Moving toward a purpose

Acts 20:1-6, fulfilling a former purpose

Verse 1: Paul had previously purposed to pass through Macedonia and Achaia, and then go to Jerusalem. Staying in Ephesus a little longer, he sent Timotheus and Erastus ahead of him into Macedonia. Now Paul is moving on that purpose. He bids the disciples a loving farewell.

Verses 2-3a: Paul traveled through Macedonia to exhort and encourage the disciples, then went into Greece. Greece is identified as Achaia in Paul’s purpose, described in Acts 19:21. He stayed there for three months. It possibly was during this time Paul wrote his letter to the Romans (cf. Romans 15:25-26, 31).

Verse 3b: The Jews here “laid wait” for Paul (cf. v. 19), indicating an intent to ambush him, for evil intent – either to arrest and accuse Paul before the authorities, as they had done at other times; or possibly to accost and kill him. Perhaps they intended to attack Paul on board ship, since knowing of the plot, Paul changed his course to reroute back through Macedonia rather than sail to Syria from Greece. Some have suggested a contrived robbery at sea, since Paul was carrying a contribution from the churches in Macedonia and Achaia to the saints in Jerusalem.

Verse 4: Accompanying Paul to Asia were eight men:

• Sopater of Berea
• Aristarchus (of the Thessalonians)
• Secundus (of the Thessalonians)
• Gaius of Derbe
• Timotheus [of Lystra, 16:1]
• Tychicus (of Asia)
• Trophimus (of Asia)
• Luke [a “we” section begins verse 5. Acts 20:5-21:18, from Philippi to Jerusalem]

Verse 5: Sopater, Aristarchus, Secundus, Gaius, Timotheus, Tychicus, and Trophimus go on ahead of Paul, Luke, and (presumably) Silas to wait for them at Troas.[i] “tarried for us” indicates that Luke has rejoined the group.

Verse 6: the author, Luke, evidently stayed at Philippi during the events of Acts 17:1 to Acts 20:5-6 – possibly 6 years.[ii] Note that this time the trip from Philippi to Troas took five days, in contrast to two days on the initial trip from Troas to Philippi recorded in Acts 16:11-12. After this five-day journey, they stayed in Troas seven days.

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[i] Silas has not been mentioned by name since he and Timothy joined Paul in Corinth (18:5). Outside of Acts he is mentioned (by the Latinized form “Silvanus”) in II Corinthians 1:19; I Thessalonians 1:1; II Thessalonians 1:1; and I Peter 5:12.
[ii] The calculation and approximation of this time includes possibly a month in Thessalonica (17:1ff.), stays in Berea and Athens (chapter 17), over 18 months in Corinth (18:11), a trip back to Jerusalem and Antioch (chapter 18), 3 years in Ephesus (cf. 20:31), travel through Macedonia, and 3 months in Greece (20:3) before going back through Macedonia.