Li'l Fugitive and the Flash Go AWOL

“You are aware that all who are in Asia turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes” (2Tim 1:15).

Think it would be pretty cool to have your name in the Bible? Imagine one of the authors of Scripture dropping your name and people reading it for the next few thousand years. A mention, any mention, even in one of those long tedious lists of some family tree filled with names you can’t pronounce. 

But imagine your name making its way onto the pages of God’s Word as the bad example. You get timeless ink for all the wrong reasons. So maybe a regrettable tattoo isn’t the worst thing. That’s exactly what happens to a couple of Paul’s former friends as he writes to Timothy. “You are aware that all who are in Asia turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes” (v15). Apparently when the going got tough for the apostle, the folks he thought had his back got going in the opposite direction. Namely a couple of guys known as Li’l Fugitive and the Flash. 

We’ll get back to those guys in a moment. Allow me to bring you up to speed on Paul’s deal. He’s writing to his protege, a young pastor named Tim. The apostle is in Rome doing hard time in Caesar’s SuperMax, otherwise known as the Mamertine Prison. He’s on Death Row (2Tim 4:6-7). He desperately needs a visit from his spiritual son (2Tim 1:2; 4:9, 21). Most of the letter is loaded with urgent last minute instructions and encouragement. With the clock ticking down, the apostle passes the baton of ministry.

Paul is sure Tim’s got the scoop on what went down when the Romans arrested him. “You are aware that all who are in Asia turned away from me” (v15). Tim knows. Shoot, seems like everybody knew. It was in all the papers. The news of the apostle’s apprehension apparently went viral. But that’s not all. Believers in the region immediately turned their backs on the very one who brought them the Gospel in the first place. The followers of Jesus suddenly unfollowed Paul.

Is the apostle saying every person on the Asian continent ditched him? Most of us know Asia as the largest continent on the planet from our days in World Civ with four times more people than any other. That’s NOT the Asia he’s talking about. You see, back in the first century, Asia was the name of a Roman province in the western part of what we know today as Turkey. Asia was about the size of Nebraska. It included some familiar city names such as Ephesus and Colossae, places with churches to which Paul wrote. It’s also the zip code for the seven churches in Revelation that Jesus dictated letters to John about. That’s the Asia Paul’s talking about.

Nonetheless, “all who are in Asia turned away from” (v15) Paul. I would love to say “all” doesn’t really mean that. But a closer look at the original language leaves no wiggle room. “All” means all and that’s all that “all” means. Apparently one hundred percent of the believers bailed on the apostle. When he tells Tim how they “turned away,” the apostle uses a verb (Gr. apostrepho) which means to reject, refuse, or desert. It carries the idea of abandoning the right thing to do for some serious wrongdoing. This is a compound word meaning to separate (apo-) by turning (-strepho). Instead of having his back, they turned their backs and walked away. They left Paul twisting in the wind.

Does the apostle mean these folks also ditched their faith in Jesus? I guess there’s the chance that some did but that doesn’t seem to be what’s going on here. I strongly suspect these folks simply bailed on Paul at his arrest. Like cockroaches running when the light comes on, they bugged out when Roman authorities busted the man from Tarsus. According to Robertson, we don’t know if believers in the Roman province of Asia refused to help Paul when he was arrested or if they possibly ditched him at his trial. One way or the other, all he heard at this critical time was crickets. Paul? Who’s Paul? I don’t anybody named Paul.

At this point, this is where we logically talk about how we should always stand strong with our brothers and sisters in the faith. You DO know that’s the right thing to do, don’t you? But here’s the deal. Too many times the followers of Jesus pull the ripcord on any relationship that gets messy. As many have said, the church has a bad habit of shooting their wounded. Maybe it’s happened to you. If so, I’m VERY sorry. Maybe you had your finger on the trigger. If so, apologize and repent. Remember, every believer is jacked up. That’s why we trusted in Jesus to begin with. 

Let’s be blunt. People are going to bail on you. Fellow followers of Jesus are are going to bounce just when you need them the most. If it hasn’t happened to you yet, you can bet the farm it’s going to happen. Sometime. Somewhere. When the chips are down and you need a friend, there’s going to come a time when all you will see are tumbleweeds. 

Just ask Jesus what it’s like. His crew ran like scared rabbits when He was arrested. The leader of His team acted like he didn’t know Him, not once but THREE times (Ps 88:8, 18; Mt 26:56; Mk 14:50). And once our Savior took on the entire load of the world’s sin (and if you’re scoring at home, that includes yours and mine!), even His Heavenly Dad left Him all alone (Ps 22:1; Mt 27:46; Mk 15:34). 

Because He experienced absolute and total abandonment, we never have to face it ourselves. Our closest friends may punk out, but Jesus promises, “I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Mt 28:20). He pledges His never-ending faithfulness and will “never leave you nor forsake you” (Dt  31:6, 8; Josh 1:8; Heb 13:5). Later in this letter to Timothy, Paul says Christ is faithful even when we aren’t (2Tim 2:13). You see, the God who is with us is ALWAYS with us. Even when the world gets the heck outta Dodge.

The apostle then drops the names of two guys who left him hanging, “Phygelus and Hermogenes” (v15). Imagine Paul specifically listing you as someone who left him in the lurch. Being named as a bad guy in the Bible is the ultimate black mark on your permanent record. But maybe, just maybe, the man from Tarsus didn’t name names. Maybe Phygelus and Hermogenes aren’t their real names at all. Could he be writing in code? Could he be calling them by their infamous new nicknames? 

The name Phygelus comes from the Greek verb phuego, which describes a hasty retreat from military aggression. We’re not talking about a casual stroll here. This is a sprint at high speed. It’s where we get our word “fugitive.” One researcher sees the name as a joke or putdown. It literally means the little fugitive or avoider. My guess is he was a real person but Paul spared him the embarrassment of using his real name. Instead he’s forever known as Li’l Fugitive.

His partner in crime is Hermogenes. His name is closely related to the Greek god Hermes. You may know him by his Roman name Mercury. This mythical deity was not just super quick but also slick trickster. Think of The Flash’s evil twin. Hermogenes’ name means “born from Hermes.” Whether this is a nickname or putdown he has earned, you can be sure Paul’s former friend turned his back with super speed. Now you see him. Now you don’t. 

This is the only time either of these dudes gets a mention in the Bible. Giving the Heisman to the man God used to spread the Gospel to the non-Jewish world and write most of the New Testament not exactly the rep you would want for the next 2,000-plus years. Apparently Paul cooked up a couple of aliases to save them some shame. The same can’t be said of Demas. Later in this letter, the apostle writes, “For Demas, in love with present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica” (2Tim 4:10). This is the very same guy who’s with Paul during his first time in custody (Col 4:14; Phm 24). 

I feel like I’ve seen this meme. 

Demas is a friend of Paul. 

Demas sees Paul arrested. 

Demas ditches Paul. 

Demas goes to Thessalonica.

Don’t be like Demas.

No, don’t be like Demas. Don’t be like Li’l Fugitive and the Flash and go AWOL.