Commentaries:
Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown
The honor done him in having the Gospel ministry committed to him suggests the digression to what he once was, no better (I Timothy 1:13) than those lawless ones described above (I Timothy 1:9-10), when the grace of our Lord (I Timothy 1:14) visited him.
And—omitted in most (not all) of the oldest manuscripts.
I thank—Greek, "I have (that is, feel) gratitude."
enabled me—the same Greek verb as in Acts 9:22, "Saul increased the more in strength." An undesigned coincidence between Paul and Luke, his companion. Enabled me, namely, for the ministry. "It is not in my own strength that I bring this doctrine to men, but as strengthened and nerved by Him who saved me" [THEODORET]. Man is by nature "without strength" (Romans 5:6). True conversion and calling confer power [BENGEL].
for that—the main ground of his "thanking Christ."
he counted me faithful—He foreordered and foresaw that I would be faithful to the trust committed to me. Paul's thanking God for this shows that the merit of his faithfulness was due solely to God's grace, not to his own natural strength (I Corinthians 7:25). Faithfulness is the quality required in a steward (I Corinthians 4:2).
putting me into—rather as in I Thessalonians 5:9, "appointing me (in His sovereign purposes of grace) unto the ministry" (Acts 20:24).
Other Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown entries containing 1 Timothy 1:12:
2 Corinthians 4:1
Philippians 4:13
1 Thessalonians 2:4
1 Timothy 2:7
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