1 Timothy 1:12

Before χάριν, the rec. text with D2KL inserts καί, which would be quite in accordance with Pauline usage; it is, however, omitted by אAGP f g.

א* and some cursives have ἐνδυναμοῦντι (as in Philippians 4:13); but אcAD2GKLP support ἐνδυναμώσαντι.

12. χάριν ἔχω. This formula of thankfulness (instead of the more usual εὐχαριστῶ with which St Paul begins nearly all his letters) occurs again 2 Timothy 1:3. Cp. Luke 17:9 and Hebrews 12:28.

τῷ ἐνδυναμώσαντι. To Him that hath enabled me; a favourite expression with Paul in reference to the grace of Christ. In the Ephesian letter he bids his correspondents ἐνδυναμοῦσθε ἐν κυρίῳ (Ephesians 6:10); he charges Timothy ἐνδυναμοῦ ἐν τῇ χάριτι τῇ ἐν Χρ. Ἰησοῦ (2 Timothy 2:1); of himself he says ὁ κύριος … ἐνεδυνάμωσέ με (2 Timothy 4:17), and (a close parallel to the present passage) πάντα ἰσχύω ἐν τῷ ἐνδυναμοῦντί με (Philippians 4:13). In the beginning of his ministry it was said Σαῦλος δὲ μᾶλλον ἐνεδυναμοῦτο (Acts 9:22); and the spiritual δύναμις, needed for the due discharge of the apostolic office, was never lacking throughout his course. The aorist participle here suggests a direct reference to the early days of his preaching (see 1 Timothy 1:13), but we must not limit the reference to these. A study of the verb in the various contexts in which it is found is instructive. Of all the faithful may the words be used, ἐδυναμώθησαν� (Hebrews 11:34); none can more fully realise their truth than those upon whom the burden and responsibility of the pastoral office have been imposed.

ὅτι. That, not because. The sentence expresses the reason of his thankfulness.

πιστόν. The word occurs eleven times in this Epistle. Here it means ‘trustworthy,’ as at 1 Corinthians 4:2; Hebrews 11:11 see on 1 Timothy 1:15 and 1 Timothy 4:3 below.

ἡγήσατο. This is a common Pauline word. Cp. 1 Thessalonians 5:13; 2 Corinthians 9:5; Philippians 2:3; Philippians 2:25 &c.

θέμενος. Appointing me (note the tense); the word is used of the Divine purpose (as in 1 Thessalonians 5:9) and so is not equivalent to ‘putting me,’ cp. 1 Timothy 2:7; 2 Timothy 1:11.

διακονίαν. The word διακονίαν is used here, not specially of the function discharged by a διάκονος, but in the general sense of ‘ministry.’ St Paul frequently speaks of his apostolic office as a διακονία and of himself as a διάκονος. Compare, e.g., Romans 11:13 τὴν διακονίαν μου δοξάζω, also 2 Corinthians 5:18; 2 Corinthians 6:3; and, again, Colossians 1:23 τοῦ εὐαγγελίου … οὖ ἐγενόμην ἐγὼ Παῦλος διάκονος, and 1 Corinthians 3:5; 2 Corinthians 3:6; Ephesians 3:7 &c. διακονία, in short, originally meant service of any sort; it is applied in Acts 1:17; Acts 1:25 to the service of apostleship, and is continually used throughout the Pauline Epistles in a wide and general sense. By the second century the words διακονία, διάκονος were generally restricted to the third order of the Christian ministry, and the beginnings of this specialisation of meaning may be traced in the N.T. Cp. e.g. Romans 16:1; Philippians 1:1; 1 Timothy 3:8; 1 Timothy 3:12 (where see notes). Thus the use of this word here to denote the apostolic office is in favour of an early date for the Epistle. No writer of the second century (by which time the distinction of orders was fully recognised) would have used a term then significant of the lowest grade in the ministry for St Paul’s ministerial work; cp. 2 Timothy 4:5.