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1 Timothy 1:19

ESV holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith,
NIV holding on to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith.
NASB keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith.
CSB having faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and have shipwrecked their faith.
NLT Cling to your faith in Christ, and keep your conscience clear. For some people have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked.
KJV Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:
NKJV having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck,

What does 1 Timothy 1:19 mean?

This verse continues Paul's charge to Timothy from the previous verse. The phrase "holding faith and a good conscience" includes the idea of clinging to and not letting go of his faith. Timothy was to do so with a "good conscience." The pairing of faith and conscience is also seen in 1 Timothy 1:5 and 3:9. A person's faith and their thoughts are closely connected.

Faith begins and ends this verse. The second half warns about the danger of turning from a good conscience. Paul uses the Greek word apōsamenoi, which implies a strong, personal, deliberate refusal. This is not a casual or accidental error—Paul is referring to those who purposefully reject keeping a clear conscience. Paul himself survived a serious shipwreck on his way to Rome, so he knew intimately what a danger it could be. Paul uses this analogy to highlight the deadly nature of rejecting a good conscience. Since Ephesus was also a location where many ships stopped, the idea of a shipwreck was likely very personal to Timothy.

In the next verse, Paul offers two specific examples of men who ruined their faith by turning up their noses at a clear conscience.
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