An Exegetical Examination of ναυαγεο in 1 Timothy 1:19
This exegetical study of An Exegetical Examination of ναυαγεο in 1 Timothy 1:19 is based on an online b-greek discussion concerning the unique lexical choice of ναυαγεο. The initial query presented the Greek text of 1 Timothy 1:19 alongside its English translation, highlighting the term ναυαγεο (shipwreck) as a point of interest for its figurative usage.
The main exegetical issue at hand revolves around the author’s specific lexical choice of ναυαγεο (to suffer shipwreck) in 1 Timothy 1:19, particularly when conveying a concept of “ruin” or “destruction” in a spiritual context. While numerous Greek terms could denote general failure or ruin, the selection of ναυαγεο suggests a deliberate emphasis on a particular type of catastrophe, prompting inquiry into its metaphorical depth and any unique connotations it carries beyond a mere generic downfall. This investigation seeks to uncover the rhetorical force and theological implications embedded in this specific metaphor, potentially linking it to broader biblical imagery or the author’s own experiences.
ἔχων πίστιν καὶ ἀγαθὴν συνείδησιν, ἥν τινες ἀπωσάμενοι περὶ τὴν πίστιν ἐναυάγησαν.
(Nestle 1904)
Key differences with SBLGNT (2010):
- There are no significant textual variants between the Nestle 1904 text (as typically reconstructed for this verse) and the SBLGNT 2010 for 1 Timothy 1:19. Both editions present the same wording.
Textual Criticism (NA28): The critical apparatus of NA28 for 1 Timothy 1:19 shows no variants that impact the verb ἐναυάγησαν or the overall meaning of the phrase relevant to this exegetical study. The text is well-attested across major manuscript traditions, confirming the consistency of the chosen verb.
Lexical Notes:
- KITTEL (TDNT): The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (TDNT) discusses ναυαγέω (nauageō) under the entry for ναῦς (naus, ship). It denotes the literal meaning “to suffer shipwreck” or “to be shipwrecked.” Significantly, it acknowledges the figurative use of the term, explicitly referencing 1 Timothy 1:19 as an instance where it signifies a spiritual catastrophe or ruin. The imagery invoked is one of a complete and sudden disaster, implying the total loss of the “vessel” and its contents, which, in the spiritual sense, would be one’s faith and spiritual integrity. This highlights the severe and irreversible nature implied by the metaphor.
- BDAG: Bauer, Danker, Arndt, and Gingrich’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (BDAG) defines ναυαγέω primarily as “to suffer shipwreck, be shipwrecked.” For its figurative usage, BDAG states, “to suffer total ruin, be ruined, suffer shipwreck.” It directly cites 1 Timothy 1:19 as an example of this metaphorical application, where it describes the spiritual downfall or failure concerning one’s faith. The lexicon emphasizes the totality of the ruin, akin to a ship being completely lost at sea.
Translation Variants and Grammatical & Rhetorical Analysis
The provided English translation, “keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith,” accurately renders the core meaning but warrants deeper grammatical and rhetorical analysis to appreciate the author’s choice of ναυαγεο.
Grammatical Analysis:
- The verse begins with the present active participle ἔχων (echōn, keeping/having), which suggests a continuous action or state, likely referring to Timothy or, more generally, to any faithful believer. This participle modifies an implied subject.
- The objects of ἔχων are πίστιν καὶ ἀγαθὴν συνείδησιν (pistin kai agathēn syneidēsin, faith and a good conscience). These are presented as essential for the believer.
- The relative pronoun ἥν (hēn, which), accusative feminine singular, refers back to συνείδησιν (syneidēsin, conscience). While grammatically it could refer to both “faith and a good conscience,” the context strongly suggests it refers primarily to the “good conscience,” as it is the conscience that is “rejected.”
- The phrase τινὲς ἀπωσάμενοι (tines apōsameanoi, some having rejected/thrust away) features an aorist middle participle, indicating a decisive act of rejection by certain individuals. The middle voice implies a self-initiated or self-affecting action.
- The key verb is ἐναυάγησαν (enauagēsan, they suffered shipwreck), an aorist active indicative, 3rd person plural. This verb dramatically concludes the action initiated by the rejection of conscience. The aorist tense indicates a completed, often sudden, action.
- Finally, περὶ τὴν πίστιν (peri tēn pistin, concerning the faith / in regard to their faith) serves as a prepositional phrase clarifying the sphere or object of the shipwreck. It is not their physical lives that are shipwrecked, but their faith.
Rhetorical Analysis:
The choice of ναυαγεο is a powerful and deliberate rhetorical move. It is a striking metaphor that elevates the spiritual failure from a mere “ruin” or “destruction” to a cataclysmic event. A shipwreck implies:
- Catastrophe: It is not a gradual decline but a sudden and often violent destruction.
- Total Loss: Everything on board – the ship, its cargo, and potentially its crew – is lost. In the spiritual sense, this means a complete forfeiture of one’s faith and spiritual standing.
- Loss of Direction: A shipwrecked vessel is adrift and broken, signifying a loss of spiritual direction and purpose.
- Irreversibility: While recovery might occur, a shipwreck fundamentally changes the vessel’s integrity, often beyond repair. Spiritually, this suggests a profound and potentially unrecoverable spiritual state.
The metaphor might also resonate with the Apostle Paul’s own well-documented experiences of multiple shipwrecks (2 Corinthians 11:25, Acts 27-28), lending a vivid and personal backdrop to the warning. By choosing ναυαγεο, the author emphasizes the severe consequence of abandoning a good conscience: it leads to a catastrophic spiritual disaster, highlighting the preciousness of faith and the vital role of conscience in its preservation.
Conclusions and Translation Suggestions
The author of 1 Timothy purposefully employs ναυαγεο to convey a sense of spiritual catastrophe that transcends simple failure or destruction. The metaphor of a shipwreck underscores the sudden, complete, and potentially irreversible nature of the spiritual loss that results from abandoning a good conscience. It is a powerful warning that evokes images of utter devastation, suggesting that the consequences for one’s faith are as profound and destructive as a ship dashed against the rocks.
Here are three translation suggestions that attempt to capture the rhetorical force and specific nuances of ναυαγεο in 1 Timothy 1:19:
- “holding faith and a good conscience, which some, having thrust aside, have suffered a complete spiritual shipwreck concerning their faith.” This translation directly employs “shipwreck” but clarifies its spiritual domain and emphasizes the totality of the disaster with “complete.”
- “maintaining faith and a clear conscience, though some, having rejected this, have been utterly ruined in their faith, like a ship at sea.” This option translates the figurative sense as “utterly ruined” but retains the maritime imagery with an explanatory simile to convey the catastrophic nature.
- “keeping faith and a good conscience, which some, having cast away, have brought about the total destruction of their faith, as if by shipwreck.” This version focuses on the active bringing about of the destruction and uses “total destruction” as a strong equivalent, with “as if by shipwreck” to retain the vivid original imagery.
Hi Ted.
Philo uses the term similarly in “On the Change of Names, 215”. The English is from Yonge’s edition:
… if we have fallen in with ever so slight a breeze which bears us towards the good fortune, immediately set all sail and became greatly elated, and being full of great and high spirits, hurry forward with all our speed to the indulgence of our passions, and never will check our unbridled and immoderately excited desires until we run ashore and are wrecked as to the whole vessel of our souls.
The last part is:
ἕως ἂν ἐξοκείλαντες ὅλῳ τῷ ψυχῆς ναυαγήσωμεν σκάφει EWS AN ECOKEILANTES OLW TW YUXHS NAUAGHSWMEN SKAFEI
Philo uses it again in “On Dreams, 247”. BDAG lists some other instances; TDNT and M-M list other examples too.
Hope it helps,
Rick Brannan http://www.supakoo.com/rick/ricoblog http://www.pastoralepistles.com http://bit.ly/ApFthInt
href=”mailto:[email protected]”>[email protected]
The metaphors that are most commonly employed in any language should be expected to derive from the central realities of their ordinary existence. Seafaring and procuring a livelihood from the sea have always been dominant in the experience and therefore in the langauge of the Greeks. In checking the dictionary entries one ought to observe the examples offered, especially of metaphorical usage. BDAG cites Philo using the verb along with κακῶς διατρὶβειν [KAKWS DIATRIBEIN] (“make bad use of their time”), ἀθλίως ζῆν [AQLIWS ZHN] in the sense “make a wreck of their livelihood” LSJ even shows the verb used of chariots.
The trick in turning any metaphorical expression into the language of an alien culture is to think of metaphors within the alien culture that function the same way. One great source of metaphors in modern English would be something commercial like “go bankrupt” or from team sports such as “strike out to end the inning and the game.” Use your imagination.
BDAG s.v. ναυαγέω: 2. to experience a great loss or disaster, suffer shipwreck fig. ext. of 1 (Cebes 24, 2 ὡς κακῶς διατρίβουσι καὶ ἀθλίως ζῶσι καὶ ναυαγοῦσιν ἐν τῷ βίῳ; Philo, Mut. Nom. 215, Somn. 2, 147) περὶ τὴν πίστιν ἐναυάγησαν they have suffered shipwreck in their faith 1 Ti 1:19.—DELG s.v. ναυαγός. M-M. TW.
LSJ s.v. ναυαγέω: ναυᾱγ-έω, Ion. ναυηγ-, pf. νεναυάγηκα Hdt.7.236 (-ηγ-), Eub.76: (ναῦς, ἄγνυμι):—suffer shipwreck, Hdt. l. c., X.Cyr.3.1.24, D.34.10, etc.: metaph., of chariots, Id.61.29; of an earthen vessel, A.Fr. 180; of persons, ν. ἐν τοῖς ἰδίοις Thphr. ap. D.L.5.55, cf. Phld.Vit. p.33 J.; ἐν τῷ βίῳ Ceb.24.2; περὶ τὴν πίστιν 1 Ep.Ti.1.19; χὡ μὲν ἐναυάγει γαίης ἔπι AP5.208 (Posidipp. or Asclep.); ναυαγεῖ συμπόσια μὴ τυχόντα παιδαγωγίας ὀρθῆς Plu.2.622b.
Carl W. Conrad Department of Classics, Washington University (Retired)
Hi Ted.
Philo uses the term similarly in “On the Change of Names, 215”. The English is from Yonge’s edition:
… if we have fallen in with ever so slight a breeze which bears us towards the good fortune, immediately set all sail and became greatly elated, and being full of great and high spirits, hurry forward with all our speed to the indulgence of our passions, and never will check our unbridled and immoderately excited desires until we run ashore and are wrecked as to the whole vessel of our souls.
The last part is:
ἕως ἂν ἐξοκείλαντες ὅλῳ τῷ ψυχῆς ναυαγήσωμεν σκάφει EWS AN ECOKEILANTES OLW TW YUXHS NAUAGHSWMEN SKAFEI
Philo uses it again in “On Dreams, 247”. BDAG lists some other instances; TDNT and M-M list other examples too.
Hope it helps,
Rick Brannan http://www.supakoo.com/rick/ricoblog http://www.pastoralepistles.com http://bit.ly/ApFthInt
href=”mailto:[email protected]”>[email protected]
The metaphors that are most commonly employed in any language should be expected to derive from the central realities of their ordinary existence. Seafaring and procuring a livelihood from the sea have always been dominant in the experience and therefore in the langauge of the Greeks. In checking the dictionary entries one ought to observe the examples offered, especially of metaphorical usage. BDAG cites Philo using the verb along with κακῶς διατρὶβειν [KAKWS DIATRIBEIN] (“make bad use of their time”), ἀθλίως ζῆν [AQLIWS ZHN] in the sense “make a wreck of their livelihood” LSJ even shows the verb used of chariots.
The trick in turning any metaphorical expression into the language of an alien culture is to think of metaphors within the alien culture that function the same way. One great source of metaphors in modern English would be something commercial like “go bankrupt” or from team sports such as “strike out to end the inning and the game.” Use your imagination.
BDAG s.v. ναυαγέω: 2. to experience a great loss or disaster, suffer shipwreck fig. ext. of 1 (Cebes 24, 2 ὡς κακῶς διατρίβουσι καὶ ἀθλίως ζῶσι καὶ ναυαγοῦσιν ἐν τῷ βίῳ; Philo, Mut. Nom. 215, Somn. 2, 147) περὶ τὴν πίστιν ἐναυάγησαν they have suffered shipwreck in their faith 1 Ti 1:19.—DELG s.v. ναυαγός. M-M. TW.
LSJ s.v. ναυαγέω: ναυᾱγ-έω, Ion. ναυηγ-, pf. νεναυάγηκα Hdt.7.236 (-ηγ-), Eub.76: (ναῦς, ἄγνυμι):—suffer shipwreck, Hdt. l. c., X.Cyr.3.1.24, D.34.10, etc.: metaph., of chariots, Id.61.29; of an earthen vessel, A.Fr. 180; of persons, ν. ἐν τοῖς ἰδίοις Thphr. ap. D.L.5.55, cf. Phld.Vit. p.33 J.; ἐν τῷ βίῳ Ceb.24.2; περὶ τὴν πίστιν 1 Ep.Ti.1.19; χὡ μὲν ἐναυάγει γαίης ἔπι AP5.208 (Posidipp. or Asclep.); ναυαγεῖ συμπόσια μὴ τυχόντα παιδαγωγίας ὀρθῆς Plu.2.622b.
Carl W. Conrad Department of Classics, Washington University (Retired)
1 Timothy 1:19-20
” . . .holding faith and a good conscience, which some have thrust aside and have experienced shipwreck concerning [their] faith. 20 Hymenaeus and Alexander belong to these, and I have handed them over to Satan that they may be taught by discipline not to blaspheme.”
It would seem that the Godless masses of mankind are likened to a sea:-
Isaiah 57:20-21
“But the wicked are like the sea that is being tossed, when it is unable to calm down, the waters of which keep tossing up seaweed and mire. 21 There is no peace,” my God has said, “for the wicked ones.”
So it would seem that The Christian should be riding over the sea of Godless mankind not being in among them in a spritual sence.
Not like “Hymenaeus and Alexander” who had left the congregation and gone back to the things behind or back into the sea of Godless mankind under Satan’s control from which they had been extrated from in the past.
1 Timothy 1:19-20
” . . .holding faith and a good conscience, which some have thrust aside and have experienced shipwreck concerning [their] faith. 20 Hymenaeus and Alexander belong to these, and I have handed them over to Satan that they may be taught by discipline not to blaspheme.”
It would seem that the Godless masses of mankind are likened to a sea:-
Isaiah 57:20-21
“But the wicked are like the sea that is being tossed, when it is unable to calm down, the waters of which keep tossing up seaweed and mire. 21 There is no peace,” my God has said, “for the wicked ones.”
So it would seem that The Christian should be riding over the sea of Godless mankind not being in among them in a spritual sence.
Not like “Hymenaeus and Alexander” who had left the congregation and gone back to the things behind or back into the sea of Godless mankind under Satan’s control from which they had been extrated from in the past.