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1Ti_1:12. After pointing in these last words to his personal relation to the gospel, the apostle, down to 1Ti_1:17, describes the grace experienced by him, not merely “to let it be seen what assurance he had for his gospel” (Wiesinger), but also to prove by his own example ( πρὸς ὑποτύπωσιν κ . τ . λ ., 1Ti_1:16) the glory of the gospel entrusted to him as the εὐαγγ . τῆς δόξης τοῦ μακαρίου Θεοῦ . There is therefore no ground for de Wette’s criticism, “that the self-styled apostle lets fall here the thread of his meaning, that he may not have to take it up again.” This section is in the closest connection with the preceding one, since it shows how deep is the contrast between the heresy and the gospel. The heresy, on the one hand, takes up unfruitful speculations, and, whenever it wishes to become practical, it places the Christian in bondage to the law. The one thing which is all-important, the forgiveness of sins, it does not assure, and hence it does not know the compassion of the Lord. On the contrary, it is of the very essence of the gospel to reveal this compassion; and in proof of this, Paul appeals to his own experience.
χάριν ἔχω ] We have the same expression in 2Ti_1:3 (comp. also Luk_17:9; Heb_12:28); and in the other Pauline Epistles we have instead: εὐχαριστῶ .
τῷ ἐνδυναμώσαντί με ] must not be limited to the strength granted for enduring afflictions and sufferings; it is rather to be applied to his whole work as an apostle. The proper reason of thanksgiving is only furnished by the clause that follows ὅτι κ . τ . λ .; but an additional reason is given in this participle.[61]
Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ κ . τ . λ .] is not to be explained, according to some older expositors: “qui me potentem reddidit Christo,” for Christ, but as a dative closely belonging to the verb.
ὍΤΙ ΠΙΣΤΌΝ ΜΕ ἩΓΉΣΑΤΟ ] ΠΙΣΤΌς corresponds with the following ΔΙΑΚΟΝΊΑ . The reason of his thanksgiving is Christ’s confidence in him that he would become a faithful ΔΙΆΚΟΝΟς .[62] This confidence the Lord has shown by committing to him the ministry of the gospel, hence he adds: θέμενος εἰς διακονίαν , which is either “placing me in the ministry” (Heydenreich, van Oosterzee, Hofmann), or “setting me apart for the ministry” (de Wette, Plitt, Winer). The latter seems to be more in accordance with the usage of the N. T.; comp. 1Th_5:9. De Wette rightly remarks that the participle does not stand for ὡς τίθεσθαί με , nor is it to be taken as a pluperfect; it is simply the proof of πιστόν με ἡγ .; see also Winer, p. 326 [E. T. p. 365].
If the apostle’s thanks are due to the Lord on the general ground of His confidence, they are all the more due that he had been before an opponent of the gospel; to this the next verse points.
[61] According to the reading of à : ἐνδυναμοῦντι without με is to be taken as a simple attribute: “Christ Jesus who bestows strength.”
[62] Cf. 1Co_7:25 : γνώμην δὲ δίδωμι ὡς ἠλεημένος ὑπὸ χυρίου πιστὸς εἶνας . Paul gives the nature of this διακονία in Act_20:24 : ἡ διαχονία ἣν ἔλαβον παρὰ τοῦ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ , διαμαρτύρασθαι τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τῆς χάριτος τοῦ Θεοῦ .