The Lord give mercy to the house of Onesiphorus: because he hath often refreshed me and hath not been ashamed of my chain:
δωη ελεος ο κυριος τω ονησιφορου οικω οτι πολλακις με ανεψυξεν και την αλυσιν μου ουκ επαισχυνθη
10 Church Fathers comment on this verse
See how everywhere he points to shame, not to danger, so as not to frighten Timothy, though the circumstances were full of dangers. At that time he had incurred Nero's wrath by converting someone close to him. But see how the Apostle does not simply mention Onesiphorus. He says, "He often refreshed me." He refreshed and strengthened me in sufferings, as though I were a combatant fainting from the heat.
“May the Lord grant mercy to the house of Onesiphorus.” Look at the Apostle’s philosophy. He did not reproach those who abandoned him, but simply indicated what had happened. For the one who cared for him, however, he prays, and not only for him, but for his whole house. So virtuous were they, and so Onesiphorus raised them. “For he often gave me rest.” Like a combatant fainting from heat, he granted me rest not once, but many times. We too must act in this way. Always and in everything we must help those who are occupied with something good. In this way we shall become sharers with them in the rewards. Do not speak to me about Paul. Even if Paul had no helper, he would have remained unshaken. But perhaps someone else will not endure if he has no defender.
Therefore if someone is found who helps and cares for him, it is clear that he shares in the victory. And if he shares in the victory, then he also shares in the crowns. In ancient wars, those who guarded the weapons divided the spoils equally with the warriors. “And he was not ashamed of my chains.” Everywhere he speaks of shame, not danger, encouraging Timothy as if there were no danger, but only shame. In reality, however, there was danger too. Nero was enraged against Paul because Paul had converted someone from his household.
May the Lord grant mercy to the house of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed my spirit by his presence and consolation. He was not ashamed of my chains, with which my persecutors had bound me.
Most wondrous, worthy of emulation, and thrice-blessed is the one who rendered so many services to the Apostle and received this blessing from apostolic lips. Those whom the Apostle mentioned above turned away from him even while being with him. But this man came from Asia to Rome, neither wearied by the length of the road nor frightened by the fiercest of kings. He deemed the Apostle worthy of every kind of service. Therefore the Apostle repaid not only him, but his whole house, with God's mercy. He reminded Timothy of him because Timothy already knew, in Ephesus, the service Onesiphorus had rendered. What follows bears witness that the Apostle wrote both sorrowful and pleasant things for the disciple's benefit.
"May the Lord grant mercy to the house of Onesiphorus," that is, to all in the house of Onesiphorus, both to him himself and to those with him. "For he often refreshed me." He served me willingly and comforted me. "And was not ashamed of my chains," although he was subjected to reproach from unbelievers because of his devotion to me.
"May the Lord grant mercy to the house of Onesiphorus." The invocation of God's mercy upon the house of Onesiphorus, and not upon Onesiphorus himself, gives grounds for the opinion that Onesiphorus was no longer alive at that time. This indicates the possibility of prayers for the departed, as is seen more clearly from the Apostle's prayer: "May the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on that day" (2 Tim 1:18).
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.
Onesiphorus, says the Apostle, showed me mercy, and for this he will receive recompense on that dread and terrible day, when we shall need great mercy. He refreshed and strengthened me in my sufferings, like a combatant worn out by heat.” “Most wondrous, worthy of emulation, and thrice blessed is the one who rendered so many services to the Apostle and received such a blessing from apostolic lips. Those whom the Apostle mentioned above turned away from him, though they were with him. But this man came from Asia to Rome, neither wearied by the distance of the journey nor frightened by the fiercest of kings. He deemed the Apostle worthy of every kind of service. Therefore the Apostle repaid not only him, but his whole house, with God’s mercy,” says Blessed Theodoret. In Bishop Theophan’s opinion, Phygelus and Hermogenes were closer than the others to the Apostle Paul. They had greater relations with him and were better known both to him and to St. Timothy. Therefore the Apostle appears to speak as if saying: “They are known to you. They stood out from the others and appeared to be such zealots. Yet it turned out that they too belong to those who show themselves believers in peaceful times, but hide when danger is present.” Is not the majority of Christians like this?
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.
He first presented an example that should not be imitated. Now he presents one that should be imitated. The aim of both is the same: to inspire Timothy not to be ashamed of the gospel and not to fear its enemies. Onesiphorus, he says, was not ashamed of me and did not fear those who persecuted me. He sought me out and many times gave me rest. For this, the Apostle surrounds him with the good wish of mercy from the Lord, both in this life and still more at God’s judgment. Here is the one whom you should imitate. Blessed Theodoret writes, “Most wondrous, worthy of emulation, and thrice blessed is the one who rendered so many services to the Apostle and received such a blessing from apostolic lips. Those whom the Apostle mentioned above turned away from him, though they were with him.
But this man came from Asia to Rome, neither wearied by the distance of the journey nor frightened by the fiercest of kings. He deemed the Apostle worthy of every kind of service. Therefore the Apostle repaid not only him, but his whole house, with God’s mercy.” “May the Lord grant mercy to the house of Onesiphorus.” Onesiphorus rendered service, and mercy is wished to his whole house. This is either because the welfare of his house is dearest of all to the head of a household, and a blessing wished to his house is most pleasing to him. Or it is because his family also gave rest to the Apostle together with him, and was worthy in itself of every attention and respect because of sincere faith and virtue. “So virtuous were they, and so Onesiphorus raised them,” says Blessed Theophylact. “For he often gave me rest.” “Gave rest,” ἀνέψυξεν, means cooled. The Apostle presents himself as burned by sorrow and burdens, both because of chains and because everyone had abandoned him. The participation and services of Onesiphorus were for the Apostle in his sorrow what water is to the thirsty and coolness to one tormented by heat. “He refreshed and strengthened me in sufferings, like a combatant worn out by heat,” says St. Chrysostom. “And was not ashamed of my chains.” He did not consider it degrading to have close and friendly communion with one held in chains as an evildoer. The conviction of the divine dignity of the gospel proclaimed by the Apostle surrounded the Apostle’s own face with a heavenly radiance in his mind, heart, and conscience. It gave him strength to stand above ordinary human opinion about prisoners, and not to blush when entering and leaving the prison to give rest to the imprisoned Apostle.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 17 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS