1 Timothy 1:18-19

‘This charge I commit to you, my child Timothy, according to the prophecies which led the way to you, that by them you may war the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience; which some having thrust from them made shipwreck concerning the faith,’

It is clear from what is said here that at some time in the past Timothy’s calling had been brought into effect and confirmed by the testimony of ‘prophets’ (see 1 Timothy 4:14), including at some stage Paul himself (2 Timothy 1:6). It had thus been divinely confirmed, and along with this confirmation Timothy had been given the necessary gifts which would render him effective (1 Timothy 4:14; 2 Timothy 1:6). This was one reason why Paul had been led to him and had such confidence in him. Now he was being called on to be inspired by the prophecies and make use of the gifts in this vital work that lay before him. There is no point in having gifts, Paul is saying, if you do not use them. Indeed he might have added that not to use them is dereliction of duty.

So now he was calling on him to war a good warfare in respect of the ‘charge’ now being given to him. The idea of a ‘charge, from a military viewpoint was of an urgent obligation. The one who was ‘charged’ was under a strict responsibility to carry out his orders. With respect to Timothy this necessitated him holding ‘faith and a good conscience’, which he would be able to do through wearing the armour of God, which included right belief and right use of the word of God (1 Thessalonians 5:8; Ephesians 6:10-18; 2 Corinthians 6:7; 2 Corinthians 10:3-6; Romans 13:12; 1 Peter 4:1). ‘Faith’, which indicates both right belief and right response, and a constant looking to Jesus Christ (Galatians 2:20; Hebrews 12:1-3), would keep him in touch with God and with His truth, and ensure that he persevered on the way, and ‘a good conscience’ (‘good’ (kalos) meaning not only a working conscience and a moral conscience, but also one that is ‘lovely’, that is seemly and loving and moulded by the truth) would act like a road map and signpost, and a light along the way, and if followed and not thrust away, would keep him walking in the truth both in his teaching and in his life. For ‘faith and a good conscience’ see 1 Timothy 1:5; 1 Timothy 3:9; Hebrews 10:22. It was necessary for him, as for us all, to trust and obey, and obedience included being obedient to the truth.

But some, alas, instead of ‘holding’ to a good conscience, had thrust it from them (the verb is forceful), and the result was that they had been shipwrecked as far as true faith was concerned. They had ‘swerved’ away from ‘love out of a pure heart, a good conscience and faith unfeigned’ (1 Timothy 1:5-6). And it had resulted in ‘shipwreck’. For it is in the conscience that backsliding always begins. It is when we begin to relax our spiritually guided moral life, and begin to follow worldly desire that spiritual difficulties soon appear, leading on, if we continue in that way, to total shipwreck. The shipwreck here probably resulted from the desires of the mind. They had so fantasised their beliefs (1 Timothy 1:4), and had been so gripped by the fantasies, that they had lost their way (1 Timothy 1:5), and then, following that, all that they had believed in. And sadly some of them probably did not even yet realise it. Others are similarly shipwrecked by the course of this world, the desires of the flesh, and that evil spirit who works in the children of disobedience (Ephesians 2:2-3). In each case had they listened to their good conscience and looked off to Jesus in faith it would never have happened.