Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus,
Paul introduces himself as one sent with a commission directly from Christ, made an apostle by the will of God to declare and make effective the promise of life found in Christ Jesus. That promise is the renewal of the promise given after transgression in the garden, given in Christ before the world began and made known through Christ's appearing when He abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. Christ Himself is that life because His righteous character perfectly conforms to God's law, and He is its source for all who have Him. This eternal life is not possessed by nature and is not an inherent attribute of the soul, but comes only to the believer on condition of faith in God's Son, while those outside of Christ remain shut up under sin and under the penalty of death with no hope apart from it. Believers hold it now by promise rather than as an actual possession, with its enjoyment and reception in fact awaiting the world to come, when redeemed from inherited mortality they will live as long as Christ lives as the promised reward of the righteous.
Writer and Setting
The opening line begins the letter sent from Rome to Timothy at Ephesus about A.D. 67. It starts Paul's final recorded words, in which he urges Timothy to stir up his gift and remain in what he has learned. The writer is Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus, writing to Timothy as his beloved child with grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
An apostle is one sent with a commission directly from Christ. Paul was a witness of the resurrection with apostolic authority often confirmed by miracles. The Lord chose him in a miraculous way, and the miracle of his conversion confirmed his divine commission.
He was made an apostle through God's will and sent by Christ Jesus. His apostleship was connected with the promise of life found in Christ Jesus, to declare that promise and to make his ministry effective according to it.
Life Promised in Christ
The promise of life in Christ Jesus is the renewal of the promise first given after humanity's transgression in the garden, and since the fall no one has had any hope of eternal life apart from it. That life was given in Christ before the world began and was made known through Christ's appearing, when he abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. It is God renewing the promise of life on condition of faith in His Son, standing apart from the earlier promise that rested on obedience alone and failed through the failure of the human family, and by that difference it distinguishes the new covenant from the old.
Christ is life because His righteous character perfectly conforms to God's law; eternal life is in Him, and He is the source of life for those who have Him. Eternal life is a promise found in Christ, not something people already possess by nature and not an inherent attribute of the soul, and therefore it is a matter of hope rather than anything the soul itself assures. This life and immortality are brought to light through the gospel and are to be sought, showing that immortality is not an automatic possession but is found in Christ. Eternal life is conditional on accepting Christ and comes only to the believer through Christ, so that whoever believes in Him has eternal life and whoever refuses Him will perish and will not have it, because outside of Christ all are shut up under sin and under the penalty of death and no one can gain life by his own obedience to the law.
Believers have this life in Christ now by promise rather than as an actual possession, while its enjoyment and reception in fact await the future in the world to come. Everlasting life, rather than torment or joy considered by themselves, is the promised reward of the righteous. The righteous hold this promise, and when redeemed from the death brought by inherited mortality they will live as long as Christ lives.
Paul introduces himself as one sent with a commission directly from Christ, made an apostle by the will of God to declare and make effective the promise of life found in Christ Jesus. That promise is the renewal of the promise given after transgression in the garden, given in Christ before the world began and made known through Christ's appearing when He abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. Christ Himself is that life because His righteous character perfectly conforms to God's law, and He is its source for all who have Him. This eternal life is not possessed by nature and is not an inherent attribute of the soul, but comes only to the believer on condition of faith in God's Son, while those outside of Christ remain shut up under sin and under the penalty of death with no hope apart from it. Believers hold it now by promise rather than as an actual possession, with its enjoyment and reception in fact awaiting the world to come, when redeemed from inherited mortality they will live as long as Christ lives as the promised reward of the righteous.
Writer and Setting
The opening line begins the letter sent from Rome to Timothy at Ephesus about A.D. 67. It starts Paul's final recorded words, in which he urges Timothy to stir up his gift and remain in what he has learned. The writer is Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus, writing to Timothy as his beloved child with grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
An apostle is one sent with a commission directly from Christ. Paul was a witness of the resurrection with apostolic authority often confirmed by miracles. The Lord chose him in a miraculous way, and the miracle of his conversion confirmed his divine commission.
He was made an apostle through God's will and sent by Christ Jesus. His apostleship was connected with the promise of life found in Christ Jesus, to declare that promise and to make his ministry effective according to it.
Life Promised in Christ
The promise of life in Christ Jesus is the renewal of the promise first given after humanity's transgression in the garden, and since the fall no one has had any hope of eternal life apart from it. That life was given in Christ before the world began and was made known through Christ's appearing, when he abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. It is God renewing the promise of life on condition of faith in His Son, standing apart from the earlier promise that rested on obedience alone and failed through the failure of the human family, and by that difference it distinguishes the new covenant from the old.
Christ is life because His righteous character perfectly conforms to God's law; eternal life is in Him, and He is the source of life for those who have Him. Eternal life is a promise found in Christ, not something people already possess by nature and not an inherent attribute of the soul, and therefore it is a matter of hope rather than anything the soul itself assures. This life and immortality are brought to light through the gospel and are to be sought, showing that immortality is not an automatic possession but is found in Christ. Eternal life is conditional on accepting Christ and comes only to the believer through Christ, so that whoever believes in Him has eternal life and whoever refuses Him will perish and will not have it, because outside of Christ all are shut up under sin and under the penalty of death and no one can gain life by his own obedience to the law.
Believers have this life in Christ now by promise rather than as an actual possession, while its enjoyment and reception in fact await the future in the world to come. Everlasting life, rather than torment or joy considered by themselves, is the promised reward of the righteous. The righteous hold this promise, and when redeemed from the death brought by inherited mortality they will live as long as Christ lives.