Over the last few verses, Paul has mentioned several people who he cares for deeply, colleagues in his ministry. Some of these have deserted him, others have moved to other areas to minister. Luke has remained with him, and Paul desires for Timothy and Mark to join him. In this week’s passage, he warns Timothy of one particular person of opposition.

You can find this warning in 2 Timothy 4:14-15:

Paul brings up a man named Alexander. This individual was a metalsmith by trade. The word used here literally means coppersmith, although by the time of the New Testament, it was widely used to mean all kinds of metalwork.

Paul warns Timothy against him, but just who is Alexander? There are a few possibilities. He could be the same Alexander of 1 Timothy 1:19-20, who was mentioned with Hymenaeus. It’s possible he is the man who was involved in the riot in Ephesus, attempting to end it (Acts 19:33-34). Or, he could be some other Alexander of whom we know nothing. While the first two are possibilities, the third option may be the most likely, since the name was a common one during this time.

This man caused Paul some harm, and Paul feels the need to share that information with Timothy. We don’t know what it was he did, but we can take some educated guesses. These are in no particular order.

• Some suggest that Paul still holds his actions against him from the riot in Ephesus, in Acts 19.
• Another possibility is that Alexander did this harm to Paul shortly after Paul called him out, along with Hymenaeus, in 1 Timothy 1.
• Alexander may have been an informer, giving details to the Roman authorities, such as Paul’s location, leading to his arrest and imprisonment in Rome.
• Others suggest that he was a witness for the prosecution against Paul during his first trial.

Regardless, he was very likely a leader of the opposition that Timothy stood against in Ephesus, the false teachers who were teaching a form of Gnostic heresy.

Although Alexander did something that caused him harm, Paul rested in God’s ability to take care of the situation. There is no indication that Paul retaliated in any way at all. He does offer, however, a warning to Timothy to avoid him. Paul states this because there was a chance that Timothy might run into Alexander in his journey to Rome, possibly in Troas, where Timothy will stop to collect the cloak and books that Paul needs.

If Alexander is in fact from Ephesus, then Timothy’s continued ministry there may come under attack. Alexander opposed the gospel. This is the same phrase used in connection with Jannes and Jambres in 2 Timothy 3:8. If Alexander forcefully opposed Paul’s ministry in Rome, he most likely will continue to oppose the gospel wherever he finds it.

Timothy’s instruction is to be on his guard against him. This may mean that Timothy is to be ready for him, or it might be an instruction to avoid him if possible. It’s not clear just what Paul means here. Either way, Timothy will probably have to deal with the man at some point. He should beware.

Question: How do you respond to someone who is openly antagonistic towards the gospel? You can leave a comment by clicking here.