Acts 20:1-6
1 After the uproar had ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, and when he had encouraged them and taken his leave of them, he left to go to Macedonia.
2 When he had gone through those regions and had given them much encouragement, he came to Greece.
3 And there he spent three months, and when a plot was formed against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia.
4 And he was accompanied by Sopater of Berea, the son of Pyrrhus, and by Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians, and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia.
5 Now these had gone on ahead and were waiting for us at Troas.
6 We sailed from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and reached them at Troas within five days; and we stayed there for seven days.
Revisiting Macedonia and Achaia (2)
From Troas to Philippi
Paul’s itinerary is as follows: (1) From Ephesus to Troas (v 1). (2) From Troas to Philippi (v 1). (3) From Philippi to Corinth (v 2-3a). (4) From Corinth back to Philippi (v 3b). (5) From Philippi to Troas (v 4-6). Now, let us focus on the journeys described in (2) and (3).
(1) Paul, unable to meet Titus in Troas, quickly moved to Macedonia (Philippi). There, he was able to meet Titus. (2) Paul’s emotional state at this time is described in 2 Corinthians 7:5-8: “For even when we came into Macedonia our flesh had no rest, but we were afflicted on every side: conflicts on the outside, fears inside. But God, who comforts the discouraged, comforted us by the arrival of Titus…” (2) Titus brought the news that the Corinthian church had repented. (b) Greatly comforted, Paul wrote 2 Corinthians while staying in Philippi. This letter addresses the challenges faced by local churches. In 1 Corinthians, Paul writes as a teacher, but in 2 Corinthians, Paul writes as a pastor. (3) The purposes of writing 2 Corinthians are as follows: (a) To explain the reason for the change in Paul’s plan to visit Corinth. (b) To commend the church for properly carrying out disciplinary actions. (c) To respond to those who questioned Paul’s motives. (d) To encourage contributions for the saints in Jerusalem. (e) To address those who doubted Paul’s apostleship.
From Philippi to Corinth
“When he had gone through those regions and had given them much encouragement, he came to Greece.” (1) “Came to Greece” means that Paul arrived in Corinth. (2) It is believed that during this time, Paul carried out missionary work in Illyricum. (a) Illyricum refers to the region northwest of Macedonia (former Yugoslavia). (b) Romans 15:19 states, “…from Jerusalem and all around as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.” “And there he spent three months.” Paul stayed in Corinth for three months, lodging in the house of Gaius (ref. Rom. 16:23). He waited for spring because the seas were rough during the winter. During this time, he wrote the Letter to the Romans and expressed his hope to visit Rome and then Spain after his visit to Jerusalem. Paul’s life demonstrates a balance of learning and action. Learning without action is futile, and action without learning is dangerous. Let us apply this principle to our own lives.
Today's prayer
Father God of Jesus Christ, please guide and help me to have a balance of learning and action, just as Paul did. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.