2 Timothy 1.15-18 (ESV)15 You are aware that all who are in Asia turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes. 16 May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains, 17 but when he arrived in Rome he searched for me earnestly and found me— 18 may the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on that Day!—and you well know all the service he rendered at Ephesus. Have you ever been unexpectedly blessed by someone? That person who calls you to check up on you “just because.” Or that friend who knows you’re working on a project and then unexpectedly arrives at your front door and offers a great deal of help. That person who is present with you in a time of crisis. It’s always wonderful when someone comes alongside you and supports you during difficult times.
This is a very, very interesting passage, and in it, we get a window into Paul’s life in other relationships. Remember that Paul is in prison as he writes to Timothy, and remember the shame and honor culture that we considered from the last passage. If a person was honored and respected, then it was great to be that person or associated with that person. If a person fell out of favor and was dishonored, then their dishonor would impact not only the person but their friends and family as well, and if a person were so dishonored, people would often do all that they could to distance themselves from them.
Here, in this short passage, we see this shame and honor culture being played out.
Apparently, everyone in Asia had turned away from Paul because he was in prison, including a couple of key people named Phygelus and Hermogenes.
We need to remember that “Asia” at that time was the western part of modern Turkey, with Ephesus being one of its main cities. Ephesus was a city that Paul had spent much time in, and his ministry there was powerful and challenging. Paul, along with the believers, faced some serious opposition while in Ephesus (Acts 18-19).
Paul had made a huge personal investment in the ministry in Asia, so for him to say that everyone abandoned him indicates that He felt like he had completely failed.
We don’t know what the problem was at this moment. Paul certainly didn’t mean that all the believers there stopped believing in Jesus or rejected the Gospel message. But it could mean that the believers had somehow compromised something in their faith either by kowtowing to pressures from Jewish Christians who wanted them to keep Jewish practices in order to be a “real” Christian or they might have given in and watered down their faith down so that they didn’t come into conflict with the culture or political powers of the cultural context, making faith a “private” matter which Paul would have seen as a betrayal.
Or, what I think is more likely, this is a practical concern, that some have grown ashamed of Paul since he is in prison, and they are distancing themselves from him, and in that cultural context, this meant not sending Paul any support while he was in prison in order to distance themselves from Paul. In those days, the State did not provide for people in prison. A person’s needs were met by family and friends, and in Paul’s case, that most likely would have been those in Asia, but Paul is not receiving their support. Phygelus and Hermogenes, in particular, had abandoned Paul and were not caring for him while he was in prison.
But not Onesiphorus! Paul praises him, and we can learn three things about Onesiphorus here:
- He was not ashamed of Paul, as shown by the report of his actions.
- He acted deliberately and intentionally by searching for Paul.
- He “refreshed” Paul, which means that he took care of his needs.
Very cool.
Ok, so what? That was Paul in that situation, but how does this passage connect to us as we seek to know, love, serve, and follow Jesus?
Our faith in Jesus isn’t about some sort of intellectual exercise or holding to a system of belief; our faith in Jesus is a relationship, a personal relationship with the Son of God Himself. That relationship impacts, challenges, and transforms our lives constantly as it works into every fiber of our very being, every cell of our bodies, and every breath of our souls. It’s not something that we compartmentalize or access when it’s easy and convenient.
Our faith in Jesus is a relationship that we live into
and live out in everything that we do. We don’t, and won’t, always get it right. We will stumble, fall, and fail at times. But, by God’s grace, we are called and enabled to live a generous Christ-like love in this present moment, both to those we love and esteem as well as to those whom the world shuns and is ashamed of.
How will you allow Jesus to lead you to “refresh” others around you for His glory during their difficult times?
Your actions will be a blessing and will open the door for others to know, love, serve, and follow Jesus as well.
God bless you, and know that you are prayed for constantly.
Scott
