Acts 20:4 - Exposition

As far as for into, A.V.; Beraea for Berea, A.V.; the son of Pyrrhus is added in the R.T. and R.V.; Timothy for Timotheus, A.V. Accompanied ; συνείπετο , peculiar to Luke in the New Testament, but common in medical writers. As far as Asia . If it were merely said, "there accompanied him," it might have been thought, with regard to the Macedonians Sopater, Aristarchus, and Secundus, that they had merely gone as far as their respective cities, Beraea and Thessalonica; it is therefore added (in most manuscripts, though not in B or the Codex Sinaiticus), "as far as Asia." It does not necessarily follow that they all went as fax as Jerusalem, though we know Trophimus and Aristarchus did. Sopater may probably be the same as Sosipater ( Romans 16:21 ), whom St. Paul calls "his kinsman," though some think "the son of Pyrrhus" was added to distinguish him from him. The Thessalonian Aristarchus is doubtless the same as the person named in Acts 19:29 ; Acts 27:2 ; and so one would have thought Gaius must be the same as is named with Aristarchus in Acts 19:29 , were it not that this Gaius is described as of Derbe , whereas the Gaius of Acts 19:29 was a man of Macedonia. Gaius of Derbe is here coupled with Timothy, who was of the neighboring city of Lystra ( Acts 16:1 ), but was too well known to make it needful to specify his nationality. Secundus is not mentioned elsewhere. Compare Tertius and Quartus ( Romans 16:22 , Romans 16:23 ), and the common Roman names, Quinctus, Sextus, Septimus, Octavius, Decimus. Tychicus , of Asia, is mentioned in Ephesians 6:21 ; Colossians 4:7 ; 2 Timothy 4:12 ; Titus 3:12 ; by which we learn that he continued to be in constant attendance on St. Paul, and have abundant confirmation of his being "of Asia." Trophimus is called "an Ephesian" ( Acts 21:29 ), and is named again as a companion of St. Paul, and presumably "of Asia" ( 2 Timothy 4:20 ). It is not improbable that some at least of there followers were chosen by the Churches to carry their alms to Jerusalem (see 2 Corinthians 8:19-23 ; 2 Corinthians 9:12 , 2 Corinthians 9:13 ; 1 Corinthians 16:3 , 1 Corinthians 16:4 ; Romans 15:25-28 ).