That the apostle speaks of them as having _departed from the faith_, viz. the doctrines of the gospel; and that was attended with blasphemy, for which they were _delivered unto Satan_, which is a phrase used by the apostle here and elsewhere, for persons being cut off from the communion of the church; upon which occasion he advises Timothy _to hold faith and a good conscience, which some having put away, concerning faith, have made shipwreck_, as these have done. Now the main force of the objection seems to lie in this, that they who have made shipwreck of faith, were once true believers; therefore, such may apostatize, and so fall short of salvation. To which it may be replied, that by _faith_ here, is meant the doctrines of the gospel, which are often styled _faith_: thus it is said, that the apostle _preached the faith which once he destroyed_, Gal. i. 23. and elsewhere, _before faith came_; that is, before the gospel-dispensation began, and those doctrines were preached that were to be published therein to the world, _we were kept under the law_, chap. iii. 23. And again, _Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith_, ver. 2. that is, by hearing those doctrines that are contained in the gospel. Therefore, that which he chargeth these apostates with, is making shipwreck of faith, considered objectively: they once, indeed, held the truth, but it was in unrighteousness; they had right notions of the gospel, which they afterwards lost: now the apostle advises Timothy not only to _hold faith_, that is, to retain the doctrines of the gospel, as one who had right sentiments of divine truths, but to hold it _with a good conscience_; for I take that expression, _hold faith and a good conscience_, to contain an _hendyadis_; and so it is the same as though he should say, Be not content with an assent to the truths of the gospel, but labour after a conscience void of offence towards God, that thou mayst have the testimony thereof, that thy knowledge of divine truth is practical and experimental, and then thou art out of danger of making shipwreck of faith, as these have done, who held it without a good conscience. It is not said they made shipwreck of a good conscience; for that they never have had; but _concerning faith_, which they once professed, _they made shipwreck_.