SEV Biblia, Chapter 1:13
habiendo sido antes blasfemo y perseguidor e injuriador; mas fui recibido a misericordia, porque lo hice con ignorancia en incredulidad.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 1 Timothy 1:13
Verse 13. A 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] kai ubristhn? 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 considered the nature and evidences of Christianity, and not having believed that Jesus was the promised Messiah, I acted wholly under the prejudices that influenced my countrymen in general. God therefore showed me mercy, because I acted under this influence, not knowing better. This extension of mercy, does not, however, excuse the infuriated conduct of Saul of Tarsus, for he says himself that he was exceedingly mad against them. Let us beware, lest we lose the man's former crimes in his after character.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 13. Who was before a blasphemer , etc.] Of the name of Christ, contrary to which he thought he ought to do many things; and he not only blasphemed that name himself, calling him an impostor and a deceiver, but he compelled others to blaspheme it also, ( Acts 26:9,11). This, as well as what follows, is said, to illustrate the grace of God in his conversion, and call to the ministry: and a persecutor : for not content to speak evil of Christ, of his person, people, truths, and ordinances, he acted against them; not only breathed out against the disciples threatenings and slaughter, but did many evil things to them, and destroyed them which called on the name of Christ; persecuted Christ in his members, and them beyond measure, even unto death, ( Acts 9:1,5,13,21 22:4 Galatians 1:13) And injurious ; not barely using contumelious and reproachful words of Christ, and his people, which is the sense of some versions, and seems to be included in the first character; but using force and violence, and doing injury, not only to the characters, but persons and properties of the saints, making havoc of the church, haling men and women out of their houses, and committing them to prison; and now it was that Benjamin ravined as a wolf, the apostle being of that tribe; (see Acts 8:3 Genesis 49:27). But I obtained mercy : the Vulgate Latin version reads, the mercy of God; God had mercy on him, unasked and unsought for, as well as unmerited; God had mercy on him when he was in the career of his sin, and stopped him; and of his abundant mercy begat him again to a lively hope of forgiveness and eternal life; and through his great love quickened him, when dead in trespasses and sins; and according to the multitude of his tender mercies, forgave and blotted out all his iniquities; and put him openly among his children, his family and household; and to all this added the grace of apostleship: he put him into the ministry, and, of a blaspheming and injurious persecutor, made him a laborious, faithful, and useful preacher of the Gospel. Because I did it ignorantly in unbelief . This is said, not as an extenuation of this sin, or as an excuse for himself; for this was not the apostle's method, since in the next verse he calls himself the chief of sinners; besides, ignorance is not an excuse but an aggravation of sin, especially when there are means of knowledge, and these are not attended to; and when persons are not open to conviction, and reject the fullest evidence, which was the case here: nor can unbelief be pleaded in such a man's favour, who heard what Stephen had to say; and though he could not resist his wisdom, received not the truth spoken by him, but consented to his death; moreover, all sins spring from ignorance, and are aggravated by unbelief: but this phrase describes the apostle's state and condition; he was a poor, blind, ignorant bigot, an unbelieving and hardened creature, and so an object of mercy, pity, and compassion; and he who has compassion on the ignorant, and them that are out of the way, had compassion on him. He indeed did not know that Jesus was the Christ, or that his followers were the true church of God; he really thought he ought to do what he did, and that, in doing it, he did God good service; he had a zeal, but not according to knowledge; and therefore did not sin wilfully and maliciously against light, and knowledge, and conscience, and so not the sin against the Holy Ghost; as some of the Pharisees did, and therefore died without mercy, and were not capable subjects of mercy, and proper objects of it; nor is it ever extended to such: but this not being the case of the apostle, mercy was of sovereign good will and pleasure vouchsafed to him; his ignorance and unbelief were not a reason or cause of his obtaining mercy, which is always shown in a sovereign way; but a reason, showing, that that was mercy that was vouchsafed to him, since he was such an ignorant and unbelieving creature. It is a good note of Beza's on the place, en merita preparationis quae profert apostolus; what works, merits, previous qualifications and preparations were there in the apostle, fitting him for the grace and mercy of God, seeing in the midst of his sins, and in the full pursuit of them, the grace of God laid hold upon him, and mercy was shown him? there is nothing between his being a blasphemer, a persecutor, an injurious person, an ignorant unbeliever, and his obtaining mercy.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 12-17 - The apostle knew that he would justly have perished, if the Lord ha been extreme to mark what was amiss; and also if his grace and merc 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 an faithful words, which may be depended on, That the Son of God came int the world, willingly and purposely to save sinners. No man, with Paul' example before him, can question the love and power of Christ to sav him, if he really desires to trust in him as the Son of God, who onc died on the cross, and now reigns upon the throne of glory, to save all that come to God through him. Let us then admire and praise the grac of God our Saviour; and ascribe to the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost three Persons in the unity of the Godhead, the glory of all done in by, and for us.
Greek Textus Receptus
τον 3588 προτερον 4386 οντα 5607 5752 βλασφημον 989 και 2532 διωκτην 1376 και 2532 υβριστην 5197 αλλ 235 ηλεηθην 1653 5681 οτι 3754 αγνοων 50 5723 εποιησα 4160 5656 εν 1722 απιστια 570
Vincent's NT Word Studies
13. Blasphemer - persecutor - injurious (blasfhmon - diwkthn - ubristhn). Neither blasfhmov nor diwkthv is used by Paul. Blasfhmov in Acts vii. 11; 2 Pet. ii. 11; diwkthv N.T.o .; uJbristhv in Rom. i. 30 only; often in LXX. See on blasphemym Mark vii. 22, and comp. 1 Cor. x. 30. Ubristhv is one whose insolence and contempt of others break forth in wanton and outrageous acts. Paul was uJbristhv when he persecuted the church. He was uJbrisqeiv shamefully entreated at philippi (1 Thess. ii. 2). Christ prophesies that the Son of man shall be shamefully entreted (uJbrisqhsetai, Luke xviii. 32). Similar regretful references of paul to his former career appear in Acts xxii. 4; Gal. i. 13,23. Such a passage may have occurred in some Pauline letters to which this writer had access, or it may be an imitation. I obtained mercy (hlehqhn). Comp. Ver. 16. In speaking of his conversin, Paul uses cariv grace. See ver. 14, and the apostleship he speaks of himself as one who has obtained mercy (hlehmenov) of the Lord to be faithful. 1 Cor. vii. 25; comp. 2 Cor. iv. 1.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
1:13 {Before} (to proteron). Accusative of general reference of the articular comparative, "as to the former-time," formerly, as in #Ga 4:13. {Though I was} (onta). Concessive participle agreeing with me. {Blasphemer} (blasfemon). Old word either from blax (stupid) and feme, speech, or from blaptw, to injure. Rare in N.T. but Paul uses blasfemew, to blaspheme in #Ro 2:24. {Persecutor} (diwktes). So far found only here. Probably made by Paul from diwkw, which he knew well enough (#Ac 22:4,7; 26:14f.; Ga 1:13,23; Php 3:6; 2Ti 3:12). {Injurious} (hubristen). Substantive, not adjective, "an insolent man." Old word from hubrizw, in N.T. only here and #Ro 1:30. {I obtained mercy} (eleeqen). First aorist passive indicative of eleew, old verb. See #2Co 4:1; Ro 11:30f. {Ignorantly} (agnown). Present active participle of agnoew, "not knowing." Old verb (#Ro 2:4). In a blindness of heart. {In unbelief} (en apistiai). See #Ro 11:20,25.
