The Harmony Chronicle and Order of the New Testament, Part 2 · Acts 4
ACTS CHAP. XX.
Ver. 4. And there accompanied him into Asia Sopater of Berea: and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus: and Gaius of Derbe, and Timotheus: and of Asia, Tychichus and Trophimus.
5. These going before tarried for us at Troas.
6. And we set from Philippi, after the daies of unleavened bread.
CHRIST. LVI NERO. II THe story, as hath been said, hath brought us to another year, the beginning of which, that is, from the entrance of Ianuary and forward, even till Easter, Paul spent in Macedonia, still wintering there, viz. in Nicopolis, Philippi, &c. and after Easter he sets for Ierusalem, ver. 6. Therefore we have superscribed it, The 2d of Nero, and of Christ the 56th.
When we come to speak of the Epistle to the Romans, which we shall meet with in our way very shortly, we shall say something of the names of these men [for many of them will meet us there:] only we cannot misse Timotheus here without some notice taken of him, and some quaere how he came here. The last year Paul left him at Ephesus when himself came thence, and being come thence into Macedonia he sends him an Epistle with his earnest desire in it, that he would stay there still upon that needfull imployment upon which he was left, 1 Tim. 1. how then is Timothy now got to him into Macedonia, so that he is with him at his setting away from Philippi? We have not indeed any intimation that Paul sent for him away, as we have of his sending for Titus whom he left in Creete, intendedly for a longer time: but it is very probable that Paul designing to have sailed for Syria, came near to him: and there discovering the danger that was laid in his way by the Jews, which might also have infolded Timothy, he brought him away back again with him, and so both returned into Macedonia, and now winter is over, they are setting for Asia again.
But when Paul and this his company are all going for Asia together, why should they not set out together, but these go before and tarry at Troas, and Paul and some other of his company come after? Nay they were all to meet at Troas as it appeareth, ver. 6. why might they not then have gone all together to Troas?
The reason of this was, because Paul himself was to go by Corinth: and not minding to stay there but very little, because he hastened to Ierusalem, he would not take his whole train thither, but sends them away the next way they could go to Troas, himself promising and resolving to be speedily with them there. He had promised a long time to the Church of Corinth to come unto them, and he had newly sent word in that Epistle that he had lately sent, that now his coming would be speedy, 2 Cor. 12.14. Behold the third time I am ready to come to you: and Chap. 13.1. This is the third time that I am coming to you: Not that he had been there twice before, for since his first departing thence [when he had staied there a long time together, at his first planting of the Gospel in that place] there is neither mention nor probability of his being there again, but this was the third time that he was in coming, having promised and intended a journey thither once before, but was prevented, 2 Cor. 1.15, 16, 17. But now he not only promiseth by the Epistle that he will come, but staketh the three Brethren that he had sent thither, for witnesses and sureties of that promise, 2 Cor. 13.1, 2. that in the mouth of those witnesses his promise might be established and assured.
Now the time is come that he makes good his promise, and whilest the rest of his company go directly the next cut to Troas, he himself and Luke, and whom else he thought good to retain with him, go about by Corinth.
And now to look a little further into the reason of their thus parting company, and of Pauls short stay at Corinth when he came there, we may take into thoughts [besides how much he hastned to Ierusalem] the jealousie that he had that he should not finde all things at Corinth so comfortable to himself, and so creditable to them, before those that should come with him, as he desired. He hath many passages in the second Epistle that he wrote to them, that glance that way: For though as to the generall there was Reformation wrought among them upon the receiving of his first Epistle, and thereupon he speaketh very excellent things of them, yet were there not a few that thought basely of him, 2 Cor. 10.1, 2. and traduced him and his Doctrine, Chap. 11. & 12. and gave him cause to suspect that his boasting of that Church to the Churches of Macedonia might come off but indifferently, if the Macedonians should come with him to see how all things were there, 2 Cor. 9.4. And therefore it was but the good policy of just fear, grief, and prudence to send them by another way, and he had very just cause to stay but a while when he came there.
From Corinth in his short stay there, he writeth