Onesiphorus

Biblical Account

Onesiphorus is mentioned only twice, both times in 2 Timothy. His name is generally understood to mean "one who brings benefit" in Greek.

In 2 Timothy 1:15, Paul writes that "all they which are in Asia be turned away from me," naming Phygellus and Hermogenes. In 2 Timothy 1:16–18 he then presents Onesiphorus in contrast to them. According to Paul, Onesiphorus "oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain." When he was in Rome, "he sought me out very diligently, and found me." Paul adds that Timothy knew "very well" in how many things Onesiphorus had ministered at Ephesus. Paul prays, "The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus," and asks that Onesiphorus himself "may find mercy of the Lord in that day."

In 2 Timothy 4:19, Paul asks Timothy to "Salute Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus." Because both passages mention him together with his household, it is commonly inferred that his household was in Ephesus. Scripture records nothing further about his life.

Significance in Scripture

Onesiphorus is portrayed as an example of a faithful coworker who sought out Paul and stayed by his side even while the apostle was imprisoned and abandoned by others. He is not to be confused with Onesimus, whose name is similar.

Interpretation and Debate

Interpreters differ over the fact that Paul greets "the house of Onesiphorus" rather than Onesiphorus himself and prays that he may find mercy "in that day," that is, the day of judgment.

• Some scholars and the Catholic tradition hold that Onesiphorus had already died by this time, and some read the passage as an instance of prayer for the dead.
• Protestant interpreters generally hold that the text does not speak of his death. He may simply have been away from home traveling, and Paul's words can be read as a blessing on a living person. Protestants therefore reject using this passage as a basis for prayer for the dead.

In the apocryphal Acts of Paul and Thecla, generally thought to have been written around the second century, Onesiphorus appears as the man who welcomed Paul into his home in Iconium. This work also contains a description of Paul's physical appearance. Eastern Orthodox tradition commemorates him as a saint and sometimes counts him among the Seventy disciples. All of these accounts belong to later tradition rather than to the biblical text.

In the Korean Church

In Korean church preaching, Onesiphorus is frequently presented as "the man who was not ashamed" and as a model of service who visited and comforted suffering leaders and neighbors. Such sermons often cite his story when encouraging pastoral visitation and care for those in prison.