_THE LORD'S COMPASSION IN ENABLING A BLASPHEMER AND A PERSECUTOR TO
BECOME A SERVANT OF CHRIST JESUS AND A PREACHER OF THE GOSPEL._
"I thank Him that enabled me, even Christ Jesus our Lord, for that
He counted me faithful, appointing me to His service; though I was
before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: howbeit I
obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief; and the
grace of our Lord abounded exceedingly with faith and love which is
in Christ Jesus."--1 TIM. i. 12-14.
In the concluding sentence of the preceding paragraph (vv. 3, 11) the
Apostle points out that what he has been saying respecting the erroneous
teaching and practice of the heterodox innovators is entirely in harmony
with the spirit of the Gospel which had been committed to his trust.[23]
This mention of his own high commission to preach "the Gospel of the
glory of the blessed God" suggests at once to him some thoughts both of
thankfulness and humility, to which he now gives expression. His own
experience of the Gospel, especially in connexion with his conversion
from being a persecutor to becoming a preacher, offer further points of
contrast between Gnosticism and Christianity.
The false teachers wasted thought and attention upon barren
speculations, which, even if they could under any conceivable
circumstances be proved true, would have supplied no guidance to mankind
in regulating conduct. And whenever Gnostic teaching became practical,
it frittered away morality in servile observances, based on capricious
interpretations of the Mosaic Law. Of true morality there was an utter
disregard, and frequently an open violation. Of the one thing for which
the self-accusing conscience was yearning--the forgiveness of sin--it
knew nothing, because it had no appreciation of the reality of sin. Sin
was only part of the evil which was inherent in the material universe,
and therefore in the human body. A system which had no place for the
forgiveness of sin had also no place for the Divine compassion, which it
is the purpose of the Gospel to reveal. How very real this compassion
and forgiveness are, and how much human beings stand in need of them,
St. Paul testifies from his own experience, the remembrance of which
makes him burst out into thanksgiving.
The Apostle offers thanks to Jesus Christ, the source of all his
strength, for having confidence in him as a person worthy of trust. This
confidence He proved by "appointing Paul to His service;" a confidence
all the more marvellous and worthy of gratitude because Paul had before
been "a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious." He had been a
blasphemer, for he had thought that he "ought to do many things contrary
to the name of Jesus of Nazareth;" and he had been a persecutor for he
had punished believers "often-times in all the synagogues," and "strove
to make them blaspheme." That is ever the persecutor's aim;--to make
those who differ from him speak evil of what they reverence but he
abhors; to say they renounce what in their heart of hearts they believe.
There is, therefore, thus far an ascending scale in the iniquity which
the Apostle confesses. He not only blasphemed the Divine Name himself,
but he endeavoured to compel others to do the same. The third word,
although the English Version obscures the fact, continues the ascending
scale of self-condemnation. "Injurious" does scant justice to the force
of the Greek word used by the Apostle (=hybristês=), although it is not
easy to suggest a better rendering. The word is very common in classical
authors, but in the New Testament occurs only here and in Rom. i. 30,
where the A.V. translates it "despiteful" and the R.V. "insolent." It is
frequent in the Septuagint. It indicates one who takes an insolent and
wanton delight in violence, one whose pleasure lies in outraging the
feelings of others. The most conspicuous instance of it in the New
Testament, and perhaps anywhere, would be the Roman soldiers mocking and
torturing Jesus Christ with the crown of thorns and the royal robe. Of
such conduct St. Paul himself since his conversion had been the victim,
and he here confesses that before his conversion he had been guilty of
it himself. In his misguided zeal he had punished innocent people, and
he had inflicted punishment, not with pitying reluctance, but with
arrogant delight.
It is worth pointing out that in this third charge against himself, as
well as in the first, St. Paul goes beyond what he states in the similar
passages in the Epistles to the Corinthians, Philippians, and Galatians.
There he simply draws attention to the fact that he had been a
persecutor who had made havoc of the Church.[24] He says nothing about
blaspheming or taking an insolent satisfaction in the pain which he
inflicted. This has some bearing on the genuineness of this Epistle. (1)
It shows that St. Paul was in the habit of alluding to the fact that he
had been a persecutor. It was part of his preaching, for it proved that
his conversion was directly and immediately God's work. He did not owe
the Gospel which he preached to any persuasion on the part of man. It
is, therefore, quite in harmony with St. Paul's practice to insist on
his former misconduct. But it may be urged that a forger might notice
this and imitate it. That of course is true. But if these Epistles are a
forgery, they are certainly not forged with any intention of injuring
St. Paul's memory. Is it likely, then, that a forger in imitating the
self-accusation of the Apostle, would use stronger language than the
Apostle himself uses in those Epistles which are indisputably his? Would
he go out of his way to use such strong language as "blasphemer," and
"insolent oppressor"? But, if St. Paul wrote these Epistles, this
exceptionally strong language is thoroughly natural in a passage in
which the Apostle wishes to place in as strong a light as may be the
greatness of the Divine compassion in forgiving sins, as manifested in
his own case. He had been foremost as a bitter and arrogant opponent of
the Gospel; and yet God had singled him out to be foremost in preaching
it. Here was a proof that no sinner need despair. What comfort for a
fallen race could the false teachers offer in comparison with this?
Like St. Peter's sin in denying His Lord, St. Paul's sin in persecuting
Him was overruled for good. The Divine process of bringing good out of
evil was strongly exemplified in it. The Gnostic teachers had tried to
show how, by a gradual degradation, evil might proceed from the Supreme
Good. There is nothing Divine in such a process as that. The fall from
good to evil is rather a devilish one, as when an angel of light became
the evil one and involved mankind in his own fall. Divinity is shown in
the converse process of making what is evil work towards what is good.
Under Divine guidance St. Paul's self-righteous confidence and arrogant
intolerance were turned into a blessing to himself and others. The
recollection of his sin kept him humble, intensified his gratitude, and
gave him a strong additional motive to devote himself to the work of
bringing others to the Master who had been so gracious to himself. St.
Chrysostom in commenting on this passage in his Homilies on the Pastoral
Epistles points out how it illustrates St. Paul's humility, a virtue
which is more often praised than practised. "This quality was so
cultivated by the blessed Paul, that he is ever looking out for
inducements to be humble. They who are conscious to themselves of great
merits must struggle much with themselves if they would be humble. And
he too was one likely to be under violent temptations, his own good
conscience swelling him up like a gathering tumour.... Being filled,
therefore, with high thoughts, and having used magnificent expressions,
he at once depresses himself, and engages others also to do the like.
Having said, then, that _the Gospel was committed to his trust_, lest
this should seem to be said with pride, he checks himself at once,
adding by way of correction, _I thank Him that enabled me, Christ Jesus
our Lord, for that He counted me_ _faithful, appointing me to His
service_. Thus everywhere, we see, he conceals his own merit and
ascribes everything to God, yet so far only as not to take away free
will."
These concluding words are an important qualification. The Apostle
constantly insists on his conversion as the result of a special
revelation of Jesus Christ to himself, in other words a miracle: he
nowhere hints that his conversion in itself was miraculous. No
psychological miracle was wrought, forcing him to accept Christ against
his will. God converts no one by magic. It is a free and reasonable
service that he asks for from beings whom He has created free and
reasonable. Men were made moral beings, and He who made them such does
not treat them as machines. In his defence at Caesarea St. Paul tells
Herod Agrippa that he "was not _disobedient_ to the heavenly vision." He
might have been. He might, like Judas, have resisted all the miraculous
power displayed before him and have continued to persecute Christ. If he
had no choice whatever in the matter, it was an abuse of language to
affirm that he "was not disobedient." And in that case we should need
some other metaphor than "kicking against the goads." It is impossible
to kick against the goads if one has no control over one's own limbs.
The limbs and the strength to use them were God's gifts, without which
he could have done nothing. But with these gifts it was open to him
either to obey the Divine commands or "even to fight against God"--a
senseless and wicked thing, no doubt, but still possible. In this
passage the Divine and the human sides are plainly indicated. On the one
hand, Christ enabled him and showed confidence in him: on the other,
Paul accepted the service and was faithful. He might have refused the
service; or, having accepted it, he might have shown himself unfaithful
to his trust.
"Howbeit, I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief."
These words are sometimes misunderstood. They are not intended as an
excuse, any more than St. John's designation of himself as "the disciple
whom Jesus loved" are intended as a boast. St. John had been the
recipient of very exceptional favours. Along with only St. Peter and St.
James he had been present at the raising of Jairus's daughter, at the
Transfiguration, and at the Agony in the Gethsemane. From even these
chosen three he had been singled out to be told who was the traitor; to
have the lifelong charge of providing for the Mother of the Lord; to be
the first to recognize the risen Lord at the sea of Tiberias.[25] What
was the explanation of all these honours? The recipient of them had only
one to give. He had no merits, no claim to anything of the kind; but
Jesus loved him.
So also with St. Paul. There were multitudes of Jews who, like himself,
had had, as he tells the Romans, "a zeal for God, but not according to
knowledge."[26] There were many who, like himself, had opposed the truth
and persecuted the Christ. Why did any of them obtain mercy? Why did he
receive such marked favour and honour? Not because of any merit on their
part or his: but because they had sinned ignorantly (_i.e._, without
knowing the enormity of their sin), and because "the grace of the Lord
abounded exceedingly." The Apostle is not endeavouring to extenuate his
own culpability, but to justify and magnify the Divine compassion. Of
the whole Jewish nation it was true that "they knew not what they did"
in crucifying Jesus of Nazareth; but it was true in very various
degrees. "Even of the rulers many believed on Him; but because of the
Pharisees they did not confess, lest they should be put out of the
synagogue: for they loved the glory of men more than the glory of God."
It was because St. Paul did not in this way sin against light that he
found mercy, not merely in being forgiven the sin of persecuting Christ,
but in being enabled to accept and be faithful in the service of Him
whom he had persecuted.
Two of the changes made by the Revisers in this passage seem to call for
notice: they both occur in the same phrase and have a similar tendency.
Instead of "_putting_ me into the _ministry_" the R.V. gives us
"_appointing_ me to His _service_." A similar change has been made in
_v._ 7 of the next chapter, where "I was _appointed_ a preacher" takes
the place of "I am ordained a preacher," and in John xv. 16 where "I
chose you and _appointed_ you" has been substituted for "I have chosen
you and _ordained_ you."[27] In these alterations the Revisers are only
following the example set by the A.V. itself in other passages. In 2
Tim. i. 11, as in Luke x. 1, and 1 Thess. v. 9, both versions have
"appointed." The alterations are manifest improvements. In the passage
before us it is possible that the Greek has the special signification of
"putting me into the ministry," but it is by no means certain, and
perhaps not even probable, that it does so. Therefore the more
comprehensive and general translation, "appointing me to His service,"
is to be preferred. The wider rendering includes and covers the other;
and this is a further advantage. To translate the Greek words used in
these passages (=tithenai, poiein, k.t.l.=) by such a very definite word
as "ordain" leads the reader to suppose these texts refer to the
ecclesiastical act of ordination; of which there is no evidence. The
idea conveyed by the Greek in this passage, as in John xv. 16, is that
of placing a man at a particular post, and would be as applicable to
civil as to ministerial duties. We are not, therefore, justified in
translating it by a phrase which has distinct ecclesiastical
associations.
The question is not one of mere linguistic accuracy. There are larger
issues involved than those of correct translation from Greek to English.
If we adopt the wider rendering, then it is evident that the blessing
for which St. Paul expresses heartfelt gratitude, and which he cites as
evidence of Divine compassion and forgiveness, is not the call to be an
Apostle, in which none of us can share, nor _exclusively_ the call to be
a minister of the Gospel, in which only a limited number of us can
share; but also the being appointed to any service in Christ's kingdom,
which is an honour to which all Christians are called. Every earnest
Christian knows from personal experience this evidence of the Divine
character of the Gospel. It is full of compassion for those who have
sinned; not because, like the Gnostic teachers, it glosses over the
malignity and culpability of sin, but because, unlike Gnosticism, it
recognizes the preciousness of each human soul, and the difficulties
which beset it. Every Christian knows that he has inherited an evil
nature:--so far he and the Gnostic are agreed. But he also knows that to
the sin which he has inherited he has added sin for which he is
personally responsible, and which his conscience does not excuse as if
it were something which is a misfortune and not a fault. Yet he is not
left without remedy under the burden of these self-accusations. He knows
that, if he seeks for it, he can find forgiveness, and forgiveness of a
singularly generous kind. He is not only forgiven, but restored to
favour and treated with respect. He is at once placed in a position of
trust. In spite of the past, it is assumed that he will be a faithful
servant, and he is allowed to minister to his Master and his Master's
followers. To him also "the grace of our Lord" has "abounded exceedingly
with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus." The generous compassion
shown to St. Paul is not unique or exceptional; it is typical. And it is
a type, not to the few, but to many; not to clergy only, but to all.
"For this cause I obtained mercy, that in me as chief might Jesus Christ
show forth all His long-suffering, for an ensample of _them which should
hereafter believe on Him_ unto eternal life."
FOOTNOTES:
[23] It is worth while pointing out that the peculiar construction =ho
episteuthên egô= occurs in the New Testament, only in the Pastoral
Epistles and in other Pauline Epistles, the genuineness of which is now
scarcely disputed--1 Thess. ii. 4; 1 Cor. ix. 17; Rom. iii. 2; Gal. ii.
7.
[24] 1 Cor. xv. 8, 10; Gal. i. 13, 23; Phil. iii. 6; comp. Acts xxii. 4,
5, 19.
[25] St. John xiii. 23, xix. 26, xxi. 7.
[26] Rom. x. 2.
[27] Comp. Acts xxii. 14 and 2 Cor. viii. 19; also Mark iii. 14 and Acts
xiv. 23. See on Tit. i. 5-7.