1:15
“Christ came into the world to save sinners”. This short sentence sums up so much of the gospel, and sums up what we so often forget. First, we are sinners, and we need to be saved from our sins. Any teaching that forgets this basic fact is bound to go wrong. All of us are sinners, rich or poor, powerful or weak, male or female, living in the West or the third world. The so-called prosperity gospel puts the focus on material blessing, social-action gospels put the focus on helping the needy or oppressed. Now both these things are important. God does bless us, God has a great concern for the poor and oppressed, and so should the church. But the prime problem of every single human being is sin. Secondly, Jesus came to save sinners, that is the primary purpose of His mission, and He is the only means by which a person can be saved. Paul rounds off the verse by claiming to be the worst of sinners.
1:16
Paul cites his own life as an example of the power of the gospel. There was clearly nothing in Paul to commend him to Christ, for Paul persecuted Christ and the church, and violently so. Yet God was patient with him, and gave him the gift of eternal life. Christ transformed Paul’s life. So if Paul can be saved, anyone can be saved.
1:17
This is a typical doxology, similar ones being found in Rom 11:33-36 and Jude 25. In Romans Paul’s doxology came at the end of chapter 11 when he had finished delineating God’s plan of salvation Likewise, here he has talked about God’s salvation plan. Paul was amazed at the wonder of God’s plan of salvation, amazed at how it was possible, and how God has worked things out. God is the only God and is eternal, immortal and invisible. We should remind ourselves frequently how great is our God, then the obstacles we face (including ourselves) and the opposition we face are all seen in a very different light. All glory and honour belong to Him!
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