Aquila–“an eagle.” A converted Jew of Pontus, husband of Priscilla, whom Paul first met at Corinth (Acts 18:2). He and Paul worked together as tentmakers. Aquila and Priscilla had been driven from Rome as Jews by an edict of the emperor Claudius. They travelled with Paul to Ephesus, where they were able to help Apollos spiritually (Acts 18:18-26). They were still at Ephesus when Paul wrote 1 Corin-thians (16:19); and were at Rome when the epistle to the saints there was written, in which Paul said they had laid down their necks for his life, and that to them all the churches gave thanks (Rom. 16:3-4). In Paul’s last epistle, he still sends his greeting to them (2 Tim. 4:19).
ARISTARCHUS–“the best ruler.” A Macedonian of Thessalonica, companion of Paul on several journeys and on his way to Rome. Paul once calls him “my fellow prisoner” (Acts 19:29; 20:4; 27:2; Col. 4:10; Philemon 24).
ARTEMAS–“gift of Artemis.” Companion of Paul at Nicopolis (Titus 3:12).
BARNABAS– “son of rest.” A Levite of Crispus. His name was Joses (or Joseph); but by the apostles he was surnamed Barnabas, “son of consolation” (or “exhortation”). We first read of him as one who sold his land and laid the money at the apostles’ feet (Acts 4:36-37). When the Gentiles were converted at Antioch it was Barnabas who was sent there from Jerusalem. He rejoiced in the reality of the work and exhorted them to cleave to the Lord; the scripture says he was “a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith.” He then sought Saul and brought him to Antioch, where they labored a whole year. They then together visited Jerusalem with contributions from the saints (Acts 11:22-30). Antioch became a center from which the gospel went to the Gentiles; it was there that the Holy Ghost said, “Separate Me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I called them,” and from there they started on what is called Paul’s first missionary journey (Acts 13:2-4).
On the question being raised as to the necessity of the Gentile disciples being circumcised, Paul and Barnabas (Paul being now mostly mentioned first) went up to Jerusalem about the subject (15:1-41). After this Paul proposed that they should visit again the brethren in the cities where they had preached. Barnabas insisted that they should take his nephew Mark with them; but Paul objected, for Mark had previously left the work. Barnabas persisting in his desire, they parted, and he and Mark sailed to Cyprus, his own country. Thus were separated these two valuable servants of the Lord who had hazarded their lives for the name of the Lord Jesus. We have no record of any further labors of Barnabas. Paul alludes to him as one who had been carried away by the dissimulation of Peter, otherwise he speaks of him affectionately (1 Cor. 9:6; Gal. 2:1, 9, 13).
EPAPHRAS– “governor of the people.” Fellow prisoner with Paul at Rome. He labored at Colosse, to which place he belonged. He is described as “a faithful minister of Christ,” and one who agonized in prayer for the Colossians, with zeal for their welfare (Col. 1:7; 4:12; Philem. 23).
EPAPHRODITUS–{ep-af-rod’-ee-tos} “lovely.” One who brought supplies from Philippi to Paul, who styles him “my brother and companion in labor and fellow soldier.” When with Paul at Rome he became very ill, “nigh unto death.” The deep affection between him and the Philippian saints is very evident by his sorrow that they should have heard of his sickness. He hazarded his life by his association with Paul (Phil. 2:25; 4:18).
JUSTUS {ee-ooce’-tos} “just.” A Christian at Rome, also called Jesus, whose salutation Paul sent to the Colossian saints (Col. 4:11).
LUCAS (LUKE) {loo-kas’} “light-giving.” Fellow laborer with Paul, and called “the beloved physician.” He is only three times mentioned by name (Col. 4:14; 2 Tim. 4:11; Philem. 24). He was the writer of the Gospel bearing his name, and also of the Acts of the Apostles, the introduction to both being addressed to Theophilus. It is supposed, from Colossians 4:11, 14, that he was a Gentile, though these words are no proof of it.
In Acts 16:10, Luke uses the word “we” showing that he was then with the apostle Paul at Troas, and accompanied him to Philippi, where apparently Luke remained. In chapter 20:5, he is again with Paul, and went with him to Jerusalem. Paul then became a prisoner for more than two years, and we lose sight of Luke; but as soon as Paul was about to be sent to Rome, Luke was with him again (27:1), and accompanied him to Rome (28:16), and was there with Paul when he wrote the Epistles to the Colossians and Philemon. He was also with Paul during his second imprisonment. Others had forsaken the aged apostle, Luke alone remained. He was Paul’s beloved fellow-laborer, and in his own writings has skillfully hidden himself that the work of God by His servants Paul and others might be faithfully recorded, and come into prominence.
MARCUS, MARK– {mar’-kos} “a defense.” A disciple described as “John, whose surname was Mark,” and as “sister’s son to Barnabas.” When Peter was miraculously delivered from prison he resorted to the house of Mary, who was Mark’s mother. Peter may have been the means of his conversion, for he calls him his son (1 Pet. 5:13). He accompanied Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey, but left them at Perga. When the second journey was proposed, Paul did not think it right to take Mark with them; but on Barnabas pressing this, they separated, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed to Cyprus (Acts 15:37, 39). Paul and Mark were afterwards reconciled; he was with Paul at Rome and was commended to the Colossians (Col. 4:10; Philem. 24). He was with Peter at Babylon, and when Paul was a second time a prisoner at Rome, he asked for Mark, saying he was serviceable for the ministry (2 Tim. 4:11). Doubtless this Mark was God’s instrument in writing the Gospel bearing his name.
ONESIMUS– {on-ay’-sim-os} “profitable or useful.” Slave of Philemon, converted when with Paul, and sent back to his master not simply as a servant, but as “a brother beloved” (Col. 4:9; Philem. 10, 16). Though slavery is doubtless one of the fruits of man’s sin, Christianity did not come in to set the world right thus: Onesimus was sent back to his master, now free in spirit if not in employment.
PRISCILLA, PRISCA–{pris’-cil-lah} “ancient.” The wife of Aquila. She and her husband are called by Paul “my fellow workers in Christ Jesus.” Paul met them at Corinth, and they travelled with him to Ephesus, where they were enabled to expound to Apollos the way of God more perfectly. Priscilla is sometimes mentioned before her husband as though to give them equal rank in the army of the Lord (Acts 18:2, 18, 26; Rom. 16:3; 1 Cor. 16:19; 2 Tim. 4:19).
SECUNDUS– {sek-oon’-dos} “fortunate.” A believer of Thessalonica, and for a time a companion of Paul (Acts 20:4).
SILAS– {see’-las} “woody.” A “chief man” among the brethren and a prophet. He was sent to Antioch, with Paul and Barnabas, after the council of the church at Jerusalem concerning Gentiles keeping the law. He accompanied Paul in his second missionary journey, and was imprisoned with him in Philippi (Acts 15:22-40; 16:19-25, 29; 17:4-15; 18:5). The name is an abbreviation of Silvanus.
SOPATER– {so’-pat-ros} “saviour of his father.” A believer of Berea who accompanied Paul from Greece into Asia (Acts 20:4). The editors of the Greek Testament add “(son) of Pyrrhus.”
TIMOTHEUS– {tee-moth’-eh-os} “honoring God.” A young man who Paul calls “my own son in the faith.” His mother Eunice was a pious Jewess (as was his grandmother Lois) and his father a Greek. He had evidently been brought up having known the Holy Scriptures. Paul, wishing to take Timothy with him, circumcised him because of the Jews. From Lystra he accompanied Paul into Macedonia, but he and Silas stayed behind at Berea. They joined Paul at Athens, and Timothy was sent back to Thessalonia, and brought his report to Paul at Corinth (Acts 17:14; 1 Thess. 3:1-2).
During Paul’s stay at Ephesus, Timothy was with him, and was sent to Corinth, but was again with Paul in Macedonia when a second letter to the Romans was written from Corinth. When Paul returned to Asia through Macedonia, Timothy waited for him at Troas (Acts 20:3-5). He was with Paul at Rome when he wrote his epistles to the Colossians, to Philemon, and to the Philippians. At some unknown place and time Timothy suffered imprisonment, for scripture records his release (Heb. 13:23). Paul besought him to remain at Ephesus to warn the brethren to use diligence to come to him, to bring with him Mark, and the cloak he had left at Troas, the books and the parchments.
Thus to the end of Paul’s life his dearly beloved Timothy was a help and comfort to him, and he availed himself of his devoted labors. He bore testimony of him, that when all were seeking their own, he had no one likeminded with himself but Timothy (Phil. 2:19-20); and when Paul’s course was nearly run, he found in Timothy one to whom he could commit the work, instructing him as to the order of the house of God, and his behavior in it. The apostle warned and admonished him. The last word to him in his epistles is, “The Lord Jesus Christ be with thy spirit: grace be with you.”
TITUS– {tee’-tos} “nurse.” A Greek convert, Paul’s “own son after the common faith.” The apostle took him to Jerusalem, but being a Greek he was not circumcised (Gal. 2:1-3). Paul describes him to the Corinthian church as “my partner (or companion) and fellowhelper” on their behalf. He had been sent to Corinth, and from there brought word of the effect of Paul’s first epistle to that church. He was also employed by Paul to get ready the collection for the poor saints in Judea.
Paul afterwards left him at Crete to set things in order, and to ordain elders in every city. This he did as the apostle’s delegate for that particular place. He was not permanently settled there, for he was to leave when other laborers were sent (Titus 3:12). Afterwards, when Paul wrote 2 Timothy 4:10, he had gone to Dalmatia. It is only the later MSS of the epistle to Titus that in the subscription say he was “bishop of Crete.” He had the privilege of working with and for the apostle, and was doubtless a zealous and faithful servant of the church (2 Cor. 2:13; 7:6-14; 8:6-23; 12:18; Gal. 2:1, 3).
TYCHICUS– {too-khee-kos’} “fateful.” A Christian of Asia who accompanied Paul on his last visit to Jerusalem. He was sent by the apostle from Rome to the Ephesians and to the Colossians; and after Paul’s release, Tychicus was again sent to Ephesus. Paul describes him as a beloved brother, a faithful minister and fellowservant in the Lord. He was thus one whom Paul could with confidence send on these missions to encourage the saints (Acts 20:4; Eph. 6:21; Col. 4:7; 2 Tim. 4:12; Titus 3:12).
AND OTHERS– there were scores of other fellow- workers who served with Paul. Philemon was a “fellowlaborer.” Mary of Rome, “bestowed much labor on us,” Paul wrote with gratitude. There was Phebe, a sister, a servant, a saint, a succourer of many (Rom. 16:1-2) “and of myself also,” he writes. What of the unnamed saints of Macedonia who “gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God” (2 Cor. 8:5). And Paul tenderly writes of “Rufus chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine” (Rom. 16:13). Tertius penned the Epistle to the Romans for Paul. We shall meet them all some day, in the presence of the Chief Servant whom we, with Paul, have the joy of serving.