1 Timothy 1:20

EXAMPLES OF ‘SHIPWRECKS OF FAITH’

20. Υμέναιος. This is doubtless the same Hymenæus who is mentioned as a heretical teacher in 2 Timothy 2:17.

Ἀλέξανδρος. An Alexander is mentioned three times in connexion with Ephesus: (i.) here; (ii.) an Alexander was put forward as their spokesman by the Jews on the occasion of the uproar excited by the silversmiths at Ephesus (Acts 19:33); (iii.) ‘Alexander the coppersmith’ (2 Timothy 4:14) who ‘did much evil’ to St Paul. The designation ὁ χαλκεύς suggests that there were at all events two men of the same name; and this appears again from the consideration that (i.) was a heretical Christian, while (ii.) was a Jew (Acts 19:34). ὁ χαλκεύς might be either; but there are no sufficient data to determine the question.

παρέδωκα τῷ σατανᾷ. In 1 Corinthians 5:5 St Paul directs the Corinthian Church in the case of a certain notorious sinner, παραδοῦναι τὸν τοιοῦτον τῷ σατανᾷ εἰς ὄλεθρον τῆς σαρκός, ἵνα τὸ πνεῦμα σωθῇ κ.τ.λ.; and the formula to deliver to Satan has plainly the same significance there as here. It is certainly a disciplinary or remedial and not a merely punitive penalty in both cases (cp. Job 2:6, where a similar expression is used of Job’s sufferings, εἶπεν δὲ ὁ κύριος τῷ διαβόλῳ Ἰδοὺ παραδίδωμί σοι αὐτόν), and it was a penalty within the power of the Church to inflict. The aorist παρέδωκα here seems to indicate that St Paul’s action, whatever it was, took place at Ephesus at a definite time; and this marks its official character. It seems then best to suppose that the ‘delivering over to Satan’ was a spiritual penalty, like excommunication, the strong phrase resting on the principle that the kingdoms of Christ and of Satan are mutually exclusive (see Acts 26:18; Colossians 1:13), and that this was accompanied by the supernatural infliction of bodily sickness, which it was believed would follow the authoritative sentence. The cases of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11) and of Elymas (Acts 13:11) witness to the power granted to the Apostles of calling down supernatural punishments on evil-doers in exceptional circumstances.

ἴνα παιδευθῶσιν. This is the purpose of the sentence, that they may be disciplined &c., in the English of the, either by supernatural penalties (ὄλεθρον τῆς σαρκός, 1 Corinthians 5:5) or by the mere fact of exclusion from the Christian society and consequent loss of privilege.