1 Timothy 1.20-2.2-Paul Disciplines Hymenaeus And Alexander And Requests Ephesians Pray For The Roman Authorities
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday March 13, 2011
1 Timothy: 1 Timothy 1:20-2:2-Paul Disciplines Hymenaeus And Alexander And Requests Ephesians Pray For Roman Authorities
Lesson # 35
Please turn in your Bibles to 1 Timothy 1:18.
The apostle Paul in verse 20 identifies two pastors who suffered the shipwreck of their faith, namely Hymenaeus and Alexander.
He also reveals that he administered discipline to these two individuals by handing them over to Satan in order that they would be taught not to blaspheme.
1 Timothy 1:18 This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you fight the good fight, 19 keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith. 20 Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan, so that they will be taught not to blaspheme. (NASU)
“Hymenaeus” was one of the pastors in Ephesus who was disciplined by the apostle Paul and thus expelled from the fellowship of the church in that city.
His sin is revealed by Paul in 2 Timothy 2:17-18.
Therefore, we can see from this passage that Hymenaeus was teaching that the resurrection or rapture of the church had already taken place, which upset the faith of many Christians in Ephesus.
Paul’s statement here in 1 Timothy 1:20 makes clear that Hymenaeus did not stop propagating this teaching after being confronted by Paul and ordered to do so.
This led to the apostle administering church discipline and expelling from the fellowship of the church.
If he had stopped, Paul would have restored him to the fellowship of the church.
We know this because of Paul’s teaching in 1 Corinthians 5 and 2 Corinthians 2 where Paul ordered the Corinthians to discipline a man who was having an incestuous relationship.
The Alexander mentioned in 2 Timothy 4:14 might be the same one mentioned in 1 Timothy 1:20 since both were disciplined by Paul.
However, the former is identified as a well-known coppersmith and no such identification is given of this individual in 1 Timothy 1:20.
So we can’t be dogmatic that the Alexander mentioned in these two passages are one in the same.
“Whom I handed over to Satan” refers to Paul disciplining Hymenaeus and Alexander by expelling them from the fellowship of the church until they have stopped teaching false doctrine.
It is used here of a judicial act performed by the apostle Paul in handing over these two to suffer the consequences of their actions in teaching false doctrine.
This decision is designed to correct their behavior and produce the holiness of God in them or in other words so that they can have fellowship with God and the church again and experience their sanctification.
There are several passages in the New Testament that refer to church discipline (Matthew 18:15-17; 1 Corinthians 5:5; 2 Corinthians 2:5-11; 2 Thessalonians 3:14-15).
“So that they will be taught not to blaspheme” is a purpose clause that indicates that Paul disciplined Hymenaeus and Alexander by handing them over to Satan for the express purpose that they would be taught not to blaspheme.
“Taught” is the verb paideuo, which means “to discipline” in the sense of God expressing His love for Hymenaeus and Alexander by punishing them by removing them from the fellowship of the church and exposing them to Satan’s kingdom.
The verb speaks of training these two not to blaspheme God by handing them over to the authority of Satan who would have been given authority to cause these two suffering in some form.
In 1 Timothy 1:20, the verb blasphemeo means “to blaspheme” in the sense of Hymenaeus and Alexander insulting God by not communicating the gospel and instead teaching false doctrine.
This verb expresses the fact that Hymenaeus and Alexander were blaspheming God in the sense of insulting Him by contradicting Him by teaching false doctrine instead of proclaiming the gospel.
1 Timothy 2:1 First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men. (NASU)
1 Timothy 2:1 resumes Paul’s previous train of thought in 1 Timothy 1:12-17 after his parenthetical remarks in 1 Timothy 1:18-20 and is introducing a statement that is the result of an inference from his statements in 1 Timothy 1:12-17.
“First of all” emphasizes the urgency and priority of prayer for all men to be exposed to the gospel of Jesus Christ based upon Paul’s statements in 1 Timothy 1:12-17.
The emphasis is not on prayer in general but rather the content of the prayer in the sense that the Ephesians are to pray for all men to be exposed to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
“Entreaties” refers to intercessory prayer and specifically to specific detailed requests offered up to the Father by the Ephesians on behalf of all people to be exposed to the gospel of Jesus Christ for eternal salvation.
“Prayers” refers to intercessory prayer offered up to the Father on behalf of all people but from the perspective that it is an expression of worshipping God and dependence upon Him.
“Petitions” refers to intercessory prayer for all people to be exposed to the gospel of Jesus Christ in order to delivered from eternal condemnation and receive eternal life but from the perspective that there must be a sense of urgency when offering such prayer and speaks of being bold in approaching the Father.
“Thanksgiving” is to be offered up by the Ephesians to the Father for all people since all the human race was created in the image of God even though that image has been marred by sin.
“Be made on behalf of all men” indicates that all of unregenerate humanity are to benefit from the intercessory prayers of the Ephesians.
1 Timothy 2:1 First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. (NASU)
“For kings” not only refers to the Emperor Nero but also all those who governed the provinces that were under his authority.
So Paul is not only calling the Ephesians to intercede in prayer for Nero but also those rulers who governed the various provinces of the Empire under his authority.
He wants the Ephesians to pray that these rulers would be exposed to the gospel for their salvation.
Also, he wants them to pray for these rulers in order to protect them from the attacks of Satan and the kingdom of darkness.
“All who are in authority” refers to those individuals in the Roman government who formed the Emperor’s consortium, which would include the Praefect of the Praetorian Guard as well as magistrates and proconsuls in the various cities and provinces in the Empire.
“So that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life” presents the purpose for Paul’s request that the Ephesians offer up intercessory prayer for kings and all in authority.
It refers to the lifestyle of those belonging to the Christian church and are sons of God and in union with Christ.
Thus, Paul is requesting intercessory prayer from the Ephesians for all those in authority in order that they may conduct their lives in a tranquil and peaceful manner.
“Tranquil” speaks of the tranquil and peaceful coexistence or conditions with respect to the Roman government and the Christian community.
“Quiet” speaks of the quietness of soul as a result of the peaceful political situation in the Roman Empire or the peaceful coexistence between the Roman government and the Christian community.
The Christian community is to pray for the Roman government in order that they might provide them with freedom to proclaim the gospel throughout the empire unhindered.
“Godliness” is accomplished in the life of Christian by the power of the Holy Spirit and is the Christian conforming their thinking and conduct according to the Father’s will, which is revealed by the Holy Spirit in the Word of God.
It means that the Christian is conforming their attitude and conduct to the will of the Father as a result of faith in the Spirit’s teaching in the Word of God resulting in obedience to the Father’s will.
The Christian’s faith in the Word of God appropriates the power of the Holy Spirit resulting in conformity of their attitude and conduct to the will of the Father, which is revealed by the Spirit in the Word of God, which constitutes worshipping God.
“Dignity” refers to conduct that is worthy of honor, reverence and respect by others and thus speaks of the Christian’s conduct as worthy of honor, reverence and respect by the community in which the Christian lives.
It refers to the way Christians project themselves in the communities that they live and work in, thus, it is related to the Christian’s royal ambassadorship.
“All” means that the Ephesian believers were to perfectly embody godliness and dignity in their communities before the unsaved and in relation to the authorities.