1 Timothy 1:15 (KJV) Paul Called Himself the Chief of Sinners

1 Timothy 1:15 (KJV)

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.

John Gill writes, “… the remembrance of these sins abode with him, and kept him humble all his days; he was always ready to acknowledge them, and express his vileness and unworthiness on account of them. …”

Previous to this passage, Gill spends some time expressing the definition of the word and tracing it back to Adam, who is the first sinner. Some, I understand, made what Gill calls “a most stupid notion,” that by calling himself “the first (what the word chief means) sinner,” Paul was saying somehow Adam’s original sin had passed from one soul to another until Paul could say his sin was that of Adam’s.

Taken literally, I agree with Gill that it is a “most stupid notion.” But from the doctrinal sense, it is in fact the truth. We all carry the weight of that original sin. It passes from one to another so that we are all sinners by nature, proving it by our own sins.

I suppose, then, it would be good if every believer reckoned himself to be the chief sinner. If we stopped this business of comparing one sin to another and seeing ourselves as somehow better than others, as if our sins are as bad as theirs.

Notice that Paul did not say, “of whom I was chief,” but “of whom I am chief.” He was saved. His sin was put away as far as the east is from the west, buried in the deepest parts of the sea. God remembers them no more forever because they are judged in His Son, Jesus Christ. We now bear the very righteousness of God through Christ. God does not look on our sin. And we do need to reckon with our new-born relationship with God. But it is healthy to remember from what we were saved so that we never allow the roots of those sins to begin to grow up in us again.

Pride, arrogance, a judgmental spirit; these ought never be permitted to spring up anew within us.

#ChiefOfSinners #SavedByGraceAlone #StayHumbleInChrist #RememberYourRedemption #ChristCameToSave

Paul Called Himself the Chief of Sinners (And You Should Too)

What do you think—should every believer see himself as the “chief of sinners”? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts. Then visit marvinmckenzie.org for more Bible teaching that will challenge your thinking and strengthen your walk with Christ.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7000 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

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1 Timothy 1:15 (KJV) Paul Called Himself the Chief of Sinners

2 Thessalonians 3:12-13 (KJV) The Bible Commands Christians to Work

2 Thessalonians 3:12-13 (KJV)

Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.

But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.

Having pastored for many years, I’ve had experience with many souls of the sort Paul describes—those who will not work, who expect a handout, and who think the church is the place to get it.

More of them than I can tell would never have obeyed this command, and many would have been insulted (or rather, would have attempted to insult us) when we would not give to them. On one occasion, a man said to me, when I told him I did not have any money to give him, “You’re the poorest excuse for a pastor I’ve ever met.” Others expressed much the same sentiment over the years.

So notice the teaching of this passage:

First, it is the teaching of the Bible that those who are such are to be commanded to work. 

Some may not be able to get great jobs, but they can likely get a job. I know times and economies change, but in all my years of life, I’ve always been able to find work. I started working when I was twelve years old, stocking shelves and sweeping the parking lot at a local 7-11. Jobs are available to those who are willing to work.

Second, they are to “eat their own bread.” 

I take that to mean they are to provide for themselves and be content with what they earn. Some earn more, some less. Often, those who start with less will earn more over time by quietly and faithfully doing their work until someone notices they are capable of more.

Finally, I learn that this does not remove the believer’s responsibility to be involved in well doing. 

Charity, kindness, reaching out, and giving a helping hand—these are real and honorable Christian duties. The two concepts are not opposed; they are complementary. It is the same idea found in Galatians, where we are told both to bear our own burden and to bear one another’s burdens. These are not contradictory—they work together.

Teach men to work.
Teach them to take care of themselves and their families.
And while they do, help them when they need it and you are able.

Never grow weary in teaching these things.

#WorkWithQuietness #EatThineOwnBread #BeNotWearyInWellDoing #BiblicalResponsibility #FaithfulAndDiligent

The Bible Commands Christians to Work (And What Happens If We Don’t)

What do you think—where should the line be between helping and enabling? Drop a comment below and join the conversation.

If you want more straightforward, Bible-centered teaching like this, visit marvinmckenzie.org and explore lessons, books, and resources designed to help you live out your faith with clarity and conviction.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7000 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

2 Thessalonians 3:12-13 (KJV) The Bible Commands Christians to Work

2 Kings 24:12 (KJV) He Was Only 18…

2 Kings 24:12 (KJV)

And Jehoiachin the king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon, he, and his mother, and his servants, and his princes, and his officers: and the king of Babylon took him in the eighth year of his reign.

2 Kings 24:9 (KJV) says,
And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father had done.

That is how Jehoiachin is introduced. Eighteen years old. A young man stepping into a throne already stained by sin. He followed the pattern he had been shown. He walked in the steps of his father. And the Bible does not soften that reality.

Just a few verses later, the pressure comes. Nebuchadnezzar surrounds Jerusalem. The city is vulnerable. The outcome is certain. And in that moment, this young king makes a decision that is often overlooked.

2 Kings 24:12 (KJV) says,
And Jehoiachin the king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon, he, and his mother, and his servants…

He did not fight to the last man. He did not harden his heart. He did not pretend everything was fine. He stepped forward and surrendered. The Bible does not say he repented. It does not erase the earlier statement that he did evil. But it does show us that this young king knew when to yield. There is a difference between rebellion and restraint. There is a difference between continuing in wrong and choosing, at a critical moment, not to make things worse.

Others would come after him and resist. Zedekiah would harden his heart, and Jerusalem would pay a terrible price. But Jehoiachin’s surrender likely spared lives. It shortened suffering. It acknowledged that God’s hand of judgment was already at work.

That takes a measure of humility.

Sometimes we meet people who start wrong and stay wrong. Every decision piles onto the last. Every step deepens the damage. But every once in a while, you see someone who, though not right, chooses not to keep going in the same direction.

Jehoiachin reminds us of this: even in a life marked by failure, there can still be moments of wisdom. Years later, after decades in prison, the Lord allowed him to be lifted up. Not restored to the throne, but given honor, provision, and dignity.

God judged him—but God did not forget him.

That is a steady truth. You may not undo yesterday, but you can choose today. And sometimes, the most spiritual thing a man can do is this—

stop, yield, and refuse to make things worse.

#WhenToYield #LessonsFromJehoiachin #BiblicalLeadership #HumilityMatters #GodsMercyInJudgment

He Was Only 18… What This Young King Did Next Might Surprise You

What do you think—was Jehoiachin’s surrender weakness or wisdom?

Drop your thoughts in the comments. I’d genuinely like to hear how you see it and how this applies today.

If this helped you or challenged your thinking, there’s more like it waiting for you. Visit marvinmckenzie.org for Bible teaching, resources, and studies designed to help you grow in your walk with the Lord.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7000 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

2 Kings 24:12 (KJV) He Was Only 18…

 

2 Thessalonians 1:1 (KJV) Are You Walking Alone?

2 Thessalonians 1:1 (KJV)

Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

When Paul wrote his first letter, he opened the same way:
“Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians…”

It strikes me that while we often ascribe these epistles to Paul alone, Paul himself includes these two men in the greeting. He later makes it clear that the letter was written by his own hand, and I believe he alone is the inspired penman. Yet I can easily picture him writing these words in the company of Silvanus and Timotheus.

God the Holy Spirit is the Author of the Word of God, but He uses men.

I imagine Paul speaking through what the Holy Spirit was impressing upon him—thinking it through, expressing it aloud—while these two faithful companions listened. They did not supply the words, but they were present in the work. In that sense, it can rightly be said they participated.

Notice how Paul writes throughout the chapter. He speaks in the plural:

“Our Father…”
“We are bound…”
“We ourselves glory…”
“Rest with us…”

This is not accidental it reveals the nature of the Christian life.

It used to be, especially early in my ministry—and again later when working through more difficult passages—that I would talk through what I was preparing to preach with my wife. She wouldn’t offer corrections or outline my message, but there was something helpful about saying it out loud.

I remember working through 1 Corinthians 15:34:
Awake to righteousness, and sin not: for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.

I quoted that verse to her with strong emphasis, and she simply said, “Preach it like that!” That moment didn’t change the message—but it helped frame it, and frankly, every message I’ve preached since.

There is something about speaking truth in the presence of others that helps settle it, sharpen it, and strengthen it. And that is exactly what we see here.

The Christian walk is not meant to be isolated. It is never just “me and God.” That idea sounds spiritual, but it is not biblical. God has placed us in a body, in a church, in a fellowship of believers.

One day, we will stand before God alone.

But today, we walk with Him in company.

#NotAloneInChrist #TogetherInTheFaith #ServantsSideBySide #LaboringWithTheLord #TheChurchWalksTogether

Are You Walking Alone? It’s Not Just You and God 

If this helped you see the Christian life a little clearer, I’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment below—how has God used others to strengthen your walk?

And if you want more Bible teaching like this, along with books, lessons, and resources to help you grow, visit marvinmckenzie.org.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7000 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

2 Thessalonians 1:1 (KJV) Are You Walking Alone?