Paul the Pattern and the Chief of Sinners
Paul said that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. What a contrast to the way Peter was thinking and the way Peter was preaching! Compare these two verses here and you will see. Look at what Peter told a man:
Acts 10:35 But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him
Now that is quite a contrast to what Paul said:
.Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Wow! Those two statements are as different as day and night. Peter is saying one thing and Paul is saying exactly the opposite. You see, Paul was preaching Jesus Christ according to the “revelation of the mystery.” In Peter’s ministry during the book of Acts, he didn’t know anything about Paul’s message. Remember we looked at what Paul said in the book of Galatians? That the Lord sent him 14 years later to tell Peter and the others?
So Paul calls himself the chief of sinners. And he says that he is also the “first” and he is also the “pattern.” Those words, by the way, are from a Greek word: protos. We get our English word “prototype” from it. Do you know what you do with prototypes? They are a PATTERN. They are the standard and the example that you use when you are going to make bunches of copies.
You need to know, from your bible, that Paul was THE FIRST and THE PATTERN of something entirely new. Something never before revealed. Here are the verses:
1 Timothy 1:15 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’s that word!)
1 Timothy 1:16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first (<--again!) Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.
Do you know what Paul is the FIRST of and the PATTERN for? Answer: The church, the body of Christ.
Paul said that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. What a contrast to the way Peter was thinking and the way Peter was preaching! Compare these two verses here and you will see. Look at what Peter told a man:
Acts 10:35 But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him
Now that is quite a contrast to what Paul said:
.Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Wow! Those two statements are as different as day and night. Peter is saying one thing and Paul is saying exactly the opposite. You see, Paul was preaching Jesus Christ according to the “revelation of the mystery.” In Peter’s ministry during the book of Acts, he didn’t know anything about Paul’s message. Remember we looked at what Paul said in the book of Galatians? That the Lord sent him 14 years later to tell Peter and the others?
So Paul calls himself the chief of sinners. And he says that he is also the “first” and he is also the “pattern.” Those words, by the way, are from a Greek word: protos. We get our English word “prototype” from it. Do you know what you do with prototypes? They are a PATTERN. They are the standard and the example that you use when you are going to make bunches of copies.
You need to know, from your bible, that Paul was THE FIRST and THE PATTERN of something entirely new. Something never before revealed. Here are the verses:
1 Timothy 1:15 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’s that word!)
1 Timothy 1:16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first (<--again!) Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.
Do you know what Paul is the FIRST of and the PATTERN for? Answer: The church, the body of Christ.
