seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Acts 20:1 When the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples and, after encouraging them, said goodbye and set out for Macedonia. 2 He traveled through that area, speaking many words of encouragement to the people, and finally arrived in Greece, 3 where he stayed three months. Because some Jews had plotted against him just as he was about to sail for Syria, he decided to go back through Macedonia. 4 He was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy also, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia. 5 These men went on ahead and waited for us at Troas. 6 But we sailed from Philippi after the Festival of Unleavened Bread, and five days later joined the others at Troas, where we stayed seven days.
This just looks like a travel schedule.... and it is. Paul was on a funding trip. The Jewish community was not nice to people who tried to change things. The Way [the acceptance of Jesus as the Messiah] was a big change that the "learned" figured wouldn't happen in their mediocre lifetime. In Jerusalem, it would be almost impossible to earn a living. Christians were shunned, even hunted down, so the Jews would not do business with them. Paul was sending money from the new churches to feed the poor and take care of the widows and orphans. He was carrying so much money.... He was accompanied by representatives from the churches making the donations. Paul had another problem. He had been thrown out of the towns he would have to pass through on the way home. He was almost killed once. If the people who made up those angry mobs saw him again, the uproar would not bode well for the representatives in his charge. So, Paul sent them on their way and he took an alternate route. Once they met up in Troas, then they could travel safely.
One "minor" little new piece of information was in the commentary this morning.
Sopater of Berea… Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians… Gaius of Derbe… Trophimus of Asia: These traveling companions of Paul were probably representatives from other churches who had sent money with Paul to Jerusalem. They were also present as ambassadors from the churches Paul has founded among the Gentiles, and were there to vouch for Paul’s good stewardship in regard to the collection destined for Jerusalem.
i. Aristarchus and Secundus both came from Thessalonica. Aristarchus’ name was connected with aristocracy, the ruling class. It’s likely that he came from a wealthy and powerful family. Secundus was a common name for a slave. It meant “Second.” Slaves were often not called by their true names, and the first-ranking slave in a household would often be called Primus. The second-ranking slave was often called Secundus. It’s nice to think of Christians from both high and low stations in life serving the Lord together, from Thessalonica and helping the Apostle Paul.
The slaves weren't allowed in the Temple in Jerusalem. Slaves were not treated as equals.
Slaves were welcome in the Christian Church. Slaves were equal to the wealthy and powerful in the church known as "the Way".
I'm sure the foundational belief that everyone and anyone could accept Jesus as their personal Savior and become part of the "church" may still be intact in a few churches today, but the rich have taken over a lot of them. It's nice to see such a pure beginning. I wish it had stayed that way.
So, Paul said "see ya in Traos" and went around the people who wanted to throw him off a cliff and stone him to death. After all, surviving a riot takes a lot of time, and the people in Jerusalem were in dire need.
"See ya in Traos"
