3rd Missionary Trip - Lorin

expression and gesture, normally a kiss on the cheek. 175 The idea covers varying degrees of personal connection
between individuals. The usual Greek verbal greeting in the Greco-Roman world was χαίρειν, as is made clear
in 2 John 10-11. The written greeting found in the Conclusio sections of many of the NT letters contains three
perspectives: (1) the letter sender expresses his greetings to the recipient of the letter, or (2) asks the official
reader of the letter in the church to greet named individuals among the recipients; (3) other individuals with the
letter sender ask to be included in sending greetings to the letter recipients. Social relationships such as formal
friendships etc. in the first century world elevated the importance of such greetings substantially above what they
tend to be in modern western culture, and, in particular, in modern American culture. For early Christians these
greetings were significant aspects of the bonding process between churches and individuals.
Timothy is identified as Paul’s ὁ συνεργός μου, my co-worker. This was one of Paul’s favorite ways of
designating those who served God with him: Urbanus (Rom. 16:9); Titus (2 Cor. 8:23); Epaphroditus (Phil. 2:25);
Clement and unnamed others (Phil. 4:3); Jesus Justus (Col. 4:11); Philemon (Phlm. 1). Also in 1 Thess. 3:2 he
used this label also for Timothy. But this term is only one of several labels that Paul gave to Timothy: μου τέκνον
ἀγαπητὸν καὶ πιστὸν ἐν κυρίῳ, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord (1 Cor. 4:17); ὁ ἀδελφὸς, my brother (2 Cor.
1:1; Col. 1:1; 1 Thess. 3:2); δοῦλοι Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ, a servant of Christ Jesus (Phil. 1:1); γνησίῳ τέκνῳ ἐν πίστει, my
loyal child in the faith (1 Tim. 1:2); τέκνον, my child (1 Tim. 1:18); ἀγαπητῷ τέκνῳ, my beloved child (2 Tim. 1:2). Over
the span of two plus decades of missionary service together these two men developed a deep friendship and
respect for one another. Paul had deep confidence in Timothy’s commitment and ministry skills, and so entrusted
him with numerous assignments over those years.
Less certain as to whether traveling companions or residents of Corinth are Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater:
καὶ Λούκιος καὶ Ἰάσων καὶ Σωσίπατρος οἱ συγγενεῖς μου, and Lucius, and Jason, and Sosipater, my relatives (v. 21b).
Λούκιος is properly translated as Lucius, not Luke (Λουκᾶς), as a few church fathers took it to mean. However,
in some rare instances in the first century world Λουκᾶς was “an affectionate or pet name” for Λούκιος. These
church fathers were not completely without foundation for this misunderstanding. Λούκιος shows up in Acts
13:1 as a teacher / prophet in the church at Antioch, but it is unlikely to be the same fellow that was with Paul in
Corinth. It is impossible to determine whether this Lucius was a resident of Corinth, or a traveling companion. 176
Jason is Ἰάσων in ancient Greek. He first surfaces in Thessalonica in the Acts narrative during the second
missionary journey of Paul in the city: 17:5, 6, 7, 9. The mob when searching for Paul seized Jason instead
and dragged him along with some other believers before the city authorities hoping to get them executed. Now
he is in Corinth with Paul, probably as a representative of the Thessalonian church helping take the relief offering
to Jerusalem.
Sosipater, spelled Σωσίπατρος, is the third one mentioned together by Paul. His being mentioned in
Acts 20:4 as being from Beroea and traveling with Paul from Corinth to Jerusalem provides some insight into this
individual. As was likely with Jason, Sosipater very probably was representing the Beroean church in accompanying
the relief offering back to Jerusalem.
The most controversial aspect of these three individuals is the label Paul attaches to them: οἱ συγγενεῖς
μου. The adjective συγγενής, ές, derived from σύν and γένος, most naturally means ‘kinsman’ in the 11 uses in
the NT. But it is less certain that this is what Paul means when he labels both these three men as well as Androni-
Eng. ‘peace.’ This Greek term was used in the LXX to translate Heb šālôm and thus it took on the meaning of that term. In greetings it
generally denotes well-being or salvation (TDNT, II, 411–17).”
[The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Revised, ed. Geoffrey W. Bromiley (Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1988), 2:574.]
175 “Greeting: Lev. 19:32 prescribes that when younger persons encounter their elders the former should stand. In 1 Kings 2:19
King Solomon stands up to greet his mother. Job tells us that before disaster befell him he was so highly esteemed in the community that
even the elderly when encountering him ‘rose and stood’ (Job 29:8). An alternative posture for greeting high-status persons is bending
over (Gen. 19:1; 43:28; 1 Sam. 25:41; 2 Kings 2:15).
“Kissing: While 1 Sam. 20:41 and 2 Sam. 19:40 show that close friends might kiss upon taking leave of each other, kissing is
generally reserved in the OT for greeting close relatives (Gen. 29:11, 13; 33:4; 45:15; 48:10; Exod. 4:27) or taking leave (Gen. 31:28;
32:1; 50:1; Ruth 1:9, 14). The purely erotic kiss is mentioned in the Bible only in Prov. 7:13 and Song of Sol. 1:2; 8:1. The kiss of betrayal
is attested only in 2 Sam. 20:9 and Matt. 26:49 (parallels, Mark 14:45; Luke 22:47). In the NT the kiss is a greeting exchanged
between Christians (see Acts 20:37; Rom. 16:16; 1 Cor. 16:20; 2 Cor. 13:12; 1 Thess. 5:26; 1 Pet. 5:14).”
[Paul J. Achtemeier, Harper & Row and Society of Biblical Literature, Harper’s Bible Dictionary, 1st ed. (San Francisco:
Harper & Row, 1985), 342-43.]
176 “Legend has it that Paul consecrated this Lucius the first bishop of Cenchreae (Constitutiones apostolicae 7.46.10).” [Joseph
A. Fitzmyer, S.J., vol. 33, Romans: A New Translation With Introduction and Commentary, Anchor Yale Bible (New Haven; London:
Yale University Press, 2008), 748.]
Page 439