2 Timothy 1:15Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

He next recounts his temptations, not in order to strike down the disciple, but to rouse him. If it should ever happen that Timothy too undergo such temptations, he should not be troubled, but should look to his teacher and remember everything that happened to him. What, then, does he say? At that time he was probably taken into custody and abandoned by all. He saw neither kindness, nor mercy, nor help from anyone, but was abandoned by the believers and friends themselves. Therefore listen to what he says: “You know that all those in Asia abandoned me.” There were probably many people from the Asian regions then in Rome. Yet no one, he says, came to me, no one recognized me, all drew back. And see how philosophical his soul is. He only said what happened and did not reproach them at all. He praised the one who did him good and wished him countless blessings, but wished them no evil.

The Apostle points to temptations not in order to strike the disciple with fear, but to persuade him more fully. If he himself should undergo similar temptations, he must not think that he is experiencing anything extraordinary, but must endure calmly. After the Apostle was taken into custody by Nero, all those from Asia abandoned him, that is, people from the Asian provinces who were living in Rome.

You know that all those in Asia who had gathered to me for consolation abandoned me because of the severity of the persecutions and the length of the journey.

In ancient times Rome was the residence of kings, and therefore many came there, some for trade and others for various needs. It is likely that at this time some of those who had believed in Asia arrived in Rome and avoided meeting the Apostle, fearing Nero. The Apostle named two of them, since they had clearly shown the most evident hostility. He did this not to accuse them, but to make the opponents of the faith known to the one entrusted with preaching in Asia. As he thereby persuaded Timothy to endure coming sorrows courageously, so in what follows he offers him consolation.

"Do you know this?" What? Tell me. "That all those from Asia turned away from me." Timothy could have learned this through some who had come from Rome. The Apostle's words also contain the answer to the question he raised. The words "those in Asia" are used in place of "those from Asia." For many from that region were then in Rome. They saw their teacher there, bound by Nero, but abandoned him and denied him out of fear of the tyrant. "Among them are Phygellus and Hermogenes." These were more notable than the others.

"All those from Asia turned away from me." These were witnesses in Paul's case, summoned from Asia, the chief place where the uprising against the Apostle had been raised. Phygellus and Hermogenes are persons wholly unknown from Church history. Vague traditions about them clarify nothing.

At the beginning of the instructive part, the holy Apostle Paul points directly to the fruit by which Timothy may first show that he is stirring up the gift of God received through apostolic ordination. Timothy must not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord Jesus. That is, he must not be ashamed of the preaching of His Cross, which is a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Greeks. If circumstances require it, he must also suffer together with the gospel of Christ. He must be inspired by the lofty meaning of the divine economy accomplished by the Savior. He must be guided both by the example of the Apostle Paul himself, his teacher, and by the example of Onesiphorus, who was not ashamed of Paul’s chains, while all the Asian disciples abandoned him.

He mentions those who had been with the Apostle, on the one hand, to awaken in Timothy the desire to visit him, since many of them had abandoned the Apostle. On the other hand, he wishes to show how highly he values his true fellow workers and fellow sufferers, by praising the house of Onesiphorus. According to St. John Chrysostom, “The Apostle speaks of temptations not in order to strike down or dishearten the disciple, but to rouse him. If it should ever happen that he undergo such temptations, he should not be troubled, but should look to his teacher and remember everything that happened to him. And see how philosophical the Apostle’s soul is. He only said what happened and did not reproach anyone. But he praised the one who did him good and wished him countless blessings.

In general, Timothy should fear what happened to some persons formerly close to Paul, namely, their falling away from him. He should imitate Onesiphorus, who was not ashamed of Paul's chains and made every effort to find him in Rome.

“You know.” Perhaps the Apostle was communicating this to St. Timothy for his information, since as overseer of the Asian Churches he needed to know what the Asians were like, or what they were capable of becoming in the face of dangers. So says Blessed Theodoret. But more likely, as noted, this was to inspire St. Timothy by strengthening the significance of Onesiphorus’s example, and not only his, but even Paul’s own. As the same Blessed Theodoret writes further, “by this the Apostle persuades Timothy to endure bravely the sorrows that meet him.” St. Chrysostom explains it this way: “The Apostle speaks of temptations not in order to strike down or dishearten the disciple, but to rouse and inspire him.