Unmasking the Domestic Abuser in the Church

Beware of Alexander

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

This statement by the Apostle Paul is extremely helpful to us because it shoots down numbers of false guilt trips laid upon people who have been targeted by evil. Notice these things:

  1. Paul names Alexander. He identifies him to others. We are often told (especially in churches) that it is wrong to “gossip” in this way. Not so.
  2. Even the Apostle Paul was harmed by wicked characters like this. Alexander had done Paul “great harm.” We know this coppersmith opposed the gospel, but in doing so he also maligned Paul personally. He did “me” great harm Paul says. We must not think ourselves stupid or guilty of some accusation when these attacks come.
  3. Paul looked to the Lord for ultimate justice on the Day when Christ judges the world.
  4. Paul warned others about Alexander. Beware of him.

This scripture has been a great help to me over the years. Paul’s words here negate many of the false charges and “advice” that are brought against us when we speak out about evil. It is not wrong for an abuse victim for instance to name their abuser and tell others about the evil the abuser is doing. It is not wrong to desire God’s justice upon the wicked. It is not wrong to tell others about the evil and deceptions of a wicked person.

I hope this helps you all as it has helped me.

Previous

Pressing on in Christ

Next

Nope – He (or she) is NOT a Christian

6 Comments

  1. Jill

    It does help me. Thank you.

    1
  2. Jill

    PS I didn’t mean to put the red heart in – that was a mistake.

  3. It absolutely does!!

    1
  4. Uninvited

    Thank you. I have often wondered about this. So much taught and expected in Christian circles is flat out unbiblical. Read the Psalms of King David, Jeremiah, and many others to find this same cry to the Lord that He might deal with enemies of the truth.

    1
  5. Susan Krentz

    I think we often reason: If this person is only targeting me with some kind of abuse (put downs, presenting “facts” that are far from the truth, yet expecting you to remain silent, or are constantly making judgmental statements against others, etc.) we think, “I have no reason to complain, or tell others of this problem because it is mostly me that is being upset by this person’s behavior so it “doesn’t pertain to actually hurting the cause of Christ.” Well, it stands to reason that if this person is creating a negatively charged atmosphere, it IS hurting the cause of Christ and SHOULD be dealt with. One way TO deal with this person is to let others know the experiences you have had with them. This knowledge should warn others not to provide a haven for their ungodly behavior.

    2

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *