1 Timothy 1:12-20

Outline (some review):

• The theme
• Titus and Timothy are Pastoral letters
• These letters expound on church order not church doctrine
• The greeting 1:1-2
• Not personal but rather formal
• Emphasizes Paul's authority
• Expectation that the message would be read
• Timothy's Mission 1:3-20
• The task Timothy faced 1:3-11
• He re-iterates his verbal instructions to Timothy (written out)
• Timothy is to charge (parangello--to order or command) certain persons
• Do not teach a different doctrine
• Do not devote to myths
• Do not devote to endless genealogies
• These promote speculations
• Rather than stewardship (oikonomia--good administration)
• Purpose of charge / command
• Love (seeks the best of the other person)
• Pure heart (no selfish ambition)
• Good conscience (knows that he is not speculating or making things up)
• Sincere faith (truly loves God and cares for people)
• Problem
• Certain persons
• Vain (mataiologia - empty) discussions (useless)
• Desire to be teachers without any real understanding (pride)
• APPLICATION: Good teaching should result in application
• See James 1:22-25
• SPECK
• Sin(s) to confess
• Promise(s) to claim
• Example(s) to follow or avoid
• Command(s) to obey
• Knowledge about God to incorporate
• Exhortations 1:12-20
• A positive encouragement 1:12-17
• A negative warning 1:18-20

 
1 Timothy 1:12–17 (ESV) — 12 I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, 13 though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, 14 and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 15 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. 16 But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. 17 To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
 

• Paul has just given his charge to Timothy.
• Aim is love -- correct false teachers -- emphasize stewardship -- proper use of the law -- applicability of the law is to law breakers -- myths and genealogies (in teaching) lead to vain discussions -- (complementary) good teaching changes people, i.e., it is useful, not useless
• So why this next passage? What is Paul saying and why is it important?
• Consider me (Paul), I was foolish -- but I received mercy
• God is patient with sinners -- I was foremost and I received mercy
• I am an example of God's incredible patience
• Why is it important?
• These teachers can be corrected -- God is merciful
• Timothy has not failed -- God is merciful
• APPLICATION:
• Repent
• Reevaluate our teaching and advice in light of love and usefulness to the hearer
• Remember that we are never beyond a new start -- God is patient and God is merciful -- repent and start again.

 
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.
 

• In between these two paragraphs, Paul reminds Timothy of God's faithfulness. But now he returns to his charge (vs 3-4). Start with observation -- what is the charge and how does it relate to verses 3 and 4?
• We don't have any information on what the prophecies were, although there are references in 4:14 and 2 Tim 1:6
• Wage the good warfare (picture of a soldier) - why a soldier?
• It could be the idea of combat
• He is told to avoid debates (2 Tim 2:23-25)
• In his letter to the Thessalonians on the same subject, he says:

2 Thessalonians 3:14–15 (ESV) — 14 If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed. 15 Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.

• They are not enemies but brothers. Sometimes, we just must withdraw from them
• It could be the idea of a painful process
• It is not easy to confront people
• It is not easy to withdraw either
• It could be the idea of armor
• Soldiers would link shields
• There are two aspects of waging the good warfare -- how do they relate?
• Holding faith -- we have to trust God. That is really hard when we see people going down the wrong road
• Holding a good conscience -- we have to keep our heart pure. The person, who is a believer, is not our enemy. We must continue to care for them -- sometimes all we can do is pray
• Hymenaeus and Alexander were handed over to Satan -- what does this mean? (We will talk about the two individuals in a minute)
• Most people see this as church discipline where an individual is asked to leave the church fellowship
• Essentially, the person leaves the fellowship of the church and lives in Satan's sphere

1 Corinthians 5:3–5 (ESV) — 3 For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing. 4 When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5 you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.

• It is disciplinary and remedial
• It is not punitive
• Let's start with Hymenaeus

2 Timothy 2:16–18 (ESV) — 16 But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, 17 and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, 18 who have swerved from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some.

• So these are believers who were teaching a false doctrine. Certainly what they were teaching upset others
• Paul called their teaching babble (vain, empty, useless)
• Worse -- the teaching did not cause them to become more Christlike through good application but encouraged ungodliness
• Who is Alexander? We really don't know, except that, in context, he would be a believer
• It is probably not Alexander the coppersmith

Mark 15:21 (ESV) — 21 And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross.

• There are two others called Alexander, one a Jew in Ephesus whom we don't know anything about (Ac 19:33), and another in 2 Tim 4:14,15 who is a coppersmith and opposed Paul's message.
• Bottom line: it is pure speculation to guess on Alexander. What we do know is that there were two individuals who had shipwrecked their own faith and needed to be sent out of the fellowship
• APPLICATION: it certainly seems very harsh what Paul is requiring of Timothy, but of restoring order is making sure the leadership and the teachers are men of faith and good conscience
• I think Ps 139:23-24 is apropos for us

Psalm 139:23–24 (ESV) —
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!
24 And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting!