VERSE 18
“This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightiest war a good war.”
“This charge I commit unto thee”
Literally: “this charge I commit to you”– This refers to the commands or injunctions which Paul was delivering to him.
CHARGE: (Grk.–parangelia)–This command or injunction that Timothy is to wage war against the Judaizers.
COMMIT: (Grk.–paratithemi)–Literally meaning: “to entrust, commit to one’s charge. Paul obviously expected much from Timothy to Whom he had invested much time and energy in discipling.
“son Timothy”
Literally: “{my} child Timothy”–Paul is really here giving Timothy a tender greeting.
SON: (Grk.–teknon)–Literally: “child” but Paul is using the word as a term of endearment.
Standard of the Charge
“according to the prophecies which went before on thee”
Literally: “according to the prophecies going before {as to} you”–The sense of this phrase is, “in accordance with prophecies I formerly received regarding you.”
PROPHECIES: (Grk.–prophêteias)–From early life the hope had been entertained that Timothy would be a man to whom important trusts might be committed; and it had been predicted that he would be distinguished as a friend of the Christian faith.
The allusion is to prophecies uttered at or before his ordination, given then for the purpose of encouraging the Church to make, and Timothy to accept the appointment, in view perhaps of his extreme youth, and possibly also slender frame: prophecies of the arduous nature of the work and of Divine aid in it. (4:14). They were utterances at Lystra by Silas (cf. Acts 15:32 and others of the “prophets” of the N.T., spoken under the influence of the Holy Spirit, as in Paul’s own case at Antioch, (Acts 13:2); “forth-tellings” of the God’s will to which Paul is referring partly as warranting him in his appointment of so young a man to so important a charge, partly as encouraging Timothy himself to brave effort.
Purpose of the Charge
“that thou by them mightiest war a good war.”
Literally: “that by them (the prophecies) you might wage a good war”–Understand that the words, “that by them” may be read as, “in order that in them,” or, “in their power, in their sphere.” This teaches us that:
We are not called to do battle; rather, we are called to conduct a campaign; to wage a war. The Christian life is a life-long non-negotiable war against the forces of evil, just a few short skirmishes which afterwards we can put down our weapons.
VERSES 19-20: Beware of False Teachers
VERSE 19:
“Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck.”
“Holding faith, and a good conscience”
Literally: “having faith and a good conscience”–
HOLDING: (Grk.-echôn)-–Not simply “having,” but holding fast” as in II Tim.1:13. We are given two important weapons in this war:
1. FAITH: (Grk.-pistin)–Even when things look the darkest for us, we must have faith:
a. Faith in the essential right of our position.
b. Faith in the veracity of God Himself.
c. Faith in the truth of the Gospel.
d. Faith in the veracity of the Bible–-the written Word of God.
e. Faith in the Christian faith.
Paul is exhorting Timothy to keep faithful to the cause in which you are enlisted as a good soldier should do.
2. GOOD CONSCIENCE: (Grk.–agathên suneidêsin)– A good conscience is that which is well informed in regard to what is right, and where its dictates are honestly followed.
Sin of the False Teachers
“which some having put away”
Literally: “which some having trust from them”– They have willfully cast away a good conscience. Having thrown it away; as a fool-hardy soldier might his shield and his breastplate, or a mad sailor his pilot, helm, and compass.
They thrust it from them as a troublesome monitor. It reluctantly withdraws, extruded by force, when its owner is tired of its importunity, and is resolved to retain his sin at the cost of losing it. One cannot be on friendly terms with a good conscience and with sin at one and the same time.
THRUST: (Grk.–apôtheô)–Meaning, “to thrust away from oneself, to throw away.”
“concerning faith have made shipwreck.”
Literally: “made shipwreck concerning the faith”– Concerning the faith–Rather, “concerning their faith” (the article here used as a possessive pronoun, a common Greek idiom “with respect to THE faith.”
Faith is the vessel in which they had professedly embarked, of which “good conscience” is the anchor. The ancient Church often used this image, comparing the course of faith to navigation. The Greek does not imply that one having once had faith makes shipwreck of it, but that they who put away good conscience. He who allows his conscience to be defiled by sinful practices is prepared to reject the faith of the Gospel, which opposes itself to every form of ungodliness.
SHIPWRECK: (Grk.–nauageô)–As a result of thrusting away a good conscience. There is an entire destruction of faith–as a ship is wholly ruined that strikes on a rock and sinks.
The simile in Paul’s mind is a nautical one. The “good conscience” represents the ballast, or cargo, of the ship. When this is put away—tossed overboard—the vessel becomes unmanageable and is tossed about, the plaything of the waves, and in the end is wrecked.
VERSE 20:
“Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alesander, whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.”
Identity of the False Teachers
“Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alesander,”
Literally: “of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander”– Here Paul names two, as examples of the utter shipwreck of all true faith—persons evidently well known to Timothy and the members of the Church at Ephesus.
The only other place in the N.T. that Hymeneus is n II Tim 2:17, where he is mentioned in connection with Philetus as a very dangerous man. Hymenæus was teaching that the resurrection was already passed, thus undermining the great hope which Christian faith so firmly laid hold of.
Punishment of the False Teachers
“whom I have delivered unto Satan,”
Literally: “whom I delivered to Satan”– Cast out of the visible kingdom of Christ, perhaps also with the additional idea of an infliction of some bodily malady. This action of delivering someone to Satan was a prerogative of the apostles, but to no one else in the church. The purpose of such action was not to be so much as a punitive action, as it was to be instructive.
“that they may learn not to blaspheme.”
Literally: “that they may be taught not to blaspheme”–May be disciplined; may be taught, by the evils they suffer, not to continue in their erroneous and wicked courses.
They probably were not open and bold blasphemers, for as such they could not have maintained a place in the church, but rather that they held doctrines which Paul regarded as amounting to blasphemy; that is, doctrines which were in fact a reproach on the very character of God. Unfortunately, there are many doctrines held by men which are in fact a reflection on the Divine character, and which amount to the same thing as blasphemy.