Acts 20:4 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Bible Comments

There accompanied him—Sopater, &c.— The several persons mentioned in this verse are thought by some to have been joined with St. Paul, as messengers of the churches, in carrying their contributions to the poor brethren at Jerusalem. Compare 1 Corinthians 16:3-4 and 2 Corinthians 8:19-23. We know but few particulars of most of them. Sopater, who in most ancient manuscripts is called the son of Pyrrhus, is generally thought to be the same with Sosipater, whom St. Paul has mentioned as his kinsman, Romans 16:21. Aristarchus of Thessalonica is mentioned before as a Macedonian, ch. Acts 19:29. He attended St. Paul in his voyage to Rome, ch. Acts 27:2 and was his fellow-labourer, Philemon 1:24 and a fellow-prisoner with him, Colossians 4:10-11. Secundus is not mentioned any where but here. Gaius of Derbe (if he be not a differentperson of the same name,) is elsewhere mentioned as a man of Macedonia, ch. Acts 19:29 of which, as some suppose, he was a native; but descended of a family that came from Derbe: he was baptized by St. Paul at Corinth, 1 Corinthians 1:14 and entertained him as his host while he abode there, Romans 16:23 and afterwards St. John directs his third Epistle to him. Timothy was a native of Lystra, Acts 16:1 whom St. Paul particularly honoured with the appellation of his friend, and distinguished by his two epistles to him, as well as by joining his name with his own in the title of several other epistles. Tychicus of Asia was often employed on messages by St. Paul and is more than once recommended by him to the churches, as a beloved brother, a faithful minister and fellow-servant in the Lord; whom he employed not only to acquaint them with his own affairs, but for this purpose also, that he might know their state and comfort their hearts, 2 Chronicles 6:21-22, 2 Chronicles 4:7-8. Trophimus of Ephesus appears to have been a Gentile convert, whom we find afterwards with St. Paul at Jerusalem, ch. Acts 21:29 and who attended him in other journeys, till he left him at Miletum sick, 2 Timothy 4:20. These two last are said to be Asiatics; and being distinguished here from Gaius and Timothy, who were of Derbe and Lystra, which lay in Asia Minor, it is plain that they are so called as being natives of the proconsular Asia.

Acts 20:4

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.