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‘May the Lord Repay Him’: Trusting God’s Justice in the Face of Wrongdoing
A Lesson from Paul the Apostle
As he concluded his second letter to Timothy, the apostle Paul addressed a series of personal items, including a request for Timothy to visit him and to bring John Mark, as well as books and parchments. Then, he gave a warning.
Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm. May the Lord repay him according to his works. You also must beware of him, for he has greatly resisted our words. (II Timothy 4:14–15, NKJV)
Alexander was causing major problems for the church — and for Paul personally. Paul said he did him “much harm.” The Greek word behind “harm” in II Timothy 4:14 is κακά (kaka). It is a plural adjective meaning “bad, evil, harm, ill, noisome, wicked." The classic KJV indeed uses the word “evil,” emphasizing that this harm was intentional.
While Paul warns Timothy to “beware” of Alexander, he doesn’t seek any retribution against Alexander. On the contrary, he turns Alexander over to God: “May the Lord repay him according to his works.”
This is Paul practicing what he has preached. Years earlier, Paul had written the following in his letter to the church in Rome:
Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all…
