{"id":48099,"date":"2022-09-11T19:19:04","date_gmt":"2022-09-11T16:19:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wingulamashahidi.org\/?p=48099"},"modified":"2025-05-29T02:04:22","modified_gmt":"2025-05-28T23:04:22","slug":"i-have-handed-them-over-to-satan-so-that-they-may-learn-not-to-blaspheme-god","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wingulamashahidi.org\/en\/2022\/09\/11\/i-have-handed-them-over-to-satan-so-that-they-may-learn-not-to-blaspheme-god\/","title":{"rendered":"I have handed them over to Satan so that they may learn not to blaspheme God"},"content":{"rendered":"
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1 Timothy 1:20<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\u201cAmong them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.\u201d (ESV)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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Understanding 1 Timothy 1:20<\/h3>\n

Before we delve into why the Apostle Paul pronounces such a severe judgment, let us first understand the context and the character of those involved.<\/p>\n

Paul writes to Timothy, urging him to maintain a strong faith combined with a good conscience (1 Timothy 1:19):<\/p>\n

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\u201cHolding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, some have suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith.\u201d (ESV)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The phrase \u201ca good conscience\u201d<\/strong> refers to the internal witness within a person that what they do is right or wrong. When someone has a good conscience, they are sensitive to sin and quick to repent when they err. Conversely, those without a good conscience suppress this inner conviction and continue in sin with hardness of heart.<\/p>\n

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Who Were Hymenaeus and Alexander?<\/h3>\n

These two men were not accidental or ignorant heretics. They deliberately twisted the truth of the gospel to lead others astray. Paul gives us examples of their false teaching:<\/p>\n