Hymenaeus
Hymenaeus and Alexander(1 Timothy 1:20) evidently had professed a faith in Christ at one point, but that “faith” was seen as a shipwreck. The wreck was cause by, if we look at Verse 19 by not "Holding faith, and a good conscience". They refused to allow others to simply the following of the dictates of conscience and were seen as walking according to the flesh and not the Spirit (Romans 8:5–9), behaving like unbelievers.
The people of Ephesus for the most part preferred covetous practices of their temple system and would be seen as infidels. If they did not live by "charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:"[1] Paul would have to see them as commended to the adversary, Satan.
- 1 Timothy 5:8 "But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel."[2]."
Since, the welfare of the temple at Ephesus was a snare and a trap and would make the word of God to none effect Christians seduced by such vain ideologies would be counted as a wreck.
Albert Barnes wrote, “People become infidels because they wish to indulge in sin. No man can be a sensualist, and yet love that gospel which enjoins purity of life. If people would keep a good conscience,(commending others to do the same) the way to a steady belief in the gospel would be easy. If people will not, they must expect sooner or later to be landed in infidelity.”[2]
Hymenaeus and Philetus(2 Timothy 2:17) were doing a most serious injury to the church by their teaching. Hymenæus and Philetus, and especially with the famous Sadducees school who did not believe in the immortality of the soul. Some ascetic Jewish sects of Essenes and Therapeutæ had other doctrines about the soul. Sadducees which attracted many of the cultured and wealthy Jews.
HYMENAEUS is pertaining to Hymen and is the god of marriage and appears in 2 Timothy 2:17. They "rejecting conscience", had made shipwreck[3] of their faith (1 Tim 1:20). Paul’s delivery of them to Satan has been much discussed (cf. 1 Corinthians 5:5).
- ↑ 505 ἀνυπόκριτος anupokritos [an-oo-pok’-ree-tos] from 1 (as a negative particle) and a presumed derivative of 5271 to simulate, feign, pretend; adj; TDNT-8:570,1235; [{See TDNT 819 }] AV-unfeigned 4, without dissimulation 1, without hypocrisy 1; 6
- 1) unfeigned, undisguised, sincere
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 571 ἄπιστος apistos [ap’-is-tos] from 1 (as a negative particle) and 4103 pistos; adj; TDNT-6:174,849; [{See TDNT 634 }] AV-that believe not 6, unbelieving 5, faithless 4, unbeliever 4, infidel 2, thing incredible 1, which believe not 1; 23
- 1) unfaithful, faithless, (not to be trusted, perfidious)
- 2) incredible
- 2a) of things
- 3) unbelieving, incredulous
- 3a) without trust (in God)
- ↑ 3489 ναυαγέω nauageo [now-ag-eh’-o] from a compound of 3491 and 71; v; TDNT-4:891,627; [{See TDNT 515 }] AV-suffer shipwreck 1, make shipwreck 1; 2
- 1) to suffer shipwreck