PAUL HANDLING HARM AND ABANDONMENT
2 Timothy 4:14-18 NKJV
14 Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm. May the Lord repay him according to his works. 15 You also must beware of him, for he has greatly resisted our words.
16 At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against them.
17 But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. Also I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. 18 And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen!
Paul is wrapping up his letter to Timothy and mentions some of the difficulties he encountered and warned Timothy about a certain person who had caused him harm.
Paul waits until the end of his letter to talk about the problems he encountered with a man named Alexander who was a coppersmith in Ephesus. Paul said Alexander did him much harm. Paul does not go into detail on the harm done except that Alexander greatly resisted Paul’s preaching. Paul does not launch into a scathing criticism of a man who hurt him. There is something to gain from the way Paul handled his hurt. He did not call Alexander the demon possessed lunatic that did him harm. He did not banish Alexander into hell. Paul did turn him over to the Lord to repay. In our verbally aggressive culture, we forget that "vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord" is a verse not a concept. And Paul warned Timothy to be on guard against this man.
Paul also mentioned that when he was defending himself, no one stood with him. All forsook him. That is not a light statement. Paul had poured out his life reaching these people with the gospel message, often at the risk of his own safety. To have all people leave him to face the heat alone could not have been easy. That abandonment had to hurt. But Paul doesn’t mention the hurt, he just asks that it not be charged against them. We know Paul was a physically tough man to deal with the pain and punishment he received. He also had to have been an emotionally and mentally strong person as well. Paul knew that to do well on the outside he had to protect and nourish his inner life. Being strong spiritually enabled him to move past the pain and hurts that can cripple a person. Paul just moved on. He did not linger on or bemoan the hurts.
"But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me." Here we see why Paul was able to navigate so many difficulties. The Lord stood with him. The Lord strengthened him. I love Paul’s confidence in the Lord. The stronger our confidence in the Lord Jesus is, the greater our capacity to move past problems without going all additional drama. Paul had the Lord standing with him and helping him, and so Paul was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. That’s a very strong visual. Delivered, but not just delivered; Paul was delivered from the mouth of the lion. That’s rather close.
Paul declares that he believes the Lord will deliver him from every evil work. And preserve him for God’s heavenly kingdom. Paul believed that whatever was coming his way, the Lord would deliver him. That kind of confidence kicks fear to the curb. That kind of confidence can face down challenges without flinching. Paul knew that he would face tough times, but he looked past the problem to the person of Jesus his Saviour and Deliverer.
PRAYER
Lord, help me become more like Paul. I don’t want to focus on the hurt. I want to focus on the help that I have through You.