EasyEnglish Bible 2018
1 Timothy 1:13
13Before he chose me, I said bad things about him. I caused great trouble for his people. I was a cruel man, but God was very kind to me. He forgave me because I did not know what I was doing. That was because I did not believe in Jesus.
1 Timothy 1:13 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.
- New International Version (NIV)Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief.
- English Standard Version (ESV)though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief,
- New King James Version (NKJV)although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.
Context of 1 Timothy 1:13
11That true message is the good news that comes from our great God. We praise him for it. He has chosen me to tell this good news to people. 12I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has made me strong to serve him. He decided to trust me and he chose me to work on his behalf. Before he chose me, I said bad things about him. I caused great trouble for his people. I was a cruel man, but God was very kind to me. He forgave me because I did not know what I was doing. That was because I did not believe in Jesus. 14Our Lord continued to be very good and kind to me. He caused me to believe in Christ Jesus and to love him. 15Here is a true message that everyone should believe: ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save people who do wrong things.’ I am the worst person like that!
Read all of 1 Timothy 11 Timothy 1:13 word by word
τὸ πρότερον ὄντα βλάσφημον καὶ διώκτην καὶ ὑβριστήν· ἀλλ᾽ ἠλεήθην, ὅτι ἀγνοῶν ἐποίησα ἐν ἀπιστίᾳ·Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Who wasεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- beforeπρότερονproteron · previouslyG4386
- a blasphemerβλάσφημοςblasphēmos · blasphemousG989
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- a persecutorδιώκτηςdiōktēs · persecutorG1376
- injuriousὑβριστήςhubristēs · insolent manG5197
- butἀλλάalla · butG235
- I obtained mercyἐλεέωeleeō · to have mercyG1653
- becauseὅτιhoti · that/since: sinceG3754
- I didποιέωpoieō · to do/make: doG4160
- ignorantlyἀγνοέωagnoeō · be ignorantG50
- inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- unbeliefἀπιστίαapistia · unbeliefG570
Cross-references for 1 Timothy 1:13
- Acts 8:3But Saul brought great trouble to the believers. He wanted to destroy their whole group. So he went to all their houses. He took hold of the believers and he put them into prison. He did that to both men and women.
- Acts 9:1All this time, Saul was still speaking strongly against the disciples of the Lord Jesus. He wanted to kill all the believers. So he went to see the most important priest in Jerusalem.
- Acts 22:4I caused great trouble to the disciples of Jesus. I even wanted to kill them. I took hold of them and I put them in prison. I did that to both men and women.
- Acts 26:9I myself wanted to work against Jesus, the man from Nazareth, and against his message.
- 1 Corinthians 15:9Among all the apostles, I am the least important. I caused so much trouble for God's church that people should not really call me an apostle.
- Galatians 1:13You know about the things that I did before, when I obeyed the Jewish rules. I caused very much trouble against God's church. I tried to destroy those people completely.
- Philippians 3:6I tried very much to please God. So I caused a lot of trouble and pain for the Christians. I obeyed the rules of God's Law, and nobody could say that I did anything wrong.
- 1 Timothy 1:16But God was kind to me. Christ Jesus showed that he was completely patient with me, the worst person. That was an example to those people who would later believe in him. They would believe and receive life for ever with God.
- Hosea 2:23I will plant them safely in the land. I will show love to ‘No love’ (Lo-Ruhamah). I will say to ‘Not my people’ (Lo-Ammi), ‘You are my people.’ And they will say to me, ‘You are my God.’
- Romans 5:20God gave his Law to Moses to show more clearly that people were doing wrong things. But when people did more and more wrong things, God continued to be kind in more and more ways.
- Romans 11:30In past times, you Gentiles did not obey God. But now God has been very kind to you, because Israel's people refused to obey him.
- Hebrews 4:16So we should come near to God and we should not be afraid. God is our King. We can ask him to help us when we need help. We know that he will forgive us and he will be kind to us in whatever way we need.
- 1 Peter 2:10In past times, you were not people who knew God. But now you are God's people. In past times, God did not forgive you. But now he has been very kind to you and he has forgiven you.
- Numbers 15:30But a person might do something that he knows to be wrong. He does it because he wants to do it. That person is as bad as someone who insults the Lord. It does not matter whether he is an Israelite or a foreign person. You must make that person separate from all the people.
- Luke 12:47A servant may know what his master wants him to do. Then he should prepare himself and do that. If he does not, his master will punish him very much. He will hit him a lot.
- Luke 23:34Jesus said, ‘Father, these people do not know what they are doing. So please forgive them.’ The soldiers then picked up Jesus' clothes for themselves. They played a game to decide who would receive each piece of his clothes.
Commentaries on 1 Timothy 1:13
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 13A blasphemer - Speaking impiously and unjustly of Jesus, his doctrine, his ways, and his followers. And - persecutor - Endeavouring, to the uttermost of his power, to exterminate all who called on the name of the Lord Jesus. And injurious - ̔· As full of insolence as I was of malevolence; and yet, all the while, thinking I did God service, while sacrificing men and women to my own prejudices and intolerance. I did it ignorantly in unbelief - Not having…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 13Who was before a blasphemer - This does not mean that Paul before his conversion was what would now be regarded as an open blasphemer - that he was one who abused and reviled sacred things, or one who was in the habit of profane swearing. His character appears to have been just the reverse of this, for he was remarkable for treating what he regarded as sacred with the utmost respect; see the notes on Philemon 3:4-6. The meaning is, that he had reviled the…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-17Verses 12-17 The apostle knew that he would justly have perished, if the Lord had been extreme to mark what was amiss; and also if his grace and mercy had not been abundant to him when dead in sin, working faith and love to Christ in his heart. This is a faithful saying; these are true and faithful words, which may be depended on, That the Son of God came into the world, willingly and purposely to save sinners. No man, with Paul's example before him, can…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12-17I thank Christ Jesus our Lord: This expression of thanks is a side note from Paul’s message to Timothy (1:3–11, 18–20). Paul’s role in proclaiming the good news about Jesus prompts gratitude and shows why he is thankful (1:11). It also serves as a model for readers. When discussing his work, Paul gives credit to God and makes it evident he is doing God's work (see also 2 Corinthians 1:21–22; 2:14–17; 3:4–6; 4:7; 12:9–10).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1313. Who was before--Greek, "Formerly being a blasphemer." "Notwithstanding that I was before a blasphemer," &c. (Ac 26:9, 11). persecutor--(Ga 1:13). injurious--Greek, "insulter"; one who acts injuriously from arrogant contempt of others. Translate, Ro 1:30, "despiteful." One who added insult to injury. Bengel translates, "a despiser." I prefer the idea, contumelious to others [Wahl]. Still I agree with Bengel that "blasphemer" is against God…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Timothy 1:13
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 1 Timothy 1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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