1 Timothy 1:18-19

1 Timothy 1:18-19

[18] charge  I commit  son  Timothy,  according to  the prophecies  which went before  on  that  by  them  mightest war  a good  warfare;  [19] Holding  faith,  and  a good  conscience;  which  some  having put away  concerning  faith  have made shipwreck: 

What does 1 Timothy 1:18-19 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

The command to which Paul referred here is the one contained in 1 Timothy 1:3-4. He now returned to the subject that he began there. Sometime in the past someone had given prophecies concerning Timothy"s effectiveness as a servant of Christ ( 1 Timothy 4:14; 2 Timothy 1:6; cf. Acts 13:2). We have no certain record of who gave them, when, or where, unless it was at Timothy"s ordination ( 1 Timothy 4:14), but Paul referred to them here to motivate Timothy to carry on. [1] Paul had left Timothy in Ephesus ( 1 Timothy 1:3), but more importantly the Holy Spirit had placed him there.
"Here the believer is cast in the role of a soldier who is ordered out into battle. The weapons of this soldier, however, are not clever argumentation or inescapable logic, things that we might think best suited to debates with false teachers. On the contrary, Timothy is to avoid debates ( 2 Timothy 2:23-25). Nor is the soldier"s objective the destruction of his opponent. Appropriate strategy includes instructing, correcting erroneous views and urging repentance (see 2 Thessalonians 3:14-15). The minister"s weapons for this fight are the gospel and godly concern for the spiritual condition of the opponent. The goal is to protect the faith of those whom the false teachers seek to influence and, if possible, to win back those who have strayed ( 1 Timothy 1:5). Only the gospel is sufficient for such work, as Paul has just taken great care to illustrate ( 1 Timothy 1:11-16)." [2]
As Timothy fought the good fight, he should continue to trust God and maintain a good conscience (cf. 2 Timothy 1:3). A conscience, like a computer, programmed with the will of God, can be a great asset to the Christian soldier. However if one violates his or her conscience so programmed, that person ignores a warning signal. The results can be disastrous. The conscience is the umpire of the soul. Someone has described it as the capacity to feel guilt. One"s conscience enables him or her to feel dishonor, shame, and guilt.
"In the conflict which we wage outwardly against the enemy, our chief concern is with the inner state and disposition of the heart." [3]
"One man said of his hypocritical pastor, "He is such a good preacher, he should never get out of the pulpit; but he is such a poor Christian, he should never get into the pulpit!" [4]