What’s in a Name? – 2 - Tuesday 23rd October

1 Timothy 1.18–20
18 Timothy, my son, the instructions I am giving you are based on what some prophets once said about you. If you follow these instructions, you will fight like a good soldier. 19 You will be faithful and have a clear conscience. Some people have made a mess of their faith because they didn't listen to their consciences. 20 Two of them are Hymenaeus and Alexander. I have given these men over to the power of Satan, so they will learn not to oppose God.

A bad name has a habit of sticking, long after the problem causing it has been dealt with. I know of schools and universities who have changed dramatically for the better in the last 10 or 20 years, but people still say – “Oh, I wouldn’t go there if I were you”. Horrible people of history are also signals not to use their names for your children.
But to be named and shamed for 2000 years for messing up your faith seems very harsh. I wonder if Paul intended that to happen to Hymenaeus and Alexander? Maybe in these more liberal days we don’t think messing up our faith is that serious, so Paul’s words do seem extreme. Or are they? Paul writes that these two messed up because they didn’t listen to their consciences. Compare that with what Paul says of Timothy. It must have been very gratifying to him to receive the implied praise in these verses!
So there is a simple lesson to us for today. A bad name has a habit of sticking; but a good name is also horribly easy to lose.