1 Timothy 1:13
Who xwas before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but yI obtained mercy, because zI did it ignorantly in unbelief.
Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.
τὸν πρότερον ὄντα βλάσφημον καὶ διώκτην καὶ ὑβριστήν· ἀλλ᾽ ἠλεήθην, ὅτι ἀγνοῶν ἐποίησα ἐν ἀπιστίᾳ·
Textual key: no entry
x:
Acts 8:3 As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.
Acts 9:1 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,
Acts 9:5 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.
Acts 9:13 Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem:
Acts 22:4 And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.
Acts 26:9 I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
Acts 26:10 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.
1 Corinthians 15:9 For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
Galatians 1:13 For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:
Philippians 3:6 Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
y:
1 Timothy 1:14 And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
1 Timothy 1:16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.
1 Corinthians 7:25 Now concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord: yet I give my judgment, as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful.
1 Corinthians 15:8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.
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.
Romans 5:20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
Romans 5:21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
z:
Luke 23:34 ¶Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.
John 9:39 ¶And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.
John 9:41 Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.
Acts 3:17 And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers.
1 Corinthians 2:8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
Matthew 12:31 ¶Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.
The kindness of God in putting me into so noble a service was the greater and more thankworthy, because
that time I was a blasphemer, one who spake of Christ reproachfully, for that blasphemy signifieth. Paul was a zealous man in the Jewish religion, his blasphemy therefore only respected the Second Person in the Trinity, which the Jews owned not. Paul compelled others to blaspheme, Act 26:11.
of his persecution, see Act 8:3: he entered houses, haled men and women to prison; he breathed threatentings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, Act 9:1; he persecuted Christianity even to death, Act 22:4,5. Thus he was injurious, for in other things he was, as to the law, blameless, Php 3:6, bred up a Pharisee according to the strictest sect of the Jewish religion, Act 26:5; but he verily thought with himself that he ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth, Act 26:9; so as he went according to his conscience, (such a one as he had), and, Act 26:10, he had also authority from the chief priests. But neither the dictates of his own erroneous conscience, nor yet the command of his superiors, could (according to Paul’s divinity) excuse him from being a
and injurious, and standing in need of the free pardoning mercy of God, which he saith he obtained of God’s free grace, because
We cannot reasonably think that ignorance of the Divine law (once published) should excuse any transgressor of it, we see men will not allow it as to their laws, after promulgation; so that although Paul persecuted Christians ignorantly, yet he stood in need of mercy. Ignorance excuseth not a toto, but a tanto, not in whole, but in part, and makes the sinner’s sin not to be so exceeding sinful, especially where it is not vincible.
Paul’s ignorance here mentioned was vincible; he lived in Judea, where the gospel had been preached some years before he persecuted the professors; he might have heard the sermons preached, and seen the miracles wrought, by Christ and the apostles; but he was bred a Pharisee, and under the prejudices of that sect which were implacable enemies to Christ, this kept him in ignorance. Christ allows something for the prejudices of men’s education. He did what he did also while he was in a state of
He believed one true and living God, (all the Jews did so), and worshipped him according to the Jewish manner, yet styles himself an unbeliever. Every man is an unbeliever (in a gospel sense) that receiveth not Jesus Christ as the Son of God and his Saviour, though he believes there is one God, &c. Paul addeth this circumstance of his ignorant blaspheming and persecuting the truth, partly to justify the Divine mercy that pardoned and preserved him; for the gospel peremptorily excludes from pardon all that sin against the Holy Ghost, such who, being enlightened by the knowledge of the saving truth, yet for carnal reasons deliberately and maliciously oppose it; now the showing mercy to Paul was no contradiction to this most wise law of God: and partly he mentions his ignorance to prevent the abuse of the Divine mercy by men; as if from his example they might securely imitate his persecuting the saints, or live in a course of sin, though convinced of their wickedness, and hope for mercy at the last.