Saturday, January 29, 2011

Alexander The Coppersmith

2 Timothy 4:14 KJV
Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works:

The apostle was certainly a man acquainted with hardships.
• He had early in his ministry felt the sting of betrayal by Mark.
• Later a contention with Barnabas over Mark led to their split.
• All through his ministry he had suffered accusations and
• Nearing the end of his life he was deserted of all but a few.
That Paul was grieved is obvious in that he names people who had hurt him one by one.
That he needed friends is obvious in that he mentions them as well.

He was not soft hearted in the he pronounced judgment upon Alexander, who was the professed believer of Acts 19, now doing damage, perhaps even testifying against Paul in court. He also warned Timothy concerning him. He sounds like David who, though he had withheld judgment upon men like Joab, warned Solomon not to trust him.

But that Paul was obviously not bitter is evident by the tenor of his words. He was filled with the assurance of a crown in glory and felt the Lord's presence even in his loneliness.

No comments:

Post a Comment