Phygellus

Phygel'lus (Gr. Φύγελλος, perh. a fugitive), a Christian of Asia, who being at Rome during Paul's imprisonment, deserted him in his necessity (2Ti 1:15). A.D. 64. "It is open to question whether this repudiation of the apostle was joined with a declension from the faith (see Buddaeus, Eccl. Apostol. 2:310), and whether the open display of the feeling of Asia took place — at least so far as Phygellus and Hermogenes were concerned — at Rome. It was at Rome that Onesiphorus, named in the next verse, showed the kindness for which the apostle invokes a blessing on his household in Asia: so perhaps it was at Rome that Phygellls displayed that change of feeling towards Paul which the apostle's former followers in Asia avowed. It seems unlikely that Paul would write so forcibly if Phvgellus had merely neglected to visit him in his captivity at Rome. He may have forsaken (see 2Ti 4:16) the apostle at some critical time when his support was expected; or he may have been a leader of some party of nominal Christians at Rome, such as the apostle describes at an earlier period (Php 1:15-16) opposing him there. Dean Ellicott, on 2Ti 1:15, who is at variance with the ancient Greek commentators as to the exact force of the phrase 'they which are in Asia,' states various opinions concerning their aversion to Paul. The apostle himself seems to have foreseen it (Ac 20:30); and there is nothing in the fact inconsistent with the general picture of the state of Asia at a later period which we have in the first three chapters of the Revelation." '