Fight for the Truth – 1 Timothy 1:18-20

Paul’s first rousing charge to Timothy.

1.  The Responsibility of the Charge
2. The Authority for the Charge
3. The Weaponry for the Charge
4. The Enemies of the Charge

1. Review of theme – Order in church practice and doctrine (2:14-15)
2. Brief review of previous lesson.
3. This lesson: Paul’s first direct charge to Timothy. A rousing exhortation for Timothy to fulfil his duties as outlined by the Apostle in chapter 1. The Apostle employs military language as he often does elsewhere to impress the importance of this duty upon Timothy. There are 4 aspects to this charge for our consideration.

The Responsibility of the Charge (Vs. 18a)

1. The nature of the charge
   1. ‘charge’ = a command, a military order to be carried out.
   2. Points back to Vs. 3 & 5. The charge to stamp out false doctrine.
2. The delegation of the charge
   1. ‘commit’ = literally means to place beside, to deposit or entrust. A banking term denoting something of value to be guarded. The same word was used to describe the setting of food before others (e.g. feeding of the 5 thousand Mk 6:41). Also, “…into thy hands I commend my spirit.” (Lk 23:46) “And now, brethren I commend you to God…” (Acts 20:32) “…he is able to keep that which I have committed…” (2 Tim 1:12)
   2. Application: Those in the Pastoral Office have a duty to stand for doctrinal purity in the church. All believers have a measure of this responsibility (Rom 16:17). In Acts 20:28-31 Paul exhorted the Ephesian elders to exercise vigilant watch care over the sheep because of the imminent threat of wolves. 1 Cor 2:15 – He that is spiritual judges all things!

The Authority for the Charge (Vs. 18b)

1. ‘prophecies’ = refer to Timothy’s selection for the ministry
   1. The prophet gift in the N.T.
      1. Prophets & Teachers are mentioned in Acts 13:1
      2. The gift is listed in Eph 4:11
      3. The example of Agabus
         1. Acts 11:28 “And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar.”
         2. Acts 21:10-11 “And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judaea a certain prophet, named Agabus. And when he was come unto us, he took Paul’s girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.”
2. Applications relating to a ministry calling
   1. God often speaks to those whom he calls multiple times to confirm and refine their calling. Note the word ‘prophecies’ is in the plural. While we no longer have prophets that provide a direct revelation, the counsel and guidance of godly individuals within the church play a vital role in helping a man understand his calling.
   2. God uses the local church to confirm and commission those who are called (ordain). A man of God needs to know both an inner calling and an external confirmation.
   3. Key point: The Holy Spirit works through the local assembly in setting men apart for the Gospel ministry. This is clearly illustrated in Acts 13:1-4

The Weaponry for the Charge (Vs. 18c – 19a)

1. A Revealed Calling (18c):
   1. The Revealed commands of God’s Word.
   2. Instructions from the Captain!
2. A Pure Heart (19a)
   1. ‘faith’ and a ‘good conscience’ are linked together several times in this Epistle. Refer 1:5; 3:9
   2. They refer to the soldier’s heart and inner disposition which are key to winning the war without.
   3. ‘faith’ – personal faith in the truths of the Word of God (Rom 10:17)
   4. ‘good conscience’
      1. Comes from the pursuit of a holy life.
      2. To the soul what pain is to the body.

The Enemies of the Charge (Vs. 19b – 20)

1. Their Sin Exposed (Vs. 19b)
   1. They rejected a good conscience.
      1. “put away” literally means to shove, thrust or cast away. They violently quenched the voice of their conscience. “…Hath God cast away his people?…God hath not cast away his people…” (Rom 11:1-2) “To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt,” (Acts 7:39)
      2. Note: Often people turn to corrupt doctrine to justify corrupt living
   2. They shipwrecked concerning the faith.
      1. Note the word ‘blaspheme’ in Vs. 20 (present tense). By propagating false doctrines, they were blaspheming God and His Truth.
      2. The Apostle Paul experienced shipwreck at least 3 times (2 Cor 11:25)
      3. Shipwreck pictured: Acts 27:39-44 “And when it was day, they knew not the land: but they discovered a certain creek with a shore, into the which they were minded, if it were possible, to thrust in the ship. And when they had taken up the anchors, they committed themselves unto the sea, and loosed the rudder bands, and hoised up the mainsail to the wind, and made toward shore. And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the forepart stuck fast, and remained unmoveable, but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves. And the soldiers’ counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape. But the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from their purpose; and commanded that they which could swim should cast themselves first into the sea, and get to land: And the rest, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land.”
      4. ‘shipwreck’ – speaks of irreparable damage, unrecoverable loss.
2. Their Identity Disclosed (Vs. 20a)
   1. “of whom” = examples of the ‘some’ in Vs. 3
   2. Hymenaeus – mentioned in 2 Tim 2:17-18 along with Philetus as propagating a false view of the resurrection.
   3. Alexander – could be Alexander the Coppersmith mentioned in 2 Tim 4:14-15 who resisted the truth of the Word of God.
3. Their Discipline Revealed (Vs. 20b)
   1. The nature of their discipline
      1. Delivered to Satan: Placed outside the protective sphere of the N.T. church
      2. The Corinthian Example: I. Corinthians 5:1-5 “It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife. And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you. For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed, In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.”
   2. The Aim of their discipline
      1. ‘learn’ – means to chasten. Used in Lk 23:16 to refer to Pilates scourging of Christ.
      2. The intent is that they might be corrected rather than destroyed.

Sermon 5 of 27 in 1 Timothy Series

Sermon Audio Id: 431654480