1. Ist Timothy
1:12-20
Paul’s Former Conduct

2. Paul’s gratitude for What Jesus had Done for him
Paul had been strengthened by Jesus, counted as faithful and put into service.
Paul expresses gratitude for this.
Think of all that Paul had experienced:
II Corinthians 11:23-30 mentions labor, imprisonment, beatings, stoning, shipwrecked (3 times), a day and night in the deep, frequent journeys, river dangers, robbers, various perils, weariness, toil, lack of sleep, hunger, thirst, lack of food and sufficient clothing.
Yet Paul still expresses gratitude for the role Christ gave him!

3. Paul’s gratitude for What Jesus had Done for him
Paul describes himself as a:
Blasphemer: one who speaks against God or man. He had spoken against Jesus.
Persecutor: he had been in the forefront of arresting Christians. Acts 8:1-3; 9:1-2; 26
Insolent man (injurious): refers to the attitude, haughtiness:
But he obtained mercy because he did it ignorantly, in unbelief.

4. Paul’s gratitude for What Jesus had Done for him
Paul provides a summary of his former life to Agrippa in Acts 26: To the Galatians in 1:13-24.
The Lord’s grace was “exceedingly abundant”-phrase occurs 158 times in the NT, 106 of which are in Paul’s writings.
That grace led to Paul’s faith and love in Christ.

5. Paul’s gratitude for What Jesus had Done for him
Faithful Saying: Phrase also seen in I Timothy 3:1; 4:9; 2 Timothy 2:11; Titus 3:8;
Faithful saying: “can be relied on as true”.
Christ Jesus came into the world to save, of whom Paul said he was chief.
Consider the list of sinners in 1:9- 10, yet Paul says he was chief of all sinners.

6. Paul’s gratitude for What Jesus had Done for him
One reason for the mercy shown Paul was so that as the chief sinner, he would be an example to others of Christ’s patience, to lead them to belief and eternal life. 2 Peter 3:9 discusses God’s patience.
Some people have felt that they have been too wicked to ever repent and receive forgiveness. Paul’s example shows that if he can be saved, anyone can.

7. Paul’s gratitude for What Jesus had Done for him
Verse 17, King Eternal, Immortal is literally “To the King of ages, who is immortal”. God will never die.
Invisible. No man has seen God. John 1:18. Compare 1 Timothy 6:13-16.
Timothy’s work had been prophesied, connected to “fight the good fight”. Compare Ephesians 6:10-20.

8. Paul’s gratitude for What Jesus had Done for him
Timothy was to keep “faith”.
Faith in this passage is from the greek “pistis”.
Faith (pistis): “primarily, firm persuasion," a conviction based upon hearing (akin to peitho, "to persuade"), is used in the NT always of "faith in God or Christ, or things spiritual."

9. Paul’s gratitude for What Jesus had Done for him
Timothy was to have a good conscience. Paul did. Acts 23:1; 2 Tim. 2:3; We should as well. 1 Peter 3:15-16.
Hymenaeus (2 Timothy 2:17) and Alexander had made shipwreck of their faith. This shows that one can lose their faith. 1 Corinthians 10:12.
Paul had “delivered” them “to Satan” so they would learn not to blaspheme. Compare to I Corinthians 5:5.

10. Saving Faith
The main elements in "faith" in its relation to the invisible God, as distinct from "faith" in man, are especially brought out in the use of this noun and the corresponding verb, pisteuo; they are:
(1) a firm conviction, producing a full acknowledgement of God's revelation or truth, e.g., 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12;
(2) a personal surrender to Him, John 1:12;
(3) a conduct inspired by such surrender, 2 Corinthians 5:7. Prominence is given to one or other of these elements according to the context. All this stands in contrast to belief in its purely natural exercise, which consists of an opinion held in good "faith" without necessary reference to its proof. The object of Abraham's "faith" was not God's promise (that was the occasion of its exercise); his "faith" rested on God Himself, Romans 4:17, Romans 4:20-Romans 4:21.