by John Calvin
Now to the king of worlds, immortal and invisible, to God only wise, be honor and glory forever. Amen. 18 Son Timothy, I commend this commandment to thee, that according to the prophesies which were before (made) of thee, thou fight by them a good battle. 19 Having faith and a good conscience, which some men have cast away, and are perished from the faith.
We must well remember and bear in mind that verse which was expounded before, how Saint Paul gives us to understand by his own example that when we know ourselves to be sinners, we should in no wise doubt but that the Son of God is at hand to receive us to mercy. For why was he sent into the world but to save that which was lost? And although we are of our own nature bent to distrust, yet must we be resolved in this point, that the son of God will not cast us off, so that we come to him to be partakers of the salvation which he offers generally to all sinners. But we must take this with us, that we cannot come to salvation in Jesus Christ, but only by faith, which betokens as much as this, that we be truly drawn unto him, and that with an upright affection, being angry and sorry with ourselves for our sins. For he that will cherish and nuzzle up himself in wickedness, is not worthy of that remedy which the son of God brings us. And because we are subject to doubt, especially regarding the matter of putting our trust in God, St. Paul confirms this doctrine, saying that it is a sure word, worthy to be received; as God has promised in other passages, in order to keep us from doubting his goodness. He is not content to tell us that he will be as good to us as his promise, but he adds an oath. Therefore we are so much the more to be blamed for distrust if we cannot settle our minds upon such promises, when God helps us in our distrust and in our weaknesses.
Now St. Paul adds a thanksgiving, and one that is rather strong, crying out, “Honor and glory be to God for ever to him (he says) that is King everlasting, who is immortal, who is invisible, who alone is wise.” By this he shows that he was, as it were, ravished to glorify God’s name, feeling the grace that he had received. And indeed if we consider how St. Paul was turned, and in what condition God found him, it was the strangest miracle that could be to have a wolf become a sheep, a man so raging and mad to shed the blood of martyrs, to be directly turned into a shepherd, and to have so gentle and mild a spirit; and a man full of pride to be so humbled; a man that was before drunk with the honors of the world, to submit himself to all rebukes and slanders; for him who resisted God, to take the yoke upon himself and to desire nothing but to be a servant of Jesus Christ, against whom he had been fighting. Mark, I say, such a wonderful changing, that it is not without cause that St. Paul cries, Honor and glory be given to God.
Nevertheless, although God’s dealing be not altogether such with us, yet all of us, both great and small, have good reason to magnify the exceeding goodness which he has made us feel. Has not God plucked us out of death, and from the bottom of hell, and called us unto himself? And is not this enough to ravish us with the praise of God, since we know that it is impossible for us to do as much as we ought to him, if we will confess how much are bound to him? Let us learn therefore, whenever we think about our redemption, and how every one of us has been brought to the knowledge of the Gospel, to be touched to the quick with this affection and burning zeal which was in St. Paul, so that we may, at the least, show that we cannot fully do our duty in praising God as we ought.
And if we cannot do our duties as we ought, God himself makes satisfaction for us, when we confess our weakness; and it is a great matter, when we know that he accepts this sacrifice of humbleness, that if we simply say, O Lord, I see that I am so much bound to your mercy that I am even swallowed up with it when I think of it. These few words being spoken with a true heart will be enough for God to take account of them as of a most sufficient payment. When we see that God so accepts us, have we not much more reason and occasion to make ourselves do what St. Paul shows us in these verses? And how can we excuse ourselves, if we be so slack and such villains that we will not consent to confess so much as that obligation wherein we are bound to God, since he has thus magnified his mercy toward us and called us to salvation? Yet we have to mark the titles that St. Paul here gives to God. He calls him King of the world everlasting; and afterward he calls him Immortal. He calls him invisible and only wise. It is true that these titles always belong to God, but St. Paul refers them to the matter he spoke of to show what difference there is between God and us. For by this means he focuses on the grace which he uses and which he bestows and pours out for our salvation. If we had any worthiness in us which might come anywhere near to this glory of God, which he mentions here, we still could not help but be bound to him; but when we know that we are but worms, and that there is nothing in our nature but wretchedness and misery, and that there is neither life nor strength, nor anything else whatsoever, and come to this infinite highness, which is God; this ought to move us much more to set forth praises. We see then what St. Paul aimed at when he gave God these titles, that is to say, when he clothed him with immortality, with glory, with everlasting rule and wisdom. It is to the end that men should humble themselves and exalt the majesty of God, as it deserves. And moreover, St. Paul meant to give us here a general rule which we ought to keep and observe, thinking upon our redemption. For if a man asks us why God has chosen us, why he has enlightened us, and hath left so many miserable and wretched in blindness, why he changed us and turned us to him by his Holy spirit, and others remain in their hardness, we cannot say that we are better than they, and therefore God preferred us before those whom he left alone, neither that we are worthier than they; there is not such matter. So what was it then? We must come to that which is spoken in the eleventh chapter to the Romans. When he speaks of the judgments of God he cries out, How incomprehensible are your ways! And who has given to him that he should repay them? Who can brag that he has brought anything of his own that he may say that God should be moved to love him more than another? No, no, men are void of all goodness, there is nothing in them but confusion and shame of face, and God accepts and calls whom he wants, and calls them in such a way that there is no goodness in them, but he changes them, and renews them by the grace of his Holy spirit, that where they were inheritors of death, where there was nothing in them but curse, he reforms them to his image, he plants life and an incorruptible seed in them. When we know these things, what can we say, but be astonished and cry out as St. Paul does there. What a bottomless pit is the grace of God! How incomprehensible are his ways! So then let us mark well that we shall never know our redemption thoroughly until we come to that astonishment which was in St. Paul, and which ought to be in all the faithful. And this is the main thing we should notice from these verses.
But so that what we have discussed in a few words may be better and more fully understood, when St. Paul calls God, King of worlds, he means that we must not presume to measure him according to their sense and season. Why? What are we but a shadow which rises up suddenly, and by and by vanishes away? What distance then, and what difference is there between God and us? And who can reach unto this highness which is in his unmovable counsel? And therefore, if we will judge rightly of the works of God, let us learn to bridle our senses and not play the colts that have broken lose; for we cannot climb so high as that everlasting kingdom is, since we are but creatures which pass straight away and change at every turning of a finger. There is no certainty in us. Since this is so, we know that we must reverence the great secrets of God, for we cannot know them by our reason.
For the better confirmation hereof, he adds, that God is immortal. Not as the angels are, neither as our souls are, but as it is said in another verse, that God alone has immortality in himself. Truly God created the angels with this condition, that they should be immortal and should live forever; the soul of man likewise does not perish in death, it is not put out. But yet if we mark how our souls are immortal, it is not of their own nature, this virtue of life is not shut up within them, but it is borrowed and comes another way. For so much then as it pleases God to maintain our souls with his virtue, in this respect they have a being and have a remaining; and hence comes their immortality. As much is to be said of the angels of paradise, if God did not keep them in that state which he gave them, they would come to nothing.
Therefore it is not without cause that here St. Paul calls God immortal; and thereby shows that there is no life in us, and if we be so foolish to persuade ourselves that we live by our own virtue, we abuse ourselves too much; seeing it is so that we hold our life at God’s hand, let us confess that he gives us all the rest likewise by his mere grace. And in calling him invisible he shows that it is not in us to seek him out to the bottom, and to search his secret and hidden things; for the more men strive to busy themselves in searching beyond measure the secrets of God more than they should, the more shall they vanish away and become fools. And therefore we have to note that St. Paul’s meaning is to instruct us to soberness and reverence, when he calls God invisible. We see also that pride that is in us, that if the question be to talk of God, every man will have his mouth open to speak at random; and instead of asking him to open himself up to us, so far forth as is expedient for us, there is not one of us that is not too rash to speak whatever comes into his brain without further consideration and thinking about it. Seeing then such boldness in men, let us not think it is strange that St. Paul would bridle them here, showing them that God is invisible, so that they would not be too curious to inquire after him beyond measure. It is very true that God is invisible in such a way that he declares himself to us by his living image, which is our Lord Jesus Christ. Truly he keeps back many secrets which are hidden from us, which we cannot attain to; for if he did show himself to us in all his perfection, what humbleness would there be in us, seeing that as yet, we cannot be beaten down with our ignorance? And although it is clearly proved to our faces that our wits are so simple, so rude, so small, so gross, that it is a wonder to see us, and we may be ashamed; yet we will be fine and subtle, and every one of us will be aloft until we break our necks again. If then God should reveal himself fully to us, how would men put forth themselves, I ask you? Therefore it is good for us, that our Lord reveals himself in measured out portions, as the Scripture also says, that the knowledge of God is given to everyone as it pleased our Lord Jesus Christ and as he knew it would be profitable for us.
Nevertheless God does not wholly hide himself. He shows himself to us so that we may know him, as far as it is expedient and fit for us. He is not reluctant to give to us, but we may know so much of secrets as is good for us; but let us remember first of all that he is invisible in himself. By this we are reminded that we cannot know him except by the means of our Lord Jesus Christ. And this is the reason why he calls himself in Scripture the image of the invisible God; for it is as much as if the Holy Spirit should condemn all our foolish speculations which we invent when there is any question to think upon God. Every man imagines what he desires; for when men shape for themselves a God like this they wrap themselves in a thousand errors. Therefore let us be content to be brought to Jesus Christ simply, learning to rest ourselves wholly upon him so that we may behold God whose image he is. We must remember this. Moreover let us be content to know that which we have learned in the school of our Lord Jesus Christ- he is the image of God, in fact, the perfect image, and there is no fault to be found in this. It is not a half drawn picture because in Christ dwells all the fullness of the Godhead. And it is said moreover that in him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and understanding. Nevertheless our Lord Jesus Christ shows us God his Father in a way we are able to bear and understand, and in a way that is profitable and necessary for us. Let us be content with that measure, for he who would be too curious and go beyond the school of our Lord Jesus Christ will completely drown himself. It would be like a man who despises to hear Jesus Christ speak or to behold the clearness which is shown to us in the Gospel.
Truly we only know things partially, as Saint Paul says elsewhere; we only have a taste of the knowledge of our God, we profit from it daily through the whole course of our lives but we shall never come to the fullness of knowledge unless we put off our flesh. As it is said, we cannot see God as he is in his glory until the time we become wholly made like unto his image. Nevertheless, he will accomplish what St. Paul speaks of: that in the midst of our imperfections, in the midst of our rudeness, we will not cease to see God face to face, to have personal knowledge of him, that he will therein show himself truly to be our Father. This is just what our Lord Jesus Christ claimed, saying that he counts his disciples as friends instead of servants. He said, ‘for a servant will not know his master’s counsel, but I have shown myself directly to you and have revealed to you the secrets of my Father.’(John 15:15) This is a marvelous thing that our Lord Jesus does for us, by not giving us total knowledge while we are in this mortal life, but only according to our capacity. Yet he does not cease to reveal that this is good for us, so that we know God intimately and have free access to him, understanding his secrets to the degree that is expedient and profitable for us. All of this is what we should learn from this word where St. Paul calls God invisible. And surely a man would think that this doctrine is sufficiently well understood.
But we see how the miserable world wanders and goes astray through its own foolish rashness, estranging itself from God and not keeping to the way. If this one word were well understood, first of all, the rash boldness would be completely beaten down in us. For every man would know that, however we proceed to know what God is, we enter into a bottomless pit that is incomprehensible. But we thrust ourselves into it unthinkingly. And by this many men are given to so many errors, to so many wicked and devilish fancies, because they do not realize that God is invisible. For they would have thought this way, ‘We must seek him in his image. God can be known by no other means but by beholding him in our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore it is impossible for men to be brought to this reason, as we see they have always this frenzy that carries them away, that they want to understand more than is good for them. In the meantime they wander up and down the field, while we know that there is only one way which can bring us to God, as it is said in the 15th chapter of John, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life.’ Therefore we must practice this doctrine so much the more, and exercise ourselves in it, that we may come to Jesus Christ, and being come to him, may suffer ourselves to be taught in his school, with all humbleness; and that in knowing him we may say also, that we knew God, so far forth as was profitable for us, and so far forth also as our nature could bear, until we be fully made new in his heavenly glory. And herein we see, after what a strange sort good works, and how it pleases him to enlighten us with the knowledge of his Gospel. As for himself, he is invisible. It is true; but yet he finds the means to show himself, that we may see him. And how is it? It is in our Lord Jesus Christ. Thus have we to consider, that faith is a miracle of God, whereby he makes himself to be seen by us, although he is hidden from us, and we can by no means come close to him. And thus we see how there are two things contained in faith: the one is humbleness, the other is glory. Yea, for we must thoroughly humble ourselves. If we think that we are poor blind men, we shall know, that we can in no wise comprehend the majesty of God, nor come near unto it. And thus must faith beat down all pride and presumption in us; but on the other side, we may well brag and boast ourselves in the goodness of God, in that it has pleased him to exalt us above the measure of our senses, to the end that we should know him, although by nature it could not be done. After St. Paul has given this title to God, to call him invisible, he adds, that only he is wise. Whereby he shows that when we speak of God and his righteousness, all reason and wisdom of man must be ashamed and amazed. Let not men therefore think at their pleasures to control that which he does, and to dispute against him; for without any word speaking of his, this wisdom that is in him must needs set a bar against us, being such that if we would go about to have but one drop of it in ourselves, we were mad men? What is then the wisdom of men? Nothing but double folly. Why so? For they would rob God of that which belongs to him, they would spoil him; and in so doing they only cast away themselves. And thus let us bear well away, (as I have said already) that St. Paul speaking of the wisdom of God, makes a comparison between him and the creatures, to the end, that when there is question of our salvation, we may know that we are nothing, that we can do nothing, that there is neither worthiness or value in us; yea, and that more is, that there is neither life nor strength in us. And seeing that all these things are in God, we must run to him, praying him that it would please him to instruct us in his will, knowing that all our wisdom stands in this, to be subject to him, beseeching him to draw us out of the bottomless pit of death, and to make us partakers of that life whereof he is the wellspring and fountain; requesting him to call us to his kingdom, from whence we were shut out and banished. And although we are nothing but a shadow that quickly passes away and vanishes, that he would give us a steadiness in himself.
And yet seeing that he says, Glory be given to him forever, let us know that herein men are cast down in themselves and made worse than naught; as if he should say that we must not seek the matter of our salvation in men, nor ask what God has found there which should move him to do us good, not a whit of all this; but let us glorify him to whom belongs all glory, and that not only for once, but let us continually preach and set forth praises of God, both in life and death. And yet it is not meant that we should not rejoice in God, as we have shown; but because men separate themselves from him, they must discover their shame and ignominy, and unclothe themselves of all goodness, and know that they have nothing in them but cursedness, as we have declared before. We may well have some life, some wisdom, if we cast our eyes upon God. Yea, but how? The life that is in us, is given us of his mere goodness, so that it is his and all the praise must be given to him. Therefore we have no life of our own, and whereof we may brag about ourselves; but let us know that God makes us partakers of that life which is in him, reserving always to himself and with himself the praise which he deserves. As much may be said of wisdom; for we are poor blind men, but in that God instructs us in his truth, we are wise. For what is the Gospel, but a perfection of all wisdom, as St. Paul calls it? (1 Cor. 2:7) And God gives it to us in such sort that he acknowledges it always for his own. For he does not give men wisdom to spoil himself of it, to lessen or diminish a whit of that which he has; but rather to this end, that his glory may more appear, and men may perceive it, as it is poured out upon all his creatures. And so is his glory likewise. And why? For our lord keeps not his glory shut up within himself, but makes us partakers of it. After he has completely spoiled us and brought us to utter confusion and shame, so that we may be ashamed of ourselves, he clads us with his own glory. But he does it not, to the end we should challenge it for our own, for that would be too shameful a sacrilege, but he does it to the end that we should boast in him, as he says by the Prophet Jeremiah (Jer. 9:23); and St. Paul also alleges it in 1 Cor. 1. And this is in sum what we have to note upon from this text.
Afterward St. Paul returns to that which he had begun to say to Timothy. He had exhorted him to do his office well, and to execute faithfully that so high and hard a charge as God had committed to him. But because Timothy had need to be authorized, to the end that his doctrine might be reverently received, (for he was a young man, and therefore might easily have been despised,) St. Paul has given him authority, as requisite it was, to the end that he might edify the Church. Nevertheless, because there were many, either light headed fellows, or puffed up with pride, which slandered St. Paul, it was requisite also for him to show that he spoke not in his own name, that he brought nothing of his own, but that he was sent from God, that our Lord Jesus Christ had given him that preeminence, that he spoke, as it were, in his name and in his person. And this is the reason why St. Paul made mention of his faults which he had committed, and of his conversation, and magnified the goodness of God, for that he was not far from being utterly cast away, because he had been a little while an enemy of the faith. And this served for a further confirmation of his doctrine, as we see a miracle that God wrought in changing him so soon.
So then, after Paul had thus established his own authority, and Timothy’s also, he comes to this matter: Son Timothy, (he says) I command thee as thou hast heard, yea, according to the prophecies which were before thee, to the end that thou fight a good fight in them, having faith and a good conscience (1 Tim. 1:18-19a). It is not without cause that St. Paul thus exhorts Timothy; for (as he says in another place) it is no small charge to govern the house of God. For God will have his truth maintained in the Church, and it is a pillar as it were, to hold it up by, it is the keeper of it, and God has therefore bestowed all the treasures of his heavenly secrets. Therefore, when God makes a man a shepherd, it is a charge so high and honorable, that it is not possible for us to make any progress in it, unless we strive with ourselves, but not with our own might, but as God shall work in us by his Holy Spirit. And this is the cause why St. Paul thus exhorts Timothy. And so let us mark the he speaks not to him only, but to all the people; for it was requisite (as we have said) for Timothy to be helped, because the world was never without fantastical spirits, without proud men, which were full either of envy or ambition. And therefore it is that St. Paul exhorts Timothy, not that he only should have the care alone, and were not diligent enough to do his office; but it was requisite that it should be known and shown to all the company.
Now let us examine by piecemeal, as the time will allow us, the points which are here touched. St. Paul calls Timothy to remember the prophecies which had been made about him, before he was called to this charge and office; for because God would use this man in great matters, he gave a greater approval of him than he did of others. For we do not read of all who were made shepherds, that they were called thereunto by prophecies. Therefore Timothy had this peculiarly above all others, according as God saw it needful. And indeed, because he would use him among the Jews, and his father had been a Heathen, he was not so fit, and so well accepted of. Besides that, he was young, which also might have hindered his being received, and have caused men not to have treated him so reverently, as they should. Therefore it was God’s will to confirm this man, that men might know that he had lent him his hand, and that he was author of that charge which was committed to him. Saint Paul brings this to his mind at this time, to stir him up so much the more to execute his charge, and to continue in this so excellent a grace of God, and to see that it be not decayed and come to naught through his negligence, as he makes mention in another place (4:14).
A man might think it strange that St. Paul wants Timothy to fight and make war according to the prophecies which were made concerning him; for seeing that God had once spoken the word, it was not possible for Timothy to frustrate the purpose of God. When God shows anything about us, it lies with him to accomplish it. For the effect of that word of God hangs not upon the will of men. For what kind of thing would that be? Yet it is our duty, if God has spoken a word about us, not to flatter ourselves nor to lean upon ourselves. Instead that which God has declared concerning us should spur us on and make us more careful to strive with all the might we can to come to that which God has called us to. As how? Behold, God has chosen us before the creation of the world, it lies not in us to turn upside down the unchangeable purpose and decree of his. Such as God has chosen, it is certain that God will conduct them in such a way that he will make it well known that those he has given to his Son cannot perish, as he says in the tenth chapter of John. Yet we the faithful must not, under a shadow of God’s election, rock ourselves to sleep and become careless; but we must rather apply ourselves to receive God’s promises, which are certain and can never fail; as by them he witnesses unto us his fatherly love, in that he chose us to himself for his children and heirs. Therefore we must be resolved in this point, that God will undoubtedly accomplish what he has once spoken with his mouth. Yet we must not stop calling upon him and running to him, knowing our infirmities; although we know that he will help us, so far as we have need, yet we must not be slack to call upon him. For in sum we must practice that which St. Paul speaks of in the second chapter to the Philippians. Seeing that we have all things from God, seeing he gives us will and might, and the very doing itself, and all this of his free goodness, we must walk in fear and trembling, considering and weighing well our own need and want; we must come to God, as poor beggars, seeing our own infirmity. We must not be riotous revelers. We must not spread abroad our wings, but rather we must be careful to hide ourselves under the wings of our God, under his protection, to pray to him to hold us up, to be our underprop, that he would help us in all our necessities, which he sees in us. And this is why St. Paul says now to Timothy that he should fight according to the prophecies which were made of him. For although God cannot be frustrated, but his purposes must come to pass, yet must we always have an eye to our office and duty, and not tempt God. And (as we have said already) when God is so gracious to us as to turn us to himself and show us that he has chosen us to himself, so that we should never perish; we must not thereupon presume of our own virtue, to rock ourselves to sleep in a fleshly presumption. Well may we boldly lift up our heads to rejoice in the grace of God, but yet we must always remember our weaknesses, and above all things mark that we are here made a prey for Satan, unless we are helped from above; because we would be completely naked and without any defense, if it were not that God is our buckler. We must be watchful therefore, as we must be careful to run always to God and call upon his name. And this is the reason why St. Paul adds the care that ought to be in Timothy because God had spoken that word over him. To be short (because we cannot go on at this present time) let us mark that our Lord, in setting before us his promises and showing us the benefits which he has bestowed upon us, and will bestow upon us, means not hereby to rock us to sleep so that we should think no more upon him, neither upon ourselves, and to make us negligent, but rather his mind is to make us know our infirmities. Why does God show us that he has chosen us? Because we were lost in Adam. Why does God show us that he has called us by his mere grace? Because we cannot come to him. Why does God promise to continue even to the end, to give us such constancy as cannot be overcome? Because we are not only as shaking twigs, but because we have not so much strength in us as a fly; and how the devil would get mastery of us and overcome us straight away, were it not that we are upheld and preserved by the invincible power of our God. Although therefore we know that there is nothing but feebleness and weakness in us, yea and that we are more than miserable creatures, yet must we rest ourselves upon the virtue of our God, knowing that he is strong enough to defend us, that his strength is strong enough to help our weakness. And so knowing what need we have to fly to our God, that we come to him and say, ah Lord, may it please you to hold us fast by the hand, and that we may remain always hidden under your wings, and that the devil may find no access or entrance into us; be such a fortress as you have promised. And thus God assures us of our salvation, so that we may not doubt; and yet he does not want us to rock ourselves to sleep, nor take occasion to be negligent; but that he instructs us to humbleness and carefulness, to the end that we may seek after him and prepare ourselves to fight always in this world, until we have gotten a full and perfect victory, by the same grace which he has begun in us and which he causes us to feel.
Now let us fall down before the face of our good God with confession of our faults, praying to him that it would please him to forgive us of them, and deliver us from the curse wherein we would be held if he would hold that against us. And in the meantime, that he would reform us by his Holy Spirit unto his image, so that we may always aspire to him, walking in obedience to him until, being taken out of this world, we become partakers of this full righteousness whereunto we have not to direct ourselves. So let us all say, Almighty God and heavenly Father, etc.
Taken from John Calvin's Sermons on 1 Timothy