Low Down and Dirty

Tuesdays with Timothy  #8

13 Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. 

Paul never forgot what the Lord saved him from. But at the same time, I don't think he dwelt on his sin, but took his sin to Christ, who is faithful and just to forgive him his sins. He lists the sins of blasphemy, being a persecutor, and being injurious. Today I want to consider these three sins, and next time look at why he brings it up. 

He was a blasphemer, and that involves more that using God's name in a curse. It means to speak of God in terms of impious irreverence; to revile or speak reproachfully of God, according to Webster’s dictionary. At first consideration, this may strike you as as odd, Paul saying he was a blasphemer, considering his Jewish upbringing and that "touching the law, a Pharisee". How could one who spent his whole life trying to keep the law describe his former way of life as a blasphemer? Paul blasphemed Christ and his crime was multiplied by his knowledge of God's Word. Paul outwardly kept the law as a Pharisee, but this was the sin that Christ warned the Pharisees of committing with their blatant rejection of the works of Christ.  Paul preached that Jesus was an imposter, spoke irreverently of Christ and denied Christ was the Saviour and was the Christ. He also compelled others to blaspheme the truth, name, and character of the Lord Jesus. 

Paul may have also been guilty of blaspheming the Holy Spirit on account of his addendum "but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief". Sins of unbelief are still sins (Numbers 15:28-30) so he was not excusing his sin, but rather he was forgiven because he did it in unbelief. I believe that this was included to tell us that he also blasphemed the Holy Spirit, but in ignorance thus not committing the unpardonable sin.  Those who committed the unpardonable sin of blasphemy of the Holy Spirit (Matt. 12:22-32) attributed the work of the Holy Ghost to the Devil, but they did it purposefully, actually knowing the truth and blaspheming anyway. The Pharisees knew that Jesus was the Christ and knew that the work He did was of the Holy Spirit and proceeded  knowingly and willingly to blaspheme the true work of God. Paul blasphemed Christ, (and I believe the Holy Spirit), but he was ignorant of the truth. In his sinful zeal, he thought he was doing the right thing. He obtained mercy because he did it unregenerate ignorance while many of his friends committed the unpardonable sin. They did believe the claims that Jesus was who he said he was and with full understanding, blasphemed Christ and the Holy Spirit. 

Paul was also a persecutor. He imprisoned the saints (Acts 22:19). He hunted the saints (Galatians 1:13) For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it. When he persecuted beyond measure, that means he hunted the church with incalculable and indescribable wrath. He wasted the church.  You have seen movies where the villains come into a town and kick in the doors, destroy the houses, burn the property etc. That is Saul of Tarsus when he found a church - he would ransack it. Acts 22:4 And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women. He beat them (Acts 22:19) and put them to death. Men or women, it did not matter. He separated husbands and wives, father's and daughters - he was a terrorist, a religious zealot with a blank check to fulfill his desire to cause harm. 

He was injurious. This word is translated “despiteful” in the list of sins in Romans 1:29-30.  Not only did he sin, but was proud and insolent in his sin. Tyndale translated it as being a "tyrant". With a proud satisfaction as a boastful conqueror, or a wicked pirate, Paul persecuted mercilessly because he “knew” he was right . Paul was a religious man who had conviction. A man, who read, prayed, studied and believed in his religion with all his heart and in all sincerity. A sincerity that caused action; that compelled him to kill, imprison, beat, hunt and persecute those who did not believe as he did. Yes, Paul was a great sinner; but he  served a great Saviour.