| Geneva Study Bible {11} And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath {g} enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; (11) He maintains of necessity his apostleship against some that did find fault with his former life, debasing himself even to hell, to advance only Christ's only, with which he abolished all those his former doings. (g) Who gave me strength, not only when I had no will to do well, but also when I was wholly given to evil. People's New Testament 1:12 Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me. Hath given me power to preach this glorious gospel, by counting me faithful, and appointing me to his service. Wesley's Notes 1:12 I thank Christ, who hath enabled me, in that he accounted me faithful, having put me into the ministry - The meaning is, I thank him for putting me into the ministry, and enabling me to be faithful therein. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary 12. The honor done him in having the Gospel ministry committed to him suggests the digression to what he once was, no better (1Ti 1:13) than those lawless ones described above (1Ti 1:9, 10), when the grace of our Lord (1Ti 1:14) visited him. And-omitted in most (not all) of the oldest manuscripts. I thank-Greek, "I have (that is, feel) gratitude." enabled me-the same Greek verb as in Ac 9:22, "Saul increased the more in strength." An undesigned coincidence between Paul and Luke, his companion. Enabled me, namely, for the ministry. "It is not in my own strength that I bring this doctrine to men, but as strengthened and nerved by Him who saved me" [Theodoret]. Man is by nature "without strength" (Ro 5:6). True conversion and calling confer power [Bengel]. for that-the main ground of his "thanking Christ." he counted me faithful-He foreordered and foresaw that I would be faithful to the trust committed to me. Paul's thanking God for this shows that the merit of his faithfulness was due solely to God's grace, not to his own natural strength (1Co 7:25). Faithfulness is the quality required in a steward (1Co 4:2). putting me into-rather as in 1Th 5:9, "appointing me (in His sovereign purposes of grace) unto the ministry" (Ac 20:24). Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary 1:12-17 The apostle knew that he would justly have perished, if the Lord had been extreme to mark what was amiss; and also if his grace and mercy 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 and faithful words, which may be depended on, That the Son of God came into the world, willingly and purposely to save sinners. No man, with Paul's example before him, can question the love and power of Christ to save him, if he really desires to trust in him as the Son of God, who once 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 grace 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. | 
