1 Timothy 1:18-20 18This command I entrust to you, child Timothy, according to the prophecies made long ago about you, in order that by them you may fight the good fight, 19by holding on to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith, 20 of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan, so that they may be taught not to blaspheme.
After dealing with the reason for the letter and recounting his personal story, Paul addresses Timothy by name in a personal way. These verses function as both an encouragement and a warning. Paul calls Timothy child to show the strong bond and relationship they had (there is no “my” in the Greek). The verb entrust (paratithemai) means to give something to someone for safe keeping. Paul had given Timothy the message of the gospel, and this message needed to be taught faithfully and accurately to the believers in Ephesus. Command (parangelian) has the sense of something to be taught and acted upon. Paul had high expectations for Timothy during this commission to Ephesus. Timothy needed to be faithful to the calling God had given him, just as Paul was faithful to his call, as described in the previous verses.
There is no indicator what the prophecies about Timothy were nor is there any mention of a commissioning in Acts 16:2-4 when he joined Paul on the mission. It is possible that the churches in Lystra and Iconium had a service of prayer and ordination and some prophecies were given at that time. The reason for Paul’s reminder of that time was to encourage Timothy to stay in the spiritual battle for the souls of people. The English word “strategy” comes from the Greek fight (strateuē). This military image should have inspired Timothy to live out the prophecies made about him.
Paul reminds Timothy of two weapons he had to to win the fight. The instrumental participle by holding on (echōn) shows the way to victory. Faith is trust in the truth of the gospel. Timothy was dealing with people with the wrong ideas and interpretation of the gospel. With bad theology comes bad behavior. Timothy needed to know the truth, believe it, and live it out. A good conscience would be his guide as he lived in obedience to the Holy Spirit. Faith and obedience to a good conscience are themes also in 1:5; 3:9; and 4:6-16.
If Timothy abandoned these, the result would be a shipwrecked faith. Paul knew firsthand about being in multiple shipwrecks (Acts 27:27-44; 2 Corinthians 11:25). Shipwrecks often happen when a ship goes off course into dangerous waters or a storm overwhelms and floods it. A shipwrecked faith comes from rejecting the truth of the gospel and compromising one’s convictions. Timothy’s battle was against Satan, the deceiver, and those who were deceived by him, like the false teachers.
Paul names Hymenaeus and Alexander as examples of those who had gone off course in their faith. Little is known about these two people, but Timothy and the Ephesians likely knew who they were and what they had done by rejecting the truth. The situation was so serious that Paul handed them to Satan. This is a difficult idea to consider. It may be a similar situation as the one in 1 Corinthians 5:5 with a man having sexual relations with his father’s wife. By letting Satan deal with these two, Paul hoped they were learn not to blaspheme. Blasphemy results when a person rejects a good conscience. Paul was not being vindictive but disciplinary.
Timothy had a challenge job ahead of him. His own faith needed to be strong so he could deal with the sagging and misguided faith of others. Those who are in leadership or have the responsibility for the spiritual growth of others must also be deeply grounded in their faith in and knowledge of the good news of Jesus Christ. Their consciences must be clear and guided by the truth of God’s word and the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit. We must be vigilant that our faith not be shipwrecked and ruined by compromise.
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