1 Timothy 1:12-20 (NKJV) 12 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, 13 although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. 14 And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. 15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. 16 However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
Fight the Good Fight
18 This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, 19 having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck, 20 of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.
V12 “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry…” The Greek word for “enabled” is (G1743) ἐνδυναμόω endynamoō, which means (Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (Abridged – Little Kittel)) endynamóō both mean ‘to give power,’ ‘to make strong,’ ‘to strengthen.’” God gives us the power to carry out what He commissions. For Paul, the Apostle, God gave the power (assisting grace) to accomplish what Paul was commissioned to do. Compare Acts 9:22, Romans 4:20, and Philippians 4:13. God reckoned Paul to be a faithful and trustworthy servant for what God commissioned him for. It is the same with us. Each of us have a call, a gift, and a ministry for which God gives His enabling assisting grace to accomplish. Note, we must be faithful.
V13 “…although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.” The blasphemy is from his words against the Lord Jesus and the followers of Christ (If I curse Jesus’s followers, I curse Jesus). A persecutor (Acts 22:4, Galatians 1:13, and Philippians 3:6), The Greek word for “insolent” is (G5197) ὑβριστής hybristēs, which means an insulting and arrogant person, who has other vices. Paul refers to the serious injury he was trying to accomplish against the church. Mercy is not receiving what is deserved. Paul did those former things because of his spiritual ignorance. Paul had all the information he needed, but was ignorant of the Messianic promises referring to the Suffering Messiah.
V14 “And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.” Grace is receiving blessings even though they are not deserved. Paul feels that he received not just a little grace but an over abundance of grace. Faith and love refer to the change of the new birth, believing in Jesus as Messiah.
V15 “This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.” All sinners are thus eligible for salvation. God opens all the eyes of every person some place at some time. What we do with the freed will is up to us. Will we reject, disbelieve or accept and believe. Paul accepted and believed. Chief because of the grievous sin he committed. If God makes a conditional law, then there is freedom to obey or disobey. If God makes an unconditional law, then there is no freedom to change it. Adam was given a conditional law–do not eat the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. If he obeys, he lives. If he disobeys, then he dies. The punishment for disobeying is death, and Adam has no choice–he will die. The same for Israel in Deuteronomy 28.
V16 “However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life.” Paul feels the reason God showed mercy to him was to point out that even the worst of sinners can be saved and used by God. Longsuffering is not just patience, it is a suffering under grief, etc. and waiting for a good and expected end, which does not always happen. But God gives some time for repentance (Revelation 2:21-23, Jeremiah 8:4-6, and Daniel 4:28-29. I know many people, as you do, for whom people have prayed for decades, who finally repent and believe in the Lord Jesus. The amount of time God waits for anyone is unknown, so then, we must believe today (if we haven’t already).
V17 “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” The King, our king is God. God is sovereign as in the highest authority to govern and accountable to no one but himself. God is accountable to Himself referring to His character traits. He is eternal (no beginning or end), immortal (cannot die, disappear, lose authority, etc.), invisible (due to His holiness and our contamination from sin and a sinful world), wise (omnisapient), knows everything (omniscience), honor (to be worshipped, glorified, praised, and thanked), and glory (all in authority have glory in their appearance and their throne room. God has the greatest glory with millions upon millions who worship Him). He is king with a never ending kingdom and authority. He cannot be usurped.
V18 “This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare…” Paul is giving serious encouragement to Timothy. Timothy had numerous prophecies concerning his call and ministry. We also must fulfill our call and ministry, no matter how weak we feel or even when unsuccessful. Success is not in numbers but faithfulness. The good warfare is a spiritual warfare of prayer and living the Christian life as Jesus instructed us. Compare our armor in Ephesians 6:10-20.
V19 “…having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck…” Faith = loyalty, love, and action. A good conscience means we carried out our commission faithfully and with honorable living. The Lord Jesus told us, “If you love me, you will obey me” (John 14:15). Paul mentions that some do reject, drift, or neglect their call and commission in which case faith is wrecked. I talked with a former pastor who, for whatever reason, became addicted to alcohol and lost his ministry, respect, and health.
V20 “…of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.” Paul mentions by NAME two individuals who did wreck their faith. The Apostle had authority to turn over to satan for disciplining. Compare Luke 22:31-32. Delivered to satan would include: 1) banned and shunned by the church (Titus 3:10), 2) possibly physical or emotional illness (1 Corinthians 11:30), 3) lack of peace (Isaiah 48:22–God often punishes eye for eye. Here, these false teachers took away peace, so God punished them by taking away peace).
The teaching of these two seems to be heresies regarding the resurrection. What the blasphemies consisted of is unknown. It might be teaching against God’s character, God’s rules, God’s kingdom, Jesus’s ministry, etc. Various opinions:
(NKJV Study Notes Full Color, 3rd Edition) Hymenaeus and Alexander: Paul offered examples of two men (see also 2 Tim. 2:17, 18; 4:14) who were failing to fight the good fight (v. 18, 19). The phrase delivered to Satan is similar to 1 Cor. 5:5. The authority to “deliver over” was apostolic in nature. Paul did not deliver the two men because they were unbelievers, but so that they would learn not to blaspheme. In the NT the word translated learn is used only of God’s discipline of believers (see 1 Cor. 11:32; Heb. 12:6, 7, 10). Paul was indicating that these men should be excluded from the church so that they might abandon their evil ways (1 Cor. 5:1–5).”
(Holman Commentary) Paul put forth two examples of men who had shipwrecked their faith: Hymenaeus and Alexander. These leaders within the Ephesian church were spreading false ideas about God and Christ.
Paul stated that he handed [them] over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme. The discipline that Paul imposed is also described in 1 Corinthians 5. In that case it involved a man involved in immoral behavior. In both instances, the sinning person was dismissed from the church. He was taken out of the protective community of the church and Christ’s kingdom and handed over to the kingdom of this world, ruled by Satan. Alone in Satan’s domain, the disciplined person would realize his errors, recognize the truth and goodness of God’s kingdom, and choose to repent and return to God and the church in faith.
Obviously not everyone will repent, but the church is called to practice this loving discipline so people will awaken to their sin and turn back to their Lord.”