Alexander the Coppersmith

by Wilson Adams

We don’t know much about Alexander the Coppersmith except his name, profession, and the harm he did to Paul. Did he at one time co-labor with Paul in teaching the gospel? Don’t know. Personal vendetta? Unsure. At the least, they knew each other and had a connection.

Something went wrong because Paul said, “he did me much harm” (II Timothy 4:14). Some translations render it "much evil." There was clearly antagonistic evil coming from brother Alexander. Paul doesn’t spell out details, nor does he say some harm, but “much harm.”

He must have spread “much evil,” because Paul warns brethren to beware. Did he misrepresent Paul? Plant seeds of doubt? Work to destroy his reputation? Again, don’t know the specifics.

I’m guessing his “much harm” was not accidental. Did he possess an intimidating personality that swayed some? It happens. Sadly, his M.O. tactics have been around for a long time. Despite his bad behavior, Paul did not retaliate. Instead, he stood faith-strong and held to God’s protection (II Timothy 4:17-18). He was content to leave the coppersmith in God’s hands, which is exactly what we must do.

An inconvenient truth: people will hurt you, turn their backs on you, and purposefully seek to do “much harm.” Paul knew this quite well. To his credit, when he experienced betrayal and wounds, he left any semblance of retaliation to the only One capable of judging fairly. After all, that’s His job, not ours.

Got any Alexanders in your life? Go about your business, pray for them, and don’t fret over them. Instead, leave them in His hands.