2 Timothy 1:18

For κυρίου D2*E* d e have θεῷ, an attempt to introduce into the text the current interpretation of κυρίου as referring here to God the Father.

18. δῴη αὐτῷ ὁ κύριος κ.τ.λ., may the Lord, sc. Christ, grant him to find mercy from the Lord, sc. God the Father, in that day, sc. the Day of Judgement. The repetition ὁ κύριος … παρὰ κυρίου is a little awkward, but probably the phrase δῴη αὐτῷ ὁ κύριος was a common introductory formula, so that the addition παρὰ κυρίου would not occur to the writer as strange. As the first κύριος seems to refer to Christ (see 2 Timothy 1:8; 2 Timothy 1:16 above), it is best to take the second κυρίου as referring to God the Father, to whom the function of judgement is given more than once by St Paul (Romans 2:5; Romans 2:16 &c.; but cp. John 5:22).

The question has been much debated whether Onesiphorus was alive or dead at the time of writing, a question which in the absence of fuller information about him it is impossible to answer with certainty. It may be observed, however, that there is no a priori difficulty in the way of supposing St Paul to have prayed for him, if he were already dead. Prayer for the dead was admissible among the Jews at the date of the composition of the Second Book of the Maccabees (cir. 100 B.C.), as 2Ma 12:44-45 establishes beyond question. And that the practice was observed by Christians in the second century becomes apparent as soon as we arrive at a period of which we have adequate knowledge. “Let every friend who observeth this pray for me” are the closing words of the epitaph on the tomb of Abercius, Bp of Hierapolis (160 A.D.)[514], and they are typical of a large number of sepulchral Christian inscriptions in the Catacombs and elsewhere[515]. It cannot be supposed impossible or even improbable that St Paul should have shared in the practice, which the Christian Church seems to have taken over from Judaism. But proof positive we have not got here. Certainly in ch. 2 Timothy 4:19 the household of Onesiphorus is saluted without mention of Onesiphorus himself. But this only proves that he was not at Ephesus at the time of writing (it seems a most improbable conjecture that he was actually then at Rome). To speak of a man’s οἷκος without specific mention of himself does not necessarily prove that he is dead (cp. 1 Corinthians 1:16). A better argument may be based on a comparison of 2 Timothy 1:16; 2 Timothy 1:18. In 2 Timothy 1:16 St Paul prays for the household of Onesiphorus, whereas in 2 Timothy 1:18 he repeats the same prayer on behalf of the man himself, with the significant addition ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ, which can mean nothing else than the Day of Judgement (see 2 Timothy 1:12 and 2 Timothy 4:8). This addition seems to betray a feeling that prayer for him in this life, such as has already been made for his οἷκος, would be out of place. On the whole then it seems probable that Onesiphorus was dead when St Paul prayed on his behalf, δώῃ αὐτῷ ὁ κύριος κ.τ.λ.[516]

[514] See Lightfoot, Ignatius and Polycarp, I. p. 496.

[515] See Warren’s Liturgy of Ante-Nicene Church, p. 146 ff.

[516] It is curious, however, and the fact is worth noting, that the pseudo-Ignatian writer of the 4th century in the spurious letter to Hero (§ 9) borrows this prayer and applies its words to living persons, shewing apparently that at least he had not gathered from the passage before us that Onesiphorus was dead.

καὶ ὅσα ἐν Ἐφέσῳ διηκόνησεν. Onesiphorus had plainly, from this, been a Church worker at Ephesus, where his family continued to reside (2 Timothy 4:19).

βέλτιον σὺ γινώσκεις, thou knowest, of thine own personal knowledge, very well. βέλτιον is not to be taken as better than I could tell you; the comparative is used (as often) as equivalent to a weak superlative.