1 Timothy 1:18

1 Timothy 1:18

This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightiest war a good warfare;

a. NLT: Timothy, my son, here are my instructions for you, based on the prophetic words spoken about you earlier. May they help you fight well in the Lord’s battles.

b. NIV: Timothy, my son, I am giving you this command in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by recalling them you may fight the battle well,

     

c. YLT: This charge I commit to thee, child Timotheus, according to the prophesies that went before upon thee, that thou mayest war in them the good warfare,    

d. Amplified Bible Classic: This charge and admonition I commit in trust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with prophetic intimations which I formerly received concerning you, so that inspired and aided by them you may wage the good warfare,

e. Worrell Translation: This charge I commit to you, child Timothy, according to the prophecies going before in respect to you, that you may war with these the noble warfare.

f. Wuest Translation: This charge I am entrusting to you, son Timothy, in accordance with the prophetic intimations which were made long ago concerning you, to the effect that in their sphere you are to wage a good warfare.

1. “This charge I commit unto thee…”

a. This [Strong: 5026 taute tow'-tay, and tauten tow'-tane, and tautes tow'-tace dative case, accusative case and genitive case respectively of the feminine singular of 3778; (towards or of) this:--her, + hereof, it, that, + thereby, the (same), this (same).]

b. charge [Strong: 3852 paraggelia par-ang-gel-ee'-ah from 3853; a mandate:--charge, command.] [Vine’s: "a proclamation, a command or commandment," is strictly used of commands received from a superior and transmitted to others.]

1). The word “charge” is used many times in the Old Testament in connection with the commandments of God. It is never used lightly. One can do a word search of it and be struck by the heaviness associated with it.

a). 1 Kings 2:1-3 Now the days of David drew nigh that he should die; and he charged Solomon his son, saying,

2:2 I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and shew thy self a man;

2:3 And keep the charge of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whitherso ever thou turnest thyself.

b). Numbers 27:18-23 And the LORD said unto Moses, Take thee Joshua the son of Nun, an man in whom is the spirit, and lay thine hand upon him;

27:19 And set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation; and give him a charge in their sight.

27:20 And thou shalt put some of thine honour upon him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient.

27:21 And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall ask counsel for him after the judgment of the Urim before the LORD: at his word shall they go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he, and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation.

27:22 And Moses did as the LORD commanded him: and he took Joshua, and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation:

27:23 And he laid his hands upon him, and gave him a charge, as the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses.

c. I commit [Strong: 3908 paratithemi par-at-ith'-ay-mee from 3844 and 5087; to place alongside, i.e. present (food, truth); by implication, to deposit (as a trust or for protection):--allege, commend, commit (the keeping of), put forth, set before.]

d. unto thee [Strong: 4671 soi soy dative case of 4771; to thee:--thee, thine own, thou, thy.]

2. “…son Timothy…”

a. son [Strong: 5043 teknon tek'-non from the base of 5098; a child (as produced):--child, daughter, son.] [Vine’s: "a child" (akin to tikto, "to beget, bear"), is used in both the natural and the figurative senses. In contrast to huios, "son" (see below), it gives prominence to the fact of birth, whereas huios stresses the dignity and character of the relationship. Figuratively, teknon is used of "children" of  God, light, the devil, obedience, wrath, cursing.] [Thayer’s: pupils or disciples are called children of their teachers, because the latter by their instruction nourish the minds of their pupils and mould their characters.]

1). Examples of Thayer’s definition are found in the Old Covenant and in the New Covenant.

a). 2 Kings 2:1-3 And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.

And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said unto him, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel.

And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.

b). Acts 13:6 And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Barjesus: [bar- son of, follower of].

2). Timothy was Paul’s spiritual son.

a). Philippians 2:19-22 But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheus shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort, when I know your state.

2:20 For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state.

2:21 For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's.

2:22 But ye know the proof of him, that, as a son with the father, he hath served with me in the gospel.

b. Timothy [Strong: 5095 Timotheos tee-moth'-eh-os from 5092 and 2316; dear to God; Timotheus, a Christian:--Timotheus, Timothy.]

1). It is probable that the Apostle Paul won Timothy to the Lord during his first missionary trip to Lystra which is recorded in Acts 14:8-20. During the Apostles Paul and Barnabas’s time there, a man cripple from his mother’s womb was healed, and Paul being stoned, severely wounded and thought to be dead was raised up: Acts 14:8-20. These events were all witnessed by the newly won disciples to the Lord. There were enough disciples in the newly established church that elders were ordained through prayer and fasting. Among those disciples were Timothy’s grandmother Lois, and his mother Eunice and of course Timothy himself. It was perhaps on Paul’s second missionary trip through Lystra that Paul recognized the call of God on Timothy’s life and invited him to join the team.

a). Acts 16:1-3 Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek:

16:2 Which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium.

16:3 Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they knew all that his father was a Greek. 

3. "…according to the prophecies which went before on thee"

a. according to [Strong: 2596 kata kat-ah' a primary particle; (prepositionally) down (in place or time), in varied relations (according to the case (genitive, dative or accusative) with which it is joined):--about, according as (to), after, against, (when they were) X alone, among, and, X apart, (even, like) as (concerning, pertaining to touching), X aside, at, before, beyond, by, to the charge of, (charita-)bly, concerning, + covered, (dai-)ly, down, every, (+ far more) exceeding, X more excellent, for, from ... to, godly, in(-asmuch, divers, every, -to, respect of), ... by, after the manner of, + by any means, beyond (out of) measure, X mightily, more, X natural, of (up-)on (X part), out (of every), over against, (+ your) X own, + particularly, so, through(-oughout, -oughout every), thus, (un-)to(-gether, -ward), X uttermost, where(-by), with. In composition it retains many of these applications, and frequently denotes opposition, distribution, or intensity.]

b. the [Strong: 3588 ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.]

c. prophecies [Strong: 4394 propheteia prof-ay-ti'-ah from 4396 ("prophecy"); prediction (scriptural or other):--prophecy, prophesying.]

d. which went before [Strong: 4254 proago pro-ag'-o from 4253 and 71; to lead forward (magisterially); intransitively, to precede (in place or time (participle, previous)):--bring (forth, out), go before.]

e. on [Strong: 1909 epi ep-ee' a primary preposition; properly, meaning superimposition (of time, place, order, etc.), as a relation of distribution (with the genitive case), i.e. over, upon, etc.; of rest (with the dative case) at, on, etc.; of direction (with the accusative case) towards, upon, etc.:--about (the times), above, after, against, among, as long as (touching), at, beside, X have charge of, (be-, (where-))fore, in (a place, as much as, the time of, -to), (because) of, (up-)on (behalf of), over, (by, for) the space of, through(-out), (un-)to(-ward), with. In compounds it retains essentially the same import, at, upon, etc. (literally or figuratively).]

f. thee [Strong: 4571 se seh accusative case singular of 4771; thee:--thee, thou, X thy house.]

1). There were prophetic words spoken over Timothy previously. Who spoke them and what they said is unknown. Prophetic words are to speak into men's lives, either edification, exhortation , or comfort.

a). 1 Corinthians 14:3 But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.

4. "…that thou by them mightiest war a good warfare."

a. that [Strong: 2443 hina hin'-ah probably from the same as the former part of 1438 (through the demonstrative idea; compare 3588); in order that (denoting the purpose or the result):--albeit, because, to the intent (that), lest, so as, (so) that, (for) to.]

b. thou…mightiest war [Strong: 4754 strateuomai strat-yoo'-om-ahee middle voice from the base of 4756; to serve in a military campaign; figuratively, to execute the apostolate (with its arduous duties and functions), to contend with carnal inclinations:--soldier, (go to) war(-fare).]

c. by [Strong: 1722 en en a primary preposition denoting (fixed) position (in place, time or state), and (by implication) instrumentality (medially or constructively), i.e. a relation of rest (intermediate between 1519 and 1537); "in," at, (up-)on, by, etc.:--about, after, against, + almost, X altogether, among, X as, at, before, between, (here-)by (+ all means), for (... sake of), + give self wholly to, (here-)in(-to, -wardly), X mightily, (because) of, (up-)on, (open-)ly, X outwardly, one, X quickly, X shortly, (speedi-)ly, X that, X there(-in, -on), through(-out), (un-)to(-ward), under, when, where(-with), while, with(-in). Often used in compounds, with substantially the same import; rarely with verbs of motion, and then not to indicate direction, except (elliptically) by a separate (and different) preposition.]

d. them [Strong: 846 autos ow-tos' from the particle au (perhaps akin to the base of 109 through the idea of a baffling wind) (backward); the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative 1438) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons:--her, it(-self), one, the other, (mine) own, said, (self-), the) same, ((him-, my-, thy- )self, (your-)selves, she, that, their(-s), them(-selves), there(-at, - by, -in, -into, -of, -on, -with), they, (these) things, this (man), those, together, very, which.]

e. a good [Strong: 2570 kalos kal-os' of uncertain affinity; properly, beautiful, but chiefly (figuratively) good (literally or morally), i.e. valuable or virtuous (for appearance or use, and thus distinguished from 18, which is properly intrinsic):--X better, fair, good(-ly), honest, meet, well, worthy.]

f. warfare [Strong: 4752 strateia strat-i'-ah from 4754; military service, i.e. (figuratively) the apostolic career (as one of hardship and danger):--warfare.]

1). Paul is telling Timothy that he can use the prophetic words spoken over him to "war a good warfare". The warfare he is referring to is bringing the whole person, spirit soul and body in line with the word of God.

a). 2 Corinthians 10:3-6 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
10:4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;)
10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exhalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
10:6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

b). The Scripture is clearly referring to our own responsibility in our personal relationship with God. The “strongholds” he mentions are areas in our life, habits, thought patterns that are hindering our relationship with Christ. We as born again believers, as we desire to draw near to Christ, desiring to be more like him, are to be in obedience to what God says in His word, cast down all of the thoughts that are against the word and bring all of our thoughts into obedience to Christ. This obviously requires time because it is a growing process. It will require learning the word and knowing how God’s word differs with the way we think and then changing our thinking. Later in this same letter, in 1 Timothy 6:12, Paul exhorted Timothy to "fight the good fight of faith."