Biblical commentary on the New Testament - The Christian ...

IXXX THE PAULINE EPISTLES.
that ho himself had hccn in the Island of Crete, and had left Titus
there heliind him for the same purpose which caused him to leave
Timothy in Ephesus ; and states that he intended to spend the
winter in Nicopolis, whither he directs Titus to come and meet him.
Now, it is true, Paul, according to the Acts (xxvii. 8), was once in
Crete, but It was as a prisoner, and on a voyage. In these circumstances,
therefore, he could not accomplish much ; nor could he
leave Titus behind, as on his voyage Titus was nowhere in his
neighbourhood. Nothing is told us in any part of the New Testament
history as to Paul's residence in Nicopolis, and it is the more
difficult to come to any assurance respecting it from the fact, that
there were so many cities of that name. Thus, this Epistle, like-
wise, cannot be assigned to its place in Paul's history, and therefore
it is perfectly true, that there are difficulties incident to an exami-
nation of these pastoral letters ; but, as we have before observed,
difficulties are not equivalent to positive arguments against their
genuineness. It is true they would be, were we so exactly and
minutely acquainted with the history of the Apostle Paul, that
such a difficulty in assigning an epistle its place among the circum-
stances of his life would be the same as an impossibility. If, for ex-
ample, wc knew with certainty that the Apostle Paul never resided
in any city by the name of Nicopolis, we sliould be obliged to con-
sider the Epistle to Titus, which purports to have been written
from some place called Nicopolis, as spurious and forged.
But this is so far from being the case, that in those Epistles of
Paul which are admitted to be genuine, very many occurrences are
noticed, of which we have no further information. A remarkable
instance of this kind is the well-known passage, 2 Cor. xi. 23 seq.,
in which Paul states, that he had five times received of the Jews
forty stripes save one, thrice being beaten with rods, once stoned,
thrice suffered shipwreck, etc., etc. Of very few of these suiferings
of Paul do we know the particulars. How much, therefore, of what
took place in his life, may remain unknown to us. It is to be remembered,
too, that the brief general statements given by Luke in
the Acts extend over long periods in the apostle's life. At Corinth,
Ephesus, Ca3sarea, and Rome, Paul abode for years. Now, as slight
journeys abroad are, it is well known, commonly comprehended by
historians in a residence at any particular place for a long period,
may not this have been frequently the case in Luke's history ?
Many have thought this probable, and have therefore supposed short
journeys from this or that place, and in this way have attempted to
find some situation in Paul's life, which should appear suitable for
the composition of one or another of the pastoral letters. We will
not trouble our readers, however, with an enumeration of these dif-
ferent views, which, nevertheless, show that it is not imi^ssihle to