Chris

Cheryl,

You frequently make a distinction between ignorant, deceived false teachers and false teachers who know better, but deliberately teach falsely. To support your claim that this distinction is in the context you attempt to contrast the apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 1:13 with Hymenaeus and Alexander in 1 Timothy 1:18-20. You claim that Paul was ignorant, but Hymenaeus and Alexander knew better. But this line of reasoning gets you into trouble with Paul.

[1] If anyone teaches false doctrine (heterodidaskaleo), then he is ignorant. (1 Timothy 6:3-4)
[2] Hymenaeus and Alexander teach false doctrine. (1 Timothy 1:18-20)
[3] Therefore, Hymenaeus and Alexander are ignorant. (1, 2 Modus Ponens)
[4] If anyone is ignorant and they teach false doctrine, then they are deceived.
[5] Hymenaeus and Alexander are ignorant and they teach false doctrine. (2, 3 Conjunction)
[6] Therefore, Hymenaeus and Alexander are deceived. (4, 5 Modus Ponens)
[7] Hymenaeus and Alexander are deceived false teachers. (2, 6 Conjunction)

Premise [1] follows easily from 1 Timothy 6:3, which says, “If anyone teaches a different doctrine . . . he . . . understands nothing” (ellipses mine). In other words, anyone who teaches a different doctrine is ignorant.

Premise [2] is essentially something you argue for in the dialogue above.

Premise [4] comes from a statement you made in http://strivetoenter.com/wim/2008/05/06/1tim2objections/. You said, “Whenever someone who is ignorant teaches error they are deceived. When one who knows the truth and teaches error purposely, they are not deceived but deceivers.”

Finally, [7] contradicts your claims about Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom you have said know better, but the argument conclusions show that they are ignorant and deceived false teachers.