1 Timothy 1:12-17
12 “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, 13 even though I was previously a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; 14 and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus. 15 It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost. 16 Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost sinner Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.”
Was previously a blasphemer: Paul recounts his time as an unsaved person in this passage. He was a pharisee among pharisees and yet he refers to himself as a blasphemer because he was not actually honoring God. It is impossible to honor God without a reception of His grace in Christ. Additionally, he was a persecutor and violent aggressor. But notice Paul’s language: He speaks of this life, this identity, as a past event. He does not, in the present, consider himself a sinner because has been cleansed by the blood of Jesus.
Grace…abundant: In the Greek Paul uses the Greek adjective from which we get the word hyper. God’s grace is hyper, exceedingly above and beyond all goodness that we can ask or imagine.
Foremost sinner: Paul believed himself to be the worst of all sinners. And yet God’s grace transformed him perfectly and made him into a saint. Paul, the worst of sinners, was shown patience by God. If this is the case for Paul, the worst of sinners, then there is no person who has out-sinned God’s grace.
