I urge, then…
Summary: The first three words of chapter two require that we stitch together the threads of Paul’s letter so far so that we can see the whole tapestry.
A lot is going on in this passage, and we will examine several parts of it in detail. For now, let’s look at the first three words, “I urge, then…”
“Then” in this context points backward to the last thought Paul shared. This most likely points us to verses 18-20 in Chapter One.
The “command” Paul refers to in verse eighteen goes clear back to verse three. He writes that Timothy should “command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer” (1 Timothy 1:3).
Now, back to verses 18–20:
“Timothy, my son, I am giving you this command … fight the battle well, holding on to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith. Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander….”
Paul is speaking about people Timothy knows well. (We know that because he doesn’t have to explain who they are.) In his second letter to Timothy, Paul mentions Hymenaeus again. He writes:
“Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have departed from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some.” (2 Timothy 2:17-18)
We don’t know much about Alexander except for a reference to an “Alexander the metalworker” (2 Timothy 4:15). Both men apparently had influence in the community and were teaching people things that could “destroy the faith of some.”
What do you do with such people?
The first thing Paul tells Timothy is to publicly command them “not to teach false doctrines any longer” (1 Timothy 1:3).
What then?
We have already discussed Paul’s teaching that “… our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12).
So how do we fight against the “spiritual forces of evil?”
This is where the rest of Paul’s sentence comes in. He urges us to fight, not with fists or anger or violence, but with “petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving” (1 Timothy 2:1).
Application: Practice spiritual combat by praying for all people.
Food for Thought: How does fighting by praying for our enemies help us hold on to “faith and a good conscience?” (1 Timothy 1:19)
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