Grace Embattled (1 Timothy 1:18-20)

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Throughout the first chapter Paul deals with law (1:1-11, 18-20) and grace (1:12-17).

  1. We are to fight the good fight of faith.
    • 1:18-19a; ‘war the good warfare’. For first century prophets, see 1 Tim.4:14; 2 Tim.1:6; Acts 15:32.
    • the Christian life is a life of battles – Eph.6:10-13; 2 Tim.2:3-4. Yet the Christian is not to be pugnacious – 2 Tim.2:24-25. Chrysostom: ‘a teacher must first teach himself’.
    • Calvin called a bad conscience is ‘the mother of all heresies’.
  2. Some Christian teachers will run aground.
    • 1:19b.-20a. Paul himself was literally shipwrecked – 2 Cor.11:25. Many a professing Christian has given up on the fight and runs aground. King Saul was one of them – 1 Sam.9:2; 11:13. And Judas – Matt.10:1, 5, 7-8.
    • Roy Clements; Joshua Harris; Iain Campbell for immorality. Hymenaeus and Alexander for heresy – 2 Tim.2:16-18. Hymenaeus is surely the same man, but Alexander was a verry common name (Acts 19:33; 2 Tim.4:14. Shipwrecks of faith happen.
  3. The Church needs to discipline false teachers.
    • 1:20. Let us see three points:
      1. Discipline here is for a doctrinal issue, for believing that the resurrection is already past.
      2. The first aim is to reclaim the false teacher – 1 Cor.5:5; Rev.2:20-22. This is to bring Hymenaeus and Alexander to their senses.
      3. Church discipline can fail. The discipline at Corinth seems to have succeeded – 2 Cor.2:6-8. But not so with the case of Hymenaeus at Ephesus – 2 Tim.2:14-18.