2 Timothy 1:15-18

2 Timothy 1:15-18 (NET)

1:15 You know that everyone in the province of Asia deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes. 1:16 May the Lord grant mercy to the family of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my imprisonment. 1:17 But when he arrived in Rome, he eagerly searched for me and found me. 1:18 May the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on that day! And you know very well all the ways he served me in Ephesus.

Notes:

1. Everyone in asia deserted him... Is he being literal, or figurative? He may be referring to the leaders, or to all. It seems to me that he is referring to the leaders and elders he had in place in Asia. Why did they desert him? There are two valid theories, one is that they deserted him because they doubted and downplayed his authority in Christ as their leader. Paul addresses this several times in his letters, and refers to people speaking badly about him. The other is that the people were scared and in hiding under the persecution of Nero, who was executing Christians en masse. Either way, Paul was left nearly alone, the people who were supposed to be there for him were not. He must have felt very alone. Yet, he clung to the Lord, and did not give up himself. He allowed Christ to be his strength, and even in the midst of his suffering and solitude, he was encouraging Timothy and building him up. He allowed himself to be used as an example of how to endure persecution, of how to cling to Christ through suffering.

2. Onesiphorus was one man who stood by Paul in his imprisonment. He was a man of Godly character. He was bold and not ashamed to be called a christian, and not ashamed to be associated with Paul. He must have set himself at great risk to travel through rome asking people where he could find Paul, especially during those times, when the Emperor had Christians burned as torches for his court and fed to lions and did all sorts of horrible things to them. I want to be bold and unafraid/unashamed like that.