Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

1 Timothy 1:19

ἔχων : It is best perhaps to suppose that the metaphor of warfare is not continued beyond στρατείαν; else we might render, holding faith as a shield, cf. Ephesians 6:16. But ἐν αὐταῖς implies that the prophecies included every piece of defensive armour. So ἔχων here simply means possessing, as in 1 Timothy 3:9; 2 Timothy 1:13; 2 Timothy 3:5; Romans 2:20; 1 Corinthians 15:34; 1 Peter 3:16. συνείδησιν : see note on 1 Timothy 1:5.

τινες : see note on 1 Timothy 1:3.

ἀπωσάμενοι : The indictment against the moral standard of the false teachers is here expressed more severely than above in 1 Timothy 1:6. There they are said to have “missed” or “neglected” faith, etc.; but here that they thrust it from them (R.V., cf. Acts 13:46) when it importuned for admittance into their hearts. “Recedit invita. Semper dicit, Noli me laedere” (Bengel).

περὶ τὴν πίστιν ἐναυάγησαν : Another change of metaphor: they suffered moral shipwreck, so far as the faith is concerned. “When the life is corrupt, it engenders a doctrine congenial to it” (Chrys.). We are not justified in interpreting suffered shipwreck as though it meant that they were lost beyond hope of recovery. St. Paul himself had suffered shipwreck at least four times (2 Corinthians 11:25) when he wrote this epistle. He had on each occasion lost everything except himself. For the construction, cf. περὶ τὴν πίστιν [ἀλήθειαν] ἠστόχησαν, 1 Timothy 6:21; 2 Timothy 2:18; ἀδόκιμοι περὶ τὴν πίστιν, 2 Timothy 3:8. περί with acc. is used in a somewhat similar sense in Mark 4:19; Luke 10:40-41; Acts 19:25; Philippians 2:23 (the only instance in Paul outside the Pastorals) 1 Timothy 6:4; Titus 2:7.

Hymenaeus and Alexander were the ringleaders of those who had suffered shipwreck. There is no sufficient reason to suppose that this Hymenaeus is different from the heretic of the same name in 2 Timothy 2:17, where his error is more precisely defined. The identification of Alexander with Alexander the smith of 2 Timothy 4:14 is more precarious.

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Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

1 Timothy 1:19

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