Restoration after the Shipwreck
Words of Faith 4-24-2023
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2023
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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1 Timothy 1
[18b] …fight the good fight, [19] holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith. [20] Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.

What do you do when someone you love and care about shipwrecks their life? In Ephesus, some had rejected the power of faith and a clear conscience and had shipwrecked their lives. Paul mentioned two by name. How do we respond to believers who have shipwrecked their lives through rebellion and unbelief?
Paul was talking about people whom he had presumed to be saved. They had been part of the fellowship of believers. It is always tragic when those who have walked with the Lord and shared in fellowship fall away and shatter the blessing they have experienced. It is even more tragic when people defiantly walk in unrepentant sin. Paul responded to this situation in a very unique way.
Paul named names. Hymenaeus and Alexander had fallen so far from the faith that Paul had no choice but to "hand them over to Satan." At first glance, this sounds extreme and even condemning, but this was apparently an extreme situation.
Who were these fellows, and what was their sin?
Paul mentioned Hymenaeus as a heretical teacher in 2 Timothy 2:17. We don't know a lot about him, but he had been trusted to teach and then got more than a little off track. Paul described this man's teaching as something that will "spread like gangrene." That is strong. He may have joined one of the groups teaching a requirement of circumcision and Jewish Law. For Paul, this sort of teaching was like rotting flesh that invades. The only choice was amputation.
There were two with the name Alexander spoken of in connection with Ephesus. The first was a Jew mentioned in Acts 19:34. The second was "Alexander the metalworker," who harmed Paul greatly. It seems more likely that he is the one Paul spoke of here. He was probably an artisan who had made idols for a living before coming to faith. Paul warned Timothy to be on guard against him because he strongly opposed our message. He may have backslid into his old life and was outspoken against the Gospel. Though he did great harm to Paul, Paul did not try to gain any revenge upon Alexander. Paul was confident the Lord would repay him for his actions (2 Timothy 4:14).
These were among those very tough situations. Paul needed to help the church and the two who had fallen away. He decided to hand these two "over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme." The language here is similar to that found in 1 Corinthians 5:5 concerning a man who was defiantly living in unrepentant immorality. Paul advised church leaders to hand this man over to Satan so that his sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord.
What we don't want to miss is that the goal here is restoration. Paul hoped these two might be taught not to blaspheme anymore. Paul's plan was that the sinful nature of these two be destroyed and that they be among the saved on the day of the Lord.
This was not an act of condemnation; it was an act of discipline with the hope of restoration. This was apparently a form of excommunication from the church body that was intended to jolt the offender into repentance and, eventually, restoration. It was not punitive. In fact, it is a last resort that was entered into only with much prayer.
The fearful thought of being turned over to Satan's control was sobering. This is not dissimilar from the modern view that we must sometimes allow a person to "hit bottom" in their course of destruction so that they may repent and begin the journey home. Sometimes this is the only way back to repentance.
We want to remember that Paul's heart was always pointed toward restoration. Paul had instructed the church at Galatia-- If someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other's burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ (6:1-2). We are called to carry the burden of a fallen person in prayer before the Father as we earnestly seek restoration.
Is there someone in your life who has fallen far away from God? It is not our place to condemn them, but we may need to release them. The church may need to separate them from fellowship. We may even need to separate ourselves from them formally or informally, but that is not the end of it. We must dedicate ourselves to pray for that person-- specifically for their repentance, that their sinful nature may be crucified, that they may be among the saved on the day of the Lord, and that they may be gently restored to the fellowship of the Body.

Father God, give me a heart that is sensitive to those things that are not pleasing to You and always guided by Your Spirit. Keep me from the place of condemning others. Give me Your heart toward those who have fallen away from You. Show me the path of reconciliation and restoration for those who have fallen far from You. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2023
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2023 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.