2 Timothy 1:16-18
Thom S. Rainer is an American author, researcher, speaker, and current president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources. In a recent article Dr. Rainer writes about different kinds of people that surround leaders. Actually, these types of people can be found around most of us at one time or another. Listen to his list:
- Eeyores. Like the fictional donkey in Winnie the Pooh, eeyores are pessimistic, gloomy, and often depressed...
- Gasbags. As the name implies, these persons are never at a loss for words. However, they often don’t know when to shut up...Gasbags can have energetic and entertaining personalities, but they typically do not execute well.
- Log-bumps. At the other end of the vocal spectrum, log-bumps hardly ever voice a contribution...They honestly have nothing meaningful to say.
- Sponge-Bobs. This group of persons has one major motive: Look out for number one. As sponges, they are totally self-absorbed...A significant amount of their conversations inform others about how great they are and how they are making such a wonderful difference in this world.
- Butter-ups. Sometimes those in this group are better known for their less flattering name, posterior-puckers.
- But-whats. The but-whats are first cousins of the eeyores. Seeing the glass as half-empty, they are constantly looking at the downside. When an opportunity presents itself, they ask: “But what if something goes wrong?” or “But what if we don’t meet our expectations?” or “But what if the economy goes sour?” The but-whats see a problem behind every solution.
- Paladins. This group is named for the foremost warriors in Charlemagne’s court, men who represented Christian valor. Paladins find a way to get things done. They confront reality with a positive, determined attitude...While the but-whats see a problem in every solution, the paladins see a solution in every problem.
Pretty cute way of describing some of the people you have to deal with in life. Even the leader can be one or more of these himself/herself.
I think there are at least two other groups of people that could have been added to this list. Let’s call them Refreshers and Drainers.
Illustration: Let me demonstrate the difference in the two from a Coca Cola bottle and a drill/bucket.
Of all the aforementioned, let’s especially ask God to make us Refreshers. We want God to use us to encourage, not discourage people. To lift people up, not tear them down.
The idea in our text (2 Timothy 1:16-18) when Paul makes reference to Onesimus being one that “refreshed” him is: “to cool,” “to revive by fresh air,” or “to recover a state of cheer.” Idiomatically the word can be translated: “to give one’s heart back to a person” or “to make one’s heart feel strong again.”
Notice carefully that there are several texts where you find that God often uses people to bring about the “refreshing” we need.
For instance...
2 Corinthians 7:5-7:
This is a story when Paul was deeply trouble about the Corinthian church. He had been there to establish the church, but some in the church had slipped away into sin. There were others among them that were calling into question Paul’s apostleship and ministry. Apparently, Paul wrote a stinging letter of correction to them to deal with the sin and the opposition to his ministry. He was anxious to hear back about how the letter had been received by the Corinthians, so he sent Titus to check out the situation while he stayed in Ephesus. It is likely that it was during this time that Paul was chased out of Ephesus because of the riot described in Acts 19:23-41. From Ephesus he went to Troas where God had an open door of opportunity for him to preach the Gospel. But, he was so troubled (read the text: 2 Corinthians 7:5-7) about the church at Corinth that he left Troas and travelled on to Macedonia, hoping to meet up with Titus. It was there that he found Titus and the scripture says he was “comforted” (refreshed) by his coming. God uses “refreshers” in our lives to strengthen us in our darkest and deepest times of need.
Acts 27:1-3
On another occasion the book of Acts tells us that Paul was under arrest and being taken to Rome for trial. He had apparently gained the confidence of the centurion that was charged with watching the prisoners on this voyage. When they stopped in the Phoenician city of Sidon, Paul was allowed to briefly leave the ship, maybe with a guard, to visit Christians who “refreshed” him. As they ministered to Paul’s needs they encouraged him for the journey that lay ahead.
It’s not just these occasions, but at other times Paul was refreshed by people in his life.:
Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in prayers to God for me, that I may be delivered from those in Judea who do not believe, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, that I may come to you with joy by the will of God, and may be refreshed together with you. (Romans 15:30-32)
I am glad about the coming of Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus, for what was lacking on your part they supplied. For they refreshed my spirit and yours. Therefore acknowledge such men. (1 Corinthians 16:17-18)
I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers, hearing of your love and faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints, that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. For we have great joy and consolation in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother. (Philemon 1:4-7)
There is also an OT example of Jonathan refreshing David when he was being sought by Saul. (cf. 1 Samuel 23:16-17; Psalm 140:1-7)
What an incredible ministry these men and churches had in refreshing the apostle Paul. And, God promises that those who refresh others will be refreshed.
The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed. (Proverbs 11:25 NLT)
In the text we are studying today (2 Timothy 1:16-18), Paul was in a Mamertine prison in Rome and was nearing the time he would be martyred for the Christian faith (middle 60’s AD). A man (Onesiphorus) that he had met (maybe had personally led to Christ) and had ministered to Paul previously in Ephesus (1:18), travelled to Rome looking for the beleaguered and imprisoned Paul. It was not an easy task as this was the time of Nero’s intense persecution against Christians. But, because of his diligent efforts, he finally located him and refreshed Paul’s spirit by his presence.
We don’t know the details of how these meetings unfolded where Onesiphorus repeatedly aided the apostle Paul while he awaited his martyrdom. But, famed Southern Baptist pastor, Dr. W.A. Criswell, imagines how it might have happened.
“Upon a day, Onesiphorus is in Rome. I would suppose he was a merchantman...And while this merchantman from the city of Ephesus was in the great capital Roman city, he heard that his old friend and preacher, the apostle Paul, was a prisoner in the city...
“Nobody knew where Paul was...For the persecution inaugurated by Nero is burning furiously! And for a man to be known as a Christian is to risk death itself...
“Onesiphorus...makes his way up to the city officials. And he asks, where’s Paul, the prisoner? They don't know, ‘We don't know him, we never heard of him.’ He makes his way to the Praetorian Guard. ‘Where is Paul the prisoner?’
"’We don't know. We never heard of him.’
He asks his business associates, ‘Where is Paul, the preacher of Christ?’
"’We don't know. We never heard of him.’
“Finally, somebody draws Onesiphorus aside and whispers in his ear, saying, ‘Onesiphorus, hush, hush! Don't ask openly and publicly about Paul, the preacher of Christ. Don't you know? Whoever is found to be a Christian is thereby indicted as...an enemy of the gods and an enemy of the state and is subject to immediate death! Hush, Onesiphorus, don't ask for Paul.’ That fine noble merchantman drew himself up to his full height and said, ‘If Paul, the preacher of Christ, is in the city of Rome, I shall find him, death or life!’ He searches, he asks, he goes from one prison to the other. He meets somebody.
"’Oh, Paul, Paul, I remember Paul, a Roman citizen, a Jew, a Christian. I happened to be in the courtroom when he was condemned to death. You'll find him in the Mamertine prison where they are lodged to await final and inevitable execution.’ ...Onesiphorus the merchantman makes his way to the Mamertine prison. It's cut out of the solid rock on the Capitoline Hill. The only entrance to that awful dungeon, made like a cistern; up at the top, a grating of iron, through which the prisoner is let down into that awful hole, through which...food and water is...let down. A stench, a horror—the only light, that which can struggle through the iron grating, awaiting execution, no escape!
“Onesiphorus goes to the guard and he asks, ‘Sir, in the dungeon, a prisoner named Paul?’
‘Yes,’ says the guard.
“Onesiphorus draws from a secret pocket in his robe a little pouch of gold, places it in the hand of the guard. ‘May I see him?’ The guard is astonished! Gold. ‘Yes, yes,’ he says. ‘Yes.’ He goes to the iron grating, he lifts it away, he lets Onesiphorus down into the dungeon, he looks around and there chained to the solid rock is Paul the aged, the preacher of the gospel of the Son of God. And Paul lifts up his face and there is his old friend, Onesiphorus.
Dr. Criswell continues, “...Why, I can see the old preacher of the cross as he falls into the arms of his friend, and as his friend hugs close to his heart the man who won him to Christ...
“He came back on another day. And out of his pocket, a little bag of gold, into the hand of the guard to see Paul. ‘Yes,’ he says. ‘Yes,’ he says. And he removes that iron grating. Onesiphorus is let down into that foul, stinking dungeon again:
“‘Look, Paul,’ he says. And he has bread to eat.
"’Look, Paul,’ he says. And there's a little water for him to wash with. And,
"’Look, Paul,’ he says. He has a cloak.
"’Look, Paul.’ And he has a book.
"’Look, Paul.’ And he has pencil and paper.
“Every time that he came he brought something. ‘He oft refreshed me. He helped me. He brought me something...’
“Then upon a day, a jackal of a dog, a craven slave, noticed that rich merchantman...making his way to that Mamertine dungeon, and he watched him again, and he saw the gold pass to the guard. And that craven jackal made his way like a serpent to Tigellinus.
“Tigellinus was that evil, bestial beast behind Nero...And this jackal of a dog makes his way to Tigellinus, draws Tigellinus aside and says:
“‘Tigellinus, listen, listen. I know the name, I can point out to you the man, a rich merchant, and he goes to see Paul, the Christian. He's bound to be a Christian himself. Tigellinus, seize him, accuse him. And you can confiscate his property, and all that he has is yours! Tigellinus, just give me something and I'll show you the man. I'll point him out. I'll name him.’
“And evil Tigellinus, seeing an opportunity to confiscate a rich merchantman and despoil him, said, ‘How much?’ And they agree on a traitor's price. And the craven slave takes some of the Praetorian Guard, and he waits just beyond the shadow of the Capitoline Hill. And when Onesiphorus comes with love and prayers and bread and water for his friend, the preacher of Christ, that craven jackal points him out! ‘That's him, Onesiphorus.’ And he's arrested in the hands of the cruel and venomous Tigellinus...”
History doesn’t say whether this encounter of Onesiphorus and Paul is exactly the way it happened, but we can surmise that something similar may have occurred. Neither do we know how Onesimus died, though some surmised from Paul’s statement in 2 Timothy 4:19 (where Paul sends greetings to the “household of Onesiphorus”) that Onesiphorus is dead. It is possible that this greeting indicates that Onesiphorus had died in Rome or before he was able to return home to Ephesus. However, there are other equally cogent explanations for why he might not have been mentioned when Paul penned these words.
What is certain is that Paul had a friend in Onesiphorus that braved the danger that faced him and all Christians at that time to find Paul and minister to him.
His actions are an illustration of Solomon’s Proverb:
A friend loves at all times, And a brother is born for adversity. (Proverbs 17:17)
Closing Questions:
- Am I a refresher or a drainer?
- Who am I refreshing and to whom am I a breath of fresh air?
