2 Timothy 1:15-18 15You know this, that everyone in Asia turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes. 16May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because many times he refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains, 17but when he came to Rome, he eagerly sought and found me; 18may the Lord grant to him to find mercy from the Lord on that day. And you know how much better he served in Ephesus,
The letter takes a personal detour with these verses as Paul reflects on his difficult experiences in ministry. These verses serve to offer Timothy an example of endurance when facing opposition and challenges in ministry. The names and situations given in these verses give an indirect warning to Timothy and the Ephesian church about being ashamed of the gospel.
Paul expresses his feeling that everyone in Asia deserted him. This is likely an overstatement because Paul had churches and believers in various parts of the province of Asia who supported him in different ways. As letters such as Galatians indicate, he also faced much opposition from false teachers who deceived the churches. These struggles may have caused a sense of isolation for him as he traveled those cities. He may have felt at one point that no one from those churches sent aid to him during his imprisonment. However, we know that at least the Philippine church sent Epaphroditus with aid for Paul in prison (Philippians 2:25-30).
Two people are mentioned by name who turned away from Paul during his time of need: Phygelus and Hermogenes. Nothing else is mentioned in the Bible about these two except here. It would be a terrible thing to be known throughout church history as a deserter of someone who needed help.
Verses 16-18 shift direction and give a positive example of someone who went out of his way to find Paul in Rome and help him. Paul uses a rare optative mood verb to offer a prayer for the household of Oneisphorus. A typical Greco-Roman household could include several generations of immediate family and slaves. Because Paul only mentions a prayer for the family, it is possible that Oneisphorus had already died. Verse 18 states that he had served well in Ephesus, so this church and likely Timothy knew him well. He continued his good service wherever he went. It was part of who he was as a believer in Christ. Paul knew this church well because he spent almost three years ministering there, the longest for any specific city mentioned in Acts.
Apparently, Oneisphorus intentionally went to Rome to find Paul and help him, which was likely no easy task in a huge city like Rome. The adverb eagerly (spoudaiōs) shows that he had to work hard to find Paul. Knowing Paul was imprisoned may have narrowed the searching but presented certain dangers as well. Paul describes Oneisphorus’ actions in two significant ways that could apply to Timothy. Refreshed (anepsyxen) literally means to bring to life again or revive. Having this personal visit encouraged Paul at a low moment in his life.
Onesiphorus was also not ashamed. Shame has been a repeated background theme in this letter (verses 8, 12). Onesiphorus exposed himself to possible shame and even harm by finding the prisoner Paul. By helping Paul, he was essentially associating himself with Paul’s message. There is evidence in the New Testament that Christians were beginning to suffer for their faith in Jesus. The mention of Rome in verse 17 indicates that that was where Paul was imprisoned when he wrote this letter.
The second part of Paul’s prayer focuses upon the eternal destiny of Onesiphorus when he stands before the judgment seat of the Lord Jesus. It is odd that Paul repeats Lord twice in this verse. Out of habit he may have been thinking of the sovereign Lord God and then used a generalized statement in reference to the day of the Lord when Jesus will come again. It is also odd that Paul would ask for mercy for someone who has died, but this statement could be interpreted as a praise to God for the life of Onesiphorus for all his outstanding service in God’s kingdom.
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