Paul's Greeting from 1 Tim. 1:1-2

Spiritual Diary For 02/05/02

 

 

My Worship Time                                                            Focus:  Paul’s Greeting

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                               Reference:  1Timothy 1:1,2

 

      Message of the verse:  Paul starts out his letter in the same way that he has started most of his letters to the Churches.  This however is a bit different, and this letter is not to a Church, but to the Pastor of a Church, Timothy.  This letter was probably written in 64 or 65 AD.  This letter was written after Paul was released from prison, the first time he was there. He was released sometime around 62-63 AD and then visited some of the Churches he started, and while doing that he wrote this letter to Timothy. 

      Paul describes himself as an apostle of Jesus Christ.  This means that he was commissioned from Jesus Christ for a special job or calling.  He calls God our “Savior” in the first verse.  God is the One who thought up the idea of salvation, and the One who sent His Son to provide salvation for us.  He then goes on to say that the Lord Jesus Christ is our “hope.”  Paul explains in Titus that hope is the actually the second coming of Christ at the “rapture” of the Church.  This is the event that will end the Church age, when Christ comes in the air to receive the true members of the Church in the air to be with Him.  This is explained in 1Thessalonians 4:13-18 and in 1Corinthians 15:51-58.

      Paul calls Timothy a true son in the faith in verse two and goes on to say, “grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and Jesus Christ, our Lord.”  Paul usually starts his letters with grace and peace, but here he adds mercy in this letter.  Mercy is God holding back what we truly deserve as sinners, and that is judgment and the wrath of God.  However when Christ died for our sins then God could give us mercy.

 

      Spiritual meaning for my life Today:  I can think of two things in these verses that jump out at me today.  The first is “hope” and what this means to me, for I will one day soon go to be with Jesus Christ when He comes for His Church.  As things get worse in this world it means that the time for His return is nearer.  The second thing that jumps out at me from these verses is “mercy.”  I have heard a son sung by Philips, Craig, and Dean called “Mercy Came Running.”  As I was listening to this song I had some new thoughts about mercy and what it means to me and also what it cost Christ so God could give mercy to me.

The Word of God was very refreshing to me today as I read it.

 

 Memory verse for the week:  Philippians 3:12-14  Not that I have already attained, or am perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.  Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.