¹⁵It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.

Trustworthy statements are Paul’s way of telling us to take particular notice. He does this four other times in his pastoral letters (1 Tim. 3:1, 4:9, 2 Tim. 2:11, Titus 3:8). At the core of what “made Paul tick” is his self-awareness as a sinner saved by God. There are two sides to the equal and offsetting truths: who man is and who God is. Nothing can be more fundamental than this. If there was ever a true statement that qualifies to be fully accepted on the face of it, it is this statement that follows. Of course, all of Paul’s writings are inspired and on the level of authoritative Scripture (see 2 Peter 3:15–16). But some things he, as an inspired writer, puts an asterisk by, underlines and emboldens, so to speak.

First, the gospel message can be succinctly boiled down to this: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” Paul had just warned Timothy about  teachers of “strange doctrines” (1 Tim. 1:3), those who want “to be teachers of the Law” (1 Tim. 1:7). Here is the foundation of the truth of God: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” That is the complete message!

Second, though, was the personalization of that message. Paul sees himself at the core of the message, and not in flattering terms. He had left his Pharisee mindset long ago when he thought of himself “as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless” (Phil. 3:6). Now he saw himself as the “foremost of all” sinners. The Law did not produce holiness in him; it did not justify him. Rather the truth of the gospel was of great value to him, because he aligned with the “sinner” part of the message. This was not a reluctant admission that he was not perfect. No! He saw himself as the worst of all. And therefore he was in the greatest need of Christ coming for him with the good news of mercy and grace!

Paul was the worst of the early persecutors of the church. There was a rejection of the message and persecution before him (see, for example, Acts 5:40). But Paul was systematic in his adversarial actions against Christians and, in fact, against Jesus Christ (Acts 9:4). But there is a sense that he is our model so that we also might join him in saying, “I am with you, Paul, for I too am the foremost of sinners.” We must have the absolute consciousness of our sinfulness, not in comparison with others, but with the holiness of God. So the trustworthy statement isn’t so much about Paul himself, but about Paul as a model for all sinners. We must come to have the same attitude.

Lord, when I consider Your absolute holiness, I am compelled to confess how short I fall from Your glory. I too am the worst of all sinners!