As we have been discussing in the above scriptures,
verses 12 through 17 speak to a single idea, that of
God calling Paul despite his previous life of
persecuting the Church of God. Again, it is a
passage of joy, thanks and acknowledgement. These
words in verse 14 are uttered right after verses 12
and 13 which read:
1 Timothy 1:12-13
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.
And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant
- That is, in his conversion under these
circumstances and in the aid which was afterward
imparted to him in his work.
~Barnes Notes
The grace of our Lord was
exceeding abundant - The original is very
emphatic, that grace of our Lord, hath superabounded
- it manifested itself in a way of extraordinary
mercy. ~Adam Clarke
And — Greek, “But.” Not
only so (was mercy shown me),
but
the grace — by which “I
obtained mercy” (1 Timothy 1:13).
was exceeding abundant
— Greek, “superabounded.” Where sin abounded, grace
did much more abound” (Romans 5:20). ~
John Gill
With faith and love which is
in Christ Jesus - Accompanied with the
exercise of faith and love; or producing faith and
love. The grace which was imparted to him was seen
in the faith and love which it produced; see the
notes, 1 Corinthians 15:10.
~Barnes Notes
With faith and love -
Not only pardoning such offenses, but leading me to
the full experimental knowledge of Christianity; of
that faith and love which are essential to it; and
giving me authority to proclaim it to mankind.
~Adam Clarke
with faith —
accompanied with faith, the opposite of “unbelief”
(1 Timothy 1:13).
love — in contrast to
“a blasphemer, persecutor, and injurious.”
which is in Christ — as
its element and home [Alford]:
here as its source whence it flows to us.
~John Gill
Now going back to the Barnes Notes commentary where
it says to see the notes on 1 Corinthians 15:10.
1 Corinthians 15:10
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.
Now the commentary...
But by the grace
of God I am what I am - By the
“favor” or mercy of God. What I have is to
be traced to him, and not to any native
tendency to goodness, or any native
inclination to his service, or to any merit
of my own. All my hopes of heaven [that
which comes from heaven]; all my
zeal; all my success; all my piety; all my
apostolic endowments, are to be traced to
him. Nothing is more common in the writings
of Paul, than a disposition to trace all
that he had to the mere mercy and grace of
God. And nothing is a more certain
indication of true piety than such a
disposition. The reason why Paul here
introduces the subject seems to be this. He
had incidentally, and undesignedly,
introduced a comparison in one respect
between himself and the other apostles. He
had not had the advantages which they had.
Most of all, he was overwhelmed with the
recollection that he had been a persecutor.
He felt, therefore, that there was a special
obligation resting on him to make up by
diligence for the lack of their advantages
of an early personal conversation with the
Lord Jesus, and to express his gratitude
that so great a sinner had been made an
apostle. He, therefore, says, that he had
not been idle. He had been enabled by the
grace of God, to labor more than all the
rest, and he had thus shown that he had not
been insensible of his obligations.
Note: It
says "early personal conversation with the
Lord Jesus." We know from other scriptures
that Paul did spend three years with Jesus
in personal training.
But I laboured more
abundantly ... - I was more diligent
in preaching; I encountered more perils; I
have exerted myself more. The records of his
life, compared with the records of the other
apostles, fully show this.
Yet not I - I
do not attribute it to myself. I would not
boast of it. The fact is plain, and
undeniable, that I have so labored. But I
would not attribute it to myself. I would
not be proud or vain. I would remember my
former state; would remember that I was a
persecutor; would remember that all my
disposition to labor, and all my ability,
and all my success, are to be traced to the
mere favor and mercy of God. So every man
who has just views feels who has been
favored with success in the ministry. If a
man has been successful as a preacher; if he
has been self-denying, laborious, and the
instrument of good, he cannot be insensible
to the fact, and it would be foolish
affectation to pretend ignorance of it. But
he may feel that it is all owing to the mere
mercy of God; and the effect will be to
produce humility and gratitude, not pride
and self-complacency.
~ Barnes Notes |
Now from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge:
The grace of our Lord -
Acts 15:11
But we believe that through the grace of the Lord
Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they
[speaking of the Gentiles here].
Romans 16:20
And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your
feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be
with you. Amen.
2 Corinthians 8:9
For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he
became poor, that ye through his poverty might be
rich.
2 Corinthians 13:14
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of
God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with
you all. Amen.
Revelation 22:21
[very last words of the
Bible]
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
Amen.
was exceeding abundant
-
Exodus 34:6
And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed,
The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious,
longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,
Isaiah 55:6-7
6 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye
upon him while he is near:
7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the
unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return
unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and
to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
Romans 5:15-20
15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift.
For if through the offence of one many be dead, much
more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which
is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto
many.
16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the
gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation,
but the free gift is of many offences unto
justification.
17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one;
much more they which receive abundance of grace and
of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by
one, Jesus Christ.)
18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came
upon all men to condemnation; even so by the
righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men
unto justification of life.
19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made
sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be
made righteous.
20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might
abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more
abound:
1 Corinthians 15:10
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.
Ephesians 1:7-8
7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the
forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his
grace;
8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom
and prudence;
1 Peter 1:3
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath
begotten us again unto a lively hope by the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
with faith and love which is
in Christ Jesus -
Luke 7:47-50
47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are
many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom
little is forgiven, the same loveth little.
48 And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.
49 And they that sat at meat with him began to say
within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins
also?
50 And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved
thee; go in peace.
1 Thessalonians 5:8
But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on
the breastplate of faith and love; and for an
helmet, the hope of salvation.
2 Timothy 1:13
Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast
heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ
Jesus.
1 John 4:10
Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he
loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation
for our sins.
Notice this from the Barclay commentary...
In the E. F. Brown commentary he says that verse 14
is difficult. In the Revised Standard Version, it
reads, "The grace of our Lord overflowed for me with
the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus." The
first part is not difficult; it simply means that
the grace of God rose higher than Paul's sin. But
what exactly is the meaning of the phrase "with the
faith and love that are in Christ Jesus"? Brown
suggest that it means that the work of the grace of
Christ in Paul's heart was helped by the faith and
the love he found in the members of the church. The
effect of the grace of Christ was aided by things
like the sympathy and the understanding and the
kindness he receive from men like Ananias, who
opened his eyes and called him brother...
Acts 9:10-19
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.
...and Barnabas, who stood by him when the rest of
the Church regarded him with bleak suspicion:
Acts 9:26-28
26 And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed
to join himself to the disciples: but they were all
afraid of him, and believed not that he was a
disciple.
27 But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the
apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the
Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and
how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name
of Jesus.
28 And he was with them coming in and going out at
Jerusalem.
One could say that there are at least three factors
that co-operate in the conversion of any one
individual firstfruit.
1] Almighty God.
John 6:44
No man can come to me, except the Father which hath
sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the
last day.
Jeremiah 31:25
For I have satiated the weary soul, and I have
replenished every sorrowful soul.
Psalm 51:7-12
7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash
me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones
which thou hast broken may rejoice.
9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine
iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a
right spirit within me.
11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not
thy holy spirit from me.
12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and
uphold me with thy free spirit.
Lamentations 5:21
Turn thou us unto thee, O LORD, and we shall be
turned; renew our days as of old.
Philippians 3:14
I press toward the mark for the prize of the high
calling of God in Christ Jesus.
2] The firstfruit
himself.
Matthew 18:3
And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be
converted, and become as little children, ye shall
not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Joshua 10:25
And Joshua said unto them, Fear not, nor be
dismayed, be strong and of good courage: for thus
shall the LORD do to all your enemies against whom
ye fight.
1 Timothy 6:12
Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal
life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast
professed a good profession before many witnesses.
Hebrews 3:14
For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the
beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;
Matthew 24:13
But he that shall endure unto the end, the same
shall be saved.
3] The friendship
and relationship of other firstfruits.
James 5:19-20
19 Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth,
and one convert him;
20 Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner
from the error of his way shall save a soul from
death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.
Proverbs 27:17
Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the
countenance of his friend.
Hebrews 10:24
And let us consider one another to provoke unto love
and to good works:
1 Timothy 6:18
That they do good, that they be rich in good works,
ready to distribute, willing to communicate.
Now go back to item 1 - Almighty God and my
reference to Psalm 51:7-12 that ends with, "Restore
unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with
thy free spirit." and then see what is said next:
Psalm 51:13-15
13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and
sinners shall be converted unto thee.
14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God
of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of
thy righteousness.
15 O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall
shew forth thy praise. |