Do you like to meet a refreshing saint? Onesiphorus was declared by Scripture to be a refreshment to the great apostle Paul. What a blessed testimony! His name means “profit bringer” and he lived up to it, for he was profitable to the saints of God. Isn’t this what every Christian should be?
THE QUALITY OF HIS MINISTRY
“He oft refreshed me” (2 Tim. 1:16) is the witness of Paul to the ministry of this brother. In the heat of trials and difficulties, a visit by Onesiphorus was as a breath of fresh air to the beloved servant of Christ, refreshing his spirit with fellowship, consolation and kindness, and that very frequently. When this profit bringer “blew in” he brought with him the freshness of a spiritual atmosphere that enabled one to recover from the enemy’s blasts. He always seemed able to cool off the temperature of the trial when visiting tested saints, including God’s mighty apostle to the Gentiles, who attracted more heat than most.
THE FAITHFULNESS OF HIS MINISTRY
He “was not ashamed of my chain” writes Paul, for though forsaken by the Christians at large and bound as a prisoner of Rome, Onesiphorus did not desert the apostle because he was persona non grata. Faithfulness was part of his character and Paul could add this testimony to Timothy: “In how many things he ministered unto me in Ephesus, thou knowest very well.”
THE DILIGENCE OF HIS MINISTRY
“When he was in Rome, he sought me out very diligently and found me” (v. 17). The worldly maxim, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do” was not the motto of this saint of God. He spurned the vaunted glories of the great metropolis of the Roman Empire, searching until he found the beloved servant of God. What chords of appreciation arose from the heart of the apostle, causing him to record this deed upon the pages of the Book of God.
THE FUTURE REWARD OF HIS MINISTRY
“The Lord grant him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day.” That day when Onesiphorus stands before the Judgment Seat of Christ will yet declare the gold, silver, and precious stones that resulted from the faithful ministry of this refreshing brother to the people of God. Neither is God “unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which ye have showed toward His Name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister” (Heb. 6:10). Would you not enjoy having Onesiphorus “blow in” for a visit as a spiritual “breath of fresh air”?
I am sure you would. But of course that isn’t possible today. What is possible is that you endeavor to be a refreshing saint yourself! God has need of them everywhere among His people in these difficult and testing days. Be a “profit bringer.”
A little word in kindness spoken,
A motion or a tear,
Has often healed the heart that’s broken!
And made a friend sincere.
A word—a look—has crushed to earth,
Full many a budding flower,
Which had a smile but owned its birth,
Would bless life’s darkest hour.
Then deem it not an idle thing,
A pleasant word to speak;
The face you wear, the thoughts you bring,
A heart may heal or break.
—Mary Dow Brine