Note 5 at 1 Tim. 1:13: It is truly a marvelous testimony to the transforming power of the new birth that the church's greatest persecutor became the church's greatest spokesman. This could only have happened through the power of God and is also a classic testimony to the mercy and grace of our God.

Note 6 at 1 Tim. 1:13: Paul was shown mercy because what he did was the product of ignorance. Paul was not a God-hater, but was ignorant and deceived by religion. He was zealous in religion and did not understand the truth about Christ and His gospel. His actions were a product of wrong thinking. He actually thought that through persecuting the believers he was doing God a service as clearly stated in Acts 26:9-10, "I too WAS CONVINCED that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. And that is just what I did in Jerusalem..."(NIV).

Willful rejection of God is a serious matter (Num. 15:30-31; Heb. 10:26). But God deals differently with the ignorant and misguided (Num. 15:24-26; Heb. 5:2). Paul's ignorance was not an excuse for his actions, but indicated that he did not understand the truth. Paul acted according to the prejudices of his religion, but God offered mercy and grace in his unbelief and ignorance (see note 1 at Mt. 12:31, p. 186).

Some people are so guilt-ridden that they think God could not possibly forgive them. But consider Paul, he murdered and enslaved God's people. If God will forgive him then He will certainly forgive you.