2 Timothy 1:15

‘This you know, that all who are in Asia turned away from me, of whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes.’

We should note that there is no suggestion that they had turned away from Christ. They had no doubt been in Rome on an official visit to the church there, and on learning that Paul was in prison, and no doubt having spoken to those who ministered to his physical needs (probably mainly women who would not be in such danger of being arrested. It was often brave Christian women, who being despised by the world were not in much danger of arrest, who performed this kind of function for persecuted Christians in prison), they were afraid to visit him and returned to Asia Minor without doing so. We can imagine Paul’s great disappointment and heartbreak when he learned of this (no doubt they had sent him a message of good cheer), especially when he learned that Phygelus and Hermogenes had been among them. He would not have expected such treatment from such prominent men who had no doubt in the past often expressed their devotion to him and to the Lord.