1 Timothy 1:16 - Exposition

As chief for first, A.V.; might Jesus Christ for Jesus Christ might, A.V.; his long-suffering for long-suffering, A.V.; an ensample of for a pattern to, A.V.; unto eternal life for to life everlasting, A.V. That in me as chief ; rather, as A.V., first; i.e. both in order of time, and in respect also of the greatness of the sin forgiven. Show forth ( ἐνδείξηται ; see 2 Timothy 4:14 , note). All his long-suffering ; more properly, as Alford, the whole long-suffering; i.e. the entirety of long-suffering—all that was possible, every kind and degree of long-suffering. ὁ πᾶς with the substantive denotes the whole of a thing: τὸν πάντα χρόνον , "the whole time" ( Acts 20:18 ); ὁ πᾶς νόμος , "the whole Law" ( Galatians 5:14 ). So in the two examples from Polybius, τῆς πάσης ἀλογιστίας and τῆς πάσης ἀτοπίας "the utmost unreasonableness," and "the utmost strangeness," the construction is exactly the same. Long-suffering ( μακροθυμια ); more literally, long-animity; very frequent both in the New Testament and in the LXX . The adjective μακρόθυμος ( LXX .) is a translation of the Hebrew מיִפַאַ רצַקְ , "long," or "slow to anger," to which the opposite is כְרֶאֶ , ὀξύθυμος ( LXX .), "short to anger," i.e. hasty, passionate. The verb μακροθυμέω also occurs frequently, both in the New Testament and in the LXX .: ἡ ἀγάπη μακροθυμεῖ , "Charity suffereth long" ( 1 Corinthians 13:4 ). For an example ( πρὸς ὑποτύπωσιν ). The word only occurs in the New Testament here and 2 Timothy 1:12 ; but both it and the verb ὑποτυπόω are good classical words. The meaning of ὑπότύπωσις is "a sketch" or "outline," and hence a "pattern." This pattern is spoken of as being the property of, being for the use of, them which should hereafter believe. Just as the workman looks at his plan, or outline, by which he is to work, so those future believers would see in Christ's dealings with St. Paul the exact pattern of the long-suffering which they might expect for themselves. Others take ὑποτύπωσις in the sense of "instruction," but this sense cannot be made good. Believe on him unto eternal life. These words hang together. The particular force of πιστεύειν ἐπ αὐτῷ , "found in the New Testament only here and Romans 9:33 ; Romans 10:11 ; and 1 Peter 2:6 " (Huther)—as distinguished from the other constructions of to πιστεύειν £ —is "rest," "lean on" (Ellicott). St. Paul thus incidentally affirms that his own faith rested upon Jesus Christ in the full assurance of attaining to eternal life (see 1 Timothy 6:12 ; 2 Timothy 1:1 , 2 Timothy 1:2 ).