A Rebuttable Presumption

In 2 Timothy 4:14, the Apostle Paul warned Timothy: "Alexander the metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done." Paul does not provide much detail into exactly what Alexander the metalworker did to deserve such an epithet. He just called him out by name and in verse 15 told Timothy to steer clear of him "because he strongly opposed our message."

Paul obviously did not lace his advice about Alexander with sentiments of biblical same-mindedness. He had no intention of entering into any kind of dispute resolution process with someone of the metalworker's character and behavior. And he expected Timothy to think similarly.

Though we all are likely to encounter a modern-day Alexander the metalworker now and then, the greater danger lies in our being too quick to judge someone thus and to thereby release ourselves from any responsibility to pursue biblical same-mindedness. There is a well-established flaw in the ability of people to judge the underlying motivations of others with whom they disagree. According to "the fundamental attribution error," people tend to attribute the behaviors and strategies of their counterparts in conflict to character deficiency, evil intent, or moral failure. Meanwhile, the same people tend to attribute their own behaviors and strategies to more benevolent sources, or to the situation if the righteousness of their strategies and behaviors seem suspect.

Entering into the process of biblical same-mindedness will likely change the way conflict participants think and feel about each other and about the perspectives and interests they each brought to the table. I personally have mediated conflicts between people who had piled up offenses against each other in their initial uses of selfish conflict resolution strategies. Once they entered into the biblical process, the process allowed them to re-frame the way they had been thinking and acting toward each other and to make a joint effort to achieve biblical same-mindedness in reference to the issue at stake. They then also found the grace to exchange forgiveness with each other. In other words, they resolved the conflict, and they stopped casting each other as modern-day an Alexander the metalworker.

Experts in conflict management refer to the bias everyone should have for negotiating in good faith with and toward their counterparts in conflict as a "rebuttable presumption." In other words, "I'm going to give my counterpart in conflict the benefit of the doubt and not be too quick to judge him or her as a modern-day Alexander the metalworker."

Application questions:
1. Have you ever been involved in a conflict with someone whom you judged too quickly to be an Alexander the metalworker? If you had been more forbearing and loving, how might the conflict have gone differently?
2. Paul's characterization of Alexander the metalworker was authoritative because Paul was an apostle. What kinds of things need to be in place to ensure that our judgments and motives during conflict are not personal and selfish?
3. What advise would you give for dealing with someone another person thought might be a modern-day Alexander the metalworker?
4. Have you ever tried to work though conflict with someone who acted like he might be a modern-day Alexander the metalworker? What Scripture verses did you use to guide (or restrain) your responses?

Note: For more information on the process of biblical same-mindedness, check out "Where Do We Go From Here: The Path To Biblically Resolving Conflict" by Randal L. Gilmore. Available here.

For more on the term "rebuttable presumption," see "When Not to Negotiate" by Gabriella Blum and Robert H. Mnookin in "The Negotiator's Fieldbook".