Onesiphorus
Onesiphorus
Info
- #benefactor
- Home:: Ephesus
- Other Locales:: Roman Church
- References:: 2 Timothy 1#1:16-18, 2 Timothy 4#4:19
Notes
- Sought out Paul in Rome and was "not ashamed of my chains"
- Paul prays for mercy on his household, leading some to conclude Onesiphorus may have died by the time of writing
Summary
Onesiphorus's loyalty to Paul stands out because so many others abandoned the apostle during his final imprisonment. Paul had just noted that "all who are in Asia turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes" (2 Timothy 1#1:15). Against this backdrop, Paul pivots: "May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains" (2 Timothy 1#1:16).
The verb "refreshed" (anepsyxen) literally means "to cool again" or "to revive with fresh air." Onesiphorus's presence brought relief to Paul in the stifling conditions of a Roman prison.
Paul adds detail revealing the personal cost of this loyalty: "When he arrived in Rome, he searched for me earnestly and found me" (2 Timothy 1#1:17). Locating Paul in Rome was not straightforward; he was held in an obscure prison rather than the relatively accessible house arrest of his first imprisonment. Onesiphorus had to actively hunt for Paul at personal risk. Associating with a prisoner condemned as an enemy of Rome was dangerous, particularly during the Neronian persecution.
Paul's prayer is unusual: he asks the Lord to "grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus" and "grant him to find mercy from the Lord on that day" (2 Timothy 1#1:18). The fact that Paul prays for Onesiphorus's household (present tense) and for Onesiphorus himself to receive mercy "on that day" suggests that Onesiphorus had died by the time Paul wrote 2 Timothy. Paul sends greetings to "the household of Onesiphorus" in 2 Timothy 4#4:19, again referencing the family rather than the man himself.
Paul recalls that "you know how much service he rendered at Ephesus" (2 Timothy 1#1:18), indicating Onesiphorus had served faithfully in the Ephesian church before traveling to Rome. His name, meaning "profit-bringer," proved apt, he was profitable to Paul and to the Ephesian community.
Onesiphorus stands in contrast to Demas, Phygelus, and Hermogenes, those who abandoned Paul when the cost became too high.