Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works:
This warning belongs to Paul's letter to Timothy, the first bishop of the church at Ephesus, written around Paul's second appearance before Nero to witness with his life to the faith he held. Alexander was a capable craftsman at Ephesus who tried to turn the crowd's anger against Paul and his companions, but the crowd rejected him and pushed him aside when it saw that he was a Jew. After opposing Paul's work at Ephesus, he strongly opposed the message preached, greatly withstood Paul's words, and did him much evil and harm. Acting in revenge, he helped bring about Paul's arrest.
Timothy is told to beware of Alexander and be on guard against him because he had greatly resisted their message. The warning is repeated because his resistance was strong and his opposition caused much harm. Paul entrusted Alexander's judgment to the Lord, calling on Him to repay and reward him according to his works and deeds. That entrusting of repayment to the Lord stands alongside the warning to be on guard.
The verse stands with Paul's account that at his first answer no one stood with him but all forsook him, for which he prayed it would not be laid to their charge. Yet the Lord stood with him and strengthened him so that the preaching might be fully known and all the Gentiles might hear, and he was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. Alexander is a marked example of those who hear the truth but do not do it, whose Christianity is superficial with no root and no transformed character. He has a knowledge of the theory of truth but the heart is not melted, subdued, and converted, and he works under the training of the enemy, satisfied to float along while the path runs smoothly and in accordance with his own ideas. When tribulation and persecution arise for truth's sake, when obstacles and trials are met and personal habits and selfishness are rebuked, he is offended, turns away, and turns traitor to its principles, and for such it would have been better never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn from it.
The verse shows that God sends messages even to those He knows will not accept them but will brace themselves against them as though their wrongdoings are just and right. In proportion to the light given but disregarded and virtually rejected will be the darkness that envelops the mind. The verse illustrates that faithful workers for Christ may face opposition, hardship, desertion, and disappointment as they stand for the truth, including opposition from men who turned from the faith and from those once with them as teachers who deny the faith and work against the truth they once advocated, and from false professors within like Demas who loved this present world. This experience will be met again and again. Believers who pass over the same ground are taught not to lose faith and confidence in God but to trust the Lord to deliver from every evil work and preserve unto His heavenly kingdom. Workers must not be overwhelmed with discouragement or stop working, but must remember that spiritual things are spiritually discerned, depend on the Holy Spirit, keep lifting Christ higher as the sin-pardoner, and leave judgment and the separation of wheat and tares to Christ.
This warning belongs to Paul's letter to Timothy, the first bishop of the church at Ephesus, written around Paul's second appearance before Nero to witness with his life to the faith he held. Alexander was a capable craftsman at Ephesus who tried to turn the crowd's anger against Paul and his companions, but the crowd rejected him and pushed him aside when it saw that he was a Jew. After opposing Paul's work at Ephesus, he strongly opposed the message preached, greatly withstood Paul's words, and did him much evil and harm. Acting in revenge, he helped bring about Paul's arrest.
Timothy is told to beware of Alexander and be on guard against him because he had greatly resisted their message. The warning is repeated because his resistance was strong and his opposition caused much harm. Paul entrusted Alexander's judgment to the Lord, calling on Him to repay and reward him according to his works and deeds. That entrusting of repayment to the Lord stands alongside the warning to be on guard.
The verse stands with Paul's account that at his first answer no one stood with him but all forsook him, for which he prayed it would not be laid to their charge. Yet the Lord stood with him and strengthened him so that the preaching might be fully known and all the Gentiles might hear, and he was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. Alexander is a marked example of those who hear the truth but do not do it, whose Christianity is superficial with no root and no transformed character. He has a knowledge of the theory of truth but the heart is not melted, subdued, and converted, and he works under the training of the enemy, satisfied to float along while the path runs smoothly and in accordance with his own ideas. When tribulation and persecution arise for truth's sake, when obstacles and trials are met and personal habits and selfishness are rebuked, he is offended, turns away, and turns traitor to its principles, and for such it would have been better never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn from it.
The verse shows that God sends messages even to those He knows will not accept them but will brace themselves against them as though their wrongdoings are just and right. In proportion to the light given but disregarded and virtually rejected will be the darkness that envelops the mind. The verse illustrates that faithful workers for Christ may face opposition, hardship, desertion, and disappointment as they stand for the truth, including opposition from men who turned from the faith and from those once with them as teachers who deny the faith and work against the truth they once advocated, and from false professors within like Demas who loved this present world. This experience will be met again and again. Believers who pass over the same ground are taught not to lose faith and confidence in God but to trust the Lord to deliver from every evil work and preserve unto His heavenly kingdom. Workers must not be overwhelmed with discouragement or stop working, but must remember that spiritual things are spiritually discerned, depend on the Holy Spirit, keep lifting Christ higher as the sin-pardoner, and leave judgment and the separation of wheat and tares to Christ.