“This you know, that all those in Asia have turned away from me, among whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes” (2 Timothy 1:15).
Unlike the modern-day continent of Asia, the ancient Roman province of Asia occupied an area of the world that was roughly equivalent to the contemporary nation of Turkey. Here in 1 Timothy 1:15, the Apostle Paul turned to the literary tool of hyperbole to express the fact that others within that provincial region had deserted him.
While this was undoubtedly difficult for Paul, his New Testament letter to the church at Philippi helps reveal his attitude toward this situation. Within that letter, Paul spoke of his desire to know Christ “…and the fellowship of His sufferings…” (Philippians 3:10). We can see that desire fulfilled here within Paul’s letter to Timothy. Just as Jesus was deserted in advance of His pending death, so Paul was also deserted as well.
From an external perspective, there are several factors that might account for that mass desertion. The first involved the political climate of that era…
“Ever since Rome had burned in July of A.D. 64, and Nero had blamed the Christians, it had become dangerous to be a Christian. It was also dangerous to have contact with leaders of the church such as Paul. [a] Consequently many believers, including some of Paul’s coworkers, had chosen to seek a much lower profile and become less aggressive in their ministries. Timothy faced the temptation to do the same.” (1)
Another possibility is that others were simply too preoccupied with their own concerns. Paul lamented this unfortunate reality in praising Timothy to the members of the Philippian church…
“If it is the Lord’s will, I hope that I will be able to send Timothy to you soon, so that I may be encouraged by news about you. He is the only one who shares my feelings and who really cares about you. Everyone else is concerned only with their own affairs, not with the cause of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 2:19-21 GNT).
In light of this, those who seek praise and recognition for their service to Christ should remember that the great Apostle Paul was virtually alone as he neared the end of his life. In like manner, we must continue to fulfill God’s call upon on our lives even if we receive little or no attention or recognition from others.
There is a third potential explanation that involves the doctrinal beliefs held by others of Paul’s acquaintance. We’ll consider that possibility in greater detail next.
(1) [a] See D. Edmond Hiebert, Second Timothy, p. 8. Quoted in Dr. Thomas L. Constable, Notes on 2 Timothy 2021 Edition https://www.planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/html/nt/2timothy/2timothy.htm