hotcoffee
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2 Timothy 1:15 You know that everyone in the province of Asia has deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes.
16 May the Lord show mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains. 17 On the contrary, when he was in Rome, he searched hard for me until he found me. 18 May the Lord grant that he will find mercy from the Lord on that day! You know very well in how many ways he helped me in Ephesus.
16 May the Lord show mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains. 17 On the contrary, when he was in Rome, he searched hard for me until he found me. 18 May the Lord grant that he will find mercy from the Lord on that day! You know very well in how many ways he helped me in Ephesus.
First of all, the province of Asia, according to the commentary, is not actually what we call Asia today. It's mostly Turkey. Here's the quote from the commentary.
These two men were among all those in Asia; when you read Asia in the New Testament, it doesn’t mean the Far Eastern continent as it does today; it means the Roman province of Asia, which today would mostly be Turkey.
I'm sure Timothy knew who Phygelus and Hermogenes were, but the Bible doesn't tell us anything else about them. This is the only time they are mentioned, according to the same commentary as above. It's my guess that they were once Paul's associates, but as soon as Paul was imprisoned, they went on to new associates. You know the type.... the fair weather friends.
Onesiphorus was a true friend.
According to the commentary, Paul asked Timothy to go check on him.
Onesiphorus was cut from a different cloth than Phygellus and Hermogenes; he stuck with Paul through thick and thin. Paul prays for mercy on Onesiphorus and his whole household!
We don’t know much about Onesiphorus, other than that his home town was where Timothy was right then, because at the end of the letter, Paul asks Timothy to greet Onesiphorus’ household.
We don’t know much about Onesiphorus, other than that his home town was where Timothy was right then, because at the end of the letter, Paul asks Timothy to greet Onesiphorus’ household.
After reading a few commentaries on Onesiphorus, it seems to me that Paul was remembering a great friend at the news of his passing.
