1 Timothy 1:15

“It is. trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance”: See 1 Timothy 3:1; 1 Timothy 4:9; 2 Timothy 2:11; Titus 3:8. Hearty and full acceptance is the type of reception such. faithful saying would trigger. “This saying about to be quoted is entitled to wholehearted and universal personal application with no reservations of any kind (with no strings attached)” (Reese p. 31).

1 Timothy 1:15 “That Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”: See John 3:16; Matthew 20:28; Luke 5:32; Luke 19:10; Luke 24:46; 1 Peter 2:8. The word “came” infers that Jesus had. pre-existence before He came into the world (John 1:1; John 1:14).

1 Timothy 1:15 “Among whom. am foremost of all”: Compare with 1 Corinthians 15:9; Ephesians 3:8. Paul writes “I am” and not, “I was”. “This indicates that even now, years after his conversion, he deeply regrets his past” (Reese p. 32). In addition, Paul is saying that he still needs the blood of Christ to forgive him of sins that he still commits from time to time. Some have accused Paul of exaggerating when he calls himself the chief of sinners. Reese notes, “Be careful to observe that the word translated ‘foremost' has no article in the Greek. He does not say ‘the foremost sinner', but that he is one of many great sinners who need forgiveness” (p. 33). Yet, the word “foremost” does mean, “the first, most important, most prominent” (Arndt p. 726), and the argument in 1 Timothy 1:16 is based on the fact that Paul is the chief or foremost and all those underneath him can likewise be saved as well.

After reading the previous verses one can see how God allowed Paul to make the above statement. Paul had not merely been guilty of the type of sins that everyone tends to commit, but he had actually persecuted God's people, both men and women (Acts 22:4). How much of. sinner do we think we were? (Romans 6:21; Ephesians 2:1).