Suffering Shipwrecks
In 1 Timothy 1:18-20 , Paul closes out the opening chapter to Timothy with a stern warning concerning his (Timothy) faith. Paul, probably the most traveled in terms of literal distance, likens those of us who have “forfeited” our faith as having figuratively become cast-a way’s as a result of spiritual shipwrecking. I know right now, in my life, this verse has hit home in quite a personal manner because as I sail these waters, affectionately called life, the less I become dependent on my faith and try to live my life using myself as the compass, and I just get closer and closer to running this ship aground.
Paul uses the word ναυαγέω here, pronounced nauageō – we derive our word for nausea from this – and means simply to shipwreck. This word is used only twice in the bible – both times by Paul and for good reason. As we see in 2 Corinthians 11:25, Paul uses the word in exactly the same manner as we would today; there is no hidden amazing discovery when studying this verse and word out. Paul was not only the survivor of three shipwrecks prior to even penning this letter to Timothy, but in his prior life, Paul WAS shipwrecked and stranded from God because of his rejecting faith. It wasn’t until Christ arrived on the scene and offered Paul a life raft that he even REALIZED he had been lost at sea, alone with a belief system that was vacant of true life-saving (and giving for that matter) faith.
Paul is throwing two main points, two lifesavers if you will, to Timothy in encouraging his faith but also in encouraging his ministry. The first is faith, which aside from Christ, is Paul’s central theme in all of his Epistles. Very often in my own bible readings, I sometimes reflect on what exactly faith is? As an honest Christian, we all assume it’s nothing more than believing in Christ. What we don’t fully understand is, almost everyone in a civilized country does too. What makes us special?
Faith in the New Testament is rendered πιστις or pi’stis which quite simply means, properly persuaded. People have faith in jobs or friends or parents or money but, Paul exhorts Timothy to remain faithful; holding faith. You see, just a few decades ago now, Paul himself was a witness to faith in abundance, held by an early Christian saint named Stephen. In Acts 6, shortly after Pentecost and at the beginning of the Christian persecution movement, which would last for centuries, Stephen was only one of seven men selected out of thousands of disciples to take charge of the food ministry in Israel. Whats noteworthy is that of the seven chosen, only Stephen is cited as a “man of Faith” not to mention the Holy Spirit (Acts 6:5). Again, in Acts 6:8 called out specifically as full of faith and, this time, power. Paul, having a direct role in this giant of faith’s death, in subsequent years reflected on the mighty, life SAVING faith of Stephen (Acts 22:20) – for the Judaizers that fateful day HAD made shipwrecked their faith and as mentioned earlier, Paul was sinking with them.
Sola Fide (Faith Alone)
It’s to easy to attach Grace here to Paul, sans Saul, miraculous conversion. To Paul it’s a given (Romans 8:29), though not to be abused or mistreated. It is however our individual faith that speaks to our reverence and humility. Again, for comparison, in the English Standard Version “Faith” occurs 250 times in the New Testament while “Grace” appears 124 total times. Grace isn’t something we can do anything about, we swim in it. It’s our faith that Christ is looking for; never ever let go of it.
Next week, “Sinking Faith”. Until then…