Attitude of Paul

Uni-verse 157/10,000 For better through verse I Timothy 1 v 15

1Ti 1:15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.


As believers we must not have a self-righteous attitude but an attitude like Paul that " I am the worst of sinners". Paul considered himself the least of the apostles and the worst of sinners as He persecuted the church. This attitude helped to keep him humble and free from any sense of superiority over the other apostles. True, he was better educated than the disciples of Christ. But, his better background did not make him feel elitist. Sometimes believers given their family background, their spiritual and intellectual gifts and their knowledge of the Word begin to feel that they know better about such matters than most if not all others. The feeling is " I am one of the better ones that Jesus has saved." Such an attitude affectst their spiritual growth and their effectiveness.

Paul repented of his past by showing the same zeal that He displayed in persecuting the Christians in evangelising the then known world. That zeal in the past had taken him only to Damascus. But, now it took Him to myriad places like Rome, Athens, Ephesus, Thessalonica, Galatia and so on. The feeling that he was the worst of sinners, whom Christ Jesus had redeemed, motivated him to reach out to all people from the slaves to the rulers. God added grace to his efforts and made his journeys successful as he humbled himself before Him.

A pastor recently rightly taught in the course of a message that humility is an exercise towards God and not towards people. Paul acknowledged his sinfulness and submitted his life fully to the will of God. He had emptied himself of his own ego and his ambition. God made him a holy and useful vessel to carry the gospel across the world.

Prateep V Philip