In last week’s passage, Paul instructed Timothy to “guard the good deposit.” But just what does that mean? In order to demonstrate to Timothy what he is referring to, Paul gives two examples of those who haven’t kept the faith, followed by an example of one who has.
Take a look at this week’s passage in 2 Timothy 1:15-16:
This seems like a trivial piece of Paul’s letter to Timothy. It sounds a bit personal, and Paul mentions names of people that we don’t know much about. The temptation is to pass over it, paying little attention to it.
But that would be a mistake. There is much we can learn from this seemingly insignificant passage.
There are two lines of thought concerning this passage. There are some that think this paragraph and the following should be connected with chapter one. This is where our Bibles place it. It gives examples of a couple of men who were ashamed of the gospel and of Paul, and the example of one who was not. If this is the correct assumption, then Paul is explaining to Timothy why it is so critical that he keep the good deposit.
On the other hand, some think that this should be placed with the first few verses of chapter two. Since others in the faith have walked away from it, with the exception of one man, then Paul is encouraging Timothy to stay strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
Either way, we are faced with the fact that this passage raises a few questions. Let’s take a look at a few of the more obvious ones.
What exactly happened in Asia?
Something occurred there that caused a lot of the believers there to abandon Paul. The truth is, we simply don’t know. Is it his history, being in jail too often? What caused the brothers in Asia to abandon him? This proceeds to the next question, did this refer to all the believers in all of Asia, or does Paul expect Timothy to know just who he is talking about.
Obviously it cannot be all the believers, since Tychicus is from Asia, and he stands with Paul (Acts 20:2; 2 Timothy 4:12; Titus 3:12). Plus, Onesiphorus stood with Paul. The implication is that he was from Asia too, although that can’t be stated with all certainty.
Just who are Phygelus and Hermogenes?
There is nothing found in church history to shed any light on this question. The fact that Paul mentions them to Timothy gives the impression that Timothy would know who they are. And the fact that Paul mentions them by name indicates that he probably expected better behavior from these two men. In all likelihood, they were leaders in other congregation in Asia, probably leading churches like Timothy was. While that’s just a guess, it seems likely to be the case.
Who is Onesiphorus?
With the mention of two men that have abandoned Paul, he is reminded of one who stood with him. That is Onesiphorus. He was possibly from the Ephesian church that Timothy led. While in Rome, maybe on matters of business, he heard of Paul’s imprisonment, and regardless of the danger to himself, he assisted Paul in any way that he could, helping bring refreshment to Paul.
It would have been simple for Onesiphorus to avoid Paul, especially if so many others from Asia were turning away. But Onesiphorus ignored that, and attempted to do what Jesus would have done, and visited Paul in prison, helping him out.
How did Onesiphorus refresh Paul?
The Greek word used here means “to blow” or “to make cool.” In other words, Onesiphorus’ assistance to Paul was like a breath of fresh air. We don’t know what he did. Perhaps he brought Paul food or clothing. Maybe he helped Paul with ministerial duties that Paul couldn’t accomplish while in jail. Maybe he just visited often, breaking the monotony and loneliness of a prison cell.
Regardless, Paul states that Onesiphorus was not ashamed of his chains. This is used as an appeal to Timothy to remain loyal as well. before the end of this letter, Paul will request, even beg, Timothy to come to Rome, and uses Onesiphorus as an example to Timothy to stand loyal and to not be ashamed of Paul’s chains either.
Paul will give a few more details of Onesiphorus’ assistance in the next two verses, which we will look at next week. In the meantime, we can be encouraged by the strong stance of one man, even in the face of opposition and abandonment of everyone else. That brought a refreshing breath of fresh air to Paul’s jail sentence, and he encourages Timothy to not be ashamed of the Lord’s prisoner either.
Are you a breath of fresh air in the life of someone else? If so, how do you encourage them? If not, how can you start? You can leave your thoughts in the comments section below.