[Luke]

1Ti 1:13 Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.
1Ti 1:14 And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

Does this mean that people who sin willingly, knowing the truth, will have no mercy??

[JMWHALEN]

Originally Posted by Luke

1Ti 1:13 Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.
1Ti 1:14 And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

Does this mean that people who sin willingly, knowing the truth, will have no mercy??

(bold/underline my emphasis)
"According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust. 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. " 1 Timothy 1:11-13

Perhaps the context, the issue Paul is addressing is service in the ministry, not mercy as pertaining to salvation, i.e., he references thanking the Lord Jesus Christ for him, Paul, being allowed("enabled") to be in the ministry("putting me in the ministry"), of guarding the gospel("committed to my trust")?

In Christ,

John M. Whalen

[Luke]

That makes sense.. but does that mean that if I have willfully sinned, not in ignorance, that I cannot be used for the ministry?

[JMWHALEN]

Originally Posted by Luke

That makes sense.. but does that mean that if I have willfully sinned, not in ignorance, that I cannot be used for the ministry?

_____________
I don't know, brother Luke. I re-read the passage, and concluded:

"for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry" -the word counted seems to mean the same as 'imputation' . The Lord appointed him to fulfill/guard a sacred trust(the gospel), and with this went the divine enabling....

"who hath enabled me"=the divine ability and energy, supplied by the Lord Jesus Christ

"ignorantly"

"Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:" Acts 26:19

Perhaps because of the fact that Paul had personally seen the Lord Jesus Christ, "the" Light, ]the Lord Jesus Christ in all His glory, "face to face",

and not "Jesus" , the name of the Lord on earth in his state of humility, and the only name/status Paul had known Him by, hence Acts 9:5

"....I am Jesus whom thou persecutest:..."



i.e., the risen, ascended, and glorified Lord Jesus Christ, a revelation no other living person had seen, had he willingly resisted this "light", "the heavenly vision", he would not have obtained mercy? And perhaps, given this revelation, which only Paul experienced, and the "enormity" of it, this was, for the lack of a better term, a "special situation", and not doctrinally applicable today in this dispensation?


Just a few thoughts-"tough" passage! Time for me to go back and study, search out, mediate on it:


"It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter(emphasis mine)." Proverbs 25:2

"Search(emphasis mine)the scriptures...." John 5:39/"These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so(emphasis mine)." Acts 17:11

"...but thou shalt meditate therein day and night..." Joshua 1:8/"Mine eyes prevent the night watches, that I might meditate in thy word"(emphasis mine). Psalms 119:148

"Study(my emphasis)to shew thyself approved unto God..." 2 Timothy 2:15

"For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little(emphasis mine)..."
Isaiah 28:10

"The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple"(emphasis mine). Psalms 119:130.


In Christ,

JW

[Here Am I]

Originally Posted by Luke

1Ti 1:13 Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.
1Ti 1:14 And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

Does this mean that people who sin willingly, knowing the truth, will have no mercy??

Brother, in what context is the passage?

Paul is talking about how he was before he got saved, converted.

Once he understood, believed, then he obtained mercy.

I don't see where it is necessarily applying to willful sinning after we are born again.