The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus; for he often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chains:
All Commentaries on 2 Timothy 1:16 Go To 2 Timothy 1
John Chrysostom
AD 407
Such ought the faithful to be—like Onesiphorus. Neither fear nor threats nor disgrace should deter them from assisting one another, standing by them and succoring them as in war. For they do not so much benefit those who are in danger, as themselves, by the service they render to them, making themselves partakers of the crowns due to them…. For as in the service of kings, not only those who fight the battle but those who guard the baggage share in the honor. Even more, they frequently even have an equal portion of the spoils, though they have not soaked their hands in blood, nor stood in array, nor even seen the ranks of the enemy. So it is in these conflicts. For he who relieves the combatant, when wasted with hunger, who stands by him, encouraging him by words and rendering him every service, is not inferior to the combatant.
