Abandonded

I. Examples

A. All

2 Timothy 1:15 NASB95

15 You are aware of the fact that all who are in Asia turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes.

Turned away from me...

2 Timothy 1:8 NASB95

8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God,

B. Phygelus/Hermogenes

not much is known of these 2 men.

This is the only time they are mentioned in the Bible.

Maybe elders?

II. Encouraged

A. By Visiting Paul

2 Timothy 1:16 NASB95

16 The Lord grant mercy to the house of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains;

2 Timothy 4:19 NASB95

19 Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus.

Paul knew he needed the help of the brethren.

Colossians 4:18 NASB95

18 I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my imprisonment. Grace be with you.

B. By Searching for Paul

2 Timothy 1:17 NASB95

17 but when he was in Rome, he eagerly searched for me and found me—

C. By Serving in Ephesus

2 Timothy 1:18 NASB95

18 the Lord grant to him to find mercy from the Lord on that day—and you know very well what services he rendered at Ephesus.

Rewards for service to the Lord.

1 Corinthians 3:10–15 NASB95

10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. 11 For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. 14 If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. 15 If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

James 1:27 NASB95

27 Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

Notice that there is one verse where Paul brings attention to his abandonment but there are 3 verses about Onesiphorus who brought him encouragement.

These are 2 examples of the shamelessness Paul was talking about at the beginning of this letter. One is an example of failure, the other is a shining example of courage, and not being ashamed of the gospel no matter what it costs.

Valeen Schnurr was a student at Columbine High School when the famous school shooting happened. She, along with a number of other students, was cornered in the library. Among the other students was Cassie Bernall, a girl who would become a posthumous legend. Cassie’s story, however, really belongs to Schnurr. 

While in the library, Schnurr was confronted by her would-be killer. He demanded to know if she believed in God. Schnurr, terrified and bleeding, said yes. For reasons unknown, the shooter walked away and let Schnurr live.

The conversation was overheard by other students, but mistakenly attributed to Cassie Bernall, one of the shooter’s victims. The legend grew that Bernall was the one who said “yes” and paid for it with her life. Though Schnurr was the one who reaffirmed her faith even as she stared down the barrel of a gun, she has been reluctant to speak out about her story and puncture the legend of Bernall’s martyrdom. Schnurr is not interested in fame and has no desire to strip away the myth that has given comfort to traumatized students and grieving parents.

North Korea has been a breeding place for nightmares for many years. Desperate escapees, however, have been able to shed light on the true horrors taking place within the dictatorship. Starvation and malnutrition run rampant, and citizens are arrested, tortured and murdered on a regular basis. The once proud nation is on its knees, and the place that was once called the “Jerusalem of the East” has become more akin to Nero’s Rome.

Despite the danger, Choi Kwanghyuk started a secret, underground church. There were only nine people and one Bible, but they managed to answer God’s call until 2008 when Kwanghyuk was arrested. He was imprisoned, tortured and eventually sent to a labor camp before managing to escape and find asylum in America in 2013.

North Korean Christians must go to extreme lengths to hide their faith lest they face the same. Bibles are hidden inside walls, and there is always the risk that church members are government spies. Teachers have even been known to trick children into searching for “the book” in order to earn a special reward at school. When a child finds a Bible, their parents are arrested. Despite the terror, however, Christianity is actually growing inside North Korea just as it once did in Rome.

Which will you choose?