Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.
Summary: Paul’s language in this passage may seem abrupt, but it is rooted in deep biblical precedent. God sometimes uses what feels like a curse to teach us the consequences of disobedience.
There are a lot of questions that come to mind as we read Paul’s words in this passage. Who were Hymenaeus and Alexander? What had they done? What does it mean to “blaspheme”? What does it mean to have someone over to Satan? What can Satan teach us, and how does he do it?
That last question is possibly the most interesting! How does God use Satan for his purposes?
One of the most famous biblical examples of God using Satan to teach something is found in the book of Job.
In the story, we see Satan appearing before God and questioning Job’s integrity (Job 1:6-11). God’s response is to let Satan test Job (Job 1:12). Job survives the first test, so Satan returns before God and is allowed to increase the pressure on Job (Job 2:1-7).
Job is afflicted with the loss of every material thing in the first test, and in the second, he loses his health as well. What is God trying to teach this man whom he praised as “blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil” (Job 1:8, 2:3)?
It turns out that even Job, as righteous as he was, had a flaw. At the end of the story, Job confesses, “Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know” (Job 42:3).
Despite all his uprightness, Job had crossed a line that he shouldn’t have crossed. Since there was no one more righteous than he to teach him, God used Satan to instruct him on the proper limits of human knowledge.
Were Hymenaeus and Alexander as righteous as Job? Probably not. But the problem was similar. Some people refuse to be taught by others who are more knowledgeable about God’s will. How do you teach them if they refuse to be taught?
Paul does something similar in his instructions to the church at Corinth. He writes:
“So when you are assembled and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 5:4-5).
In his second letter to the church, he follows up with forgiveness. The offender, rejected by the church body, has realized the error of his ways and repented. He is “overwhelmed by excessive sorrow” (2 Corinthians 2:7). Paul tells the church to “forgive and comfort him,” restoring him to fellowship in the church (ibid).
Hopefully, Hymenaeus and Alexander learned their lesson, too.
Application: Remain humble before the Lord.
Food for Thought: What happens to us when we feel separated from the Lord?
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