This Charge I Entrust to You (1 Timothy 1:18-20)

Pastor, you stand in a long, continuing line of those entrusted with the charge to teach and protect the church.

This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare… (1 Timothy 1:18)

What charge does Paul have in mind? The one he referred to back in verses three and five. It’s the charge to teach true doctrine and stop those who teach anything different. It’s the charge to devote himself to the stewardship of the gospel and stop those who devote themselves to nonsense in the church. And it’s the charge to continually aim at sincere, unhypocritical love in the process.

Paul entrusts this charge to Timothy, not like a teacher entrusting academic truth to a student or a boss entrusting business tasks to an employee, but like a father entrusting a legacy to a son.

I’ll bet you can look back and name Christians who have discipled you with parental affection. These relationships are vital for pastors.

I had several good youth pastors who discipled me this way, two in particular, Jimmy Dale and Adam Ponder. Adam was the first minister to give me a book to read. He gave me Power Through Prayer by E. M. Bounds. He also invited me into ministry with him. When I look back on how immature I was, I’m amazed he had the patience to work with me like that.

I had a good pastor, Barry Byrd, who preached and taught scripture faithfully. He was influential in helping me find my first steps toward pastoral ministry. I remember sitting on the steps outside of our church after service one Sunday. Barry sat down beside me and talked with me about my future plans. He invited me to go visit SEBTS, where I eventually went to Bible college and then seminary.

Once at Bible college, I had Jason Glenn, now a professor at Liberty University School of Divinity. He was an older college student, already married. He took me and several other young men under his wing, inviting us into his home, having intentional conversations with us, teaching through his example how to be a godly husband and father. I still call him for advice today.

Once in pastoral ministry, I had Ron Thomas. He took me to breakfast once a week to mentor me in faith and ministry. He worked alongside me and patiently listened to me on my dark days. He encouraged me and gave me wise advice for 14 years and counting.

Everyone discerning the possibility of going into pastoral ministry needs Jimmy Dales, Adam Ponders and Barry Byrds. Everyone preparing to enter ministry needs a Jason Glenn. And every pastor needs a Ron Thomas.

Who has discipled you with parental affection? And for whom will you be a spiritual father?

As you know, the church desperately needs more good pastors. They won’t come about through seminaries like products coming off a conveyor belt. They’ll emerge out of the fatherly discipleship relationships you and I initiate.

Timothy had Paul as a spiritual father. He also had a supernatural initiation into formal ministry. There were prophecies made about him. Paul doesn’t elaborate, so I can’t either. We do learn a little more about this in 1 Timothy 4:14, which you can read later.

For now, we can say for sure that Paul entrusts this charge to Timothy in accordance with these prophecies and that these prophecies provide a resource for Timothy to “wage the good warfare.” 

When you think of pastoral ministry, don’t imagine yourself wearing a sweater in your study, writing your sermon to the sound of birdsong outside your window. Picture spiritual warfare. Think of battling out a sermon through prayer and study. Think of mustering the courage to say the hard, true thing to the difficult person. Think of standing back up and marching forward after heavy discouragement.

By the way, the word translated “good” here is kalos. It means ‘so attractively good that it inspires others.’ It can be translated “noble.” You might be in a hard season of pastoral ministry right now. I just want to remind you that this warfare we’re waging together is good warfare. It’s a noble fight.

It’s evident that Timothy’s task was going to be stressful and challenging. So Paul wanted him to recall the prophecies previously made about him and keep at it. “By them” Timothy could continue to wage the good warfare and not give up.

How did you come to pastoral ministry? While you might not be able to say that there were prophesies made about you, you should be able to say that God affirmed your commission into the ministry through the witness of the church. Elders, church leaders, in some way or another, told you that they agreed you should proceed into this warfare—that they recognized the gifts and appropriateness of it. Remember this often, especially when you find yourself in blistering battles.

What does it look like to wage the good warfare?

…holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith… (1 Timothy 1:19)

You may or may not be able to see clear victories in your ministry right now, but if you come out of this week still holding on to your faith in Jesus Christ and a good conscience, you’re fighting well. Keep believing in Jesus and his word. Keep your conscience calibrated by God’s word.

How is your faith? How is your trust level in the gospel? In God’s word? In God’s promises? Are you clinging to these things for your source of stability and inspiration in the ministry? Are you praying your way through your days?

How is your conscience? Are you sensitive to it? Is it set by the moral judgments of scripture and not the instincts of this fallen world? Do you respond to it quickly rather than ignoring it?

Has any sin stretched its roots so deep into your life that it’s short-circuited your conscience? This happens to pastors. It might be pornography. It might be gluttony. It might be pride. It might be laziness. It might be deceit.

It’s hard for anyone to repent and come into the light after succumbing to temptations like those I just listed, but it can be especially hard for pastors because their example and their livelihood could be at risk.

If you are in this situation, don’t feel stuck. God can free you through the power of Jesus Christ. If you need help, feel free to get in touch with me. It’s not that I have great wisdom or anything, but together we can seek the Lord for everything you need to fully repent and be freed from whatever sin has entangled you.

One thing is for sure, continuing in hypocritical ministry is not an option. It leads to a dead-end drop off that only gets higher with each passing week. The sooner you come into the light the better.

Not everyone does hang on to faith and a good conscience. Paul writes, “By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith.” Some push faith and a good conscience away. They turn away from believing the truth of scripture and they turn away from a sensitive response to their conscience. They ignore God’s word and their conscience until their conscience is seared—no longer good for that internal moral direction it was meant to provide.

The best way to fight your way forward in this battle is to keep your Bible open and your heart sensitive. Continually recalibrate your thinking and your moral judgement by God’s word. Don’t let the culture dominate how you view what’s right and wrong. If you do, you’ll make shipwreck of your faith.

Paul goes on to mention two such people by name.

…among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme. (1Timothy 1:20)

Paul is not vague or gentle when it comes to dealing with those who shipwreck their faith by rejecting faith and a good conscience. We are to be gentle in every relationship—except our relationship to those who those who unconscionably distort the gospel in a way that diverts people in the church away from Jesus Christ. They are an aggressive, malignant cancer in the church. What kind of doctor would be slow and gentle about that?

Is there anyone influencing your church members like Hymenaeus and Alexander? Is there anyone who is leading your people astray either by example, conversation or direct false teaching? If so, I encourage you to work with your trusted fellow elders if you have them or a trusted mentor to create a biblically thoughtful plan to deal swiftly with them. If I can be of any help as you think through your approach, let me know.

You stand in a long, continuing line of those entrusted with this noble fight. Your path into it was surely marked by God’s direction through the affirmation of the church. Remember this and fight on this week.