When Love Meets Error
CHALLENGING ONE ANOTHER WITH THE TRUTH
Every house has house rules. God's house is no exception. There are some actions, attitudes, and beliefs that just don't belong. Because of this, there comes a point when certain members become so disruptive to the life in the house that they need to be removed from the house. This was the case with Hymanaeus and Alexander. Two members of Timothy's church who had devoted themselves to "different doctrine," "made shipwreck of their faith," and were beginning to upset the faith of others as well. In order to protect those who remained inside, prevent the name of Christ from being put to shame, and, as counter-intuitive as it might seem, to promote the restoration of these men, Paul put them out of the church and "handed them over to Satan" (1:20). To our modern ears, this might seem harsh, extreme, or unloving. But God's word recalibrates our thinking and makes it clear that it's not loving to allow someone to continue in error. It's not kind, compassionate, or Christlike to never challenge one another with the truth.