2Tim 4:14, “Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm. May the Lord repay him according to his works.” This is a verse which seems to contradict other verses / passages which take a different approach to those who hurt us. Luke 23:34, “Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” Matt 5:44, “I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.”
Does the Apostle Paul (2Tim 4:14) contradict the Lord Jesus (Luke 23:34, Matt 5:44)? Why pray for God to forgive and bless on one occasion while on another, pray that He would judge? There is no contradiction between Paul and Christ; scripture does not and cannot contradict itself. God’s Word is nuanced and it teaches us to respond according to the dynamics of each situation. Some situations may be similar, yet they are different.
Who is this metal worker named Alexander? V15 indicates that he may have been a false believer / teacher in the church at Ephesus – “You also must beware of him, for he has greatly resisted our words.” If that is the case, it is probable that he is the same Alexander mentioned in 1Tim 1:20, who along with Hymenaeus, Paul delivered to Satan. This means they were excommunicated. In what way did he harm Paul? We don’t know, only to say that it was personal and severe – “he did me much harm.” Paul must have been deeply affected to call him out by name. Based upon the teaching of Christ, I think we can safely say that Paul prayed for this man in terms of God’s forgiveness and restoration. It could be that Alexander became particularly malicious as the result of being excommunicated. Experiencing much harm from Alexander and with no end in sight, Paul’s prayers changed accordingly – “may the Lord repay him according to his works.”
Three observations
* We must always pray for those who oppose us due to our faith. We must pray for fellow Christians who hurt us and seek to be restored to them. The scriptures are clear – we are to love our enemies, and love is to inform our prayers and the way we treat them.
* There is a place to pray for justice. Desiring justice is not an expression of hatred nor an unwillingness to forgive. God is just by nature, and He will judge the unrepentant. When people harm us, do it continually and show no sign of remorse, it is quite appropriate to look to God in terms of His justice. Consider the imprecatory Psalms (5, 17, 59, 69, 79, 137) and the prayers of the saints in heaven (Rev 6:9-11).
* We must not become vengeful. Paul prayed that God would deal with Alexender, he did not take matters into his own hands. Rom 12:19, “Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “vengeance is mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.”
You will have your own “Alexanders” in life. Pray that God would be merciful, bring them to repentance and enable them to change the way they behave. Seek to reason with them. If prayer and reasoning do not have the desired effect, commit them to the just judge who will give to each one according to their works. Along with praying for them, pray for yourself; that God by His grace would keep you from becoming embittered or vengeful.