When Loyalty Isn’t

When Loyalty Isn’t.  2 Timothy 1.15-18

It can be a little humorous when someone is reading Scripture aloud, and strange, unfamiliar personal names just get butchered—names like Abednego, Abimelech, and Ashtaroth¹.   But in addition to being a little funny, unusual names can distract, even to the point where we might be tempted to scamper across or around them as we are reading God’s Word; but that might mean missing what is being said … and that would be so unfortunate!  Besides, individual names of people and places help to fix them in time and cultural space.

As chapter one draws to a close, Paul makes some personal remarks about acquaintances he and Timothy held in common.  Kind of sad really . . .

“I’m sure you know by now that everyone in the province of Asia deserted me, even Phygelus and Hermogenes. But God bless Onesiphorus and his family! Many’s the time I’ve been refreshed in that house. And he wasn’t embarrassed a bit that I was in jail. The first thing he did when he got to Rome was look me up. May God on the Last Day treat him as well as he treated me. And then there was all the help he provided in Ephesus—but you know that better than I.”

Everyone in the province of Asia ~ the phrase demands explanation.  In ancient times, the province of Asia was different than what we know today to be the continent of Asia; in the context of the New Testament times, it refers to the Roman province of western Asia Minor, which is modern day Turkey, of which Ephesus was the most prominent city.   So we see that the folks Paul loved, the ones he had spent the most time with--of all the churches, the people from the community in Ephesus--had left him.  They no longer called him friend, no longer were loyal to him, no longer were committed to him, but were afraid of what connection with Paul would cost them, maybe persecution and perhaps their own freedom.  You see, there was no way that Paul would continue to be held as a Roman prisoner without political charges being brought against him; and as such, it would most probably have consequences for any of Paul’s associates.  And so, they separated themselves from him.

And then there was one – Onesiphorus – and he was loyal.  Onesiphorus, who, like Timothy, was faithful … to God, to Paul … in spite of the cost, in spite of what others were doing.   

Two thoughts strike me—how would you like to be known as ‘the one who deserted’ a friend in need?  What causes one follower, one friend, to be faithful, and another to leave someone, especially in his hour of need? 

Second, Paul used one sentence to sum up each life—I mean, the only thing I will ever know about Phygelus and Hermogenes is that they were deserters.  What one sentence might be used to sum up your life?  Personally, the question makes me shudder a little bit, I guess.  One sentence.  But the sentence is less important than its substance—I want to be Onesiphorus, a faithful one, and not a deserter.

Perhaps your bent is not toward loyalty, despite the cost.  Perhaps you have never seen a model of faithfulness--is it possible to learn, to grow in this area?  I believe so, looking to our Lord’s words, “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.”²  Start small.  With God’s help, you and I can learn to be faithful and from there, loyalty.

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