2 Timothy 1.16-Paul Desired the Lord Would Be Compassionate To Onesiphorus' Household Because He Was Compassionate To Him
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Wednesday March 18, 2015
Second Timothy: Second Timothy 1:16-Paul Desired the Lord Would Be Compassionate to Onesiphorus’ Household Because He Was Compassionate to Him
Lesson # 22
2 Timothy 1:16 The Lord grant mercy to the house of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains. (NASB95)
Once again, the apostle Paul employs the figure of asyndeton but this time it is to emphasize a contrast between those Christians in the Roman province of Asia who for their own protection from the Roman authorities deserted Paul and Onesiphorus who did not.
“The Lord” is the noun kurios (κύριος), which is used with reference to Jesus Christ since the word is ascribed to him by Paul in Second Timothy 1:2 and 8.
“The house of Onesiphorus” is composed of the following: (1) articular dative masculine singular form of the oikos (οἶκος), “the house” (2) genitive masculine singular form of the proper name Onēsiphoros (Ὀνησίφορος), “of Onesiphorus.”
The noun oikos means “household” and is used in relation to Onesiphorus.
Consequently, the word is referring to those individuals who are related by blood to Onesiphorus as well as any slaves or servants living in the same house or homestead.
“Grant mercy” is composed of the following: (1) third person singular aorist active optative form of the verb didōmi (δίδωμι), “grant” (2) accusative neuter singular form of the noun eleos (ἒλεος), “mercy.”
The verb didomi means “to extend” and indicates that Paul’s Spirit inspired desire was that the Lord Jesus Christ would “extend” compassion to the house of Onesiphorus.
The optative mood of the verb didomi is a voluntative optative expressing Paul’s Spirit inspired desire that the Lord Jesus Christ would cause mercy to be experienced in the house of Onesiphorus.
It was a Spirit inspired desire since Paul wrote Second Timothy 1:16 under the inspiration of the Spirit and it was a desire that he expressed in prayer to the Father.
The noun eleos means “compassion” in the sense that Paul’s Spirit inspired desire is that the Lord would cause compassion to be extended to the household of Onesiphorus because he extended compassion to him during his imprisonment and was unashamed of his imprisonment.
“For he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains” presents the reason why Paul desired that the Lord Jesus Christ would extend compassion to the household of Onesiphorus.
“He often refreshed me” is composed of the following: (1) conjunction hoti (ὅτι), “because” (2) temporal adverb pollakis (πολλάκις), “often” (3) accusative first person singular form of the personal pronoun egō (ἐγώ), “me” (4) third person singular aorist active indicative form of the verb anapsuchō (ἀναψύχω), “he refreshed.”
The verb anapsuchō means “to encourage” since it pertains to causing someone to recover a state of encouragement after a time of anxiety and adversity.
The adverb pollakis indicates that Onesiphorus refreshed Paul during his imprisonment “many times” or did so “often.”
“Was not ashamed of my chains” emphatically denies the reality of Onesiphorus being ashamed of Paul’s imprisonment.
Second Timothy 1:16 May the Lord extend compassion to Onesiphorus’ household because he often encouraged me and in addition he never permitted himself to be ashamed of my imprisonment. (My translation)
Verses 15-16 present an emphatic contrast between two types of treatment the apostle Paul received from Christians in the Roman province of Asia during his second and final Roman imprisonment which ended in his death.
In verse 15, Paul stated to Timothy that he was well aware of the fact that the majority of Christians living in the Roman province of Asia for their own protection from the Roman authorities deserted him, with Phygelus and Hermogenes, the most prominent of these individuals.
Now, here in verse 16, he reveals that Onesiphorus often encouraged him during this imprisonment and in addition he never permitted himself to be ashamed of his imprisonment.
In fact, Paul states that this man’s household extended him compassion during his imprisonment.
Thus, it appears that this man’s entire household whether those related by blood or his servants, were all Christians who operated in the love of God.
The name “Onesiphorus” means “help-bringer” and thus we can see that this Christian lived up to his name.
He also serves as a living example of Proverbs 17:17.
Proverb 17:17 A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. (NASB95)
This encouragement that Onesiphorus extended to Paul during his imprisonment would be the former stimulating the latter to continue to live in a manner worthy of his calling, to grow up to become like Christ.
It would involve Onesiphorus stimulating Paul to continue to live according to the Father’s will and reassurance of God’s love for the apostle and that he was suffering according to the will of the Father.
This encouragement would have also involved comforting Paul as he was experiencing suffering emotionally or physically.
It would also manifest itself by Onesiphorus helping the apostle and giving him support during this difficult adversity.
This encouragement would also involve Onesiphorus quoting from the Scriptures to help remind Paul of God’s care and to help him deal with this adversity so as to keep him from getting depressed, frustrated or grieved.
This encouragement would of course involve Onesiphorus praying with Paul for help in this adversity.
By encouraging Paul during his imprisonment, Onesiphorus was exercising the love of God toward the apostle.
God’s love for Paul was manifested during his imprisonment through the actions and words of Onesiphorus in that the latter demonstrated an intense desire to alleviate the pain and suffering that Paul was experiencing in prison.
So in Second Timothy 1:16 the contrast is between those Christians who were not exercising the love of God toward Paul during his imprisonment and those who were.
Paul’s statement here in Second Timothy 1:16 about Onesiphorus would serve to encourage Timothy to follow Onesiphorus’ example since Paul is commanding Timothy in verse 8 to not permit himself to be ashamed of the Lord’s testimony or him, the Lord’s prisoner.
Rather Timothy was to accept his share of suffering for sake of the gospel in accordance with the power produced by God.
Now, in Second Timothy 1:16, the fact that Onesiphorus encouraged Paul during his imprisonment and was never ashamed of this imprisonment served as the basis or the reason why the apostle desired that the Lord Jesus Christ would extend compassion to the household of Onesiphorus.
Paul’s Spirit inspired desire was that the Lord Jesus Christ would extend compassion to the household of Onesiphorus when it was in need of compassion whether it is in life or at the Bema Seat.
Paul’s Spirit inspired desire is that the Lord Jesus Christ would extend compassion to the household of Onesiphorus when it was in need of compassion because Onesiphorus showed compassion during his imprisonment.
Here in Second Timothy 1:16, the apostle Paul is communicating to Timothy one of the prayers that he would offer up to the Father for Onesiphorus and his household.
Paul’s death would prevent him from personally showing this compassion himself.
Thus, Paul’s prayer is that the Lord would extend this compassion through others in the body of Christ such as Timothy or through another of his disciples.
All believers are commanded to show compassionate concern for their fellow Christians (Ephesians 4:32; 1 John 3:16-17).
Also, it must be noted that when Paul expresses his Spirit inspired desire that the Lord Jesus Christ would extend compassion to the household of Onesiphorus, he is speaking of the day when this man’s household will all stand before the Lord at the Bema Seat.
This is indicated by the apostle’s statement in Second Timothy 1:18 in which Paul once again mentions the Lord extending mercy to Onesiphorus on “that day,” which is a reference to the Bema Seat.
Those who mistreated Paul by deserting him during his imprisonment will receive no compassion from the Lord in the sense that they will all receive a severe rebuke from the Lord at the Bema Seat for their lack of compassion toward the apostle during his imprisonment.
On the other hand, Onesiphorus and his family would all receive compassion from the Lord at the Bema Seat in the sense that they will receive a commendation from the Lord and rewards for this compassionate treatment of the apostle during his second and final Roman imprisonment.