Thursday, February 12, 2015

A Trip of Encouragement

20:1 After the uproar ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, and after encouraging them, he said farewell and departed for Macedonia. 2 When he had gone through those regions and had given them much encouragement, he came to Greece. 3 There he spent three months, and when a plot was made against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia. 4 Sopater the Berean, son of Pyrrhus, accompanied him; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and the Asians, Tychicus and Trophimus. 5 These went on ahead and were waiting for us at Troas, 6 but we sailed away from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and in five days we came to them at Troas, where we stayed for seven days. (Acts 20:1-6 (ESV)
Paul makes his break for Macedonian and Greece, touching base with the congregations he had started, and encouraging them. He was especially concerned about Corinth.
It’s funny, as bad as things were in Corinth, Paul doesn’t go right away. Instead he waits months before being there in person. Evidently he thought it was something that for the most part they could settle themselves with a little direction in the form of a letter. It seems by the time he gets there the problems are mostly resolved. Yet he still wants to be there to see for himself and to encourage them also.

At this time it seems Paul has attracted a lot of unwanted attention because even in Greece Jews are plotting to kill him. There would have been many at this time of year trying to get to Jerusalem for the festivals. So Paul delays his palns for sailing and heads to Troas with his friends instead. 

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