Two different kinds of people are on Paul’s mind as he finishes his opening encouragement to Timothy. One kind of person disappointed him and the other were incredibly helpful.
II Timothy 1:15-18
15. You know all those in Asia, especially Phygelus and Hermogenes, have turned their back on me.
16. May the Lord have mercy on the house of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and he was not ashamed of my chains,
17. even when he came to Rome, he quickly looked for me, and found me.
18. May the Lord give to him–and may he find–mercy from the Lord on that day; you know very well how many people he ministered to in Ephesus.
We all know in some way what it feels like for people we trusted to abandon us. Paul has moved from his encouragement of Timothy to follow his healthy model of ministry (1:13) to providing this brief and bitter reminder of an unhealthy example. The last thing he wants Timothy to do is give up and abandon the mission.
That is what is at stake as he pleas for the young pastor to stay the course. Two men, one named Phygelus and the other named Hermogenes have done exactly that. And it sounds like everyone else ‘in Asia’. Asia here means what we might call Asia Minor, or more modernly, Turkey. Specifically Paul is talking about Ephesus. The Ephesian church, led by two cowards named Phygelus and Hermogenes, have turned their back on Paul.
What are the names of the people who have turned their back on you? How have they persuaded groups of people like churches, or classes, or work groups, or neighborhoods, or families to scorn you? You can understand Paul’s flash of bitterness, right? We feel it.
In reading these familiar passages we have the happy knowledge that Timothy did not abandon Paul or the gospel but became and maintained a vibrant-lifelong ministry which was influential to the early church. Yet, that kind of commitment was far from a guarantee as Paul writes these words — the story hadn’t been written yet. We are surrounded every day by people whose stories are not complete, and our words of encouragement, which might include pointing out negative examples of what not to be, are instrumental in propelling people forward into the lives they should live for the Lord.
Now, contrast these two disappointments with the man named Onesiphorus. Paul asks for blessings from God on this man’s house because of the way he had gone out of his way to help him. I wish we had more details, but Paul relates that how Onesiphorus arrived in Rome, apparently from Ephesus, and searched the whole city until he found him.
Who is Onesiphorus? He is the one who refuses to be persuaded by the naysayers and the turncoats. The way I read this, he is from Ephesus just like Hermogenes and Phygelus but he had not abandoned Paul or the gospel. Instead, he came all the way to Rome to minister to him. Spoiler alert: His name appears again before the book is over.
Two words used to describe his work are telling. One is the common New Testament verb ‘to serve’. The noun could be rendered service. I believe a better rendering here is the word ‘minister’ and ‘ministry.’ For context, that word is used to describe the work of The Magnificent Seven in Acts 6. Onesiphorus was a minister doing ministry to Paul and many others in Ephesus. The second word is refreshed. Pau says in Rome he found him and ‘refreshed’ him. It is a tantalizing word not often found in the New Testament. What did Onesiphorus do? Encourage him? Feed him? Bring him fresh clothing? Pray for him? Give him money? Any of these are possible, and I lean toward all of them play a role. Onesiphorus like prayed with him, said kind words, lifted his spirits, but also bought supplies, replenished his pantry, and gave him money to pay the bills. And this is what Paul thinks of when he thinks of ministry.
If we bring it it back, though, to the relationship of Paul and Timothy we see what he old man is doing. His voice has dropped low and he puts his hands on Timothy’s metaphorical shoulder and says, ‘Son, don’t be like those quitters Hermogenes and Phygelus. Be like Onesiphorus.’
Which one will you emulate?