Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Timothy 1:16
The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus; for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain:
16. The Lord give mercy ] The phrase ‘give mercy’ does not occur elsewhere in N.T. As the use of the word ‘mercy’ with ‘grace and peace’ in the salutation to Timothy in both epistles marks the special intimacy and tenderness of sympathy between St Paul and his ‘son in the faith,’ so here the ‘friend in need’ is the ‘friend indeed.’
the house of Onesiphorus ] The natural though not necessary inference from this phrase here and in 2Ti 4:19, and from the prayer in 2Ti 1:18, is that Onesiphorus himself was dead.
he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain ] That is, ‘ in Asia, before I came to Rome this last time’ or ‘when on my way hither bound.’ The clause which follows seems to prevent our referring this to anything at Rome e.g. the libera custodia of the first imprisonment Act 28:20; Eph 6:20, where the word is used, as here, in the singular. But we may refer it to a similar libera custodia, which was exchanged on arrival at Rome for that close confinement which needed Onesiphorus’ ‘zealous’ seeking out.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus – The family of Onesiphorus – for so the word house is often used. He was himself still living 2Ti 1:18, but not improbably then absent from his home; compare the notes at 2Ti 4:19. He was evidently of Asia, and is the only one who is mentioned from that region who had showed the apostle kindness in his trials. He is mentioned only in this Epistle, and nothing more is known of him. The record is entirely honorable to him, and for his family the apostle felt a warm interest on account of the kindness which he had showed to him in prison. The ecclesiastical traditions also state that he was one of the seventy disciples, and was ultimately Bishop of Corone. But there is no evidence of this. There is much force in the remark of the Editor of the Pictorial Bible, that the pretended lists of the 70 disciples seem to have been made out on the principle of including all the names incidentally mentioned in the sacred books, and not otherwise appropriated.
For he oft refreshed me – That is, showed me kindness, and ministered to my needs.
And was not ashamed of my chain – Was not ashamed to be known as a friend of one who was a prisoner on account of religion. Paul was bound with a chain when a prisoner at Rome; Phi 1:13-14, Phi 1:16; Col 4:3, Col 4:18; Phm 1:10; see the notes at Act 28:20.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
2Ti 1:16
The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus.
Onesiphorus of Ephesus
The man who now steps upon the scene does not reappear. One Epistle only mentions him, and in the Acts his very name is unrecorded. Let us mark, however, what letter it is which contains these references. It is the last of all the Epistles of Paul, written during his second imprisonment, and not long before his death. He is again at Rome, but not, as on the former occasion, in his own hired house, with liberty to receive whom lie will, and to speak all that is in his heart. Cold, and worn, and ill, Paul the aged lies in his prison cell; and, of all his many companions, only Luke is with him now. So it happens that the very epistle which is full of the moat, heroic confidence in Divine protection, is marked by the tenderest yearings after human sympathy; and the heart of the apostle is swayed like the sea before the rough wind of unkind desertion, and again under the soft breeze of faithful solicitude and care. Onesiphorus, it is clear, was an Ephesian; for Timothy was at this time resident at Ephesus, and there this mans household dwelt. There, then, Paul and he had made acquaintance, during the long-continued campaign of the apostle in the city, now ten years ago. That earlier time is not, forgotten. Every one knew, and Timothy had often heard, of what value his friendship had been. His house was one of the many which had opened to Paul and made him welcome. Children were there, now grown to manhood, who were taught to run to the door at his approach and to draw him joyfully in. Years passed, and they had not met. Business of some kind brings Onesiphorus at last to Rome. Paul is at Rome too, a prisoner, in close confinement, and it is not easy to get access to him. No man stood by me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it be not laid to their charge. This good Ephesian, however, is made of sterner stuff. He applied to the brethren, and, to his astonishment, they have nothing to tell about the apostle. He goes to the government offices and inquires there; there information is scornfully refused. He makes his way, nothing daunted, to the prisons, and gets referred from one jailer to another, till he is almost tired out; but he perseveres, and at last here is a man who can tell him. But does he know the risk to his own liberty, perhaps to his own life? He knows; he is prepared to face it, if only he may see Paul. He sought me out very diligently, and found me–found the solitary old man with the chains on his hands, and the damp, dark prison walls round him. What a meeting must that have been! Sunshine pouring into the mouth of a cave is a poor emblem of what the sight of that brave and cheerful countenance must have been to Paul. It was not, then, in vain, that Jesus had left the word on record for His disciples, I was in prison, and ye came unto Me. Christian sympathy will find a way through every difficulty, and a key for every prison door. Paul has no silver or gold to give; he is so poor that he cannot buy a cloak to keep off the cold; but he has something to be prized far more–A good mans prayers. Those prayers he offers both for Onesiphorus himself and his family. The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus. The Lord grant it unto him. Nor is it Onesiphorus alone for whom Paul would pray. Let his household, too, be saved. Those sweet children, to whom he had so often spoken of the love of Jesus; those faithful servants, who had their masters example to guide them; the kinsfolk, who came to visit him; may they all be bound in the bundle of life with the Lord their God! See how great the blessing is of belonging to a godly home. Onesiphorus has been abundantly recompensed in time and in eternity for all that tie had done and dared for Paul. Need we fear to be overlooked? We have the servants prayers, We have the Masters promise. Whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward. (W. Brock.)
The brother born for adversity
A good man in these verses counts up what his friend had done for him, and then, to the best of his ability, he makes a payment.
I. What had Osesiphorus done for Paul?
1. When he was in Rome he sought me out very diligently. We cannot tell what it was that took Onesiphorus to Rome. Perhaps he was a merchant, and went there to buy and sell. Perhaps he was a scholar, and went there to listen to its poets and orators, and to acquaint himself with its works of art. But whatever he went for, he resolved to see his friend. It is possible that he was not at once successful. But he grudged no time, he spared no effort. And at length he succeeded. He found Paul. Some, perhaps, had they been in the place of Onesiphorus, would have been equally well pleased not to have found Paul. They would have reported to the Church, at their return home, that they had made various efforts, and had failed, and that probably the apostle was either dead or had been removed to another city. Their consciences would have been quieted, and perhaps their friends satisfied. But Onesiphorus was not anxious merely to quiet his conscience. What had Onesiphorus done for Paul? He had gone to see him not once, but many times. He oft refreshed me. Perseverance in sympathy or in active kindness is more difficult than the being once sympathising, or once kind. Yet, though difficult, how valuable it is I
2. There is one characteristic of Onesiphorus visits to Paul which is well worth noticing. The apostle was refreshed by them. He oft refreshed me. Visits to the sick and the poor may be very depressing. We may go to tell them our own troubles instead of listening to theirs, or we may go to chide and scold–to tell how that, if we had been in their places, debts would not have been contracted, nor sicknesses taken, or we may go and talk good, and that by the hour, while the weary or the bereaved one listens in submission. And the intention in all this may have been very kind. We went–for we felt it was our duty to go–and we did our best. But, alas! our visits healed no wound–they brought no sunshine. Yet how refreshing are the visits of some, and among them those of Onesiphorus. He oft refreshed me. Do the words suggest to us any other visitant who comes in dark moments with thoughts of peace and not of evil? Is there not One who says, Come unto Me, all ye that travail, and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you.
3. Further, says the apostle, he was not ashamed of my chain. If our friends are under reproach, our going to visit them, or in any manner permitting their names to be associated with our own, is a proof of our constancy. Most men are willing enough to worship the rising sun. If we hear of any one, with whom we have a casual acquaintance, becoming suddenly distinguished by a literary production, or a work of art, or an act of heroism, we are very swift to put forth our claims to recognition or companionship. But if a friend become poor, how prone we are to cut him, or, if he be dishonoured, to deny him. Onesiphorus despised the shame.
4. And be it observed that what was now done at Rome had been done elsewhere. For, says the apostle, In how many things he ministered unto me at Ephesus, thou knowest very well. Perhaps at Ephesus the apostle had slept under his roof, had eaten, and that oft, at his table, had been helped by his purse, his time, his money. And now he shows that he had not become wearied in well-doing. And so he illustrated Solomons proverb, A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
II. And now we will look at the payment the apostle rendered. The Lord, says he, give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus. May children, and wife, and servants–all who dwell within the house or cluster round it–share the Divine bounty. May mercy engirdle its walls and canopy its reel May it fall each night upon them that dwell therein as the soft dew. May it rise on them each morning as the blessed sun. In each breast may it settle like a gentle bird; in each car may it ring like the chime of church bells. May mercy take the ham] of each and guide him, and watch over the plans of each and prosper him, and light up the prospects of each and cheer him. And, at last, may mercy make the pillow of caeca soft and easy, and enable each to close his eyes in the conviction that all beyond is well; that the strange land to which he is going is still a land of mercy, and that in it there is a welcome waiting from Him who is the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation. But a particular period is named to which the apostles prayers pointed. The Lord grant that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day. How blessed will it be to find mercy of the Lord in that day, and to find it as the kindly recompense for deeds done in days gone by. Who would have thought that there was any connection between those visits paid by Onesiphorus to a lonely man in irons in a gloomy prison, in a gloomy street, in the capital of the Caesars, and the transactions of that period when the throne should be set and the books opened? What thread of connection is there between these? Only this: that seed bears its appropriate crop, that certain consequences follow certain antecedents to the end of time–yes, and after time! (J. F. Serjeant, M. A.)
Onesiphorus
Onesiphorus comes into view as a ship appears upon the ocean when she crosses the pathway of the moon. Very little is known of his life before or after this brief contact with the life of Paul. The radiance which the apostle casts upon the page of history makes Onesiphorus visible. In this light the beauty of a noble character, whose gentle ministrations were the solace of one of Gods servants, is evident. The moon discovers the model of a ship, and also her course; and an acquaintance is formed with a stranger of the ancient time because he stands near to, and sympathises with, a notable man. So true is it that life depends for its efficiency and its estimate upon the relations which it sustains, and that obscurity and fame are determined by the perspective. The apostle was a prisoner in a Roman dungeon. The comforts of his own hired house were no longer his. Nero was the Emperor. Christianity had been charged with political designs. The sword of the persecutor was red with blood. There was little hope of a favourable verdict at the bar of Caesar. One companion after another had found it convenient to leave Paul. Only Luke is with me, was the sad announcement which Timothy read when he opened the last letter of his honoured friend. It was not safe to visit such a prisoner. He was a marked man. The caprice of the Emperor was ready to seize upon any protest. His spies filled the city. A single word from his lips meant instant death. He had determined to hold Christianity responsible for a great disaster which befell Rome upon the 19th of July, in the year 64. For then a fire broke out in a valley between the Palatine and Caelian Hills, and marched steadily on its downward course for six days and seven nights. Some one must be punished, and Nero selected the Christians as the victims of his wrath. While Christianity was thus enduring persecution, Onesiphorus, an Ephesian, who had befriended Paul in his own city, reached Rome. He learned that the apostle, aged now and infirm, was in prison and in chains. He determined to go to his relief. His courage was equal to his sympathy. As we read these few sentences of Pauls letter to Timothy, we are impressed with the unfailing courtesy of the apostle. He appreciates the attentions of his friends, and he never fails to acknowledge them with great delicacy. His letters are models of correspondence, so dignified, so sincere, so frank, so affectionate! They are filled with personal allusions, which exhibit the social character of this eminent man. The Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day! How heart-felt! How genuine! How delicate! This sturdy soldier of the cross, whose valour has been displayed upon many a battlefield, commends the truth of the gospel by his courtesy. He does not repel men, but wins them. One of the wise sayings of Hillel, the distinguished Jewish Rabbin, was this: Be thou of Aarons disciples, loving peace and seeking for peace, loving the creatures and attracting them to the Law! Hillel himself was a beautiful illustration of his own teaching. His gentleness of manner was associated with firmness of principle and strength of conviction. Paul, as a Pharisee, must have been familiar with the many traditions which were current among the Jews concerning the renowned teacher, and his own character must have been somewhat affected by his admiration for one whose virtues were praised in the schools of Jerusalem. Let a man be always gentle like Hillel, and not hasty like Shammai, was an oft-repeated injunction. Gamaliel, the teacher of Saul of Tarsus, was the grandson of Hillel, and the school which the future apostle entered was pervaded with aa atmosphere of courtesy. Then, when our Lord taught that zealous Pharisee, and led him to realise the sinfulness of his mistaken zeal which had made him a persecutor, and gave him a new appreciation of the excellence of humble service and gentle ministrations, he advanced to a new recognition of the duty and the opportunity of courtesy. I regard courtesy as one of the efficient graces of the Christian life. It is the polished mirror which reflects the most light. Bluntness, coarseness rudeness, are not evidences of strength. The courtesy of Lord Chesterfield is not the courtesy of Paul. For Chesterfield, in his letters to his son, exhibits his lack of sincerity, his want of principle. His courtesy is only a thin veneer, which has received constant rubbing until it is worn out. Pauls courtesy is the real wood, which is solid down to the heart. The Christian heart is always ready to sustain the Christian manner; and the Christian manner is Christs manner. He commended truth by his address. Can you wonder that such courtesy as his secured him many friends among the poor and suffering? Does it seem strange that a similar courtesy has led mankind as with magnetic power? And yet we carry too little of it with us into the practical work of daily life. There is many a man whose business hours never hear a single kind word–A thank you, an if you please. Service becomes drudgery. The rich and the poor draw apart. Hostile camps are organised. Men who should be friends look angrily at one another. There is a better way for the home, the shop, and the counting-room. It is Christs way, and Pauls way, and the way of all who manifest with them the true spirit of love. There is something very fine about this conduct of the large-hearted Ephesian. He was evidently a man of substance, for he had the means at his command which enabled him to help Paul in Ephesus and in Rome. Yet, when he visited the imperial city, where a money value was placed upon almost everything, he went about through the streets and among the prisons to find a despised Jew–one Saul of Tarsus–whose name had become a by-word and a reproach. Social life needs an illustration such as this. We are apt to forget–alas! we are apt to despise–the poor. Yet but for the poor–Gods own poor–social life would perish in its corruption. It is well for us to appreciate the intimacy of this dependence which it obtains. Spiritual treasures are to be regarded as wealth. We must traffic more. Gold and silver must be exchanged for sympathy and prayer. The material blessings of this life are to be distributed just as the spiritual blessings are. The rich are to live for the poor, and the poor are to live for the rich. The man whose talents qualify him to command armies is to be the protector of the weak, aim the man whose appreciation is sensitive is to be the teacher of the ignorant; the man who has this worlds goods is to supply his brothels need, and the man who can prevail with God is to realise his responsibility in prayer. The ministrations of Onesiphorus exhibit the watchfulness of God, which is exercised through His servants. The poor saints understand this better than the rich saints can. Their poverty affords many occasions for the manifestation of special providences. And in their lives these special providences are very numerous. God feeds them, as He did Elijah by the brook Cherith. There is a wonderful adaptation of supply and demand. Nor should we fail to discover the dignity which is ours when we are selected by God as His messengers. Subjects always appreciate the preference of a sovereign. God honours us if He makes us His almoners. Let us appreciate the honour, and let us seek to discharge such duties with considerate love. Blessed, says the Psalmist, is he that considereth the poor. This is something more than giving; for it includes the manner of the giving. England has forgotten many of the leaders of fashion who were in favour thirty years ago, but she will never forget that cultured woman who went as nurse to the soldiers of the Crimea. Florence Nightingale once wrote that the strong, the healthy wills in any life must determine to pursue the common good at any personal cost, at daily sacrifice. And we must not think that any fit of enthusiasm will carry us through such a life as this. Nothing but the feeling that it is Gods work more than ours–that we are seeking His success, and not our success–and that we have trained and fitted ourselves by every means which He has granted us to carry oat His work, will enable us to go on. Christianity waits for such service. When Onesiphorus came into helpful contact with the life of Paul, he secured an unconscious immortality. His is not a principal figure in the Scriptures. He is of secondary rank or importance. But he has secured a grand immortality, while other men, greater, wiser, more conspicuous then than he, are forgotten; and this immortality was secured by self-forgetfulness on the part of Onesiphorus. If we cannot work unless we are sure of a recognition, we shall have no part in the sweet charities which make life tolerable. We must learn of the coral insect, whose instinct teaches it to build until it dies, and which, by building, slowly lifts an island out of the seas, upon which flowers may bloom, and trees may wave, and man may find a home. This, my friends, is our immortality, sure and blessed. We are labourers together with God. It may be that we can do but little. Never mind. We will do what we can. (H. M. Booth, D. D.)
Was Onesiphorus dead?
The only ground for the hypothesis of the death of Onesiphorus appears in the further reference to his household, rather than to himself, in the final salutations (2Ti 4:19). This might easily be explained on another supposition, as well as on that made by the advocates of the prayer for the departed. If Onesiphorus of Ephesus had business in Rome, he may have had reasons for visiting Corinth, or Thessalonica, or Alexandria, or Spain, and may have been at too great a distance to receive personally the apostles salutations. (H. R. Reynolds, D. D.)
The balance of probability is decidedly in favour of the view that Onesiphorus was already dead when St. Paul wrote these words. There is not only the fact that he speaks here of the house of Onesiphorus in connection with the present and of Onesiphorus himself only in connection with the past; there is also the still more marked fact that in the final salutations, while greetings are sent to Prisca and Aquila, and from Eubulus, Pudens, Linus, and Claudia, yet it is once more the house of Onesiphorus, and not, Onesiphorus himself, who is saluted. This language is thoroughly intelligible if Onesiphorus was no longer alive but had a wife and children who were still living in Ephesus; but it is not easy to explain this reference in two places to the household of Onesiphorus, if he himself was still alive. In all the other cases the individual, and not the household, is mentioned. Nor is this twofold reference to his family, rather than to himself, the only fact which points in this direction. There is also the character of the apostles prayer. Why does he confine his desires respecting the requital of Onesiphorus kindness to the day of judgment? Why does he not also pray that he may be requited in this life? that he may prosper and be in health, even as his soul prospereth, as St. John prays for Gaius (3Jn 1:2)? This, again, is thoroughly intelligible if Onesiphorus is already dead. It is much less intelligible if he is still alive. It seems, therefore, to be scarcely too much to say that there is no serious reason for questioning the now widely accepted view that at the time when St. Paul wrote these words Onesiphorus was among the departed. (A. Plummer, D. D.)
Sympathy
Like the sea anemone, which feels the first returning wave upon the rock, and throws out all its tendrils, so the tender nature of some individuals will give forth all its sympathies at the slightest intimations of woe. (J. Everett.)
Sympathetic men
What a blessing are rest-giving men and women! People upon whose strong sense and deep and delicate sympathy we can fling ourselves as on to a welcome couch! People into whose presence the worries and irritabilities of life seem afraid to enter! Cathedral-like souls, full of softened lights and restful shadows! Oh, what a refreshment to meet with such! Large, deep natures which have found for themselves rest in God, and whose very presence brings over others what Christs word brought over the Sea of Galilee–A great calm. Souls that are like a vast forest, rich and cool, filled with speaking silences and peopled solitudes, where one can recline for hours or wander for days a stranger to the heat that wearies and withers outside! Such, in some measure, we can all be, and the need for such service to humanity is not sufficiently insisted on. (J. Dawson.)
Prison fellow ship
Who has not read the story of Picciola; how the prisoner knelt down and nursed the little flower which sprung up between the flagstones in his walk–how, in his loneliness, he talked to it as though it had a soul that could speak hack to him–and how, at length, the strong heart was broken within him, when, with the heat of the sun, it at last withered and died? Or that stranger illustration of the prisoner of the Bastille who knit his affections to a spider, weaving his web in a corner of the cell, and then wept, as one weeps for his first-born, when it was killed through the wanton cruelty of the gaoler? Far beyond this is the joy we have in the fellowship of our own kind.
Religious friendship
Onesiphorus means bringing profit. The mans life was true to his name. He brought profit to himself, others, God. A model ministers friend.
I. Religious frieindship is eminently practical in its service.
1. Invigorating. Refreshed me. Like dew to shrivelled grass and drooping flower.
2. Painstaking. Sought, etc.
3. Courageous. In Rome. Not ashamed of my chain. False friends are swayed by the signs of the times. Like a shadow, they leave us when we pass out of the sunshine. True friendship, based on character, not circumstances, hence unalterable.
4. Continuous.
5. Personal.
6. Proverbial. Thou knowest very well. The true man loves to recount deeds of kindness.
7. Immortal. Kindness is undying.
II. Religious friendship is highly distinguished in its reward.
1. It gained for him the influence of the mightiest Christian power.
2. It gained for him the influence of prayer for the best blessing Mercy.
(1) The most needed blessing.
(2) Involves every other.
3. It gained for him the influence of prayer for the best blessing on the most momentous occasion. That day–the judgment–the day of destiny–the final day of mercy. (B. D. Johns.)
Refreshing the poorest
And here the best may be taxed for omitting of the present occasion, or poor mans necessity. We are prone to commit sin instantly, and to put off good and charitable duties from time to time, and to do them lingeringly. But, beloved, this should not be so; we gather fruit when it is the ripest; cut down corn when it is the hardest; let blood when it groweth rankest; and shall we not refresh our brethren being poorest? (J. Barlow, D. D.)
The needy not to be neglected
We may run from the poor, and his homely bed and cottage; but God and His swift curse will one day overtake us. (J. Barlow, D. D.)
A welcome visitor
I have read recently that in one of the English prisons there was at one time an underground cell, which was used as a place of punishment. Its remoteness, loneliness, and darkness made it a place greatly dreaded. Among the prisoners there was a man of refinement and nervous temperament, to whom the horror of this penalty was a fright that haunted him day and night. At length there was some alleged offence against the prison discipline, for which he was sentenced to four and twenty hours in this dungeon. He was led by the wardens to the place; the door was opened and he had to go down the stairs into its depths. The door was shut. The steps of the wardens died away in the distance; the outermost door was heard as its slamming echoed in the hollow places. Then all was still–A stillness that oppressed with terror amidst a darkness that could be felt. Nervous and full of imagination, the man sank down paralysed with fear. Strange and hideous shapes came out of the gloom, and pointed at him. His brain throbbed as with fever, and mocking voices seemed to come from all sides. He felt that before long the terror must drive him mad. Then suddenly there came the sound of steps overhead; and in a quiet tone the chaplain called him by name. Oh, never was any music so sweet! God bless you, gasped the poor fellow. Are you there? Yes, said the chaplain, and I am not going to stir from here until you come out. The poor man could not thank him enough. God bless you, he cried. Why, I dont mind it a bit now, with you there like that. The terror was gone; the very darkness was powerless to hurt while his friend was so near–unseen, but just above. And so beside us all ever is the unseen yet loving presence of our Master and Friend, and darkness and danger have no longer any power to frighten us. (G.R. Dickenson.)
Was not ashamed of my chain.
Chains worth wearing
Here was Paul, in that large, grand company of men who, in all the ages, have been the victims of great ideals, of noble inspirations, of truth, of virtuous impulses, of high and generous purposes that reach out and beyond him; and there were a thousand men of all sorts coming against Pauls life, who appreciated his nobility, his gifts, his eloquence, his scholarship, his Judaism; and they saw nothing else in Paul or upon Paul but his chain, and then they walked away half ashamed and so sorry that so good a man as Paul had to wear a chain. There never was such jewellery in all the ages as that chain of Pauls. Never did any goldsmith melt together the rarest pieces from the mines and put them in such delicate and beauteous relationships with one another, as did the Providence of God, when, through countless years and by various circumstances, the prophecies worked out that chain for Paul. Here is a mother, and if she is really a mother she is far more certainly chained than the woman by her side who tosses her little head, for such heads are always small, and has no thought of responsibilities and cares; no thought about those relationships of life which ought to be the most sacred in the world. Here is a young man who has started out to make himself intelligent. He has only a few hours in which to do it. He takes those hours and by all the severe exactions of his noble spirit he is bound so to that ideal that he cannot do this, and he has not an evening for that, and he hurries to his work a chained man, but oh, how grand! Here is a girl who thinks, perhaps, that tomorrow she will begin to sew again, wearily but happily, chained to her work, because yonder in some lowly place in this city her mother is working and waiting, prayerfully doing what she can, for death to take her. But this brave girl is carrying that aged mother upon those weary arms as once the mother carried her, chained, but not with a chain bought at a jewellery store. She has not the kind of jewellery upon her that sparkles upon you at the great reception. No, her jewellery is made by Almighty God; it was mined in the vast secrets of goodness; it was brought out by the heat and fire of that eager life; and God has given her this chain as the mark that she belongs to that grand race of aristocrats. And I care not whether that girl lives in a garret, or lives in a mansion, she belongs to the aristocracy of heaven. In what contrast to these chains appear the chains that have rattled as you came here, my friend; for there are other chains of the most coarse and ignoble kind that bind us. Here is a man who comes and feels, when he sees the picture of that young man earnestly trying to become intelligent, that he is ignorant, and he never knows how much of a chain there is attaching itself to him. Other people do. His smartnesses are simply exhibits of his chain; every time he tries to perpetrate a joke the chain rattles and people see how bound he is to utter ignorance. Here are men and women bound by chains of selfishness. To save your life you cannot conceive of a noble inspiration, The other day, when somebody told you of some one giving some money to a great cause, you sneeringly measured your own soul when you thought you were measuring his, and you said: Well, he wanted to be advertised! You know that is the way you would feel under the circumstances. Your chain rattled, and it rattled so awfully that those who were round about you saw the awful depths of selfishness into which you were about to fall. Here are men who are chained by habit. To save your life, you cant get home without feeling the pulling of a chain which you would rather break than to accomplish anything else in the world. But how different are these chains from the ones which Paul wore, as he stood there in the face of Israel and the whole world! That chain was rattling when he spoke, and he uttered that word with such eloquence that it has resounded through the centuries. For the hope of Israel, he said, I am bound with this chain. Other men have been bound to the past; I am bound to the future. Other men have been bound to iniquity; I am bound to righteousness. Other men have been bound to low ideals; I am bound to lofty ideals. Other men are in slavery, abject slavery, to those carnal purposes of life that debase; I am in slavery which is sublime, to the true and lofty ideals that exalt. For the hope of Israel, I am bound with that chain. (F. W. Gunsaulus, D. D.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 16. The Lord give mercy] Onesiphorus had acknowledged him, and continued to do so; he, and his house, or family, ministered to him in prison, and were not ashamed of their imprisoned pastor, nor of the cause for which he was in disgrace and suffering. As he showed mercy to the apostle, the apostle prays the Lord to show mercy to him.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus; whether Onesiphorus was at this time alive, or not, is very doubtful, for he only prays for his family in this text, and saluteth them only, 2Ti 4:19.
For he oft refreshed me; either when he was in Asia, or (which is more probable by reason of what followeth) at Rome, whither he might attend him, or follow him.
And was not ashamed of my chain; and showed kindness to him when he was a prisoner; for which Paul prayeth mercy for his whole family.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
16. The Lord give mercyevenas ONESIPHORUS hadabounded in works of mercy.
the house of OnesiphorusHehimself was then absent from Ephesus, which accounts for the form ofexpression (2Ti 4:19). Hishousehold would hardly retain his name after the master wasdead, as BENGEL supposeshim to have been. Nowhere has Paul prayers for the dead, which isfatal to the theory, favored by ALFORDalso, that he was dead. God blesses not only the righteous manhimself, but all his household.
my chainPaul in thesecond, as in his first imprisonment, was bound by a chain to thesoldier who guarded him.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
The Lord give mercy to the house of Onesiphorus,…. Who seems to have been one of Asia, and of Ephesus, and is an exception from the general apostasy, or from those that turned away from the apostle; and therefore he prays that the Lord would show mercy to his family; that he would give regenerating grace and mercy to such of them as were without it, or pardoning grace and mercy, or the great mercy of eternal life and salvation by Christ; and this doubtless was a prayer in faith, upon the promises of God, and upon instances and examples, in which God has remarkably shown mercy to the families of good men, who have faithfully served him, and abode in his interest in times of trouble; thus the house of Obed Edom was blessed for the sake of the ark, that was taken care of by them; the reasons of this prayer and good wishes follow:
for he oft refreshed me; both with his Christian visits, and spiritual conversation, which to the apostle, in the heat of his affliction and persecution, were like a fan in hot weather, cooling and reviving, as the word signifies; and also by supplying him with the necessaries of life, as food and raiment, or money to purchase them with. He answered to his name, which signifies, “one that brings profit”: he is said to be one of the seventy disciples;
[See comments on Lu 10:1] and afterwards to be bishop of Corone:
and was not ashamed of my chain; the Syriac version adds, “with which I am bound”; in which he lay, or by which he was held, and led by a soldier; see Ac 28:16. Onesiphorus was not ashamed of the apostle, though he was bound with a chain; nor was he ashamed of the cause for which he suffered: and the apostle proposes him to Timothy, as an example worthy of imitation, in those times of defection. See 2Ti 1:8.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Grant mercy ( ). The phrase nowhere else in the N.T. Second aorist active optative of , the usual form being . This is the usual construction in a wish about the future.
Unto the house of Onesiphorus ( ). The same phrase in 4:19. Apparently Onesiphorus is now dead as is implied by the wish in 1:18.
For he oft refreshed me ( ). First aorist active indicative of , old verb, to cool again, in LXX and Koine often, here only in N.T., but in Ac 3:20. In the first imprisonment or the second. If he lost his life for coming to see Paul, it was probably recently during this imprisonment.
Was not ashamed of my chain ( ). Passive deponent again (first aorist indicative) with accusative as in 1:8. For (chain) see Eph 6:20. Note absence of augment in .
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Onesiphorus. Mentioned again, chapter 2Ti 4:19.
Refreshed [] . N. T. o. Several times in LXX; often in Class. Anayuxiv refreshing, Act 3:19; and katayucein to cool, Luk 16:24. Originally to cool; to revive by fresh air.
Chain [] . Once in Paul, Eph 6:20. Several times in Mark, Luke, and Acts. It may mean handcuffs or manacles (see Lightfoot, Philippians, ed. of 1896, page 8), but is not limited to that sense either in classical or later Greek. See Hdt 9:74; Eurip. Orest. 984. Mr 5:4 is not decisive.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus” (doe heleos ho kurios to Onesiphorou oiko) “May the Lord give mercy to the household of Onesiphorus.” Paul asked that Timothy offer a special word of thanks to them, on his behalf, 2Ti 4:19.
2) “For he oft refreshed me” Because he often refreshed me;” by word of moral support, financial, material help, and personal visit, Act 28:20-21. This word of appreciation and salutation in 2Ti 4:19 may have been to his household on his decrease.
3) “And was not ashamed of my chain” (kai ten alusin mou ouk epaischunthe) “And he was not ashamed or did not blush at my chain,” bondage or shackle, Act 28:20-21.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
16 May the Lord grant mercy From this prayer we infer, that the good offices done to the saints are not thrown away, even though they cannot recompense them; for, when he prays to God to reward them, this carries in it the force of a promise. At the same time, Paul testifies his gratitude, by desiring that God will grant the remuneration, because he is unable to pay. What if he had possessed abundant means of remuneration? Undoubtedly he would have manifested that he was not ungrateful.
To the family of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me It is worthy of attention, that although he praises the kindness of Onesiphorus alone, yet, on his account, he prays for mercy to the whole family Hence we infer, that “the blessing of God rests, not only on the head of the righteous man,” but on all his house. So great is the love of God toward his people, that it diffuses itself over all who are connected with them.
And was not ashamed of my chain This is a proof, not only of his liberality, but likewise of his zeal; seeing that he cheerfully exposed himself to danger and to the reproach of men, in order to assist Paul.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(16) The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus.In striking contrast to those false friends who turned away from him was one, also well known to Timothy, probably an Ephesian merchant. Onesiphorus, to whose house the Apostle prays the Lord to give mercy, had, early in this last imprisonment of St. Paul, arrived in Rome on matters connected probably with business. There he heard of the arrest of that great master whom he had known well in Asia, and sought him out in his prison. There is but little doubt that when St. Paul wrote this Epistle Onesiphorus death must have recently taken place, both from the terms of this versewhere mercy is prayed, not for him, but for his houseand also from the expression in that day, used in 2Ti. 1:18. There is something strangely touching in this loving memory of one who, in his trouble, did not forsake him, but whose devotion was rather increased by his danger, and this one faithful friend would never be able again to show his love to the prisoner, for God had called him home.
For he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain.He oft refreshed me does not imply that he ministered only to the Apostles bodily needs when he was in prison, though the word, no doubt, includes this. But he refreshed him by frequent visits, by, no doubt, much anxious forethought in the matter of St. Pauls deliverance from prison and bonds, by a noble disregard of the personal danger which he incurred by his open intimacy with a prisoner charged, as St. Paul must have been, with treason against the empire. He was not ashamed of my chain. (See Act. 28:20, where the chain of another captivity is mentioned.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
16. Onesiphorus is one bright exception to this desertion.
House Implying, perhaps, that he was himself dead.
Refreshed As a cooling does a heated person.
Not ashamed As St. Paul was not, 2Ti 1:12, and Timothy should not be, 2Ti 1:8.
My chain Sometimes two chains. Note, Act 12:6; and so Act 21:33. Note, Eph 6:20.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘The Lord grant mercy to the house of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain, but, when he was in Rome, he sought me diligently, and found me.’
And then into the bleakness of his experience came a shining light (Mat 5:16; Mat 25:36). For one day as he sat there in his cell, he heard the door grinding open, and into his cell strode Onesiphorus who explained that he was sorry that it had taken so long, but he had been looking for him diligently and had only just discovered in which prison he was. Only those who have gone through such an experience of darkness and aloneness would understand the joy that must have filled Paul’s soul. Not all in Asia Minor were ashamed of him after all. And Onesiphorus probably did not even realise what he had done for Paul. No wonder Paul cried, ‘The Lord grant compassion to the household of Onesiphorus (as he has had compassion on me)’. From what Onesiphorus had done his whole household, relatives and servants, would benefit (compare Act 16:31). For here was one who knew what it meant to have, not a spirit of fearfulness, but ‘a Spirit of power and love and sound judgment’ (Compare 2Ti 1:7).
‘And was not ashamed of my chain.’ This tells the whole story. Perhaps the Asian leaders had suggested to themselves that Paul must ‘clearly have done something wrong’, so that they were ashamed to associate with him as ‘a criminal’. As Christians they could not be expected to have dealings with a criminal. But there was no such thought with Onesiphorus. His first thought on learning of Paul’s situation had been to find him and visit him, for the love of Christ constrained him, and he knew Paul for what he really was, and he loved him.
‘For he often refreshed me.’ And from then on, in spite of the obvious danger of visiting a prisoner who was to be brought before Nero, Onesiphorus often visited him no doubt bringing him both physical and spiritual refreshment.
In this small vignette we have the picture of a man’s loyalty and faithfulness to one to whom he owed so much. But there is in this incident also a wonderful pointer to the love of Christ to us too, for He also, when He knew that we were imprisoned in the darkness of sin, and chained to our old life, sought us diligently and found us.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
2Ti 1:16-18 . With these unfaithful Asiatics, Paul contrasts the faithfulness of Onesiphorus, probably that he might place an example before Timothy.
] does not occur elsewhere in the N. T. Regarding the form , proper to later Greek, see Buttmann, Ausfhrl. Gramm. 107, Rem. 9; Winer, pp. 75 f. [E. T. p. 94]. By we must understand Christ, according to the usage of the N. T. Onesiphorus is named only here and at 2Ti 4:19 . Many expositors (also Hofmann) think that his household only is in both passages mentioned, because he was no longer in life. This opinion is confirmed by the way in which mercy is wished for him in 2Ti 1:18 (de Wette).
Paul expressed such a wish because of the love that had been shown him; ] , properly, “cool,” then “refresh, enliven” ( Od. iv. 568: ), occurring only here in the N. T. (more frequently in the LXX.; , Act 3:19 ), is not to be derived from (Beza), but from . De Wette, without ground, thinks that a bodily refreshment of meat and drink only is meant; it should rather be referred more generally to all proofs of love on the part of Onesiphorus. These were all the more precious to the apostle that they were given to him in his imprisonment, and proved that Onesiphorus was not ashamed of his bonds (2Ti 1:8 ; 2Ti 1:12 ); this is expressed in the words that follow. On , comp. Eph 6:20 . 2Ti 1:17 . ] in opposition to the preceding .
] (comp. Mat 26:6 ; Act 13:5 ). It is not said what moved him to journey to Rome; it is mere conjecture to suppose that it was business matters.
-g0- ( Rec. Tisch. 8: ) ] The comparative is the right reading, and is to be explained by referring to . , “ all the more eagerly ” (Wiesinger, Hofmann).
The stands in sharp contrast with , 2Ti 1:15 .
The addition of brings out that Onesiphorus had sought him till he found him.
Paul at first wished mercy only to the house of Onesiphorus; he now does the same to Onesiphorus himself. 2Ti 1:18 . Matthies, Wiesinger, Hofmann think that is a play on words with the preceding ; but this is at least doubtful.
The repetition of is striking: . We can hardly take these to refer to two different subjects (according to de Wette, the first being God, the second Christ; according to Wiesinger and Hofmann, the very opposite).
here is in any case Christ, as in 2Ti 1:16 ; 2Ti 4:18 (certainly not: “the world-ruling, divine principle,” Matthies). The apostle in what follows might simply have said . . ; but in his mental vision of the judgment, seeing Christ as judge, he writes down just as it occurs to him, without being anxious to remember that he had begun with . [18] The phrase with genitive does not occur elsewhere; only in the Song of the Three Children, 2Ti 1:14 , have we ; in 2Jn 1:3 : . As to the expression, we should compare especially Heb 4:16 : ( . , Luk 1:30 ; Act 7:46 , and often in the LXX. and the Apocrypha of the O. T.). On , comp. 2Ti 1:12 . This wish the apostle utters not only because of the love Onesiphorus had shown him in Rome, but also because of what he had done in Ephesus, of which, however, he does not wish here to speak further, as it is well known to Timothy.
] Heydenreich, Hofmann, [19] and some others supply , others ; both are unnecessary. Even without supplying anything, we can of course understand that he is speaking of services rendered in the church. On the other hand, there is nothing to indicate that Onesiphorus was actually a of the church.
] The adverb only here; the comparative does not simply stand for the positive, see Winer, pp. 227 f. [E. T. p. 304]. There is a comparison implied here: “than I could tell thee,” or the like. [20]
[18] Van Oosterzee: “An inartistic form of expression, in which the second may be taken for the reflective pronoun.”
[19] Hofmann supposes that those services are meant which Onesiphorus, after his return from Rome to Ephesus, rendered to the apostle for the purpose of disarming the charges that had brought him into prison. This, however, is a mere conjecture.
[20] Otto supposes that Onesiphorus was the first to seek Paul out in his imprisonment, and that he brought the news spoken of from Ephesus; but these are conjectures which can hardly be called probable, as there is no ground on which to rest them.
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
16 The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus; for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain:
Ver. 16. He oft refreshed me ] Gr. , poured cold water upon me, as that angel did upon the racked limbs of Theodorus the martyr, mentioned by Socrates and Ruffinus in the days of Julian the Apostate.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
16 .] May the Lord give mercy (an expression not found elsewhere in N. T.) to the house of Onesiphorus (from this expression, here and in ch. 2Ti 4:19 , and from what follows, 2Ti 1:18 , it has been not improbably supposed, that Onesiphorus himself was no longer living at this time. Some indeed, as Thdrt. ( ), Calv. (“ob eum toti famili bene precatur. Unde colligimus Dei benedictionem non tantum super caput justi sed super totam domum residero”), al., take it as merely all extension of the gratitude of the Apostle from Onesiphorus to his household: but ch. 2Ti 4:19 is against this. Thdrt. indeed (as also Chrys.) understands that Onesiphorus was with him at this time: but the aorists here (cf. ) will hardly allow that), because on many occasions he refreshed me (from , not from . Any kind of refreshing, of body or mind, may be implied), and was not ashamed of ( 2Ti 1:8 ) my chain (reff.): but when he was in Rome, sought me out with extraordinary diligence (literally: with more diligence than could have been looked for. Or perhaps, the more diligently : scil. because I was in chains. They all : he not only did not this, but earnestly sought me) and found me .
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
2Ti 1:16 . , . . .: , like , is a Hebraism. See reff. The correlative, occurs Heb 4:6 . (Luk 1:72 ; Luk 10:37 ; Jas 2:13 ) is a similar phrase. Here, we should say, May God bless so and so . does not correspond to any special sin.
. : This household is saluted in 2Ti 4:19 . It is most natural to suppose that Onesiphorus himself was dead, both from this expression and from the pious wish in 2Ti 1:18 . Prayer for living friends is normally and naturally in regard to objects which will be realised here in earth. The evidence of 2Ma 12:44-45 , proves that an orthodox Jew of our Lord’s time could have prayed for the dead. A full discussion of the question must embrace a consideration of the final cause of prayer, and of the nature of that which we call death. See reff. to recent literature on this subject in Milligan’s art. Onesiphorus in Hastings’ D. B .
: The comprehensive term refresh expresses the notion admirably. They are “the blessed of God the Father” to whom the King shall say, “I was in prison, and ye came unto me” (Mat 25:36 . See Heb 10:34 ; Heb 13:3 ). For St. Paul’s appreciation of the pleasures of friendly intercourse, see Rom 15:32 , 1Co 16:18 , 2Co 7:13 , Phm 1:7 ; Phm 1:20 .
: For other examples of the absence of the temporal augment cf. Luk 13:13 ( [307] [308] [309] , etc.); Luk 24:27 , Joh 6:18 , Act 2:25 , Rom 9:29 ( [310] [311] [312] [313] [314] ).
[307] Codex Alexandrinus (sc. v.), at the British Museum, published in photographic facsimile by Sir E. M. Thompson (1879).
[308] Codex Vaticanus (sc. iv.), published in photographic facsimile in 1889 under the care of the Abbate Cozza-Luzi.
[309] Codex Claromontanus (sc. vi.), a Grco-Latin MS. at Paris, edited by Tischendorf in 1852.
[310] Codex Alexandrinus (sc. v.), at the British Museum, published in photographic facsimile by Sir E. M. Thompson (1879).
[311] Codex Augiensis (sc. ix.), a Grco-Latin MS., at Trinity College, Cambridge, edited by Scrivener in 1859. Its Greek text is almost identical with that of G, and it is therefore not cited save where it differs from that MS.
[312] Codex Boernerianus (sc. ix.), a Grco-Latin MS., at Dresden, edited by Matthi in 1791. Written by an Irish scribe, it once formed part of the same volume as Codex Sangallensis ( ) of the Gospels.
[313] Codex Angelicus (sc. ix.), at Rome, collated by Tischendorf and others.
[314] Codex Porphyrianus (sc. ix.), at St. Petersburg, collated by Tischendorf. Its text is deficient for chap. 2Ti 2:13-16 .
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
unto = to.
house = household. Onesiphorus must have recently died.
refreshed. Greek anapsucho. Only here. Compare Act 3:19.
chain. Compare Act 28:20. Eph 6:20.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
16.] May the Lord give mercy (an expression not found elsewhere in N. T.) to the house of Onesiphorus (from this expression, here and in ch. 2Ti 4:19, and from what follows, 2Ti 1:18, it has been not improbably supposed, that Onesiphorus himself was no longer living at this time. Some indeed, as Thdrt. ( ), Calv. (ob eum toti famili bene precatur. Unde colligimus Dei benedictionem non tantum super caput justi sed super totam domum residero), al., take it as merely all extension of the gratitude of the Apostle from Onesiphorus to his household: but ch. 2Ti 4:19 is against this. Thdrt. indeed (as also Chrys.) understands that Onesiphorus was with him at this time: but the aorists here (cf. ) will hardly allow that), because on many occasions he refreshed me (from , not from . Any kind of refreshing, of body or mind, may be implied), and was not ashamed of (2Ti 1:8) my chain (reff.): but when he was in Rome, sought me out with extraordinary diligence (literally: with more diligence than could have been looked for. Or perhaps, the more diligently: scil. because I was in chains. They all : he not only did not this, but earnestly sought me) and found me.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
2Ti 1:16. , give) He does not make use of any imprecations against those who had been unfaithful to him, 2Ti 1:15. He offers the most excellent prayer for those who had stood fast. The categorical or absolute sentence implied is this; Onesiphorus was beautifully consistent. The feeling forms a modal discourse [gives the sentence its modal form. See Append., Sermo modalis].-, mercy) Onesiphorus had abounded in works of mercy.- , the Lord) Christ.- , the house of Onesiphorus) at Ephesus, 2Ti 1:18, ch. 2Ti 4:19. Onesiphorus himself was absent, or was already then dead. Paul therefore honours the survivors by his wish, nay, also himself,[1] 2Ti 1:18.-, often) at Ephesus and Rome.
[1] That Onesiphorus was dead is a gratuitous assumption. The fact that Paul nowhere else prays for the dead, is fatal to the notion here. Beng., by the word voto, wish, probably implies that Paul does not here pray, but wish, that in that day it may be found Onesiphorus is among those who are to obtain mercy.-ED.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
2Ti 1:16
he Lord grant mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus:-In contrast with the course of Phygelus and Hermogenes, he now presents as an incentive to Timothy the noble conduct of Onesiphorus, a resident of Ephesus.
for he oft refreshed me,-Here he recalls the many good offices which he had performed at Ephesus, of which Timothy from his personal knowledge would know better than Paul or anyone else could tell him. He often refreshed Paul, no doubt entertained him in his home when he was weary, worn, and persecuted-a real home of refuge and an asylum for rest and encouragement.
and was not ashamed of my chain;-This most likely indicates that Paul, in this imprisonment, as in the first Roman imprisonment, was bound to a soldier by a chain. Many who admired and honored him in his prosperity, and in the days of his success, forsook him when he was a prisoner wearing a chain.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Lord: 2Ti 1:18, Neh 5:19, Neh 13:14, Neh 13:22, Neh 13:31, Psa 18:25, Psa 37:26, Mat 5:7, Mat 10:41, Mat 10:42, Mat 25:35-40, 2Co 9:12-14, Heb 6:10, Heb 10:34
the house: 2Ti 4:19
refreshed: 1Co 16:18, Phm 1:7, Phm 1:20
and was: 2Ti 1:8
my: Act 28:20, Eph 6:20, *marg.
Reciprocal: Deu 24:13 – deliver Jos 2:12 – that ye will Jos 2:18 – thy father Rth 1:8 – the Lord Rth 2:20 – Blessed 1Sa 15:6 – ye showed 2Sa 2:6 – the Lord 2Sa 9:7 – for I will 2Sa 15:20 – mercy 2Ki 4:13 – thou hast Job 29:13 – The blessing Psa 119:46 – will not Psa 119:124 – Deal Psa 141:5 – for yet my Pro 10:6 – Blessings Jer 39:17 – I will Mat 25:17 – he also Mat 25:36 – I was in Mar 8:38 – ashamed Luk 16:9 – Make Act 12:6 – bound Rom 1:16 – I am Rom 15:32 – and may 2Co 7:13 – because 2Co 9:14 – by 2Co 11:23 – in prisons Eph 3:1 – the Col 4:3 – for 2Ti 2:9 – I suffer Heb 10:33 – whilst Heb 11:36 – bonds Heb 13:3 – them that
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2Ti 1:16. According to Funk and Wagnalls New Standard Bible Dictionary, Onesiphorus was a former resident of Ephesus, but his household only is mentioned directly in this verse, also in chapter 4:19. This indicates that he was dead at the time this epistle was written, but his memory was to be honored by well-wishing for his famiy. While he was living he often refreshed the apostle. That word is from ANAPSUCHO, which Thayer defines, “to refresh,” then he explains it to mean, “one’s spirit, by fellowship, consolation, kindnesses.” Robinson defines it, “to refresh, to cheer.” Such ministrations could be accomplished by either the bestowal of bodily needs, or by words of cheer, or both. Not ashamed of my chain. Paul was literally fastened by a chain and was under sentence of death. But Onesiphorus did not let that keep him from showing friendship for the apostle, as some others might do according to Mar 8:38; being ashamed of a disciple of Christ is counted as being against Him (Mat 25:45).
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
2Ti 1:16. The Lord give mercy to the house of Onesiphorus. Now we see what train of thought has led to the mention of these names. Timothy is to look on this picture and on that, and to ask himself whether he will cast in his lot with the two whose desertion had pained his father in the faith, or with him whose loyalty drew forth these words of thankful benediction. The expression to the house of Onesiphorus, suggests, though it cannot be said to prove, the supposition that he himself was dead.
Refreshed me. The word, though not the same, is analogous to that in Phm 1:7. Acts of kindness were to the heart of St. Paul as a cool breeze in the parching heat, as water to the thirsty, as the shadow of a rock in a weary land.
Was not ashamed of my chain. The word is obviously chosen to remind Timothy of the weakness which had made St. Pauls entreaty in 2Ti 1:3 a painful necessity.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Our apostle having complained of many in Asia forsaking him, in the day of his sufferings in the foregoing verse; in this, he makes a grateful commemoration of the kindness of Onesiphorus towards him, who refreshed him with his Presence and relief, and was not ashamed of his chain, of his imprisonment, as others were.
Learn, 1. It is no new thing for the most holy and innocent servants of Christ to suffer hardship, imprisonment, banishment, yea, even death itself, for the sake of Christ; and when they do so, to have friends forsake, and turn their backs upon them. Prosperity affords many friends, more flatterers; but who regards the prisoner in bonds? who cares for looking upon the dial when the sun is off?
Learn, 2. That not to be ashamed of the saints in the day of their sufferings, but to own them, and administer to them in such a condition, is a certain sign of a sound and sincere Christian. Good Onesiphorus had this, amongst other evidences of his gracious state, that he was not ashamed to own a persecuted Paul in chains. Nay, he searched for the apostle very diligently, and found him; so far was he from hiding his eyes from him, and forsaking him, as the men of Asia did.
Observe next, Our apostle’s fervent and affectionate prayer to God, abundantly to recompence this labour of love in Onesiphorus towards him: First, He begs mercy for his whole household, The Lord give mercy to the house of Onesiphorus.
Note, 1. How thankful the saints of God are for mercies received from God, by the hands of men.
Note, 2. That acts of Christian chrity to the suffering servants of Christ, do receive a considerable part of their reward, even here, in the hearty and affectionate prayers of the people of God on their behalf. How well did it fare with Onesiphorus and his household upon the score of St. Paul’s prayer, “The Lord shew mercy to the house of Onesiphorus;” next he prays for Onesiphorus himself, The Lord grant that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day; that is, in the great day of judgment.
Learn hence, 1. That the holiest of men, and best of saints, will stand in need of mercy, much mercy, when they stand before God at the great day.
Learn, 2. That the merciful Christian, which was here shewn mercy to the ministers and members of Jesus Christ, may expect, and shall find mercy in that day, when they stand in need of mercy. They that shew mercy in the evil day, shall certainly find mercy in the great day; The Lord grant that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day.
Fuente: Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament
Verse 16
The house; the family. It would seem that this family resided in Ephesus, as a salutation is sent to the members of it at the close of the Epistle, (2 Timothy 4:19,) and there Onesiphorus had himself shown Paul kindness. (2 Timothy 1:16.) He had, however, now been at Rome. From the message being only to his family, it would seem that Onesiphorus was still absent from Ephesus, or dead.
Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament
1:16 The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus; for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain:
The term refreshed relates to cooling one’s heat or refreshing of the spirit. The latter would relate well here. Chain relates to the bondage that chain imparts to the wearer.
Paul asks for mercy for the whole house of Onesiphorus – God does often bless whole houses even if only one believer in that house is walking with the Lord.
Onesiphorus means “bringing profit” a very fitting name for one that ministered so greatly to Paul. He is mentioned here and in 4:19.
Paul gives a glowing report of this man to Timothy. A man to be emulated.
One must wonder if these Biblical names were prophetic or if the meaning had such meaning to the people that they wanted to live up to their name. My name means stone lea (valley) now I relate to that I lay like a stone.
Fuente: Mr. D’s Notes on Selected New Testament Books by Stanley Derickson
Some have suggested that Onesiphorus (lit. help-bringer) may have been dead when Paul wrote this epistle since Paul spoke only of his household. But that seems unlikely to me in view of 2Ti 1:18.
"In the Apocryphal Acts of Paul and Thecla, Onesiphorus is spoken of as a convert of Paul’s who gave him hospitality on his first visit to Iconium." [Note: Guthrie, p. 135]
Onesiphorus’ household was an exception to the "all" above (2Ti 1:15), or perhaps they had felt differently and had later reaffirmed their loyalty to Paul. In any case his family had diligently and unashamedly sought out Paul and had ministered to him during his current imprisonment. For this Paul wished the Lord would show Onesiphorus "mercy" at the judgment seat of Christ (cf. "that day" in 2Ti 1:12). Because Onesiphorus had "found" Paul, Paul hoped that Onesiphorus would "find" mercy from the Lord. Paul seems to have been envisioning a scene in which all his brethren would stand before the Lord, Onesiphorus among them, namely, Christ’s judgment seat. God would express displeasure with the failure of the others, but Onesiphorus would escape that shame (cf. 1Jn 2:28). Paul again used the possibility of shame to motivate Timothy (cf. 2Ti 1:8). Timothy knew about Onesiphorus’ earlier faithful ministry in Ephesus. Paul referred to this as well to encourage Timothy to throw in his lot with Onesiphorus and his family rather than with those who had turned against the chained apostle.
"Moral behavior is best learned by observing such commitment in others. Children learn this behavior from parents. Young Christians learn it from older Christians. Ultimately moral behavior cannot be taught merely by character-building courses in the public schools. Christians must see moral commitment as a sterling example in others.
"Paul was not ashamed to present himself as the initial example he gave to Timothy. He had no doubt that his behavior was worth imitating. Christian leaders today need to have such a commitment to Christ that they are unashamed to say in humility, ’If you want an example to follow, look at me!’" [Note: Lea, p. 200.]