Thoughts From 2Timothy 1 - Part 4

 What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. 14 Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.15 You know that everyone in the province of Asia has deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes.16 May the Lord show mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains. 17 On the contrary, when he was in Rome, he searched hard for me until he found me. 18 May the Lord grant that he will find mercy from the Lord on that day! You know very well in how many ways he helped me in Ephesus. 2Timothy 1:13-18

        If you have ever disassociated yourself from someone who got in trouble, you might as well rename yourself Phygelus or Hermogenes. Not very catchy names but then again maybe you deserve a name like that. Here are the reasons that you might have disassociated yourself from them. First, you are appalled by their behavior and think that "Had I known that about them, I never would have been their friend in the first place." This reason implies moral superiority and a lack of grace. You consider yourself as morally superior in that you think, "I would never do that!" News flash - you are capable of that, we all are. Tim Keller would say that we all have the seeds of that behavior, they just weren't watered yet. It shows a lack of grace in that we were moral reprobates, yet Jesus came and associated with us. How can we not do the same?

        The second reason one might abandon someone who got in trouble is to do so, that is associating with them might drag your reputation down. This is not Kingdom of God or Holy Spirit thinking. Do you want to be popular on Earth for 70 years or popular in Heaven for all eternity. Drag my name through the mud all you want because the only one's approval I care about is the King of Kings.

         Onesiphorus went above and beyond because not only did he not abandon Paul, but he actively pursued him. We might drive to the local drug rehabilitation center or jail to show someone we support them, but would we get on a plane and cross the sea to see them and encourage them? Paul prays for Onesiphorus' family that they might be shown mercy at judgement. Since it's worthless to pray for mercy for someone once they are dead, unless you are a Mormon or Catholic, I have to believe that some members of his household have not yet been saved and Paul is praying that God would "make them an offer they can't refuse" like He did to Paul on the road to Damascus. "God, please throw some extra conviction on them, please!"

             Does this trigger any thoughts of people that you may have abandoned and need to go encourage and re-friend? Go do it!