SOME HAVING PUT AWAY CONCERNING FAITH HAVE MADE SHIPWRECK

Earlier in the chapter, verses 3, 4, Paul reminds Timothy of an instruction he had given him. That instruction involved dealing with false teachers, v. 3, and those that would have heard them, v. 4. In the following verse, the apostle sets out the objective of the task given to Timothy. It was that love might issue from a pure heart, a good conscience and sincerity of faith. Now, in verse 18, Paul continues what he had commenced earlier.

Timothy had been selected for this responsibility under the directive of the Holy Spirit. He was a man suited and equipped for the work entrusted to him. It is interesting to note that, on a human level, Timothy was a most unlikely candidate to engage in warfare. Here was a man who was not physically strong and was of a timorous disposition. Yet, spiritually, he was the man for the job, he was up to the task of warring a good warfare.

Timothy’s suitability was based on his holding fast to faith. He believed in, and conformed to, the word of God which resulted in a sanctified life. His conscience was clear; he was not distracted from the battle by inward doubts over his moral credi­bility. Regrettably, this could not be said of everyone, for there were some at Ephesus who deliberately refused to conform to the word of God. Instead of holding fast to faith, these men thrust from themselves a good conscience and suffered spiritual shipwreck. Whilst we cannot dogmatize, it is not impossible that whatever they had done may have been sins committed whilst affected by alcohol. This might explain Timothy’s reticence to use wine for medicinal reasons whilst at Ephesus and the need for Paul’s exhortation ‘be not drunk with wine’ in Ephesians chapter 5 verse 18.

‘Of whom’, at the start of verse 20, would indicate that there were more than two people who had sinned, but Hymenaeus and Alexander are highlighted. Paul, with his apostolic author­ity, acted decisively and excommunicated them from the church, thereby delivering them unto Satan. The objective of that action was that ‘they may learn not to blaspheme’. What a warning for us!