Onesiphorus - 2 Timothy 1:8-18

1:8-9 - The empowering feelings brought about by using the phrase, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power,” told Timothy, and us, that we are more capable than we often think, not only because of our own abilities but because of God’s enabling power. With the “power” promised in verse 7, Paul urges Timothy to “be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of my his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God.” Paul was facing certain death because he kept preaching the gospel, and he’s writing a letter to a younger man who is doing the same work Paul’s doing. Seeing the path that Paul has walked down, willingly, was probably a reason for Timothy to stop and consider if the “commitment until death” lifestyle was one that he wanted for himself. Paul is encouraging him that it is worth it and to “be thou partaker of the afflictions for the gospel according to the power of God.” If we think about the power of God and what it is purported to be, then we have to also recognize the fact that if God wanted to protect his followers from harm, he had the power to do so. The converse of this is that if God didn’t stop the persecution, then it isn’t because he lacks the power, but because it is not his will to do so. Does God want us to suffer? Of course not, he loves us and wants us to be happy. Will he allow us to suffer? Yes, because he will use these negatives for our benefit and compensate us for any suffering that we experience. This same God that has the power to protect us, but allows suffering to happen sometimes, “hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works… before the world began.” There are a few important factors in this statement, the first being that God “hath saved us.” If we face hardship and persecution with the understanding that God is greater and more powerful than all, then we can accept that his allowance of our suffering will ultimately be for our benefit. We can accept that God has created a way for us to be “saved” meaning that we will be provided with promised blessings and eternal life. Second, because we have received “an holy calling,” Timothy could move forward in his work with a sense of purpose. So much of life and fulfillment is having a purpose, and if we can feel like the work that we do and especially the negativity that we suffer is all for a reason, then it makes it easier to endure and keeps up our motivation. The IM comments, “At the heart of Paul’s encouragement to Timothy was an understanding that a disciple must be willing to endure hardships in order to hep others obtain salvation through Jesus Christ.” Third, when Paul says that this calling came to us “not according to our works,” is he saying that what we do doesn’t matter? Of course not. Our behavior absolutely matters, but we did not earn our way into a calling or position, and each calling or position is just as important in saving souls as any other one. I once heard it said that Mormonism is the only religion where a man can be released as a stake president and called to the nursery and have no feelings of demotion. Every role matters. The article on this chapter from gospeldoctrine.com quotes Monte J. Brough as saying, “It is very dangerous for any of us to think we have earned the right to a Church calling. However, ever member must come to know the sacred nature of his or her own service in the Church. I remember my Primary teacher, Sister Mildred Jacobson, who I believe was divinely called to her position of responsibility. Two bishops, Bishop Lynn McKinnon and Bishop Ross Jackson, who served during my youth, played significant roles in the lives of many. I believe they were called of God in the same process of revelation as were Paul and Timothy. We must each prepare ourselves for every good work that might come to us and then accept the principle that revelation, not aspiration, is the basis for our respective callings.” The fourth important aspect is the phrase “before the world was.” This goes hand in hand with the first concept that God “hath saved us,” hardships can be viewed in an eternal perspective. It’s so easy to get caught up in the here and now, and get bogged down thinking that our pain and suffering are going to last forever. It’s demoralizing and devastating so much of the time, but if we can keep the perspective that this life was not our beginning, and that this life is not our ending either, we can take comfort knowing that this plan is not random, but instead has been thought about, pondered, and arranged from the beginning. And if we can accept that fact, then we can accept that the plan is for a reason, and that our future has been just as pondered and arranged from the beginning as well. This all matters because we know that no one lives forever, and even despite our best efforts, there is a very short prescribed time that humans are able to survive. This makes death the ultimate control. I’ve thought about this a lot, like when someone wants to silence or punish someone else, the worst thing they can do is kill them, and it works, they are silenced or punished. But what is the equivalent of that in the next life? It’s interesting to think about. With death being the ultimate trump card in this life, Paul says, “hey don’t worry, Jesus has taken care of that too.” 1:10-14 - Paul was called to preach the gospel not because he was great, but because it was the purpose of God, and this purpose “is now made manifest by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” The article quotes Bruce R. McConkie as saying, “Man alone cannot save himself. No man can call forth his own crumbling dust from the grave and cause it to live again in immortal glory. No man can create a celestial heaven whose inhabitants shall dwell in eternal splendor forever. All the idols and icons and images combined, since the world began until the end of time, will never have power to cleanse and perfect a single human soul… But those who turn to Christ, who believe his gospel, and join his church, and live his laws, and who thereby worship the Father in his holy name- such shall find peace and safety and salvation. In the world men shall have tribulation; in Christ they shall find peace.” This was really profound for me because I think about it a lot, the resurrection, how it works, why we can’t do it, why Jesus being raised from the dead is a big deal, etc. Maybe it’s because I’ve always been taught “oh yeah Jesus died but then he came back to life in his glorified, perfected body and I will be too one day.” Maybe it’s because it makes perfect sense to me, but I’ve never really understood why it’s such a big deal to everyone else, why that idea makes such a difference to the plan and God’s majesty. The resurrection is brought about by the power of God alone and only done because he loves us and wants us to be eternally happy which we can only achieve if we have glorified and perfected bodies. It’s this happiness and eternal life that Paul says Jesus “hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” The whole purpose of the gospel is for people to know where we came from, why we’re here, where we’re going, and what to do, because this life is hard and we need it. Many of us have been called to live the gospel, help others live it, ease their burdens and just to improve the life of others generally, this is the purpose of the gospel, to inform people of the plan. Paul was called to this work and he was “not ashamed” because “I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.” Paul was a proud preacher of the gospel because he trusted that Jesus would do what he promised to do. Is that trust something only an ancient apostle can have? Absolutely not, that same trust, testimony, and faith is available to all who desire it, and it comes as we work to grow spiritually and when we are ready. Paul urges Timothy to “hold fast” which is what we all can do to gain this spirituality as we “keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us.” The Spirit will teach and guide us as we try our best, regardless of how effective our “best” is. Any effort that we put forward, will be returned to us according to our readiness to receive it, but always greater. 1:15-18 – The importance of having the Spirit in our lives is evident by “they which are in Asia be turned away from me.” The article quotes Neal A. Maxwell as saying, “New Testament epistles clearly indicate that serious and widespread apostasy- not just sporadic dissent- began soon… Widespread fornication and idolatry brought apostolic alarm. John and Paul both bemoaned the rise of false apostles. The Church was clearly under siege. Some not only fell away openly but then openly opposed… No wonder President Brigham Young observed: ‘It is said the Priesthood was taken from the Church, but it is not so, the Church went from the priesthood.’” Paul calls out “Phygellus and Hermogenes” specifically as being agitators for apostasy. But then Tells of “Onesiphorus” who “oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain.” Apparently, when Paul was imprisoned in Rome this second and final time, Onesiphorus came and found him in prison and visited him repeatedly. I didn’t really think this was a big deal until I read some background about Roman prisons in Paul’s time. The article says, “being aware that Paul was somewhere in that city as a prisoner, he diligently searched for him, and did not cease to do so til he had found him in his prison cell… ‘in a city thronged with prisoners and under a government rife with suspicions, upon which is acted with the most cynical unscrupulousness, it was by no means a safe or pleasant task to find an obscure, ages, and deeply implicated victim… This staunch and bold fellow- Christian was not satisfied with a single visit, but readily faced the dangers which attended such interviews and went again and again.” This is just such a great example of Christ-like love. I am a firm believer in boundaries but also in doing whatever I can to help someone else within those boundaries. What a great friend who brough comfort during a very difficult and ultimately fatal time.