From the early Church Fathers to now.
7 Patristic · 1 Orthodox · 1 Catholic
“Thou knowest this, that all they who are in Asia, are turned away from me: of whom are Phigellus and Hermogenes.”
“It is a comparatively small thing, that certain men, like Phygellus, and Hermogenes, and Philetus, and Hymenµus, deserted His apostle: the betrayer of Christ was himself one of the apostles.”
“He is a thorough adulterer, both doctrinally and carnally, since he is rank indeed with the contagion of your marriage-hacks, and has also failed in cleaving to the rule of faith as much as the apostle's own Hermogenes. However, never mind the man, when it is his doctrine which I question.”
“What archangel's voice, (I wonder), what trump of God is now heard, except it be, forsooth, in the entertainments of the heretics? For, allowing that the word of the gospel may be called "the trump of God," since it was still calling men, yet they must at that time either be dead as to the body, that they may be able to rise again; and then how are they alive? Or else caught up into the clouds; and how then are they here? "Most miserable," no doubt, as the apostle declared them, are they "who in this life only" shall be found to have hope: they will have to be excluded while they are with premature haste seizing that which is promised after this life; erring concerning the truth, no less than Phygellus and Hermogenes. Hence it is that the Holy Ghost, in His greatness, foreseeing clearly all such interpretations as these, suggests (to the apostle), in this very epistle of his to the Thessalonians, as follows: "But of the times and the seasons, brethren, there is no necessity for my writing unto you.”
“For the apostle likewise delivered Phygellus and Hermogenes over to Satan that by chastening they might be taught not to blaspheme. You see, then, that the devil receives more suitably power even from the servants of God; so far is he from having it by any fight of his own.”
“Then he describes his trials and temptations, not to depress his disciple, but to elevate him, that if he should ever fall into the same, he may not think it strange, when he looks back and remembers what things happened to his Teacher. What then says he? Since it was probable that Timothy might be apprehended, and be deserted, and be relieved by no friendly attention, or influence, or assistance, but be abandoned even by his friends and the faithful themselves, hear what he says, "This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me." It seems that there were then in Rome many persons from the regions of Asia. "But no one stood by me," he says, no one acknowledged me, all were alienated. And observe the philosophy of his soul. He only mentions their conduct, he does not curse them, but he praises him that showed kindness to him, and invokes a thousand blessings upon him, without any curse on them. "Of whom is Phygellus and Hermogenes."”
“Paul was then at Rome. Many had wandered away, some for money, others for other reasons. Some of the Asian converts abandoned Paul there on account of the fear of Nero. Paul is afraid that they might be a problem to Timothy, and he wants him to be aware of them.”
“The Apostle points to the temptations, not in order to strike the disciple, but to more fully persuade him — so that, in the event that he himself should undergo similar temptations, he would not think that he was experiencing anything extraordinary, but would bear them calmly. After the Apostle was taken into custody by Nero, all the Asians abandoned him, that is, the people from the Asian provinces who were living in Rome.”
“Then when he says, you know this, he shows why it was necessary to give this admonition, both because some are slackening and some are progressing. For when a person sees some of his associates making progress and others slowing down, he strives to imitate the good ones: first, therefore, he reminds him that some are slowing up; second, that some are making progress, at the Lord gives mercy. Therefore, he tells him what to avoid to keep out of danger: he that thinks himself to stand, let him take heed, lest he fall (1 Cor 10:12). Therefore, he says, all they who are in Asia are turned away from me; on which a Gloss says: they were full of deceit; for they pretended to sympathize with the Apostle, but only to obtain information with which to slander him. Therefore, they who are turned from me are now in Asia: among them were Phigellus and Hermogenes, who were converted by James.”
“You know this, that all who are in Asia have turned away from me, among whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes. Paul is tested not to be overcome, but to teach endurance in similar trials. For when he was arrested by Nero, his friends in Asia abandoned him. There were many in Rome from Asia who followed Paul or were otherwise faithful. But all of them distanced themselves after his arrest by Nero. that all who are in Asia. That is, those from Asia.”
The in-app commentary runs from the Fathers to the early-modern record, then stops — that's where the public-domain sources end, not where the reading does. For the modern reading, follow the sources directly.