The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Timothy 1:18-20,
"Timothy, my son, I am giving you this command in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by recalling them you may fight the battle well, holding on to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith. Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme."
Holy smokes! How would you like to be either Hymenaeus or Alexander? Handed over to Satan by Paul! I don't know what this resulted in, and I am quite certain I would never want to find myself in their shoes.
These two engaged in blasphemy by rejecting faith and a good conscience. Paul says because of this they "suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith."
It appears both of these men may have made a profession of faith but ran off the rails by abandoning the apostolic faith Paul preached. We meet up with Hymenaeus again in Paul's second letter to Timothy. In 2 Timothy 2: 17-18 we find he is still in the false teaching business with a new derelict, Philetus, "Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have departed from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some."
"Timothy, my son, I am giving you this command in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by recalling them you may fight the battle well, holding on to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith. Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme."
Holy smokes! How would you like to be either Hymenaeus or Alexander? Handed over to Satan by Paul! I don't know what this resulted in, and I am quite certain I would never want to find myself in their shoes.
These two engaged in blasphemy by rejecting faith and a good conscience. Paul says because of this they "suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith."
It appears both of these men may have made a profession of faith but ran off the rails by abandoning the apostolic faith Paul preached. We meet up with Hymenaeus again in Paul's second letter to Timothy. In 2 Timothy 2: 17-18 we find he is still in the false teaching business with a new derelict, Philetus, "Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have departed from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some."
I note Paul's motive in handing Hymenaeus and Alexander over to Satan was to bring them to restoration, that they "be taught not to blaspheme."
I don't know what motivates a person to buck apostolic teaching, the true gospel of Jesus Christ, but it seems to me that life is lived so much easier by simply embracing the truth of the gospel that Paul and the other apostles brought to the world. As we look at all the false teaching that floats around today, we apparently have a number of people who have been unable to learn from the case of Hymenaeus and Alexander.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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