ACC ~ 1 Timothy 1 v15c

INSTRUMENTS OF THE MIRACLE OF CONVERSION. ORIGEN: Moreover, Paul says in the epistle to Timothy, even though he himself had later become an apostle of Jesus, “this is a faithful saying, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.” For some unknown reason he [Celsus] forgot or did not think of saying anything about Paul, who after Jesus established the churches in Christ. … Why then is it outrageous if Jesus, wanting to show mankind the extent of his ability to heal souls, chose infamous and most wicked men and led them on so far that they were an example of the purest moral character to those who were converted by them to the gospel of Christ? AGAINST CELSUS 1.63.

TRUE HUMILITY. CHRYSOSTOM: It is no humility to think that you are a sinner when you really are a sinner. But whenever one is conscious of having done many great deeds but does not imagine that he is something great in himself, that is true humility. When a man is like Paul and can say, “I have nothing on my conscience,” and then can add, “But I am not justified by this,”and can say again, “Christ Jesus came to save sinners of whom I am the chief,” that is true humility. That man is truly humble who does exalted deeds but, in his own mind, sees himself as lowly. ON THE INCOMPREHENSIBLE NATURE OF GOD 5.6.

HOW THE FIRST? AUGUSTINE: Pay attention to the apostle Paul, “The word is faithful and worthy of total acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the first.” He said, “of whom I am the first.” How was he the first? Weren’t there so many Jews who were sinners before him? Weren’t there any sinners before him in the whole human race? … So what’s the meaning of “of whom I am the first”? That I am worse than all of them. By first he meant us to understand worst. … Remember Saul, and you’ll discover why. Isn’t he the one who wasn’t satisfied with only one hand to stone Stephen, and who took care of the coats of the others? Isn’t he the one who persecuted the church everywhere? … So he it is who was the number one persecutor. There was none worse than he. SERMONS 175.6-7.

GOD’S DESCENT TO HUMAN SUFFERING. CASSIODORUS: This is a short psalm, but it annihilates the boundless wickedness of pagans who believe that the glory of the heavenly majesty could not have descended to the humility of suffering. How foolish they are. For their thinking is confounded by the Source of the world’s realization that it has been freed! As Paul says, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the chief.” EXPLANATION OF THE PSALMS 3.9.

1 Tim