Acts 19:22
in Acts 19He sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he stayed for a time in the province of Asia.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And having sent into Macedonia two of them that ministered unto him, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia for a while.
KJV
So he sent into Macedonia two of them that ministered unto him, Timotheus and Erastus; but he himself stayed in Asia for a season.
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This verse in Acts 19
Commentary
14 notes on this verseSending two of his ministers to Macedonia, etc. He sent disciples ahead to prepare alms, which he was to bring to Jerusalem, so that collections would not be made when he came himself.
This site's exposition
purposed in the spirit
on Acts 19:21-23
Paul purposes in the spirit to pass again through Macedonia and Achaia toward Jerusalem, adding a further intention, after I have been there, I must also see Rome, a plan that will not be fulfilled until the final chapters of the book, and then only as a prisoner. He sends Timothy and Erastus ahead into Macedonia while he himself stays on a while longer in Asia, and it is at this moment, with the apostle's departure already in motion, that a serious disturbance arises about the Way. Luke's naming of the disturbance as no small stir foreshadows the riot to come while keeping the focus on Paul's own settled purpose rather than on the danger closing in around him. The bench notes how the two-part ambition, Jerusalem then Rome, gives Acts its remaining shape all the way to its final verse.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
Seest thou how God permits trials, and by them stirs up and awakens the disciples, and makes them more energetic? Then let us not sink down under trials: for He Himself will "also make the way of escape, that we may be able to bear them." Nothing so makes friends, and rivets them so firmly, as affliction: nothing so fastens and compacts the souls of believers: nothing is so seasonable for us teachers in order that the things said by us may be heard. For the hearer when he is in ease is listless and indolent, and seems to suffer annoyance from the speaker: but when he is in affliction and distress, he falls into a great longing for the hearing. For when distressed in his soul, he seeks on all sides to find comfort for his affliction: and the preaching brings no small comfort.
Afflictions cut us off from the sympathy we have for the present world, as appears in this, that we wish for death immediately, and cease to be loving of the body: which very thing is the greatest part of wisdom, to have no hankering, no ties to the present life. The soul which is afflicted does not wish to be concerned about many things: repose and stillness are all it desired, content for its part to have done with the things present, even though there be nothing else to follow.
A great good is affliction: and we learn this from our own children: for without affliction a boy would learn nothing useful. But we, more than they, need affliction. For if there, when the passions as yet are quiet, chastisement benefits them, how much more us, especially possessed as we are by so many! Nay, we behoove rather to have schoolmasters than they: since the faults of children cannot be great, but ours are exceeding great. Our schoolmaster is affliction. Let us then not draw it down willingly upon ourselves, but when it is come let us bear it bravely, being, as it is, always the cause of numberless good things; that so we may both obtain grace from God, and the good things which are laid up for them that love Him, in Christ Jesus our Lord.
A commentator
John ChrysostomCATENA ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 19.21 · Written in the 5th century.
proposed
He sends them ahead to announce his coming and thus to rouse their expectations, but most of all to stay a while in Asia. And for good reason, since there ruled the tyranny of philosophers. He went and spoke with them more, since there was much superstition.
"But he himself tarried awhile in Asia." Most of all does he pass his time in Asia; and with reason: there, namely, was the tyranny, of the philosophers. Afterwards also he came and discoursed to them again.
7 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
He sent disciples to Macedonia to announce that he would come, and to instill in the Macedonians a stronger desire to see him. As for the fact that he himself remained for a time in Asia, this was necessary because in Asia there was a …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
He was a man of vast designs for God, and was for making his influences as widely diffusive as might be. Having spent above two years at Ephesus, (1.) He designed a visit to the churches of Macedonia and Achaia, especially of Philippi and Corinth, the chief cities of those provinces,
), and what trouble at length he met with at Ephesus from the silversmiths, which forced him thence to pursue the measures he had laid; how a mob was raised by Demetrius to cry up Diana (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation
So he sent into Macedonia,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
So he sent into Macedonia - He desired Timothy to go as far as Corinth, 1Co 4:18, and after that to return to him at Ephesus, 1Co 16:11; but he himself continued in Asia some time longer; probably to make collections for the poor saints in Jerusalem. Erastus, mentioned here for the first time, appears to have been the chamberlain, οικονομος, either of Ephesus or Corinth; see Rom 16:23. He was one of St. Paul’s companions, and is mentioned as being left by the apostle at Corinth, 2Ti 4:20.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
16:10), partly to convey his mind on various matters. After a brief stay he was to return (1Co 16:11). It is very unlikely that this Erastus was "the chamberlain of the city" of Corinth, of that name (Ro 16:23). he himself stayed in--the province of Asia for a season--that is, at Ephesus, its chief city.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Timotheus - Timothy. He was a proper person to send there to visit the churches, as he had been there before with Paul, when they were established, Act 16:3; Act 17:14. And Erastus - Erastus was chamberlain of Corinth (Rom 16:23), or, more properly, the treasurer of the city (see the notes on that place), and he was, therefore, a very proper person to be sent with Timothy for the purpose of making the collection for the poor at Jerusalem. Paul had wisdom enough to employ a man accustomed to monied transactions in making a collection. On this collection his heart was intent, and he afterward went up with it to Jerusalem. See 2Co 8:9, and notes on Rom 15:25-26. Stayed in Asia - At Ephesus. For a season - How long is uncertain. He waited for a convenient opportunity to follow them, probably intending to do it as soon as they had fully prepared the way for the collection. See Paley’s Horae Paulinae, p. 1, chapter 2.
The words behind it
18 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἀποστείλας | aposteilas | Having sent | G649 → | 132 times |
| δὲ | de | then | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| εἰς | eis | into | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| τὴν | ten | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Μακεδονίαν | makedonian | Macedonia | G3109 → | 22 times |
| δύο | duo | two | G1417 → | 133 times |
| τῶν | ton | of those | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| διακονούντων | diakonounton | ministering | G1247 → | |
| αὐτῷ, | auto | to him, | G846 → | 5565 times |
| Τιμόθεον | timotheon | Timothy | G5095 → | 24 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| Ἔραστον, | eraston | Erastus, | G2037 → | |
| αὐτὸς | autos | he himself | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ἐπέσχεν | epeschen | remained | G1907 → | |
| χρόνον | chronon | for a time | G5550 → | 53 times |
| εἰς | eis | in | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| τὴν | ten | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Ἀσίαν.¶ | asian | Asia. | G773 → | 17 times |
ἀποστείλαςHaving sent
aposteilasG649 →132 times
δὲthen
deG1161 →2765 times
εἰςinto
eisG1519 →1755 times
τὴν<the>
tenG3588 →19766 times
ΜακεδονίανMacedonia
makedonianG3109 →22 times
δύοtwo
duoG1417 →133 times
τῶνof those
tonG3588 →19766 times
διακονούντωνministering
diakonountonG1247 →
αὐτῷ,to him,
autoG846 →5565 times
ΤιμόθεονTimothy
timotheonG5095 →24 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
Ἔραστον,Erastus,
erastonG2037 →
αὐτὸςhe himself
autosG846 →5565 times
ἐπέσχενremained
epeschenG1907 →
χρόνονfor a time
chrononG5550 →53 times
εἰςin
eisG1519 →1755 times
τὴν<the>
tenG3588 →19766 times
Ἀσίαν.¶Asia.
asianG773 →17 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Acts 19:29Soon the whole city was in disarray. They rushed together into the theatre, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia.
it leads to
- Acts 20:4
Paul was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia.
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- Colossians 4:10
My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you greetings, as does Mark the cousin of Barnabas. You have already received instructions about him: If he comes to you, welcome him.
- Acts 27:2
We boarded an Adramyttian ship about to sail for ports along the coast of Asia, and we put out to sea. Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, was with us.
- Philemon 1:24
as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.
- Acts 20:4
Through
Romans 16:23Gaius, who has hosted me and all the church, sends you greetings. Erastus, the city treasurer, sends you greetings, as does our brother Quartus.
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 1:14
I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius,
- 1 Corinthians 1:14
Through
Acts 19:10This continued for two years, so that everyone who lived in the province of Asia, Jews and Greeks alike, heard the word of the Lord.
it leads to
- Acts 20:31
Therefore be alert and remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.
- Acts 20:31
Through
Acts 13:5When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. And John was with them as their helper.
it leads to
- Acts 13:14
And from Perga, they traveled inland to Pisidian Antioch, where they entered the synagogue on the Sabbath and sat down.
- Acts 13:46
Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “It was necessary to speak the word of God to you first. But since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we…
- Acts 13:14
Where this verse is studied
About Acts
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonErastusThe city treasurer of Corinth who sent greetings in Romans (16:23) — possibly the official named in a Corinthian pavement inscript…
- PersonNew TestamentTimothyThe young disciple from Lystra, son of a believing Jewish mother and a Greek father, who joined Paul on the second journey and bec…
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Commentary on Acts; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 42; John Chrysostom, CATENA ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 19.21; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts and William Ramsay, St. Paul the Traveller and the Roman Citizen.