Phygelus and Hermogenes

Biblical Record

The two men appear only once in Scripture, in 2 Timothy 1:15. Paul writes to Timothy: "This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes." Here "Asia" refers not to the modern continent but to the Roman province (an administrative division of the Roman Empire) centered on Ephesus. Their Greek names are Phygelos and Hermogenes; the name Hermogenes means "born of Hermes." The text says nothing about their origins, their positions, their relationship with Paul, or their later activities.

Significance Within Scripture

In the verses that immediately follow (1:16–18), Paul commends Onesiphorus, who was not ashamed of Paul's imprisonment in Rome but sought him out and helped him. Phygelus and Hermogenes are therefore read as a contrast to Onesiphorus. Second Timothy also names Demas, who forsook Paul (4:10); Alexander the coppersmith, who did Paul much evil (4:14); and Hymenaeus and Philetus, who spread false teaching (2:17). Together with these figures, Phygelus and Hermogenes are understood to illustrate the isolation Paul experienced in the final period of his life.

Interpretation and Issues

• The meaning of "turned away": Some interpreters take the phrase to mean abandonment of the faith or of sound doctrine. Others take it to mean an unwillingness to help the imprisoned Paul or to stand with him. The text alone does not settle which is meant.
• The scope of "all": Many interpreters do not take the phrase to mean every believer in the province of Asia. The most common views hold that it refers either to Paul's close coworkers from Asia or to people from Asia who were in Rome.
• The authorship of the letter: The traditional view holds that Paul himself wrote 2 Timothy. Some scholars, however, regard it as written in Paul's name after his death, and readings of the historical setting of this verse vary accordingly.
• Distinction from later tradition: The Acts of Paul and Thecla, an apocryphal (noncanonical) work dating from around the second century, features a hypocritical companion named Hermogenes alongside Demas. It cannot be determined, however, whether this figure is the same person as the Hermogenes of 2 Timothy, and the work's account is not part of the biblical text.