1 Timothy 1:19

1 Timothy 1:19

Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:

a. NLT: Cling to your faith in Christ, and keep your conscience clear. For some people have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked.

b. NIV:  Holding on to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith.

    

c. YLT:  Having faith and a good conscience, which certain having thrust away, concerning the faith did make shipwreck,  

d. Amplified Bible Classic: Holding fast to faith (that leaning of the entire human personality on God in absolute trust and confidence) and having a good (clear) conscience. By rejecting and thrusting from them [their conscience], some individuals have made shipwreck of their faith.

e. Worrell Translation: Holding faith, and a good conscience, which some having thrust from them made shipwreck concerning the faith.

f. Wuest Translation: Holding faith and a good conscience, which [latter] certain having thrust from themselves concerning the Faith, have suffered shipwreck.

1. “Holding faith and a good conscience…”

a. holding [Strong: 2192 echo ekh'-o, including an alternate form scheo skheh'-o; (used in certain tenses only) a primary verb; to hold (used in very various applications, literally or figuratively, direct or remote; such as possession; ability, contiuity, relation, or condition):--be (able, X hold, possessed with), accompany, + begin to amend, can(+ -not), X conceive, count, diseased, do + eat, + enjoy, + fear, following, have, hold, keep, + lack, + go to law, lie, + must needs, + of necessity, + need, next, + recover, + reign, + rest, + return, X sick, take for, + tremble, + uncircumcised, use.] [Thayer’s: to have (hold) in the hand, in the sense of wearing, to have (hold) possession of the mind (refers to alarm, agitating emotions, etc.), to hold fast keep, to regard or consider, to hold one's self to a thing, to lay hold of a thing, to adhere or cling to.]

1). In order to “war a good warfare”, one must lay hold onto or hold fast to our faith. The shield of faith is one of, if not the most important weapon given to us by God. I like the King James translation that says “Above all, taking the shield of faith…”. In all of the translations I researched, half of them use the term “above all” implying the shield of faith was the most important.

a). Ephesians 6:10-17 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

6:14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

6:15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

b. faith [Strong: 4102 pistis pis'-tis from 3982; persuasion, i.e. credence; moral conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher), especially reliance upon Christ for salvation; abstractly, constancy in such profession; by extension, the system of religious (Gospel) truth itself:--assurance, belief, believe, faith, fidelity.]

c. and [Strong: 2532 kai kahee apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:--and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]

d. a good [Strong: 18 agathos ag-ath-os' a primary word; "good" (in any sense, often as noun):--benefit, good(-s, things), well.]

e. conscience [Strong: 4893 suneidesis soon-i'-day-sis from a prolonged form of 4894; co-perception, i.e. moral consciousness:--conscience.] [Thayer: the soul [D.C. the part of 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.] [Vine: that process of thought which distinguishes what it considers morally good or bad, commending the good, condemning the bad, and so prompting to do the former, and avoid the latter.]

1). Ideally that is the purpose of the conscience as God had intended. The conscience though can be seared.

a). 1 Timothy 4:1, 2 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

4:2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

b). These can’t feel or hear the conscience. Because of sin, the dulled or calloused conscience is not able to fulfill its God intended purpose of distinguishing what is good or bad.

2). Scripture speaks of being “past feeling” and of being “hardened” by the deceitfulness of sin.

a). Ephesians 4:17-19 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,

4:18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:

4:19Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

b). Hebrews 3:13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

3). The end of the matter is the Word of God must be our guide. It is the only trustworthy thing to keep the whole man, spirit, soul, and body in line.

2. “…which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:”

a. which [Strong: 3739 hos hos, including feminine he hay, and neuter ho ho probably a primary word (or perhaps a form of the article 3588); the relatively (sometimes demonstrative) pronoun, who, which, what, that:--one, (an-, the) other, some, that, what, which, who(-m, -se), etc.]

b. some [Strong: 5100 tis tis an enclitic indefinite pronoun; some or any person or object:--a (kind of), any (man, thing, thing at all), certain (thing), divers, he (every) man, one (X thing), ought, + partly, some (man, -body, - thing, -what), (+ that no-)thing, what(-soever), X wherewith, whom(-soever), whose(-soever).]

c. having put away [Strong: 683 apotheomai ap-o-theh'-om-ahee or apothomai ap-o'-thom-ahee from 575 and the middle voice of otheo or otho (to shove); to push off, figuratively, to reject:--cast away, put away (from), thrust away (from).] [Thayer’s: to thrust away, push away, repel, repudiate, reject, refuse.]

d. concerning [Strong: 4012 peri per-ee' from the base of 4008; properly, through (all over), i.e. around; figuratively with respect to; used in various applications, of place, cause or time (with the genitive case denoting the subject or occasion or superlative point; with the accusative case the locality, circuit, matter, circumstance or general period):--(there-)about, above, against, at, on behalf of, X and his company, which concern, (as) concerning, for, X how it will go with, ((there-, where-)) of, on, over, pertaining (to), for sake, X (e-)state, (as) touching, (where-)by (in), with. In comparative, it retains substantially the same meaning of circuit (around), excess (beyond), or completeness (through).]

e. faith [Strong: 4102 pistis pis'-tis from 3982; persuasion, i.e. credence; moral conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher), especially reliance upon Christ for salvation; abstractly, constancy in such profession; by extension, the system of religious (Gospel) truth itself:--assurance, belief, believe, faith, fidelity.]

f. have made shipwreck [Strong: 3489 nauageo now-ag-eh'-o from a compound of 3491 and 71; to be shipwrecked (stranded, "navigate"), literally or figuratively:--make (suffer) shipwreck.] [Vine’s: literally in 2 Corinthians 11:25; metaphorically in 1 Timothy1:19.

1). The lesson is clear, if we reject the use of faith in our lives we will suffer shipwreck. Two individual examples are given by Paul in the next verse, who were because of their dangerous behavior were excommunicated from the local body of Christ. The book of Jude deals with false teachers and in verse 12 refers to them as hidden reefs. These believers because they have cast away their faith not only suffer shipwreck themselves but cause those who listen to them to suffer shipwreck as well..

a). Jude 12 [Amplified Bible Classic] These are hidden reefs (elements of danger) in your love feasts, where they boldly feast sumptuously [carousing together in your midst], without scruples providing for themselves [alone]. They are clouds without water, swept along by the winds; trees, without fruit at the late autumn gathering time—twice (doubly) dead, [lifeless and] plucked up by the roots;