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.  2 Timothy 1:16 – 18

Onesiphorus.  We know almost nothing about the details of this man’s life. We see him only in this letter where he has gone far out of his way to bring comfort to Paul

We do know a few things. He lived in Ephesus. He may have come to believe in Jesus through the witness and teaching of Paul who spent about three years there on what we call his third missionary journey.  In any case he, like many of us, had a deep and pressing feeling of gratitude to the one or ones who led us to Jesus Christ. I know from my own experience how those feelings rise to the surface, time and again. I cling to those who showed me Jesus.

That same feeling of indebtedness drove Onesiphorus to travel to Rome, an arduous sea journey, to seek out Paul and help him if he possibly could. After searching with all diligence he finally found him chained to a Roman prison guard in an obscure common Roman prison, alone and in a sense abandoned by the brothers and sisters there in Rome who may have felt that if they owned Paul openly the hostile Emperor Nero would strike them.  Onesiphorus took the risk of befriending Paul. Obviously the Roman authorities did not know him.

We know that Onesiphorus was Greek.  His name means “he who brings something profitable.” He was a member of the cluster of churches in Ephesus that included both Jewish believers and Gentile believers.

We also know that Onesiphorus visited Paul. Paul wrote, “He often refreshed me.” He was not shocked to see the great Paul chained.

Behind Onesiphorus was his family so when Paul was praising God for him, he thanked him and his family as well.  I like to think that Paul knew the family very well, having lived for those memorable years in Ephesus himself. That was about fifteen years ago.

I am humbled by Onesiphorus who longed to bless the person through whom he learned of Jesus and I am touched by Paul’s heartfelt gratitude for his love that drove him beyond what was safe or expected.

I love this story.  How about you?