04/14/18 DEALING WITH A BLASPHEMER
(transcript for this video)
This passage gets little attention today, because
people today think that our modern church, our western church has
"advanced in grace," and it no longer believes in CHURCH DISCIPLINE:
does not believe in the church bringing people to accountability for
bringing division, for speaking against the work and the workers of God.
The Bible teaches us that we should hold people accountable.
We should not be resentful.
We should not be revengeful.
We should bring redemption, reconciliation, restoration to the offender.
Let's consider a particular passage, addressing the problem of blasphemy, speaking against the work, nature, Person, people of God.
In 1 Timothy and 2 Timothy Paul pointed out that a particular person had blasphemed and Paul told us how he dealt with that problem and warned us about the dangers of blasphemers.
In 2 Timothy 3 Paul spoke about the end times and gives a "rogues gallery" of evil people. As we look at that list of sins, it seems to be a character profile for Alexander the Coppersmith, the individual that was blaspheming Paul.
These are also characteristics of people who bring division to the church, people who speak against the body, speak against the word of God, speak against God and speak against the children of God.
God gives us steps of reconciliation, directives for discipline, for correcting and perfecting believers. God gives direction and He expects us
to follow His directives, in the spirit of love and truth; not for the
purpose of personal, vindictive reason. These directives are given to
restore those who have gone astray.
We don't see much church discipline taking place today.
Usually if someone is being divisive or slanderous, modern, western,
gracious "advanced" believers don't address sin in the church. However,
the Bible tells us that we are to rebuke openly (1 Tm. 5:20).
We should not be looking for the opportunity to hurt someone or embarrass someone or to name their sins.
When a person sins privately, we might be able to deal with that sin on a private basis.
When it becomes known openly then our discipline and correction becomes more open and public.
Let's look at 2 Timothy 4:14-16
2 Timothy 4:14-16
14 Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works:
15 Of whom be thou ware also; for he hath greatly withstood our words.
16 At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge.
Verse 14 is very pointed, though it may not sound like it when we read it. This is a very strong statement.
Remember, in 1 Timothy Paul had said that he had turned Alexander over to the devil, so that he would learn not to blaspheme.
Turning someone over to the devil does not happen lightly or quickly.
It happens because a person will not yield to the authority of God, the
authority of the church, will not humble himself and be reconciled.
They want others to accept them as they are, which means they want
others to destroy the people they are attacking, which is what blasphemy
means, TO SPEAK AGAINST.
Paul explains how Alexander the Coppersmith was blaspheming.
14 Alexander the Coppersmith did me much evil:
We are not talking about people who have minor disagreements, or people who do not get along or have personality conflicts.
We are talking about people who have set their course to do much evil, to hurt other people, to slander other people, to liable other people, to ruin other people.
We are not talking about hurting just anyone, but
hurting, destroying those who love and preach the word of God, and are
reaching out to the very people who are living in conflict with
themselves; attacking a Christian because he is doing the work of God.
Paul turned Alexander over to the devil. God still
loved Alexander, God wanted to restore Alexander, but Alexander WOULD
NOT fit into the body, but rather, Alexander wanted the body to fit into
his will, his way of thinking and doing. Paul turned Alexander over to
the devil SO THAT HE WOULD LEARN NOT TO SPEAK AGAINST the word of God,
or against the church, or against me (Paul) in particularly, because
Alexander "did me much evil."
Most people do not know how much damage a blasphemer can do.
Most people have little squabbles, arguments, disagreements, and then
they go on with life. But those who are resisting and rejecting the
Spirit of God during a real spiritual struggle, are determined to hurt
those who are holding firmly and steadfastly to the word of God.
Paul explained what kind of evil Alexander did in his blasphemous attacks, still, Paul cared about Alexander being restored. This is the reason for church discipline:
To restore by confronting a person one on one.
If that does not accomplish restoration then,
The leadership of the church confronts them, and the offender is brought before the entire church, if that step can be taken.
If the offender does not repent then he or she is turned over to the devil; they are cut off from the body, and they are "shunned."
This does not mean you treat them unkindly or you
don't feed them if they are hungry or give them drink or help them with
emergency care. The Biblical "cutting off" means that you do
not fellowship with them or treat them as though they are believes; you
do not call them "believers" because they are a misrepresentation, a
negative representation of being a Christian. The offender is a
backslider and not in a right relationship with either God or His
people.
Though Paul cared about Alexander, Paul wanted God to reward him
"according to his works." Whatever that meant, good or bad. Paul wanted
good things for Alexander, but he wanted God to reward Alexander
according to his works.
Paul continued in this passage, to warn Timothy that Alexander was a
danger to him, because Alexander "has greatly withstood our words." This
was the same as withstanding, standing against the word of God, because
Paul was speaking the word of God. Whenever anyone withstands the word
of God, they are standing against God.
Offenders do not like to be recognized as standing against God, so they
frame the situation as if the faithful person is the one who is actually
the offender.
Timothy could have taken the attitude,
"I can handle this. I don't need you to tell me what to do."
I realize it was Paul, and Paul was the apostle of God.
I realize we are not apostles.
But Paul was giving God's word and whenever anyone, any pastor gives the
word of God, and exposes the rebellion and exposes the blasphemy, and
then the word of God is rejected, and the person is bringing division in
the body and slandering believers, lying about believers, destroying
families, then the offender is rejecting God.
You do not have the right to reject God's way of dealing with a blasphemous person.
You do not have the right to say you will handle the problem in your own way.
You can't handle it in your own way.
We must do what God says and do it God's way if we care about the lost person.
We must do what God says if we care about the church.
We must do what God says if we care about our fellow believer.
We must do what God says if we care about GOD.
Paul warned Timothy that Alexander had greatly withstood his words. It
was not just a matter of slipping or sliding off course. It was a matter
of deliberate choice to take steps to hurt someone, in open rejection
to Biblical counsel.
Some people separate verse 16 from the context of this
passage. People say that this verse is referring to Paul's defense
before the court in Rome. (be that as it may) It may apply to that
situation, but I believe verse 16 fits naturally and essentially with
this context. Let's look at it.
2 Timothy 4:14-16
14 (point 1) Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: (point 2) the Lord reward him according to his works:
15 (point 3) Of whom be thou ware also; (point 4) for he hath greatly withstood our words.
16 (point 5) At my first answer no man stood with me, (point 6) but all
men forsook me: (point 7) I pray God that it may not be laid to their
charge.
Paul clearly said that people left him because of Alexander's blasphemy.
At this point, Paul expresses his concern for those who had abandoned
him because they gave heed to Alexander's attack on Paul.
LOOK AT THE DIVISION brought into the
body by an angry, vindictive blasphemer. It happened with Paul and it
still happens with those who are doing the work of God. It does not
happen often, because very few churches are advanced enough that the
devil has to use this tactic.
How many churches do you know, which take a stand on church discipline?
I am not referring to the errant use of authority, such as the Roman
position concerning excommunication, or the practice of ultra, extreme,
narrow, legalistic groups who use shunning as a form of punishment
because people do not fit their errant view of dress code or demeanor or
speech. Remember, discipline is for restoration of the offender and
protection of the body.
How many churches that love God, love the lost, love the brethren, love the word of God, love fellowship...
how many of them are taking a stand against those who are bringing division in the body?
how many of them are taking a stand against those who are are speaking against leadership?
how many of them are taking a stand against those who are speaking against other believers?
how many of them are taking a stand against the word of God?
DISCIPLINE is something we don't see very often.
AND, how many of those who practice church discipline go as far as Biblically "cutting off" the blasphemer?
God wants the church to cut off those who will not turn from bringing division, speaking blasphemously.
God wants us to turn some people over to the devil, so that they will learn not to blaspheme.
If they do not want to be a responsible, submissive part of the body of
Christ then they need to go out and see what life is like without the
body, see what the devil has for them.
Paul said, "at first, no man stood with me." How sad is that. Alexander
brought so much and such horrendous division that NO MAN STOOD WITH
PAUL. Division in family, division with converts, division with
co-workers in the ministry.
Paul responded to the blasphemy, Paul addressed the errors and accusations, STILL, NO MAN STOOD WITH HIM. ALL MEN FORSOOK HIM.
This is what blasphemers do.
This is what people do, who do not yield to authority.
That is what people do, who will not yield to Biblical directives.
THAT IS WHAT THEY DO. They speak against, they bring division, the cause others to forsake the truth and the body of Christ.
The lies of Alexander led others to think of Paul as the bad guy: Paul
was the trouble maker: Paul was the problem child. I am sure that some
folks thought of Alexander as the good guy.
Alexander probably had doctrinal differences with Paul. But he spoke
against Paul's teachings and against Paul. He would not yield to the
authority of the word of God or the apostle Paul.
No matter how much I have tried to reach out and help those who have
gone astray, there are some who have persisted in their rebellion and
become antagonistic to me and my ministry.
They have taken steps to destroy me, my family, my ministry.
They have also tried to, and have sometimes succeeded in destroying
families of people, simply because those people were friends with me.
Those victims were not even part of our church. But Satan and his
blasphemers are false accusers and they destroy whatever is good.
I have cried for the many victims of the blasphemers, for
those who have followed the blasphemers in targeting me as an evil
person. I have known them, loved them, led them to Christ, joined them
in marriage, dedicated their children, discipled them, trained them in
ministry, prayed with them in their times of need, AND NOW I AM THE BAD
GUY and MY MESSAGE IS REJECTED, because of blasphemers.
God has never forsaken me. God has used me in ministry. God has
delivered me. But that does not change the evil or the damage associated
with evil workers, blasphemers.
Look at what Paul said in the previous chapter.
2 Timothy 3:1-5
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters,
proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
Read each phrase slowly, thoughtfully, carefully. Most of these traits are related to blasphemy.
FROM SUCH TURN AWAY.
It is not easy.
It is not fun.
It is obligatory.
It is mandatory.
If we want to restore the lost, restore the blasphemer, restore the
divisive person, restore the one who brings confusion to the local body
or to individual families, WE MUST FOLLOW BIBLICAL DIRECTIVES.
If we do not follow God's rule, then we cut those evil workers off from God forever.
The only way to reach and retain the errant one is to deal with them according to Divine Discipline.
It is not easy, but if we want to be Biblical we need to love God more than we love the friendships of this world.
