2 Tim 1:15-18
A Contrast of People Connected with Churches
The
verses we are about to look at are often passed over by commentators or
preachers as if they have nothing to say to the church-at-large. But, they have
a lot to teach us about the kinds of men we find in churches--even in our day.
That
there are problem people in churches is one of the great secrets that people
like to hide under a bushel, if I can use the metaphor from the old children's
song. We find problem people in most of the epistles, all four gospels and the
book of Acts. This should not surprise us because God's people in the Old
Testament often suffered under the hands of those who should have followed
God's ways rather than their own.
This
is needed instruction to teach churches throughout this age about the
importance of following Jesus in the way that he has said he is to be followed.
And added to his words are those words of the ones he commissioned to speak for
him after his departure to heaven. And, those who succeed them as leaders in
churches throughout this age--we call them elders or pastors.
In
our day, just like is was 2,000 years ago, there are people who cause problems
of one sort or another. Paul is not afraid to mention them by name in the
letters he wrote to the various churches and people. He does is here in this
private letter. And, interestingly, twice in this paragraph Paul couches these
words with a preface that shows us is was something the Apostle Paul already
knew. Paul was reminding Timothy to underscore the importance of these
issues--especially in the Ephesian Church. And, the Holy Spirit had his reasons
for inspiring these words that all who read this epistle to Timothy might also
read and be aware of men like those mentioned in this place.
These
words must have some practical use and they ought to be highly valued--even
though they are very easy to just pass over.
Let's
read the text:
2 Tim 1:15-18
1. Negative Examples
15 This you know, that
all those in Asia have turned away from me, among whom are Phygellus and
Hermogenes.
2. One Positive Example
16The Lord grant mercy to the household of
Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain; 17 but
when he arrived in Rome, he sought me out very zealously and found me.
3. Paul's Prayer
18 The Lord grant to him that he may find
mercy from the Lord in that Day--
An Appeal to Knowledge
and you know very well
how many ways he ministered to me at Ephesus.
The
Text:
2 Tim 1:15-18
1. Negative Examples
15a This you know,
As I said, this is
Paul's first appeal to what Timothy already knows. But, he knows is somehow.
Someone told Timothy about these two men. Paul does not say they need to be
confronted based on this knowledge that has been received in some unknown
manner. But, the language shows is is something that Timothy and Paul know for
certain. It is not expressed with words that show these two men might have done
something--is is something known for certain--this, whatever this is, is
something Timothy already knows. Paul is just reminding him of these men as
negative examples of what people ought not to do.
15b that all those in
Asia have turned away from me,
The entire band of men
travelling with the Apostle on his missionary travels had turned away from him.
We don't know all of the reasons why, but it is believed that Paul taught or
allowed something to happen that they all found offensive. They thought they
knew better than the Apostle. Is may have been that Paul did not protest the
chains he was wearing as he was under Roman guard being brought for trial in
the Empire's capital city. We do not know with enough certainty to say is was
one thing or another. All we know is that they all turned away from him.
The language of
turning away is the language of apostasy from the gospel--or the Christian
message in all of its fullness. Walking away from Paul's legitimate ministry is
the same as walking away from the faith--it is inconsistent for a professed
believer to do something like this. Is shows the intrusion of personal beliefs
and a contrary authority that had been accepted.
Two of the men who had
been with Paul and were now in danger of appearing back in Ephesus--as many
commentators believe--were named
15c Phygellus and Hermogenes.
The first name means
fugitive. Phygellus may have come from the city that bears that name because it
was built by fugitives from Roman justice. Hermogenes means messenger begotten
by the god Hermes. Whether these names are symbols of the men represented to
Paul or not is up for debate. Without knowledge to directly believe this
ancient custom, it is better to just see them as the names by which they were
known to Timothy and others in the church at Ephesus.
What we can say is
this, at one point in time, these men showed enough promise for the ministry
that Paul took them along on his apostolic missionary journey. Is did not work
out. Even the Apostle Paul, though a discerning man, did not have the ability
to know who would and would not ultimately work out when considering the needs of
gospel ministry. If the Apostle did not infallibly know, we should not think
ourselves to have a greater gift that the Apostles. We must be even more
careful of the men we mark out as gifts to rule the church as gifts of the
risen Lord Jesus Christ to his Church. More careful than the Apostle is an
important standard to remember.
In the 18 years I have
been here there were many who looked as if they had some gifts and graces for
ministry, but as is turned out, only two others were chosen for this office.
There are many reasons why à touching things in
personal lives, in the lives of children, in their marriages and a few other
legitimate reasons including doctrinal differences with our stated
positions. Leaders are not chosen to
fill a quota. They are chosen after showing faithfulness to the Lord Jesus as
manifest by faithfulness to the Lord's people in a local church. The Bible
says, those who are faithful in little will be faithful in much--so we test men
by having them do things adding one thing at a time. Some are discovered to
have gifts of service, but not of leading and teaching. They often do not have
all of the qualifications for office is a measured fullness so others could
imitate their faith.
That is what Paul
initially saw in Phygellus and Hermogenes. They are notable as two men who
showed promise, but eventually showed themselves as having a false
profession--they left Paul, and left the faith over an issue in which they were
wrong. They failed to submit to the authority God had placed over them.
As Paul prays for
Onesiphorus and his believing family on the day of Juddgment, so to Phygellus
and Hermogenes would face the final day with the Lord Jesus as the judge. Is is
interesting that Paul does not include a prayer for these two men.
The question this
provokes is this: are we compelled for those who walk away from the gospel,
from Christ, from his Church and the legitimate authority he places over is in
every place? There are some just reasons to leave a church--but we must be
careful to do is for the right reasons--for godly and biblical reasons. Or, we
will surely answer for is on the day of judgment.
Yet, Paul prays for
the
2. One Positive Example in this section of the
letter
16The Lord grant mercy to the household of
Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain; 17 but
when he arrived in Rome, he sought me out very zealously and found me.
What a wonderful man
Onesiphorus must have been. I'll take half a dozen to be in any congregation I
am a part of. Churches need men like this. Even though Paul was in chains, a
situation that could embarrass many, and if what is said in this place is an
intended contrast with the two apostates previously mentioned, The knowledge of
this man's personal commitment to Paul as a person and to the gospel as the
message he preached gave significant comfort to the Apostle.
Onesiphorus was given over to help Pail. In the text we
discover that he knew Paul was in Rome. He went there and sought all over the
place until he found Paul. Such Christian love expressed in actions towards
Paul the Apostle.
His love for Paul and
his ministry, turned him into a man of actions--how love is defined. His
previous interaction with the Apostle disposed him to act in this way towards a
gift that had been given to the churches. Is wasn't just because he felt a
certain way about the Apostle. He heard of a great need and set oout to do what
he could to meet is--even if the only real need was for encouragement in
suffering while Paul was in Roman chains suffering for the gospel. Paul wrote
the Onesiphoris had often refreshed him. What a great metaphor.
What refreshes you?
What makes you feel like a renewed person?
Whtever is took for the Apostle Paul to be refreshed, Onesiphorus was
more than willing to do is. What a great encouragement he must have been to the
entire apostolic band and especially Paul, since everyone had left him. Even
though he had done nothing wrong.
In our day when
something like this happens, people sinfully conclude the leader or leaders
must have done something wrong. But, more often or not people leave because of
sin--sin that has become public or sin that may be exposed, if there is no
repentance. People seek out others to whom they are willing to be accountable
who are outside the authority structure of the church because there is no
accountability to the body of Christ. There is no such doctrine of individual
accountability in the scriptures outside of that to the church, and her
leadership. I have asked many to show me this doctrine from the scriptures and
all they come back with is Paul and Timothy. That situation is vastly different
than the ordinary life in churches.
In the churches of the
NT, we find a refreshing openness that commend some and challenges others to walk
in the way they ought to walk. All of the commands are given in books written
to churches either directly or indirectly. Personal accountability can serve
its purpose, but not if it comes in the way of churches functioning as they
ought to function. These names at the beginning of this book to Timothy as one
left in Ephesus to engage in ministry are helpful to get a glimpse of what
local church ministry ought to be like--if one or more are mentioned and
encouraged from the pulpit, that is apostolic and rightly done at a proper
time. The contrary also has its place.
3. Paul's Prayer
18 The Lord grant to him that he may find
mercy from the Lord in that Day--
An Appeal to Knowledge
and you know very well
how many ways he ministered to me at Ephesus.
Paul
appeals to Timothy among the Ephesians. The people must have been talking about
him and his service to others--that is what ministry means whether is teaching
or encouraging or refreshing those in need.
Do
you seek to refresh the saints, especially your leader? Be like Onesiphorus who
indicates by his life the kinds of things we ought to do.
Paul
prays he would know God's mercy on that last day. What a wonderful thing to
pray. Paul was wrong about two men. He seemed to be right about another. The
great day of judgment will bear that out. For now, Paul will pray for the Mercy
of God would be given to Onesiphorus on that day. He prays that God will look
down from heaven and give to this man what he does not naturally deserve, nor
what he has earned, but what God would give to those who live a consistent
Christian life because God has worked grace within them--a grace that
accompanies salvation that makes the believer say NO to ungodliness and worldly
lusts in order to live soberly, righteously and godly in the present age. To
live like this; God must bring is to pass.
The
gospel changes people from what they were to what they are to be by God's
grace.
Amen!!
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