I must Decrease – 1 Timothy 1:17

Songs in the New Testament, part 7

Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
in light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
almighty, victorious, thy great name we praise.

Walter C. Smith (1847)

¹⁵ The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. ¹⁶ But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. ¹⁷ To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

1 Timothy 1:17 (with verses 15 and 16 to provide context),

Let’s face the elephant in the room up front: Did Paul write the Pastoral letters? I’d say yes, because of the way Paul’s teaching often overflows in praise, as here, in all his attributed writings, as in the disputed letters to the churches and to the Pastoral letters. All these letters have passages where Paul follows teaching about God with praise. They are a significant feature of his style and reveal Paul as a joyful preacher, not the harsh man some describe him as.

But first John the Baptist. He got it right. When asked about Jesus he said, “He must increase and I must decrease.”

You can find this in the letters of Paul if you read them in the order they were written, you can see Paul decreasing.

(The order in the Bible is not chronological, it is ordered by length, longest letter first. Chronologicly it goes:

Galatians (AD 48-49)
1 Thessalonians (50-51)
2 Thessalonians (51-52)
1 Corinthians (54-55)
2 Corinthians (55-56)
Romans (56-57)
Ephesians (60-62)
Philippians (60-62)
Colossians (60-62)
Philemon (60-62)
1 Timothy (62-64)
Titus (63-65)
2 Timothy (66-67)

Look at how Paul describes himself:

“Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead.” Galatians 1:1. Here is Paul calling himself an Apostle which was one of the highest titles in the early church. Paul is strong and authoritative.

“Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. ⁹ For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.” 1 Corinthians 15:9. See the difference? Paul is still calling himself an Apostle, but now he is the least of the Apostles. Paul has decreased, Jesus has increased.

“To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.” Ephesians 3:8. Another 5 years and Paul is calling himself the least of,,, But it is no longer the least of the Apostles, he is now the least of all the saints, the least of God’s people. Paul is still decreasing. But he is comparing himself to the riches of Christ: Christ is still increasing.

“The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. ¹⁶ But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.” 1 Timothy 1:15-16. Paul is saying he is the worst of sinners. From the least of the saints to the foremost of sinners. Paul’s transformation is complete, going from counting himself as an Apostle to seeing himself as God sees him. As nothing, but loved. But Jesus has increased to being everything.

But God has displayed his patience with Paul, which has had an effect on Paul’s ministry: If God can work with the foremost of sinners, Paul can work with anybody. But took humility on Paul’s part to accept this.

Then the words of praise come in. “To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honour and glory for ever and ever,” says the man who has become nothing. The world has got it wrong. Christians who think wielding power is God’s will have also got it wrong.

The way John the Baptist chose, the way Paul learned, is the way of the Cross. Jesus won his victiry over sin and death by submitting himself to God, submitting himself to mankind and even submitting himself to death. There is no victory of the resurrection without the sacrifice of Jesus. But that was the subject of the first of these looks at songs in the New Testament, six months ago in Philippians 2.

I thank Shervin Youssefian whose substack was very helpful in preparing this.

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I was stuck trying to write this post, and I was stuck, but then this substack came in.