Of whom be thou ware also; for he hath greatly withstood our words.
The verse is a warning to Timothy to be on guard and beware of Alexander the coppersmith. Alexander had done Paul much evil and had greatly withstood his words, his preaching, and his message, strongly opposing him. The warning stands amid Paul's account of being harmed and deserted, when at his first answer no man stood with him but all forsook him. Even then he prayed that it might not be laid to their charge, while the Lord stood with him and strengthened him. By him the preaching was fully known and all the Gentiles heard, and he was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.
It was written to Timothy as the first bishop of the church at Ephesus after Paul had been brought a second time before Nero to witness with his life to the faith he held. It records his trials through men who turned from the faith, to encourage believers who pass over the same ground. It shows that God sends messages to those He knows will not accept them but will brace themselves against them as though their wrongdoings are just and right. Light from God that is disregarded and virtually rejected brings darkness to envelop the mind in proportion to the light given and rejected.
The verse means that believers and faithful workers now meet the same experience of opposition, withstanding of the truth, and desertion from within. This comes because good and bad are gathered into the church. It comes in particular from some who were once with them as teachers but now deny the faith and work against the truth they once advocated and supported. In that experience they are not to lose faith and confidence in God nor be overwhelmed with discouragement. They are to work on lifting Christ higher and still higher as the sin-pardoner.
The verse is a warning to Timothy to be on guard and beware of Alexander the coppersmith. Alexander had done Paul much evil and had greatly withstood his words, his preaching, and his message, strongly opposing him. The warning stands amid Paul's account of being harmed and deserted, when at his first answer no man stood with him but all forsook him. Even then he prayed that it might not be laid to their charge, while the Lord stood with him and strengthened him. By him the preaching was fully known and all the Gentiles heard, and he was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.
It was written to Timothy as the first bishop of the church at Ephesus after Paul had been brought a second time before Nero to witness with his life to the faith he held. It records his trials through men who turned from the faith, to encourage believers who pass over the same ground. It shows that God sends messages to those He knows will not accept them but will brace themselves against them as though their wrongdoings are just and right. Light from God that is disregarded and virtually rejected brings darkness to envelop the mind in proportion to the light given and rejected.
The verse means that believers and faithful workers now meet the same experience of opposition, withstanding of the truth, and desertion from within. This comes because good and bad are gathered into the church. It comes in particular from some who were once with them as teachers but now deny the faith and work against the truth they once advocated and supported. In that experience they are not to lose faith and confidence in God nor be overwhelmed with discouragement. They are to work on lifting Christ higher and still higher as the sin-pardoner.