The Faithfulness of Onesiphorus

In Paul’s second letter to Timothy, the last letter chronologically that we have from him, he made this sad statement: “This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes.”  The apostasy was beginning already before the death of Paul with a whole congregation turning away from him for some unknown reason.  Nothing else is mentioned of these two individuals in the scriptures, so they are known only for their defection from the truth.  These two are contrasted with another individual whom Paul mentioned in the next few verses: “The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus; for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain: But, when he was in Rome, he sought me out very diligently, and found me. The Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day: and in how many things he ministered unto me at Ephesus, thou knowest very well” (2 Timothy 1:15-18).  This man named Onesiphorus apparently had made some sacrifices to come and see Paul in prison and had also earlier served Paul in Ephesus.  Later in the same epistle Paul wrote, “Salute Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus” (2 Timothy 4:19).  Some have suggested that this language implies that Onesiphorus was no longer alive at this time since Paul saluted his family and not him directly.  It may be that he had died already for his faith; one source suggests that “he died a martyr in the city of Parium (not far from Ephesus).”  Either way, he was clearly a devoted disciple of the Savior who recognized the Lord’s anointed for who they really were. 

               Perhaps there is a lesson in these contrasting descriptions of Phygellus and Hermogenes on the one hand and Onesiphorus on the other.  If a faithful leader of the church who knew us was writing his last letter in this life, what would he say about us?  How would he describe our faithfulness to the Lord?  Would he say that we were devoted to the gospel and had ministered to the Saints like Onesiphorus was and did?  Or would he write of our rejection of the Lord’s servants and our turning away from the truth?  Unfortunately we know so little about these individuals—we only really have Paul’s brief description in these short verses.  If our lives were similarly remembered only by a few short summary verses of scripture, what would they say?  In the same letter Paul felt to leave a description of his own devotion to the Lord, telling Timothy: “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:7-8). Clearly Onesiphorus could have likewise said that of his life, and the most important question for us is whether our lives will be similarly summarized—will we fight the good fight and keep the faith and finish our course with honor before the Lord?  Or will we, like the people in Asia, turn away from the Lord’s anointed servants?