Cheryl Schatz

TL,
You made very good points!

Going back to Paul’s epistle we see that he is treating the ones from vs. 3-7 differently than those who ‘rejected the faith’. And this is after Paul points out that he himself received mercy because he was an insolent blasphemer who did these things ignorantly in unbelief. There is a difference in not knowing (ignorantly in unbelief) and in one who knows and then rejects (Hymenaeus and Alexander).

Amen! There is still going to be a personal consequence to sinning because of being deceived so we need to be careful and not careless in what we trust, but there is an assurance that God offers mercy to those who are not openly defiant in His face.