Paul’s Experience of Christ
Paul’s Experience of Christ
Verse by verse study of Paul's first letter to Timothy. In this lesson we are studying chapter 1 verses 12-20 looking at Paul the sinner’s experience of Christ.
1Tm 1:17
Verse 17 is a doxology (a word of praise) to Christ.
The last of these is really a commandment. Men ought to give glory to Christ, and honour him in their hearts, their words, and their lives. This is really what Paul is urging and charging Timothy to do.
Timothy has a specific charge to remain in Ephesus and guard the church against false teachers, but that's just Timothy's small corner, that's just Timothy's personal time and place and opportunity to give glory and honour to Christ the King eternal and the great Saviour. We each have our different small corners, our individual tasks, our unique place. However, we all have one common purpose, to glorify the Lamb (Rev 5:9-13). One day we will leave our small corners, and be in a bright new world. But we will never stop giving honour and glory to Jesus. We will do that for ever and ever amen.
So Paul entrusts all this to Timothy. Paul regards this young man as his son in the faith, so he already has confidence in him. However, there had apparently been some inspired utterances made about Timothy which caused Paul to be even more confident in his trust of Timothy.
1Tm 1:18-20
Paul characterises the work of the ministry as a fight. It is no easy work. It's a battle, because one has to contend with the enemy. Sometimes the enemy is within. Sometimes the enemy is without. Often the enemy has a foot in both camps.
Paul names two particular enemies giving the church in Ephesus trouble. They were Hymenaeus and Alexander. They are mentioned again in Paul's next letter (2Tm 2:17, 2Tm 4:14, Acts 19:33). Hymenaeus and Alexander apparently became converts to the faith, but they went astray and became spiritually shipwrecked.
Paul must have thought of himself when he said, "They must be taught not to blaspheme" (1Tm 1:13,20). So his "delivering them over to Satan" is not a hypocritical, vindictive, or unkind thing to do, but something that hopefully will turn out to be for their benefit (cf 1Co 5:5).
In handing these men over to Satan, one measure Paul would take is to stop praying for their forgiveness and protection (1Jn 5:16). Hard this last resort may be, but let them experience what it is like to be a sinner left alone in the hands Satan. Let them compare that with the experience of being a sinner in the hands of Jesus. Maybe then they'll realise whose friend and whose enemy they should be.