Onesiphorus probably doesn’t ring any bells in your mind. Nevertheless, Onesiphorus did do good things in the early church. For one thing, he stuck by Paul’s side when others wouldn’t. Like Linus, he was one of the few, the faithful, who stuck with Paul during imprisonment.
As persecution became harsh against those who followed “The Way” (an early name for Christianity), many friends started to pull away from Paul. The story of Paul’s lonely later years gives us a sad dose of the reality of human nature. We too often stick close when times are good and stay far away in the bad.
Linus, Oneisphorus, and others weren’t deterred. In today’s article, we’ll explore Onesiphorus, what the Bible says, church tradition, and what we can learn from him.
Unfortunately, some people in the Bible only receive a few mentions. Onesiphorus is one of these people.
He receives two shout-outs in 2 Timothy, one of Paul’s final letters.
In 2 Timothy 1:16-18, Paul asks that the Lord have mercy on Onesiphorus’ household because he “refreshed” Paul. This likely meant that he met both the apostle’s physical and spiritual needs. Prisons in Paul’s day often refused to provide basic needs. Outsiders had to provide food and drink to cellmates.
In addition, Onesiphorus has no “shame” when it comes to Paul’s chains. Many other so-called Christians had withered into the shadows when Paul was imprisoned. Onesiphorus stood undeterred.
While Paul serves a prison sentence in Rome, Onesiphorus works tirelessly to find him and see what needs he can meet. He also helped Paul in Ephesus as well. The 2 Timothy passage doesn’t specify what he did in Ephesus. But we can imagine Timothy was familiar with the church of Ephesus, hence why Paul mentions the connection here. Onesiphorus likely lived in Ephesus.
Onesiphorus’ second direct mention happens in 2 Timothy 4:19. Paul sends his greetings to his friends Priscilla and Aquilla. If you don’t know this husband-wife couple, they spent much time with Paul. They made tents with him and corrected apostles whose teaching needed shaping, such as Apollos.
Right after, Onesiphorus receives his mention. Paul sends his greeting to Onesiphorus’ household. We can imagine the closeness of the friendship if Onesiphorus receives a mention right after some of Paul’s closest friends. In ancient letters, those with the most importance tended to be listed first.
Some commentaries also believe that Onesiphorus may have died by the time Paul penned this letter. Hence, he asked Timothy to greet Onesiphorus’ household rather than himself.
A controversial take on the passages suggests that Paul had been praying for the already-dead Onesiphorus. Many Catholics believe Christians can pray for the souls of those who have already been dead to intercede for them. Certain church traditions believe in purgatory, which is an in-between where souls need the purging of impurities before they can reach heaven. Hence, traditions that believe in purgatory encourage prayers for the dead to help souls advance out of purgatory. Most evangelical traditions do not believe in purgatory or promote prayers for the dead.
Now that we’ve explored what Scripture has to say about Onesiphorus, what does church tradition have to say?
Unfortunately, Scripture can only hint at what happened to him. We know he probably wasn’t around for the penning of 2 Timothy. Otherwise, Paul would’ve told Timothy to greet Onesiphorus specifically.
To see what happened, we have to consult church tradition.
As always, we have to take anything outside of Scripture with a grain of salt, but with that in mind, we shouldn’t discount the richness of church history.
One tradition claims that Onesiphorus was one of the 70 seen in Luke 10:1. If so, Onesiphorus likely walked alongside Jesus during his ministry and witnessed many of the miracles and sermons firsthand.
After he helped with Paul in Ephesus and Rome, Onesiphorus likely headed to Spain, where he’d been killed. He likely served as a bishop for a period.
Other traditions indicate that Onesiphorus met a violent end for his beliefs. For those unfamiliar with early church history, quite a few brutal Roman emperors martyred Christians.
The Emperor Domitian (AD 81-96) executed many saints. Some of these included Simeon, Timothy, and, yes, Onesiphorus.
Most likely, he was tied to horses and dragged to death. Later, he was commemorated as a saint.
Although we do have to take anything outside of the Bible with some discernment, the records of his death are quite likely true. It fits what happened to many Christians during this period and helps explain why Paul told Timothy to greet Onesiphorus’ family, not Onesiphorus himself. Onesiphorus had been such a good friend that Paul wished mercy and peace to his surviving family.
We can only imagine the pains Christian families must’ve undergone in the first centuries of the church. To know that loved ones could’ve been taken away, in brutal ways, in the blink of an eye.
We can imagine that Paul faced some anxieties himself. Consider that he penned this particular letter in prison after many near-death experiences. Not long after writing the latter, Paul was beheaded in Rome.
Even if we ignore church tradition to focus on what little the Bible has to say about Onseiphorus, we can learn quite a bit from the life of this martyr.
1. Christians Need to Meet the Physical and Spiritual Needs of Others. Onesiphorus provided refreshment to Paul, both physically and spiritually. Paul needed both to survive prison.
I think believers tend to be very good at the latter needs. They can offer up prayers to those in distraught circumstances. But in my experience, many believers are not the best at meeting the physical needs of those in distress.
Although we probably don’t know many believers in prison for their faith, we probably know several who could use a meal train or money to pay for groceries (for those who live paycheck to paycheck). Food goes a long way in reviving souls (1 Kings 19).
2. Christians Need to Avoid Being Fairweather Friends. We can often treat tragedy like a disease, can’t we? We avoid those who experience it for fear of catching it.
Onesiphorus didn’t know the meaning of fairweather. He sought out Paul. He took the pains to find him in Rome and met Paul’s physical needs. While others experienced shame in Paul’s chains, Onesiphorus probably asked him, “What can I do? How can I help?”
We show our faith best when we comfort those in their worst times. We don’t flee the scene simply because we feel uncomfortable about someone’s tragedy. We show our loyalty and our friendship.
3. Christians Need to Comfort the Families of Those Who Have Lost Loved Ones. Paul tells Timothy to greet Onesiphorus’ household. Onesiphorus had likely passed, and the family needed comfort and mercy.
We all have lost those near and dear to us. In those times, we needed fellow believers who will wrap their arms around us and pray for mercy.
4. Christians Need to Be Prepared for the Ultimate Test of Faith. Being dragged by horses sounds like a terrible way to go. Yet, Onesiphorus was willing to preach the Gospel unto death.
Most of us live in safe countries where we can spread the Gospel. And yet, that time dwindles. Soon, we will all experience persecution. Like Onesiphorus, I hope we will stand strong in our faith. Even if it means certain death.
Photo Credit: © Getty Images/Liderina
Hope Bolinger is an acquisitions editor at End Game Press, book editor for hire, and the author of almost 30 books. More than 1500 of her works have been featured in various publications. Check out her books at hopebolinger.com for clean books in most genres, great for adults and kids. Check out her editing profile at Reedsy.com to find out about hiring her for your next book project.
This article is part of our People of Christianity catalog that features the stories, meaning, and significance of well-known people from the Bible and history. Here are some of the most popular articles for knowing important figures in Christianity:
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