A resident of Ephesus of Paul whom Paul remembers with fondness for his true friendship and partnership in the gospel in his letter to Timothy (2 Tim 1:16ff; 4:19):
May the Lord show mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains. On the contrary, when he was in Rome, he searched hard for me until he found me. May the Lord grant that he will find mercy from the Lord on that day! You know very well in how many ways he helped me in Ephesus.
Spoken in the context of Paul's recall of those who had deserted him (1:15), Onesiphorus stands out as a model of true Christian faithfulness in times of need.
Onesiphorus lived up well to his name, which means "one who brings gain."
©ALBERITH