Timothy held a very special place in Paul's heart. He had been with Paul through many of his persecutions and imprisonments. He had proven to be a trustworthy and faithful friend as well as a faithful minister to Paul and to the church at large. Timothy would soon be ministering without his mentor, because the time set for Paul's martyr was approaching.
Though we have seen similar words in every letter, let's not skip over these important references to God's gifts to each of his children, "grace, mercy and peace" (1 Timothy 1:1-3). These three gifts are the most important gifts to every believer because they embody all other gifts.
Grace encompasses strength, faith, God's compassion toward us and much more. You could almost refer to Grace as the name of the larger Package that holds all God's gifts (Ephesians 2:1-12). Mercy refers to God's bountiful forgiveness that we need, both for initial salvation and our subsequent failures(Titus 3:4-7; 1 John 1:9). And peace incorporates comfort in sorrow, rest in God's wisdom and forgiveness, as well as in the fact that our lives are under his control (Psalm 4:8; John 14:1-8).
