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Verse
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1 Timothy 1:12
ESV I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service,
NIV I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service.
NASB I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service,
CSB I give thanks to Christ Jesus our Lord who has strengthened me, because he considered me faithful, appointing me to the ministry—
NLT I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength to do his work. He considered me trustworthy and appointed me to serve him,
KJV And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;
NKJV And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry,

What does 1 Timothy 1:12 mean?

This verse begins a new section focusing on Paul's personal experiences: his testimony. He begins by thanking God for the spiritual power needed for his ministry. Paul fully embraced Christ's teaching that "… apart from me you can do nothing" (John 15:5). Paul's power came from Christ, not his own human ability. Paul used the specific title of "Christ Jesus our Lord" on seven occasions (Romans 6:23; 8:39; 1 Corinthians 15:31; Ephesians 3:11; 1 Timothy 1:2, 12; 2 Timothy 1:2), with two of these in this chapter. He seems to use the phrase in order to emphasize common faith in Jesus Christ with his readers.

The second half of this verse provides two important aspects of Paul's ministry. First, Paul notes that God declared him faithful—he does not say he was faithful and God recognized it, but rather that God "judged me faithful." Paul, formerly named Saul, and a hateful persecutor of the church (1 Timothy 1:13) was not good enough to serve God. And yet, God judged or decided Paul would be faithful in serving Him. In other words, God made Paul faithful, a defining characteristic of his ministry.

Second, Paul recognized God's role in selecting him for his role as an apostle. He did not deserve it nor earn it (Ephesians 2:8–10). The idea of "his service" was similar to that of a servant to a king or master. Paul saw himself as a "bondservant" of God, offering an example for Christians today.
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