Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents

1:18 prophecies. God had spoken clearly through others to set Timothy aside for his ministry (see note on 1 Cor. 12:10). This assurance of a specific divine calling is to strengthen Timothy for the work. See note on 1 Tim. 4:14.

1:19 This represents a singular pronoun in Greek and refers to a good conscience. The false teachers, rejecting their consciences, plowed ahead in their sin. shipwreck of their faith. This most likely refers to the false teachers who claimed to be believers but had fallen away from the faith they initially professed, thereby showing they were never truly converted (cf. 1 John 2:19).

1:20 Hymenaeus. A false teacher also mentioned in 2 Tim. 2:17. handed over to Satan. Refers to being put out of the church (i.e., excommunication). See note on 1 Cor. 5:5. This language highlights the importance and protection of church membership, since being put out of the church leaves one more exposed to Satan. may learn not to blaspheme. If the false teachers repent, they may still be saved; church discipline is motivated by love, with the hope that the one disciplined will turn back to the Lord. There is no explicit indication that the false teachers directly uttered evil statements about God ("blasphemed"). However, to misrepresent God's truth is to speak ill of him.