The Chief of Sinners
1 Timothy 1:12–16
The martyrdom of Stephen is our introduction in scripture to the man who would become the apostle Paul. Saul of Tarsus, a zealous young rabbi belonging to the sect of the Pharisees, sanctioned Stephen’s murder (Acts 8:1). Saul then developed into an even more aggressive enemy of the church. He was given authority by the high priest to pursue Christians throughout Jerusalem. With this new power, he conducted forced entries into peoples’ homes. At his word, many believers were arrested (Acts 8:3), scourged (Acts 22:19), and even executed (Acts 26:10). Years later, Paul confessed that one purpose of this campaign was to compel the saints to “blaspheme” (Acts 26:11), that is, to recant the testimonies of what Christ had done in their lives. To this end, he had been willing to do absolutely anything “contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth” (Acts 26:9).
In the light of this history, Paul’s claim to be the “chief” of sinners may not have been an exaggeration. Saul of Tarsus was a formidable adversary to Jesus Christ and His followers; he was feared well beyond the borders of Israel. In Damascus, Syria, for example, the disciple Ananias seemed reluctant to obey divine instruction to seek out Saul: his response to the Lord demonstrated his wariness of the infamous evil-doer (Acts 9:13).
Paul held up his own conversion as evidence that no one beyond the reach of saving grace. This conviction inspired him to be ready to witness to anyone, even his jailers (e.g., Acts 16:30–32; Phil 1:12,13), his judges (e.g., Acts 24:24,25), and his fiercest enemies (e.g., Acts 21:35–40). Paul did not discriminate when looking for a candidate for salvation, and neither should we!
Would we embrace the opportunity to witness even to the most egregious of sinners in our day? Would we, for instance, share the gospel with a committed atheist, or a military dictator, or even a serial killer? Yet there are brethren who thought that the eternal destinies of celebrated geneticist Francis Collins, deposed Panamanian strongman Manuel Noriega, and death row inmate Ted Bundy were worth contending for. Some believers have caught the Lord’s zeal for souls, and take seriously the observation that He is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
The gospel is for everyone; it must be shared with even the wickedest people in our society.
The martyrdom of Stephen is our introduction in scripture to the man who would become the apostle Paul. Saul of Tarsus, a zealous young rabbi belonging to the sect of the Pharisees, sanctioned Stephen’s murder (Acts 8:1). Saul then developed into an even more aggressive enemy of the church. He was given authority by the high priest to pursue Christians throughout Jerusalem. With this new power, he conducted forced entries into peoples’ homes. At his word, many believers were arrested (Acts 8:3), scourged (Acts 22:19), and even executed (Acts 26:10). Years later, Paul confessed that one purpose of this campaign was to compel the saints to “blaspheme” (Acts 26:11), that is, to recant the testimonies of what Christ had done in their lives. To this end, he had been willing to do absolutely anything “contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth” (Acts 26:9).
In the light of this history, Paul’s claim to be the “chief” of sinners may not have been an exaggeration. Saul of Tarsus was a formidable adversary to Jesus Christ and His followers; he was feared well beyond the borders of Israel. In Damascus, Syria, for example, the disciple Ananias seemed reluctant to obey divine instruction to seek out Saul: his response to the Lord demonstrated his wariness of the infamous evil-doer (Acts 9:13).
Paul held up his own conversion as evidence that no one beyond the reach of saving grace. This conviction inspired him to be ready to witness to anyone, even his jailers (e.g., Acts 16:30–32; Phil 1:12,13), his judges (e.g., Acts 24:24,25), and his fiercest enemies (e.g., Acts 21:35–40). Paul did not discriminate when looking for a candidate for salvation, and neither should we!
Would we embrace the opportunity to witness even to the most egregious of sinners in our day? Would we, for instance, share the gospel with a committed atheist, or a military dictator, or even a serial killer? Yet there are brethren who thought that the eternal destinies of celebrated geneticist Francis Collins, deposed Panamanian strongman Manuel Noriega, and death row inmate Ted Bundy were worth contending for. Some believers have caught the Lord’s zeal for souls, and take seriously the observation that He is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
The gospel is for everyone; it must be shared with even the wickedest people in our society.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Joseph Gill on
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- What in Paul’s past was he referring to when he called himself the “chief of sinners”?
- How did the grace shown Paul affect his outreach to the lost?
- In scriptural terms, are there categories of sinners for whom there is no hope of redemption?
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