It’s war time… (1 Timothy 1:18-20) 180608
18 Tau,thn th.n paraggeli,an parati,qemai, soi( te,knon Timo,qee( kata. ta.j proagou,saj evpi. se. profhtei,aj( i[na strateu,h| evn auvtai/j th.n kalh.n stratei,an 19 e;cwn pi,stin kai. avgaqh.n sunei,dhsin( h[n tinej avpwsa,menoi peri. th.n pi,stin evnaua,ghsan( 20 w-n evstin ~Ume,naioj kai. VAle,xandroj( ou]j pare,dwka tw/| satana/|( i[na paideuqw/sin mh. blasfhmei/nÅ
This command I entrust to you, son – Timothy, according to the prophecies which come before concerning you, that you may make war (fight) in His good warfare (fight), having faith and good conscience, which some who have rejected, suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith; which is Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I handed over to Satan, in order that they may be disciplined not to blaspheme.
I am so happy that I have completed translating the entire chapter one of First Timothy. Now I really have learned to appreciate the hard work of those translators. At the same time, I also have learned to appreciate the opportunity to read and study the Greek text; it gives me so much of insight which I will likely not notice it if I read it in English.
As I read these last three verses of chapter one, I cannot help to have an image of military change of command scene. It is as if Paul is passing on the command of the army to Timothy, whom he addresses intimately as son. The language uses in verse 18 is a military language. Whenever I read my NAS Bible, it says: This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may fight the good fight.
The ‘command’ mentions here has a sense of ‘order’, like a senior officer ordering a junior officer. Though when Paul brings in about the ‘prophecies’ which adds some religious color to this commissioning statement, it is a common practice in the first century military commissioning involves divine commissioning as well. And of course the popular phrase which we like to memorize and encourage others: fight the good fight; it is actually to make war or wage war is His good warfare.
Christian ministry is a warfare, it is a warfare between us and the evil forces. Though God has already won the ultimate warfare; but we, as sinful humans are still struggling and fighting this warfare. And Paul’s act of handing over Hymenaeus and Alexander to Satan who is our enemy, is an act of surrendering them to Satan.
As the idea of Christian ministry as warfare sets in my mind, I cannot help but to recall my days when I was serving my National Service in the army. The need of submission of a soldier to his commander, the need of keeping oneself fit so that one can survive the strenuous and demands of jungle fight, the need of being discipline and the need of having a vision and purpose to fight against the enemy. I cannot imagine is a soldier is doing things on his own and do not follow the instruction of his commander, or never bother to keep fit and have good discipline in the field, or do not even know why he is engaging in the warfare; it will be disastrous. The soldier will be very soon either be captured by the enemy, or injured and become a liability to his platoon, or will be very confused and depressed by the war.
You and I are in this warfare. Some call it spiritual warfare, but I think it is as real as it can be. The struggle we have to click on pornography site to satisfy our bodily desire; the struggle to tear and pay the exact parking coupons; the struggle to keep a promise; the struggle to pay attention during Sunday service; the struggle to find some time to spend with the Lord; and many more struggles. These are real struggles, they are not spirituals though there can be a spiritual aspect of it. These struggles are as real as it can be, they are around us and we are to fight against them constantly. This is the warfare we are in!
It’s war time, are you ready to engage your enemy?
HHS…
Abel…
