verse not remind
you of what is said earlier in 2 Corinthians 3 and
verse 18
2 Corinthians 3:18
But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass
the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same
image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of
the Lord.
Now the commentary on 2 Corinthians 4:4
light of the
glorious gospel of Christ —
Translate, “The illumination (enlightening:
the propagation from those already
enlightened, to others of the light)
of the Gospel of the glory of Christ.” “The
glory of Christ” is not a mere quality (as
“glorious” would express) of the
Gospel; it is its very essence and subject
matter. ~Barnes
Notes |
Now back to the commentary on 1 Timothy 1:11:
Of the blessed God -
Revealed by the blessed God - the same God who was
the Author of the law.
~Barnes Notes
Which was committed to my
trust - Not to him alone, but to him in
common with others. He had received it directly from
the Lord; 1 Corinthians 9:17; notes, Galatians 1:1.
~Barnes Notes
Which was committed to my
trust - to distinguish this Gospel from
another, from that of the false teachers, which was
an inglorious one, and he had nothing to do with;
and to show the excellency and worth of it; it being
valuable, was deserving of care and keeping, and was
a depositum the person entrusted with was faithfully
and carefully to keep and preserve.
~John Gill
Which was committed
to my trust — Translate as in the Greek
order, which brings into prominent emphasis Paul,
“committed in trust to me”; in contrast to the kind
of law-teaching which they (who had no Gospel
commission), the false teachers, assumed to
themselves (1 Timothy 1:8; Titus 1:3).
Titus 1:3
But hath in due times manifested his word through
preaching, which is committed unto me according to
the commandment of God our Saviour.
~Jamieson, Fausset, Brown
From the Treasury of Scriptural
Knowledge:
According to the
glorious gospel:
Romans 2:16
In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men
by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
Glorious gospel:
Psalm 138:2
I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise
thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth:
for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.
Luke 2:10-11
10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for,
behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which
shall be to all people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of
David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
Luke 2:14
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace,
good will toward men.
2 Corinthians 4:6
For God, who commanded the light to shine out of
darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the
light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the
face of Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 1:12
That we should be to the praise of his glory, who
first trusted in Christ.
Ephesians 2:7
That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding
riches of his grace in his kindness toward us
through Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 3:10
To the intent that now unto the principalities and
powers in heavenly places might be known by the
church the manifold wisdom of God,
1 Peter 1:11-12
11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit
of Christ which was in them did signify, when it
testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and
the glory that should follow.
12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto
themselves, but unto us they did minister the
things, which are now reported unto you by them that
have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy
Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels
desire to look into.
Blessed
1 Timothy 6:15
Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed
and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of
lords;
Which was
committed to my trust:
1 Timothy 2:7
Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle,
(I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not;) a
teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity.
1 Timothy 6:20
O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy
trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and
oppositions of science falsely so called:
1 Corinthians 4:1-2
1 Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of
Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.
2 Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be
found faithful.
1 Thessalonians 2:4
But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust
with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing
men, but God, which trieth our hearts.
Titus 1:3
But hath in due times manifested his word through
preaching, which is committed unto me according to
the commandment of God our Saviour. |