-Spiritual disaster. That’s what had happened to these two guys. Hymenaeus and Alexander. We don’t know much about them, but they made it into the pages of Scripture. Sadly, in their case, that’s not a good thing. They are both mentioned twice in fact, in this letter and then again in Paul’s second letter to Timothy. Alexander was a coppersmith, and he did something which severely injured Paul somehow (2Timothy 4.14). We’re not sure if it was physical damage, or spiritual/emotional. More likely the latter. Hymenaeus apparently joined with another fellow named Philetus in spreading a gangrenous teaching that the resurrection (the second one for all who put their trust in Christ) had already taken place (2Timothy 2.17-18). It was upsetting people’s faith, getting them off track. Ironically, getting off track is precisely what had happened to these two guys. They were following Jesus at one point. Had their eyes fixed on Him. But they rejected faith and a good conscience and had shipwrecked. They took their eyes off the prize, off of Jesus, somehow stopped caring (for a season?) about what He thought. And they descended into blasphemy...
-We just visited this word in v 13. Paul himself was a blasphemer. BEFORE he came to know Jesus. The question is, how does one get to blasphemy AFTER they begin following Jesus, and more importantly, how do they get back?
-Paul’s solution, at least in this instance, sounds rather extreme. Hand them over to Satan - he’ll teach ‘em. Extreme measures. This is not the only time where Paul talks about doing this (1Corinthians 5.5). Whether he’s talking about one or both of these same two guys there, or this is more of a general approach Paul took in extreme situations, it IS safe to say that Paul does take these situations extremely seriously, because what is at stake is not only that the blasphemer has shipwrecked, but there is also the health of the rest of the body to consider. There is the risk of contagion. And so commentators disagree as to the extent of what it means to “hand a person over to Satan”. Some (Calvin) insist that Paul only has a form of excommunication in mind. Others (Henry) add that the discipline meted out also includes some form of apostolic gifting to somehow enable a form of demonic torment on a person’s body. Some kind of destruction of flesh, which would have the end goal of preserving their spirit. In no place are we talking about the loss of salvation, mind you. These ones, if they had truly placed their faith in Jesus, are permanently saved. But while they persist in their place of blasphemy, they are bringing shame to the good name of Jesus and are further injuring His body, potentially getting other believers off track as well. So the situation calls for tough love - extremely so. Sometimes the most loving thing to do for someone who gets off track like this, as would most parents, spiritual or otherwise, is to discipline them. Give them consequences. That’s exactly what Paul is doing with these guys. He wants to help them learn to NOT blaspheme any more. He wants to help get them back on track in their faith, following Jesus once more.
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