To Greece; Return to Troas. The journey sketched in Acts 19:21; 1 Corinthians 16:5-9, is entered on; for what happened at Troas and in Macedonia on the way cf. 2 Corinthians 2:12 f., 2 Corinthians 7:5; but of all that intense experience there is little echo in Acts. The sketches of the journey did not fix what route was to be followed from Greece to Jerusalem; here (3) we find that the intention was to go by sea. The plan is changed on account of a Jewish plot. Accordingly Paul sets out to Macedonia with a part only of his companions, the others remaining behind in Greece and overtaking the party by sea. Light is shed on this journey by the epistles; cf. Romans 15:22-33; 1 Corinthians 16:1-4, and especially 2 Corinthians 8 f., where Paul explains the arrangements for carrying to Jerusalem the money collected in Macedonia and Greece for the poor of Judæ a, and introduces the envoys chosen by the Macedonian churches who are to go with him. The land party accompanying Paul embraces Sopater of Berœ a, son of Pyrrhus, Aristarchus and Secundus of Thessalonica (cf. 2 Corinthians 8:18 and 2 Corinthians 8:22; these would see their friends on the way), and Gaius and three men from Asia Minor. In Acts 19:29 Gaius is named with Aristarchus as a Macedonian. The insertion of a colon after Gaius in the Gr. would give and Timothy of Derbe. For Tychicus, cf. Colossians 4:7; for Trophimus, Acts 21:29; 2 Timothy 4:20. The date of the sailing of the others (Acts 20:6) is given by the Jewish calendar; they reach Troas in less than five days (Acts 16:11 *), and the united party spend a week there.
Related Commentaries of Acts 20:1
Acts 20:1-6
1 And after the uproar was ceased, Paul called unto him the disciples, and embraced them, and departed for to go into Macedonia.
2 And when he had gone over those parts, and had given them much exhortation, he came into Greece,
3 And there abode three months. And when the Jews laid wait for him, as he was about to sail into Syria, he purposed to return through Macedonia.
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, Tychicus and Trophimus.
5 These going before tarried for us at Troas.
6 And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, and came unto them to Troas in five days; where we abode seven days.