1Ti 1:18-20 | KingComments | STEP | . You may say that are an interruption in the argument of Paul. He clearly showed the difference between law and grace in that section. The command he is speaking of in therefore connects to what he said about that in . Now to Timothy he explains what the basis is of the command. Besides, he introduces that explanation with the words out of which confidence and fatherly love appear: “This command I entrust to you, Timothy, [my] son.” It must have been an encouragement for the young Timothy from the elder Paul to be entrusted with a command. Paul doesn’t do that out of favoritism or sentimentality, but because he ‘believes’ in Timothy and he tells him that too. That is meaningful for Timothy. The Lord has called him, but it is also nice that Paul underlines that. Older believers who are spiritually minded may declare themselves united with the calling and the ministry of a younger believer. Timothy is reminded of “the prophecies previously made concerning” him for the execution of the command. The command that Paul is giving him is in accordance to that. The matter here is not about exceptional revelations of others concerning Timothy. It is simply about prophecies concerning Timothy by believers who recognize a work of God’s Spirit in him. Timothy has a good testimony for miles around ( ). If something like that is being noticed then it can be prophesied that he will certainly be used by the Lord. When you look at the preparation of Timothy regarding his ministry then you can discover four aspects that have played a role: 1. The prophecies previously made ( ). 2. The gift of God ( ; ). 3. The laying on of the hands of Paul ( ). 4. The laying on of the hands of the eldership ( ). We shall pay attention to the aspects 2, 3 and 4 when we will be studying the verses regarding to those aspects. Here Timothy is reminded by Paul of the ‘prophecies previously made’ in order to encourage him again. It is an exceptional support in the fulfillment of the responsibility that goes together with the ministry he has to achieve. He did not accidentally run into this position. Therefore it doesn’t have to be a surprise to others that he is carrying out a command of the apostle. Everyone who knows him has noticed his spiritual growth. Some already saw that in an early stage and must have said: ‘That boy will be very useful to the Lord.’ Others may have only noticed it when his ministry touched them personally. Do you have any idea how that is with you? With the support of what others have seen in him he can start “the good fight”. Considering the command of the good fight (or: struggle) Paul is appealing for here will happen particularly in the house of God with a view to false teachings. The fight against it is a good, honorable and a God pleasing fight. There are more kinds of struggle you are appealed for after a struggle you have already fought. The last mentioned struggle is that of a sinner to be saved ( ; ). It was particularly a warfare against yourself, against everything that wanted to keep you from confessing your sins to God and to accept the Lord Jesus in faith. Your fight or struggle as a believer is against things outside yourself. This struggle has different aspects. You read about 1. the struggle in the gospel ( ); 2. the struggle against the rulers, the powers etcetera ( ); 3. the striving against sin as a power outside us ( ); 4. the content for the faith which is the truth of the faith ( ); 5. the strive in prayers ( ); 6 the good fight (that includes all the several kinds of struggles or fights previously mentioned ( ; ). You have to do with fight because you find yourself in a hostile area. You are standing before the Lord and you defend His interests and those of your fellow believers. It should never be a fight for your own interests. Another danger is that you avoid the fight. But that is really inappropriate for someone who owes everything to the Lord. I want to believe that you, like I do, want to look like Timothy and that you therefore will not avoid the fight. Therefore you should care about everything that Paul in this context says to Timothy as an encouragement. . In this fight your personal “faith” is absolutely essential. The point here is your inner confidence of faith, holding on to God’s faithfulness, even when the fight is very fierce. Hold on to your confidence of faith in the fight. Don’t give up your trust in God, how great the pressure may be that the enemy is exerting on you. An equally important condition to fight the good fight is the possession and preservation of “a good conscience”. The conscience works like a compass that indicates every deviation from the right course. But it is therefore necessary that the needle of the compass points to the Word of God. If the conscience is not pure it will influence the ministry, the fight. The essential power is not fully there and therefore the Holy Spirit cannot work freely. There is also the possibility that you ‘reject’ a good conscience. That is if you ignore the warnings of the Spirit. These are the warnings that He gives when you want to go or are going the wrong way, or when you make plans according to your own will. This ‘rejecting’ of these warnings is a conscious action; you are doing it yourself. Therefore you yourself are to blame for the “shipwreck”. If you, despite the warnings you received through your conscience, persevere in your own will, it will damage your view upon the content of the truth of the faith. This is what is meant here by “the faith”. It refers to what you believe: the content of your faith, the truth of the faith that is handed to you in God’s Word. ‘Faith’ here actually has a different meaning than ‘faith’ at the beginning of this verse. There it means ‘confidence of faith’ and here it means ‘the truth of the faith’ or ‘the content of the faith’. If you do not judge the first wrong step before God you will deviate further. The enemy has an easy entrance if there is mention of a bad conscience because you have allowed evil to enter and you have not judged it. The result is that you will also fail concerning the teaching of the Scripture. You will distort Scripture quotes and explain and maneuver them in a way that you ease your conscience and can continue your misguided path. . Paul gives the names of those, whose faith has suffered shipwreck, “Hymenaeus and Alexander”. These people must have been familiar in Ephesus, otherwise naming them wouldn’t be that meaningful. Paul “handed” them “over to Satan”. He was able to do this as an apostle. This he does also at Corinth ( ). Because the subject there was a matter of discipline and chastisement that the church at Corinth had to exert, he expects that the church will agree to that. The obligation of the church is mentioned there ( ). The persons mentioned by name have listened to satan. They have been his instruments and they had let themselves be used by him. They now have to feel who he is to whom they had listened. In this way God makes use of satan himself as a stick to chasten His rebellious children for their own good. Satan becomes their teacher by the means of the pains that he makes them suffer. He gets free reign with such persons, although it is within the limits determined by God (cf. ). Satan is always seeking someone’s destruction, while God always seeks salvation for a person. God uses satan to accomplish His plan. The purpose of each chastisement is the restoration of the soul that has deviated. These people “blasphemed”, something that Paul did before his conversion ( ). ‘Blaspheming’ is to speak despicably about God, His Word and His people. They must learn not to do that by the chastisement Paul brought upon them by handing them over to satan. Now read again 1 Timothy 1:18-20. Reflection: How can you prevent suffering shipwreck concerning the faith?

‏ 1 Timothy 1:18-20

Prophecies and the Good Fight

1Tim 1:18. You may say that 1Tim 1:6-17 are an interruption in the argument of Paul. He clearly showed the difference between law and grace in that section. The command he is speaking of in 1Tim 1:18 therefore connects to what he said about that in 1Tim 1:5. Now to Timothy he explains what the basis is of the command. Besides, he introduces that explanation with the words out of which confidence and fatherly love appear: “This command I entrust to you, Timothy, [my] son.”

It must have been an encouragement for the young Timothy from the elder Paul to be entrusted with a command. Paul doesn’t do that out of favoritism or sentimentality, but because he ‘believes’ in Timothy and he tells him that too. That is meaningful for Timothy. The Lord has called him, but it is also nice that Paul underlines that. Older believers who are spiritually minded may declare themselves united with the calling and the ministry of a younger believer.

Timothy is reminded of “the prophecies previously made concerning” him for the execution of the command. The command that Paul is giving him is in accordance to that. The matter here is not about exceptional revelations of others concerning Timothy. It is simply about prophecies concerning Timothy by believers who recognize a work of God’s Spirit in him. Timothy has a good testimony for miles around (Acts 16:2). If something like that is being noticed then it can be prophesied that he will certainly be used by the Lord.

When you look at the preparation of Timothy regarding his ministry then you can discover four aspects that have played a role:

1. The prophecies previously made (1Tim 1:18).

2. The gift of God (1Tim 4:14; 2Tim 1:6).

3. The laying on of the hands of Paul (2Tim 1:6).

4. The laying on of the hands of the eldership (1Tim 4:14).

We shall pay attention to the aspects 2, 3 and 4 when we will be studying the verses regarding to those aspects. Here Timothy is reminded by Paul of the ‘prophecies previously made’ in order to encourage him again. It is an exceptional support in the fulfillment of the responsibility that goes together with the ministry he has to achieve.

He did not accidentally run into this position. Therefore it doesn’t have to be a surprise to others that he is carrying out a command of the apostle. Everyone who knows him has noticed his spiritual growth. Some already saw that in an early stage and must have said: ‘That boy will be very useful to the Lord.’ Others may have only noticed it when his ministry touched them personally. Do you have any idea how that is with you?

With the support of what others have seen in him he can start “the good fight”. Considering the command of 1Tim 1:3 the good fight (or: struggle) Paul is appealing for here will happen particularly in the house of God with a view to false teachings. The fight against it is a good, honorable and a God pleasing fight.

There are more kinds of struggle you are appealed for after a struggle you have already fought. The last mentioned struggle is that of a sinner to be saved (Lk 13:24; Mt 7:13-14). It was particularly a warfare against yourself, against everything that wanted to keep you from confessing your sins to God and to accept the Lord Jesus in faith.

Your fight or struggle as a believer is against things outside yourself. This struggle has different aspects. You read about

1. the struggle in the gospel (Phil 4:3);

2. the struggle against the rulers, the powers etcetera (Eph 6:12-18);

3. the striving against sin as a power outside us (Heb 12:4-5);

4. the content for the faith which is the truth of the faith (Jude 1:3-4);

5. the strive in prayers (Rom 15:30);

6 the good fight (that includes all the several kinds of struggles or fights previously mentioned (1Tim 1:18 ; 1Tim 6:12; 2Tim 4:7).

You have to do with fight because you find yourself in a hostile area. You are standing before the Lord and you defend His interests and those of your fellow believers. It should never be a fight for your own interests. Another danger is that you avoid the fight. But that is really inappropriate for someone who owes everything to the Lord. I want to believe that you, like I do, want to look like Timothy and that you therefore will not avoid the fight. Therefore you should care about everything that Paul in this context says to Timothy as an encouragement.

1Tim 1:19. In this fight your personal “faith” is absolutely essential. The point here is your inner confidence of faith, holding on to God’s faithfulness, even when the fight is very fierce. Hold on to your confidence of faith in the fight. Don’t give up your trust in God, how great the pressure may be that the enemy is exerting on you.

An equally important condition to fight the good fight is the possession and preservation of “a good conscience”. The conscience works like a compass that indicates every deviation from the right course. But it is therefore necessary that the needle of the compass points to the Word of God. If the conscience is not pure it will influence the ministry, the fight. The essential power is not fully there and therefore the Holy Spirit cannot work freely.

There is also the possibility that you ‘reject’ a good conscience. That is if you ignore the warnings of the Spirit. These are the warnings that He gives when you want to go or are going the wrong way, or when you make plans according to your own will. This ‘rejecting’ of these warnings is a conscious action; you are doing it yourself. Therefore you yourself are to blame for the “shipwreck”.

If you, despite the warnings you received through your conscience, persevere in your own will, it will damage your view upon the content of the truth of the faith. This is what is meant here by “the faith”. It refers to what you believe: the content of your faith, the truth of the faith that is handed to you in God’s Word. ‘Faith’ here actually has a different meaning than ‘faith’ at the beginning of this verse. There it means ‘confidence of faith’ and here it means ‘the truth of the faith’ or ‘the content of the faith’.

If you do not judge the first wrong step before God you will deviate further. The enemy has an easy entrance if there is mention of a bad conscience because you have allowed evil to enter and you have not judged it. The result is that you will also fail concerning the teaching of the Scripture. You will distort Scripture quotes and explain and maneuver them in a way that you ease your conscience and can continue your misguided path.

1Tim 1:20. Paul gives the names of those, whose faith has suffered shipwreck, “Hymenaeus and Alexander”. These people must have been familiar in Ephesus, otherwise naming them wouldn’t be that meaningful. Paul “handed” them “over to Satan”. He was able to do this as an apostle. This he does also at Corinth (1Cor 5:5). Because the subject there was a matter of discipline and chastisement that the church at Corinth had to exert, he expects that the church will agree to that. The obligation of the church is mentioned there (1Cor 5:13b).

The persons mentioned by name have listened to satan. They have been his instruments and they had let themselves be used by him. They now have to feel who he is to whom they had listened. In this way God makes use of satan himself as a stick to chasten His rebellious children for their own good. Satan becomes their teacher by the means of the pains that he makes them suffer. He gets free reign with such persons, although it is within the limits determined by God (cf. Job 1:12 ; Job 2:6).

Satan is always seeking someone’s destruction, while God always seeks salvation for a person. God uses satan to accomplish His plan. The purpose of each chastisement is the restoration of the soul that has deviated.

These people “blasphemed”, something that Paul did before his conversion (1Tim 1:13). ‘Blaspheming’ is to speak despicably about God, His Word and His people. They must learn not to do that by the chastisement Paul brought upon them by handing them over to satan.

Now read again 1 Timothy 1:18-20.

Reflection: How can you prevent suffering shipwreck concerning the faith?