Seafaring: Paul adds to warfare the imagery of seafaring to show the grave danger of shipwrecking one’s own faith if he does not deal honestly with his sins.[1] He who forsakes the pursuit of a good conscience walks in darkness and enjoys no fellowship with God (1 John 1:5-2:2), neither now nor in eternity. A captain who fails to respond to the warnings at sea exposes the ship to its untold dangers: storms, icebergs, reefs, etc. A vigilant conscience is the helmsman who navigates around the hazards of sin until the ship comes safely to the harbor of heaven. Thus we pursue a good conscience,[2] one that is sensitive to the principles of Scripture,[3] ready to move at the impulse of the Holy Spirit, who evermore directs us to live according to the word of God.

Two Examples: Two men neglected their conscience and thus made shipwreck[4] of their faith. They stopped fighting sin and ceased responding to the prompting of conscience to steer away from moral compromise. Unlike the prudent man who sees evil and hides himself, they were the naïve who go on to pay the penalty (Prov. 27:12). Paul disciplined them out of the church in the hope that they would come to repentance. [5] They were cast into the domain of Satan (1 John 5:19) outside the safety of the church, where saints guard each other from the deceitfulness of sin and an unbelieving heart (Heb. 3:12-13). May we remain repentant, fight every sin, and keep living by faith (Rom. 1:17).

[1] Shipwreck of faith is the result of a bad conscience in v19. The object of rejection there is a good conscience. A bad (or compromised) conscience is what lets sin take over one’s own life and sinks the ship of faith.

[2] This is to “watch over your heart” (Prov. 4:23) and to have God’s law in your heart (Ps. 40:8; Jer. 31:33).

[3] All who fear God receive God’s word and gain a biblically informed conscience (Is. 66:2; Prov. 10:17; 12:15; 14:12). They continue in God’s word (John 8:31) and have their minds renewed (Rom. 12:2). This does not come by intuition, but by seeking the Lord (Is. 55:6) and learning His thoughts and ways (Is. 55:8-9).

[4] Verse 19 is more accurately translated as “By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith” (ESV). “Suffer shipwreck” (NASB) is the main verb in this clause and rejecting a good conscience is subordinate.

[5] “Handing over to Satan” is the language of church discipline (1 Cor. 5:5, “deliver” is the same word).