Scripture Reading: 1 Tim. 1:18-20
In the foregoing message we saw from 1 Tim. 1:1-17 that God’s dispensation is versus differing teachings. In this message we shall consider 1:18-20, verses which indicate that faith and a good conscience are needed for the keeping of the faith.
In 1:18 Paul says, “This charge I commit to you, child Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that in them you might war the good warfare.” To what charge is Paul referring here? In answering this question we must observe the principle that in understanding a sentence, a phrase, or even a word of the Bible, we need to consider the context, not only of the paragraph in which the verse is found, but sometimes of the entire book or even of the whole Bible. With this principle as our basis, we need to consider Paul’s use of the word charge in verse 18 in the context of the chapter as a whole. The charge here covers the main points presented in the previous seventeen verses. On the positive side, the main point of these verses is God’s dispensation; on the negative side, it is the differing teachings. Hence, the charge given by the apostle to his spiritual son concerns the dispensation of God positively and the differing teachings negatively.
In verse 18 Paul says that he committed the charge to Timothy “according to the prophecies previously made” concerning him. It may be that some prophetic intimations were made concerning Timothy when he was admitted into the ministry (Acts 16:1-3). Perhaps the elders in the church which recommended Timothy to Paul laid hands on him. At that time prophecies might have been spoken concerning him.
Speaking of these prophecies, Paul tells Timothy, “In them you might war the good warfare.” To war the good warfare is to war against the differing teachings of the dissenters and to carry out God’s dispensation (v. 4) according to the apostle’s ministry concerning the gospel of grace and eternal life for the glory of the blessed God (vv. 11-16).
Paul charged Timothy to war the good warfare in the prophecies. This means in the sphere, support, and confirmation of the prophecies.
At this point we need to see something concerning the grouping and the timing of Paul’s Epistles. Although Philemon is grouped with 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus, it was actually written earlier, during Paul’s first imprisonment. Paul was imprisoned the first time because of the Jews, not because of persecution carried out by the Roman Empire. We know from Acts that Paul appealed to Caesar and this caused him to be sent to Rome, where he was imprisoned. During his first imprisonment, Paul wrote four books: Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. Thus, according to the time it was written, Philemon should be grouped with Colossians, Philippians, and Ephesians; however, in content it should be grouped, not with these Epistles, but with 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus. Philemon was written not long before Paul’s release from prison. In the book of Philippians he expressed his expectation that soon he would be released and visit the churches. Not long afterward, Paul’s expectation was fulfilled. Having been released, he traveled to Ephesus, where Timothy was, and from Ephesus he went into Macedonia. From Macedonia Paul wrote the first Epistle to Timothy. Then from Macedonia he went to Nicopolis, where he wrote the Epistle to Titus. First Timothy and Titus, therefore, were written after Paul’s release from his first imprisonment. After approximately a year, Caesar Nero suddenly began to persecute Christians. At that time, Paul was accused of being the outstanding leader among the Christians. He was arrested and imprisoned again, this time due to Nero’s persecution. From prison, he wrote the second Epistle to Timothy. In chapter four he indicates to his dear child Timothy that he was ready to depart, to be martyred, to be poured out as a drink offering.
During Paul’s first imprisonment, the churches were tested. This test showed that decline and degradation had set in. This decline was altogether due to differing teachings, teachings that were different from the ministry. This was the reason Paul charged Timothy to war a good warfare.
Throughout the centuries, the degradation and decline of the church has had one source: teachings which differ from the ministry of the apostles. In Acts 2:42 we see that at the beginning of the church life, the believers continued in the teachings of the apostles. These teachings were the ministry. What the apostles taught and preached was nothing other than Christ and the church. They preached a Christ who had been incarnated, crucified, resurrected, and ascended in order that, as resurrection life, He might be imparted into His believers to produce the church. This is the focal point of the teaching of the apostles, and it is crucial for us to see it. No doubt, in the Bible there are teachings concerning many things. However, the focus of the ministry of the apostles was the incarnated, crucified, resurrected, ascended, and glorified Christ to be our Savior, our life, and everything to us so that we may become His Body, the church. This is the vital focus of the New Testament revelation, and this is God’s economy.
We need to contact the Word and receive God by the Spirit through the Word. Then we shall have faith. By coming to the Word, we are infused with God, and spontaneously faith operates within us to bring us into an organic union with God. The more we enjoy God’s infusion, the more we become one with Him. However, this vital matter has been lost for centuries. Knowing the importance of this, Paul charged Timothy to fight a good fight, to war a good warfare.
On the one hand, Timothy was to war against the differing teachings of the dissenters. On the other hand, he was to carry out God’s dispensation according to the apostle’s ministry. If we wish to carry out God’s dispensation, we must do it not according to the teachings of traditional Christianity nor according to systematic theology, but according to the apostle’s ministry.
Furthermore, God’s dispensation concerns the gospel of grace and eternal life. These are two basic elements in the gospel. This gospel is for the glory of the blessed God; it is for the expression, the manifestation, of the blessed God.
When Paul was in prison the first time, dissenters rose up to teach differently. These differing teachings were the seed of the church’s decline. Paul realized the situation even while he was in prison. We know this by the contents of books such as Colossians and Philippians. Especially in Colossians we see that certain isms — Judaism, Gnosticism, asceticism — had crept into the church life. These differing teachings caused dissension and decline. Thus, Paul charged his faithful co-worker to fight the good fight against the differing teachings and fight for God’s dispensation.
Today we also must be on the alert for differing teachings. Throughout the centuries, the church has been poisoned and corrupted by such teachings. If we are not on guard, differing teachings may also cause damage to the Lord’s recovery. In the past we have seen the damage caused by differing teachings propagated in a subtle, hidden way. This has helped the leading ones in many churches to learn the important lesson of being watchful for differing teachings. We must not allow any differing teachings to come into the Lord’s recovery. The recovery is strictly for the carrying on of the ministry. By this I do not mean my ministry, but the ministry of the apostles, which began with Peter and is still being carried on today. All true apostles teach and preach the same thing, even the one thing — God’s New Testament economy. The focus of our preaching and teaching is Christ and the church. To teach and preach God’s economy concerning Christ and the church is to war a good warfare.
In verse 19 Paul continues, “Holding faith and a good conscience, which some thrusting away have become shipwrecked regarding the faith.” This verse tells us how to war the good warfare. In order to war a good warfare, we must hold faith and a good conscience.
The word faith in the expression “holding faith” refers to our believing act; hence, it denotes subjective faith. As we have indicated, this faith rises up in us when we come to the Word and are infused with God through the Word and by the Spirit. The subjective faith moves within us to bring about an organic union between us and the Triune God. In this union we receive the divine life and nature to become God’s many sons and the many members of the Body of Christ, the new man, to be the corporate expression of the Triune God for eternity. We must war the good warfare by this kind of faith, not by trying to keep the law.
Along with faith, we also need a good conscience, a conscience without offense (Acts 24:16). A good conscience is a safeguard of Christian faith and life. Faith and a good conscience go together. Whenever there is an offense in our conscience, there will be a leakage, and our faith will leak away. A good conscience accompanying faith is needed for warring the good warfare against the dissenting teachings in a troubled local church.
It is difficult to say whether the relative pronoun “which” in verse 19 refers just to conscience or to both faith and conscience. It may refer to both, since subjective faith is closely related to the conscience. As we have pointed out, if we do not have a good conscience, we cannot have living faith. Likewise, if we do not have a living faith, we cannot have a good conscience. Faith and a good conscience can be compared to a married couple: faith is like a husband, and conscience is like a wife. Since subjective faith and a good conscience go together, I prefer to regard the relative pronoun here as having both faith and conscience as the antecedent. Faith comes from our contact with God and brings us into the organic union with God; conscience is the organ touched by God after we contact Him by faith.
By thrusting away faith and a good conscience, some “have become shipwrecked regarding the faith.” This shows us the seriousness of thrusting away a good conscience. To keep faith and a good conscience is a safeguard for our Christian faith and life. The word shipwrecked implies that the Christian life and the church life are like a ship sailing on a stormy sea, needing to be safeguarded by faith and a good conscience.
Those who thrust away faith and a good conscience become shipwrecked regarding the faith. In this verse Paul speaks both of subjective faith, our act of believing, and of objective faith, those things in which we believe. In speaking of those who are shipwrecked regarding the faith, Paul has in mind the objective faith, the contents of the complete gospel according to God’s New Testament economy.
In verse 20 Paul goes on to name two of those who have become shipwrecked regarding the faith: “Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have delivered to Satan that they may be disciplined not to blaspheme.” Hymenaeus was a heretical teacher (2 Tim. 2:17), and Alexander was an opposer, an attacker, of the apostle (2 Tim. 4:14-15).
It is worthy of note that here Paul mentions names. Being more careful or “spiritual” or “heavenly” than Paul, we may not be willing to mention names under any circumstances. God took the lead to mention the name of His enemy — Satan. God has never said, “My people, I have an enemy. But because I am so merciful, patient, and all-embracing, I don’t want to expose him or mention his name, in hope that one day he will repent.” As God has singled out the name of His enemy, Paul mentioned the names of Hymenaeus and Alexander.
Furthermore, Paul does not tell us in verse 20 that he has been praying for Hymenaeus and Alexander. He does not charge Timothy, “Timothy, learn of me to pray for those who injure you as I have been praying for Hymenaeus and Alexander.” On the contrary, in 2 Timothy 4:14 Paul says, “Alexander the coppersmith did many evil things to me; the Lord will repay him according to his works.”
Paul tells Timothy that he has delivered Hymenaeus and Alexander to Satan “that they may be disciplined not to blaspheme.” How utterly different this is from saying that he committed them to the Lord’s gracious hand that they may receive His mercy. Paul expected Satan to work for him to discipline Hymenaeus and Alexander.
First Timothy 1:20 is a most unusual verse dealing with a negative matter. Two people are named not by a backslidden brother but by the leading apostle. Furthermore, they are delivered not to God, nor to the church, nor to a spiritual person, but to Satan.
Paul delivered Hymenaeus and Alexander to Satan “that they may be disciplined not to blaspheme.” Paul does not say “punished”; rather, he speaks of being disciplined. Discipline is somewhat different from punishment. When parents deal with their children, they may tell them that they are punishing them. However, that is not actually punishment; it is loving discipline. The discipline in verse 20 may refer to the destruction of the physical body (see 1 Cor. 5:5).
Through the carrying out of a certain discipline Hymenaeus and Alexander would learn not to blaspheme God, slander God’s economy, nor damage the apostle’s ministry. To deliver persons like Hymenaeus and Alexander to Satan is to exercise the authority that the Lord has given to the apostle and the church (Matt. 16:19; 18:18) for the administration of the church against Satan’s evil plot.
