Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed our message.
2 Timothy 4:14-15

Who was Alexander the coppersmith? We don’t know, but the word was out: watch out for him!

What sort of harm did he do to Paul? We don’t know that, either, since Paul doesn’t go into detail about it.

But Paul, who believed in and preached redemption and restoration with all his heart, warns Timothy to be wary of this guy; he was capable of serious damage.

While many people welcome the news of God’s forgiveness, there are always some who will never repent, who will oppose the message of God’s forgiveness. It might be because the message includes the call to leave our favorite sin behind. It might be because they are committed to a false religion, and see the true Gospel as a threat.

Whatever his motive, Alexander strongly opposed the message of salvation that Paul brought.

Poor Alexander, recorded forever as one who did great harm, who strongly opposed the Word of God, whose heart was hardened and full of hate. What a way to go down in History!

Lord, have mercy on those who oppose us and who mean us harm. Help us to be wary and avoid them, but give them the gift of repentance and faith, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

Pastor Dan Giles