Alexander the Coppersmith (Greek: Ἀλέξανδρος ὁ χαλκεὺς) is a person in the New Testament, mentioned in 2 Timothy 4:14, which states, "Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds."
Paul Jeon notes that Alexander "serves almost as an anti-type to Christ," who showed surficial grace to Paul. Aída Besançon Spencer suggests that while "Demas had been a passive opponent (4:9), Alexander was an active opponent".
Some scholars identify him with the Alexander of Acts 19:33, the Alexander of 1 Timothy 1:20, (whom, along with Hymenaeus, Paul "handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme"), or both. Others suggest, however, that he is called "the coppersmith" in order to distinguish him from others of the same name.
References
- Jeon, Paul S. (2020). 2 Timothy: Fight the Good Fight, Finish the Race, Keep the Faith. Wipf and Stock. p. 166. ISBN 978-1-7252-6933-0.
- ^ Spencer, Aida Besancon (2014). 2 Timothy and Titus. Wipf and Stock. p. 149. ISBN 978-1-62564-253-0.
Further reading
- Eastman, David L. (30 January 2014). "Jealousy, Internal Strife, and the Deaths of Peter and Paul: A Reassessment of 1 Clement". Zeitschrift für Antikes Christentum. 18 (1). doi:10.1515/zac-2014-0004.