Trouble-makers in the church...?

Alexander the metal-worker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done. You too should be on your guard against him, because he strongly opposed our message. 2 Timothy 4:14-15

Many years ago I knew of a church where, in a members’ meeting, one man disagreed so violently with another that he “put him on the deck”, to borrow someone’s vivid phrase. An ambulance had to be called. (I wonder what the ambulance staff thought? Not, I think, an entirely good witness…)

Well, we all know that Christians can disagree, sometimes quite strongly, and that’s just the way things are, and the way things always will be, until Jesus returns.

It happened in those heady early days of the church. Acts 15:36-40 tells us about a heated clash (a “sharp disagreement”, literally a paroxysm) between Paul and Barnabas over what Paul saw as the flakiness of Barnabas’ nephew John Mark.

And then, of course, there was the famous, historic confrontation between Paul and Peter in Galatia, described in Galatians 2:11-21.

Paul does suggest that sometimes disagreement can be a healthy sign (1 Corinthians 11:18). But it certainly goes against the will of Jesus, who prayed that his people “may all be one” (John 17:20-23). We Christians, down through the centuries, seem to have developed a tragic and poisonous talent for falling out, as we see only too clearly as we look around our world today. May God forgive us!

While it is usually impossible – and wrong anyway to try - to point the finger of blame in only one direction (as the saying goes, every time you point your finger at another person, you are pointing four at yourself), the fact is that every church of any size is likely to have its quota of troublemakers. This was certainly the experience of Paul, and he alerts Timothy here to one particular individual – “Alexander the metalworker”, who “did me a great deal of harm”. Look out for him! he warns.

Alexander was a common name at the time, and no-one can be sure exactly who this man was. “Metal-worker” means literally “coppersmith”, but that doesn’t help us much. But just possibly he was the would-be spokesman of the Jews in the riot in Ephesus (Acts 19:33).

It doesn’t really matter. All that matters is that he was clearly anti-Paul and his ministry: “he strongly opposed our message”. Unfortunately even that leaves us a little in the dark. By “our message” (literally “our words”), does Paul mean the gospel as a whole, or Paul’s particular emphasis on “justification by faith”? Whatever, Paul considered him a spiritual danger.

These two verses suggest various things to keep in mind when church life is blighted by trouble-makers…

First, expect such things to happen – and therefore don’t be too cast down when they do. Even fully committed Christians aren’t quite perfect yet! If it happened in those early days, shouldn’t we expect it now?

Second, keep things in perspective.

Some divisions in the church are, sadly, the result of a personality clash or a relatively trivial disagreement. Paul seems to have stayed fairly cool regarding Alexander, leaving him to the judgment of God: “The Lord will repay him for what he has done”; God alone, who knows the rights and wrongs of all things, will arbitrate.

Compare that with his outraged attitude towards the scandal of the “immoral man” of 1 Corinthians 5:1-5, where he suggests what can only be called excommunication.

Third, look out for misguided zeal.

Some people we regard as trouble-makers are more likely just rather immature Christians who have got a particular bee in their bonnet - and who rather like the sound of their own voice.

Fourth, focus on the heart of the issue.

This is the main thing – is the trouble-maker leading the church away from the essence of the gospel? To use old-fashioned language: is he or she preaching doctrinal heresy?

And what that means is: Are they saying things clearly contrary to the plain teaching of scripture and the agreed consensus of two thousand years of the church - such as Christ’s death for our sins and resurrection from the dead, the three-fold personhood of God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and salvation only through the mercy and grace of God, received by faith alone? Or are they in fact just riding a personal hobby-horse or chasing the latest fad?

Of course there may be other important issues as well. I think of churches known to me which were led down a charismatic path which became seriously crazy; or which took a tilt towards “Christian Zionism”; or which got seduced into the “prosperity gospel”. Sadly, there is literally no end of possibilities. These too may need to be dealt with. But it’s wise to keep in mind the question “Is the basic gospel at stake here?”

Often a very narrow line needs to be trod – a line between turning a blind eye on the one hand, and over-reacting on the other, each of which might be disastrous. Paul sees the Alexander matter as important enough to warrant a warning for Timothy, but not so much as to give detailed advice. Timothy is, after all, the man on the spot.

Oh, and let’s not forget one more vital principle, a question we need to keep in mind: that trouble-maker – could it, er, be me…?

Father, the church for which Jesus died was full of faults and weaknesses, yet still he loved it. Please help me to do the same, showing patience, wisdom and love, just as these mercies have been shown at different times to me. Amen.