Paul the apostle committed
the “charge” or “command” to his young protege'
Timothy as he encouraged him to “war a good warfare”
“according to the prophecies” which went before him. Paul
knew it was going to be a battle for Timothy when he opposed those
who were teaching “other doctrines” than the gospel of
Jesus Christ, and the idea that the Lord would be with him was sure
to bring comfort and courage to Timothy. In chapter one and verse
nineteen of his letter, Paul told Timothy how he was to “war a
good warfare” by “holding faith” and having “a
good conscience”. We read:
Holding faith, and a
good conscience; which some having
put away concerning
faith have made shipwreck:
The verse begins, “Holding
faith, and a good conscience;” As
though there needed to be an explanation of how Timothy was to “war”
his “warfare”,
Paul wrote, “holding”
which is the Greek word “echo” and means “having, owning or
possessing” “faith”
which is “conviction of the truth of anything, belief; and
in particular the conviction that God exists and is the creator and
ruler of all things, the provider and bestower of eternal salvation
through Christ and a strong and welcome conviction or belief that
Jesus is the Messiah, through whom we obtain eternal salvation in the
kingdom of God”. If Timothy was to “war a good warfare”
it was necessary that he possess a strong belief in God the Father
and the salvation He provides through His Son. Paul added, “and
a good” or “pleasant, agreeable, joyful, happy, excellent,
distinguished, upright and honorable” “conscience” which
is “the soul as distinguishing between what is morally good and
bad, prompting to do the former and shun the latter, commending one,
condemning the other”. Not only was it important that Timothy have
strong conviction concerning God the Father and salvation through His
Son Jesus, but he also needed to have joyful, pleasant and agreeable
soul as well.
The
verse goes on to say, “which some having put away
concerning faith have made shipwreck:”
Paul concludes the ideas of “having faith”
and a “good conscience” as
he told Timothy, “which some”
referring to “certain ones among the people within the church”
“having put away”
or “thrust away, repudiated, rejected and
refused” “concerning faith”
or “about, concerning, on account of and because of the conviction
of truth and belief in God the Father and Salvation through His Son”
“have made shipwreck” which
literally means “broken”
and is like a ship which is broken in pieces as it wrecks upon a
shallow shore or hidden rocks. The idea is that some people who were
among the church at Ephesus were “thrusting away” their “good
conscience”
which kept them from sin and were shipwrecking their faith which is
directly attached to it. Paul did not want their example to be a part
of Timothy's life, and if it ever was, he would not be able to “war
a good warfare” as
a minister.
As
we meditate upon Paul's words to Timothy, let us once again imagine
ourselves being in Timothy's place. Do we hold our “faith”,
and possess a “good conscience”?
Is there hidden sin which is subject to “shipwreck”
our lives and testimony before others should it be revealed? The
beautiful part of being in a relationship with Jesus Christ is that
we can at any time bring our sin, lack of faith, and open conscience
before Him. He already knows, and He often waits for us to simply
bring it to Him. We must “war a good warfare”
as there are many who still need to hear and believe the gospel of
Jesus Christ, and as we think on these things, let us bring anything
to the Lord Jesus that is subject to “shipwreck”
our witness of Him.
Next
time Paul shares about two men he “delivered
unto Satan”,
so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look
for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From
Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be
Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the
Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com
; http://www.barnesandnobles.com
; download to e-books, and find it locally at
http://www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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