2 Timothy, Part Nine
Faithful Brothers and Deserters
2 Timothy 1v15-18
10th July 2026
Paul concludes the first chapter of his second letter to Timothy with these words:
2 Timothy 1v15-18
You know that everyone in the province of Asia has deserted me, including
Phygelus and Hermogenes.
May the Lord show mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he often
refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains.
On the contrary, when he was in Rome, he searched hard for me until he
found me.
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.
Paul was in jail when he wrote this letter. He describes himself as prisoner in verse 8. In Chapter 4v13, he asks Timothy to bring his cloak when he comes to visit. Presumably, Paul was cold in his cell and wasn't free to buy clothes. In Chapter 4v6 he says "the time for my departure has come" because he was expecting to be executed.
The province of Asia was, in those times, the area we would now describe as western Turkey, which was then ruled by Rome. Timothy was the pastor of the church at Ephesus, the capital city of Asia.
Paul says, "You know that everyone in the province of Asia has deserted me". Members of churches in Asia could have travelled to Rome to speak in Paul's defence or to support him in other ways but Paul will write in chapter 4:16, "At my first defence, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me."
Paul mentions "Phygelus and Hermogenes" by name. It seems likely that he did this because he and Timothy would have expected these two Christians to remain loyal. How painful it is to be deserted by our Christian friends when we most need them, especially the ones we thought we could trust! As David lamented:
Psalm 41v9
Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel
against me.
Even Jesus was deserted by His friends as the time for His death approached.
However, one of the Christians from Asia did remain loyal to Paul. We know Onesiphorus was from there because, in 2 Timothy 4:19, Paul asks Timothy to "Greet Priscilla and Aquila and the household of Onesiphorus". Thank God for the few who stay with us when things are tough! Onesiphorus often refreshed Paul, whether by providing him with food and drink, or by visiting the prison to spend time with him, talking and praying. Onesiphorus was not ashamed of [Paul's] chains. When he arrived in Rome he searched hard for Paul until he found him, probably in the prison there.
May God so shape your character and mine that we seek out our fellow-Christians when they're in trouble, and help them. May we refresh them in any way we can. May we not seek our own comfort more than we seek to help our brothers and sisters when they need us. Jesus said:
John 13v34-35
"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must
love one another.
By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one
another."
He also said:
Matthew 7v17-20
... every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.
Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them."
In grateful response to the kindnesses Onesiphorus showed to Paul, Paul prays "May the Lord show mercy to the household of Onesiphorus". We can't be certain why Paul prays for Onesiphorus's household before praying for Onesiphorus himself. The most natural explanation, I think, is that Onesiphorus died while helping Paul in Rome, perhaps as a result of persecution, and so would never return to his household in Asia. They would be without their husband and father.
Christian service can result in great suffering on earth, but martyrs and other Christians who have made great sacrifices for God and His kingdom will receive great reward in heaven. It is a noble thing to be willing to pay a high price for our loyalty to Jesus. Paul wrote in verse 8, "join with me in suffering for the gospel". Also Consider these passages:
Acts 5v40-41
... They [the Sanhedrin] called the apostles [Peter and John] in and had them
flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let
them go.
The apostles [Peter and John] left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had
been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.
Hebrews 11v35
… There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they
might gain an even better resurrection.
Paul now prays "May the Lord grant that he [Onesiphorus] will find mercy from the Lord on that day! You know very well in how many ways he helped me in Ephesus.". Onesiphorus was a consistent support of Paul and his ministry. "That day" here and elsewhere means the Day of Judgement. Paul doesn't pray for Onesiphorus to be blessed on earth, perhaps because he had already departed this earth, as I suggested earlier. He prays that Onesiphorus will receive mercy from God on that day, because he is so very thankful for the support and help Onesiphorus gave him when others refused and deserted him.
All true Christians will receive mercy on that day.
Thank God for faithful Christian friends! Many of us will need faithful Christian friends before we, too, depart this earth. Many of us will have opportunity to be faithful Christian friends to our brothers and sisters in Christ who have fallen on hard times, or are sick, or elderly, or are being persecuted.
Paul was persecuted, imprisoned, abandoned by most of his friends, and expecting imminent execution. He knew, perhaps as much as anybody, the need for grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord (verse 1) power, love and self-discipline (verse 7) faith and love in Christ Jesus (verse13). And I'm sure he was truly grateful for the few faithful friends who remained with him to the end.
Paul's theology (and ours) is not just academic theory; it's intensely practical. When times get tough, we really need theology.