And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;
Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.
And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
There are two ways to read this Scripture:
Paul is claiming to be a chief example of being saved from sinning, due to his having been a blaspheming destroyer of the body of Christ.
Paul is claiming to be a chief sinner after being saved, not from sinning, nor from being a blaspheming destroyer of the body of Christ.
Saints of course have sense to read the former, while unrighteous christian sinners only have reason to justify themselves by the latter.
It makes no sense at all, that Paul continued to be what he was as Saul, after being saved and put into Christ's ministry.
And if he was chiefest of sinners, then if not a blaspheming waster of churches, then what? Adultery? Drunkenness? Riotous living? Malicious? Profaneness of speech? Lewdness? Thefts? Maker of lies?
People who treat doctrine as theory only, never put their cards on the table, and get into specifics.
Sin, righteousness, good, evil, saved, unsaved, etc...are just a bunch religious terms and theoretic concepts to bandy about, while going on with their sinful neighborly lives.
Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.
And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
There are two ways to read this Scripture:
Paul is claiming to be a chief example of being saved from sinning, due to his having been a blaspheming destroyer of the body of Christ.
Paul is claiming to be a chief sinner after being saved, not from sinning, nor from being a blaspheming destroyer of the body of Christ.
Saints of course have sense to read the former, while unrighteous christian sinners only have reason to justify themselves by the latter.
It makes no sense at all, that Paul continued to be what he was as Saul, after being saved and put into Christ's ministry.
And if he was chiefest of sinners, then if not a blaspheming waster of churches, then what? Adultery? Drunkenness? Riotous living? Malicious? Profaneness of speech? Lewdness? Thefts? Maker of lies?
People who treat doctrine as theory only, never put their cards on the table, and get into specifics.
Sin, righteousness, good, evil, saved, unsaved, etc...are just a bunch religious terms and theoretic concepts to bandy about, while going on with their sinful neighborly lives.
