Why does Paul say this?

[JennyG]

1 Timothy ch 1, v 13:
...I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.

That sounds as if it would cover a multitude of the sins of unbelievers, almost without reference to the true ground of forgiveness by faith through the substitutiary atonement. Is that what we're really to infer?

 

[goodnews]

1 Timothy ch 1, v 13:
...I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.

That sounds as if it would cover a multitude of the sins of unbelievers, almost without reference to the true ground of forgiveness by faith through the substitutiary atonement. Is that what we're really to infer?

That's a tough one to be sure. I think the context tells us that Paul is writing against the false teachers of the day (the Judaizers?) who were working diligently to spread a false gospel and thus thwarting the work of Paul. These men, who had heard and received the gospel (supposedly), were apparently trying to add to the gospel and were teaching many other untruths as a result. Paul may be saying that he harmed the Church out of ignorance and was saved by the grace of Christ, while these men were willingly and knowingly rejecting the true gospel.

 

[rbcbob]

Lenski comments:

“However black Paul’s guilt was, he did not go against better knowledge, did not oppose ‘wilfully’ (Heb 10:26), ‘wifully despise the Word, stop their ears and harden their hearts, and in this manner foreclose the ordinary way to the Holy Ghost, so that he cannot perform his work in them …” where ‘man entirely resists the Word, there no conversion takes place, or can be’
Thus it was that, when this ignorance was shattered by a burst of mighty knowledge, Paul says(Acts 26:19) “I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision.” When he realized the deity and the glory of Jesus, his unbelief was changed into belief.

 

[larryjf]

It's also important to note what the verse does not say. It does not say that Paul's repentance was unimportant.

 

[LeeD]

Here is Calvin's view of Paul's words when commenting on the unpardonable sin (Book 3, Chapter 3, Section 22):

Here, however, it is proper to consider what the dreadful iniquity is which is not to be pardoned. The definition which Augustine somewhere gives, - viz., that it is obstinate perverseness, with distrust of pardon, continued till death, - scarcely agrees with the words of Christ, that it shall not be forgiven in this world. For either this is said in vain, or it may be committed in this world. But if Augustine's definition is correct, the sin is not committed unless persisted in till death. Others say, that the sin against the Holy Spirit consists in envying the grace conferred upon a brother; but I know not on what it is founded. Here, however, let us give the true definition, which, when once it is established by sound evidence, will easily of itself overturn all the others. I say therefore that he sins against the Holy Spirit who, while so constrained by the power of divine truth that he cannot plead ignorance, yet deliberately resists, and that merely for the sake of resisting. For Christ, in explanation of what he had said, immediately adds, "Whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him; but whosoever speaketh against the holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him," (Matth. 12: 31.) And Matthew uses the term spirit of blasphemy for blasphemy against the Spirit. How can any one insult the Son, without at the same time attacking the Spirit? In this way. Those who in ignorance assail the unknown truth of God, and yet are so disposed that they would be unwilling to extinguish the truth of God when manifested to them, or utter one word against him whom they knew to be the Lord's Anointed, sin against the Father and the Son. Thus there are many in the present day who have the greatest abhorrence to the doctrine of the Gospel, and yet, if they knew it to be the doctrine of the Gospel, would be prepared to venerate it with their whole heart. But those who are convinced in conscience that what they repudiate and impugn is the word of God, and yet cease not to impugn it, are said to blaspheme against the Spirit, inasmuch as they struggle against the illumination which is the work of the Spirit. Such were some of the Jews, who, when they could not resist the Spirit speaking by Stephen, yet were bent on resisting, (Acts 6: 10.) There can be no doubt that many of them were carried away by zeal for the law; but it appears that there were others who maliciously and impiously raged against God himself, that is, against the doctrine which they knew to be of God. Such, too, were the Pharisees, on whom our Lord denounced woe. To depreciate the power of the Holy Spirit, they defamed him by the name of Beelzebub, (Matth. 9: 3, 4; 12: 24.) The spirit of blasphemy, therefore, is, when a man audaciously, and of set purpose, rushes forth to insult his divine name. This Paul intimates when he says, "but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief;" otherwise he had deservedly been held unworthy of the grace of God. If ignorance joined with unbelief made him obtain pardon, it follows, that there is no room for pardon when knowledge is added to unbelief.

 

[schwarzeneggerchia]

Paul was saying that despite of who He was, formerly a blasphemer
And
a persecutor
and
a violent aggressor.
Yet he was shown mercy because of his ignorance. how so?
We must know that it in the context of God's mercy and of who Paul was.
This is what Paul would have seen himself in the light of the law.
Persecutor - as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless. Phil 3 v. 6
This was the ignorance that Paul thought He was, a blameless persecutor for the righteous that was in the law.
Now, it is for this very reason that Paul was to reveal through God's mercy, to show God's righteousness that has been manifested apart from the law (Romans 3 v. 21) of which Paul was so zealous for.
Therefore, the idea Paul was delivering across is:
14the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus.

15It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.

16Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.

[BIBLE]Romans 9:22[/BIBLE]

God shows much patience to his vessels of wrath, but it is not for us to say who these are or question why he endures them, therefore someone whom we may think is "destined" as a 'vessel of wrath' may well be whom God had elected and by His irresistible grace showed for example through Paul, a chief of sinners and saved Him and that was His appointed time.