1 Timothy 1:15

πιστὸς ὁ λόγος : The complete phrase, πιστὸς … ἄξιος recurs in 1 Timothy 4:9; and πιστὸς ὁ λόγος in 1 Timothy 3:1; 2 Timothy 2:11; Titus 3:8.

The only other places in the N.T. in which πιστὸς is applied to λόγος in the sense of that can be relied on are Titus 1:9, ἀντεχόμενον τοῦ κατὰ τὴν διδαχὴν πιστοῦ λόγου; Revelation 21:5; Revelation 22:6, οὗτοι οἱ λόγοι πιστοὶ καὶ ἀληθινοί.

In Titus 1:9 the πιστὸς λόγος cannot mean an isolated saying, but rather the totality of the revelation given in Christ. Of the other five places in which the phrase occurs there are not more than two in which it is possible to say with confidence that a definite saying is referred to, i.e., here, and perhaps 2 Timothy 2:11. In the other passages, the expression seems to be a brief parenthetical formula, affirmative of the truth of the general doctrine with which the writer happens to be dealing. See notes in each place.

πάσης ἀποδοχῆς ἄξιος : Field (Notes on Trans. N.T. p. 203) shows by many examples from Diodorus Siculus and Diog. Laert. that this phrase was a common one in later Greek. He would render ἀποδοχή by approbation or admiration. See also Moulton and Milligan, Expositor, vii., vi. 185. ἀπόδεκτος occurs 1 Timothy 2:3; 1 Timothy 5:4; ἀποδέχεσθαι in Luke and Acts.

Other examples in the Pastorals of the use of πᾶς (= summus) with abstract nouns (besides ch. 1 Timothy 4:9) are 1Ti 2:2; 1 Timothy 2:11; 1Ti 3:4; 1 Timothy 5:2; 1Ti 6:1, 2 Timothy 4:2; Titus 2:10; Titus 2:15; Titus 3:2.

Χρ. Ἰησ. ἦλθεν σῶσαι : This is quite evidently a saying in which the apostolic church summed up its practical belief in the Incarnation. ἔρχεσθαι εἰς τὸν κόσμον, as used of Christ, is an expression of the Johannine theology; see reff. It is the converse of another Johannine expression, ἀπέστειλεν ὁ θεὸς … (or ὁ πατὴρ) εἰς τὸν κόσμον : John 3:17; John 10:36; John 17:18; 1 John 4:9. εἰσερχόμενος εἰς τὸν κόσμον is used in the same association, Hebrews 10:5. εἰσέρχεσθαι εἰς τὸν κόσμον is used of sin, Romans 5:12; ἐξέρχεσθαι εἰς τ. κ. of false prophets in 1 John 4:1; 2 John 1:7.

When we say that this is a Johannine expression, we do not mean that the writer of this epistle was influenced by the Johannine literature. But until it has been proved that John the son of Zebedee did not write the Gospel which bears his name, and that the discourses contained in it are wholly unhistorical, we are entitled, indeed compelled, to assume that what we may for convenience call Johannine theology, and the familiar expression of it, was known wherever John preached.

With ἦλθεν … σῶσαι cf. Luke 19:10, ἦλθεν … σῶσαι τὸ ἀπολωλός. For the notion expressed in ἁμαρτωλοὺς σῶσαι cf. Matthew 1:21; Matthew 9:13; see also John 12:47, ἦλθεν … ἵνα σώσω τὸν κόσμον; John 1:29, ὁ αἴρων τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τοῦ κόσμου; and 1 John 2:2.

The pre-existence of Christ, as well as His resistless power to save, is of course assumed in this noble summary of the gospel.

ὧν πρῶτός εἰμι ἐγώ : In the experiences of personal religion each individual man is alone with God. He sees nought but the Holy One and his own sinful self (cf. Luke 18:13, μοι τῷ ἁμαρτωλῷ). And the more familiar a man becomes with the meeting of God face to face the less likely is he to be deceived as to the gulf which parts him, limited, finite, defective, from the Infinite and Perfect. It is not easy to think of anyone but St. Paul as penning these words; although his expressions of self-depreciation elsewhere (1 Corinthians 15:9; Ephesians 3:8) are quite differently worded. In each case the form in which they are couched arises naturally out of the context. The sincerity of St. Paul's humility is proved by the fact that he had no mock modesty; when the occasion compelled it, he could appraise himself; e.g., Acts 23:1; Acts 24:16, 2 Corinthians 11:5; 2 Corinthians 12:11; Galatians 2:6.