1 Timothy 1:18–20 (ESV)18 This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, 19 holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith, 20 among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme. This is a very interesting passage, and we can break it up into two parts.
First, Paul’s charge to Timothy. There are some great words in this charge that totally caught our attention. For example:
“Entrusted.” The Greek word here carries the meaning of giving something to someone with the understanding that they will carry and give what is entrusted to them to someone else. In this case, since Paul is instructing Timothy in a pastoral way in this letter, the expectation is that Timothy will carry and give the Gospel message to others, specifically to the Ephesians, since that is where Timothy is located at this time. In other words, Timothy, and all Christians for that matter, are entrusted with the Gospel message and are expected to give the Gospel away to others.
“Wage” and “holding.” These words in Greek are present tense, meaning that they are active and ongoing actions that are happening right now. Paul sees what Timothy is entrusted with (the Gospel) as an active and ongoing effort. Paul wants Timothy to grip, or hold onto his faith continually, and to wage good warfare, which is sharing the Gospel. Timothy will need to actively hold onto his faith as he shares the Gospel because sharing the Gospel message will bring him into conflict with others.
“My Child” (or “son” in some translations). In this term, we get a great sense of Paul’s heart for Timothy. Timothy isn’t seen by Paul as a subordinate who merely does whatever Paul tells him to do. No, Timothy is more than a trusted partner. Paul has a close relationship with Timothy and sees him as a son whom he loves and longs to see thrive. It’s something that Paul said of Timothy earlier in this chapter, and here the term of endearment is repeated.
In the second part of the passage, we get Paul’s remarks about two guys whose faith is shipwrecked, and Paul says something curious about them that catches us off guard. Paul says that he is handing them over to Satan. This is not the first time Paul has spoken like this. In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul is confronting the Corinthian believers regarding sexually immoral behavior and instructs the believers to hand over an unrepentant sexually immoral man to Satan.
Without getting too far into the weeds, what Paul is saying is that these people are to be put out of the Christian assembly and are forbidden to meet with, eat with, or worship with the rest of the church. Paul saw the fellowship of the church as the place where people find grace, healing, wisdom, and guidance as they seek to know, love, and serve Christ and grow in relationship with Him.
To send these people out of fellowship means that their only source of spiritual influence would come from the satan (
the satan being both the devil and also all the darkness and spiritual forces of evil).
However, for Paul, this action isn’t a punitive measure that forever casts people away from Jesus or from fellowship in the church. Paul’s hope, just as in the case in 1 Corinthians, is that these people would quickly repent and desire to come back into fellowship (which should remind us that we need to have open doors for people who are repentant and seeking forgiveness—and we need to offer it).
So, how does all of what we find here in these verses connect with us? There are two encouragements from the Lord for us in this passage:
First, all of us who call on the name of Jesus need to understand that we are entrusted with the Gospel message. The key to that trust is that we need to pursue and hold onto the Gospel actively, and at the same time, share it with others. Not just when it’s easy, but also when it’s unexpected, which could bring us into conflict with others.
Second, as Jesus’ apprentices, you and I need to have a heart of love, grace, and forgiveness for others. Sounds good, right? Easy to say and easy for me to write, but to have that open hand and give forgiveness - really, really give forgiveness - is not so easy when our human emotions are wounded and stirred up. But then I remember this passage of scripture:
Luke 6:32-36 32"If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. 35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. 36 Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.”ESV As I think about the passage from Luke, I’m struck by the fact that you and I were once those who were ungrateful and evil. We’re called to love and forgive just as God has done for us through His Son, Jesus.
So, is there anyone that the Lord wants to show His love, grace, and forgiveness to through you?
God bless you, and know that you are prayed for constantly!
Scott
