Who is the chief of Sinners?
1 Timothy 1:12–17 NKJV
And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
One of the most memorable epithets in the passage this morning is “the chief of sinners.” Many Christians over the ages have applied this to themselves. One of the more famous Christians who applied this title to himself was John Bunyan, the author of “Pilgrim’s Progress” and “Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners.” Bunyan suffered many hardships including years in jail for the preaching of the gospel without being properly licensed (controlled) by the Church of England. But Bunyan was not always the saint we know today. He, like everyone else. was a sinner first and never forgot where he came from. We can also look at another person, John Newton, who was saved from the wicked life of a slave trader, and who later wrote Amazing Grace. Time would fail to recount the conversions of those who considered themselves the chief of sinners. Paul was the first, but by no means, the last.
When we look at this morning’s passage, we should read what comes before.
1 Timothy 1:9–11 NKJV
knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust.
In these verses, Paul lists a group of terrible vices which have plagued the children of Adam. surely, the people who have done these things could be characterized as the chief of sinners. Even though everyone has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, these sins stick out as being the chief ones.
But we have no record of Paul being a fornicator, pervert, kidnapper or murderer, as far as men count these crimes. Paul even said that he was blameless concerning these things. So. why would he call himself the chief of sinners? Paul provides a separate list. The first thing was that He was a blasphemer To people today who abuse the name of God with impunity think little about blasphemy. They care little about the honor of God. But blasphemy is a most serious sin in the eyes of God as it is an affront to His holiness. One can blaspheme with words which say bad things about God and associating His name with evil. But one can blaspheme with the way they live their life. If one claims to be a Christian and lives like the devil, this is also a form of blasphemy. We would do well to remember that we are called to honor and glorify His name.
What Paul said and did was blasphemous before Christ met him on the Damascus Road. His persecution of Christians which included what could be considered kidnapping and murder as God sees things. He might have had official warrant from the Sanhedrin to do these things, but to God these acts were kidnapping, murder, and blasphemy. By the time that Paul was converted, he had amassed a long list of sins. Once his sins were brought to light, he was kept in constant remembrance of where he had come from. His remorse comes out in this passage, but this is not the only place it does.
If we read the text more carefully, we notice two points. First of all, Paul is not just talking about himself as the chief of sinners. It is true that Paul would include himself in this group as seen by the examples of his former life, but we should notice it is part of a confessional statement. He calls it a faithful saying which applies to all. The first part of this confessional statement is that Jesus Christ came in the world to save sinners. This is true of everyone. But notice the attached “of whom I am chief.” If this is part of this faithful saying which is to be accepted by all Christians, then by stating this, we are confessing ourselves to be the chief of sinners individually. We are not confessing that someone else is a greater sinner than we are. There is always danger in this kind of comparison like the Pharisee in the parable did when looking at the poor publican beating his breasts and asking for mercy from his sin. This Pharisee thought he compared well with this tax collector. He pointed out to the Lord how good he was. The truth is that the Pharisee was perhaps even more wretched a sinner than the tax collector because of his boasting. At any rate, it was the tax collector who came home justified.
The second thing we should notice is that the “of whom I am chief” is in the present and not the past tense. It does not say “Of whom I WAS chief.” We have to admit that we had failed in the past, but are we still sinners? When WE decided to receive Jesus as personal Lord and Savior, are we now sinless? But what does the Bible say. In 1 John, it tells us that if any man says he has not sin, that that person is a liar, and the truth is not in him. Note again that the “I have not sin” is a present tense verb, not past. Note also in Romans 7, Paul cries out “O wretched man that I am!” This is also in the present tense, not the past.
What we realize that our standing before God is not in our own merit but rather in Christ;s merit who died for us. This is why He came, to save us sinners. Our sins may not have been as awful as Paul’s, or maybe they were worse. Regardless, we have nothing to be proud about in ourselves. The same God who showed Paul great mercy is the same God who must show us great mercy. The emphasis needs to be on the mercy and grace of God and not ourselves. We boast in the Lord and not in ourselves, both before and after we came to Christ. What we have become is also from this abundant grace. In Paul’s case, not only was Paul saved by grace, he was appointed a minister by the grace of the same God. So we cannot even boast in our own ministries. They are simply God working in us to will and do according to His good pleasure.
This warning against such boasting is well-founded. How many of us have heard televangelists and revival preachers who were former drug dealers, pimps, violent criminals boast of their past sins. Of course, the Lord is given lip service. But some think that God loved these sinners more because they were forgiven so much. I might even dare to say that some of these are simply scammers out to make lots of money and wield power. Those who lived a pretty good life by human standards and were faithful at attending church from their youth might feel jealousy and a sense of inferiority.
Some have even accused Paul of this kind of boasting. Paul showed himself reluctant to engage in this kind of boasting which he considered elsewhere to be foolish. But his past was well-known. Paul had to confront many boasters in his ministry. He boasted of what had happened to him as a means of silencing the other boasters.
So what do we do about this dilemma? We have to confess personally “I am the chief of sinners.” But how do we confess this without falling into a kind of perverse boasting? Paul’s conversion was used as an example to the believers of the grace of God, a grace available to them as well. But in the end, Paul concludes this section by giving a doxology (words of praise directed to God). He confesses not his shortcomings in the end but God’s perfection. He is the Eternal And Immortal King, the only one who is truly wise. Even though He is invisible to our sinful eyes, it is He who is tor receive all honor, glory and power. This is a good example for us to follow as well. Perhaps we don’t need to confess every single fault in our past individually. Perhaps it is just good enough to confess that “I am the chief of sinners”, believing this with a humble heart. We also confess that whatever good by found in us is by the grace of God who works in us and equips us for ministry. It is God who shall perfect us and not we ourselves. The means God uses might seem weak and foolish to the world, that the Son would come to save us by dying on a cross, but this is the work of the all-powerful and all-wise God.
What Paul told Timothy would be good advice to us as well.
