Observations on Paul's Final Greetings
(avg. read time: 14–28 mins.)
To wrap up my posts on Paul for now, I think it is fitting to make some observations about how Paul wrapped up his own letters. We will proceed in canonical order and look primarily at who is mentioned where, when, how, and why in the sections of Paul’s letters devoted to final greetings. We may pass over these references too quickly and not take the time to appreciate their significance. I hope slowing down to notice these matters will be beneficial to you. Paul does not greet any individuals in the closing portions of 2 Corinthians, Galatians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and 1 Timothy. Thus, we are concerned with the other eight letters.
Romans
Romans features by far the longest group of greetings in any of Paul’s letters. Part of this may be because, relative to the other assemblies he has addressed, there are so many involved in the Roman mission. Another factor in this is that Paul has not actually visited this community of Christians before, but they know many of the same people that he knows, and so he emphasizes their mutual friends. The first person he lists is “our sister” Phoebe (16:1–2). She is said to be a deacon/minister/servant (since the term for “deacon” comes from a word for “servant”) of the church that is in Cenchreae. Since the term is linked to a particular church, I am inclined to think that it is a reference to her being a deacon. She is not mentioned in any of Paul’s other letters, but he commends her as presumably the one who is sent with the letter. In such a case, she would also likely be the reader of the letter to the Romans. Her service had obviously commended her in the eyes of Paul for this purpose, as he chose her as his envoy over his many other companions in Corinth and the surrounding area (all of the ones we know who would have been with him there at this time were men, which we will see later in this analysis). After all, it is a trip of several hundred miles by land or by sea from Cenchreae to Rome, but Paul trusts her to bring this letter from where he is writing all the way to there. This is also an indication that she was a woman of means, which would help explain why she could have been more literate than most if she did, in fact, read this letter to the Roman Christians. Her means, as well as her authority, are also indicated by Paul referring to her as προστάτις (“benefactor/patron”; cf. Xenophon, Hel. 3.2.27; Mem. 1.2.40; Ep. Arist. 111; 1 Chron 27:31; 29:6; 2 Chron 8:10; 24:11; 1 Esdr 2:8; 2 Macc 3:4; Josephus, Ant. 7.377; 14.444; War 1.633; 2.208). Indeed, it is because of her being a benefactor to many, including Paul himself, that he tells the Romans to welcome her “in the Lord” (i.e., in a manner befitting saints) and to help her in whatever way she needs.
Among proper “greetings” for those besides Paul’s envoy, he first lists Prisca (a.k.a., Priscilla) and Aquila (16:3–4), his coworkers in Christ Jesus who have risked even their own lives for his throughout Paul’s gentile mission. These two were originally from Pontus, but they had met Paul after they were expelled from Rome and Italy following Claudius’s edict to expel the Jews in 49 CE (Acts 18:2). Thus, well before Paul had even crossed over into Greece, these two were already at work in the area. At least some of his audience would be more familiar with them than they were with Paul. They accompanied Paul during his ministry in Corinth (Acts 18:1–18), and thus were also known to the Corinthians when Paul relayed greetings from them and the church in their household to the Corinthians (1 Cor 16:19). When Paul wrote 1 Corinthians from Ephesus (1 Cor 16:8), he had left Priscilla and Aquila at work there (Acts 18:18) and they had established a church that met in their house in Ephesus. Thus, they were both in a position of authority to take Apollos aside and instruct him in “the Way of God” more accurately when he became prominent in Ephesus (Acts 18:26). But by the time Paul writes Romans, they are apparently back working in Rome now that Claudius has died and his ban has been rescinded (Suetonius, Nero 33.1). After their return to Rome, they had another church in their house whenever they moved there (Rom 16:5). They had perhaps returned to Ephesus by the time Paul sent 2 Timothy, as he tells Timothy to greet them in 2 Tim 4:19, but perhaps this is Paul simply wishing to send greetings to them one last time, regardless of where they were, as 2 Timothy appears to be the last letter he could have authored (if one thinks, as I do, that Paul authored it). In either case, that Paul made sure to greet them shows how he maintained a good relationship with them for a long time in his ministry from his second missionary journey to his death around a decade-and-a-half later.
We get less detail about Epaenetus (16:5), who is called “beloved.” He is said to be the firstfruits for Christ from a certain region. I say “a certain region,” because the textual tradition is conflicted here. Most say “Achaia,” but the earliest texts say “Asia.” Bibles today tend to favor the latter. In either case, Epaenetus is far from where he originally converted (and where he was the original convert of Paul’s mission), and he has joined the expanded network of Pauline coworkers proclaiming the gospel even where he had not gone.
We get even less information about the background of this Mary/Miriam mentioned in v. 6. We only know that she “labored much for you.” In Paul’s work, this verb (κοπιάω) tends to refer to some form of gospel ministry (Rom 16:12; 1 Cor 4:12; 15:10; 16:16; Gal 4:11; Phil 2:16; Col 1:29; 1 Thess 5:12; 1 Tim 4:10; 5:17), but we cannot be more specific than that. Interestingly, despite this being the most common female name among Jews from whom we have onomastic evidence, this is the only Mary mentioned in all of Paul’s letters and she is only mentioned here. Most likely, then, she was a Jewish woman. Acts tells us that Aquila was Jewish, but we are not specifically told about Priscilla’s ethnic background, but either way she would have been regarded as Jewish upon her marriage to Aquila. As such, to this point at least three of the five named figures were Jewish Christians.
We can add two more to this total with Andronicus and Junia in v. 7. He describes them as his “kin” or “relatives.” Unlike Mary/Miriam, these are rather non-Hebraic names (Greek and Latin) for men and women, respectively (meaning they were either husband and wife or brother and sister to be so paired). Like “Paul,” they may have been names used in the gentile mission as opposed to more Hebraic names, but it could simply be that they/their parents were rather Hellenized Jews. They are commended for their faithfulness by the fact that they have been prisoners with Paul, that is, because of their gospel ministry. More specifically, they are said to be “outstanding/illustrious/remarkable” among the apostles. That is, they themselves are among the apostles and are noteworthy even among them. Paul even says they were in Christ “before me.” Given when Paul came to be “in Christ,” this suggests that they were apostles in the sense of being witnesses of Jesus’s resurrection appearances (as noted here, here, here, and here), who thereby were “sent” by the risen Christ and served as evangelists from the beginning. It is difficult to determine if their names and relation to Paul suggest that they were originally from beyond the area of Judea or Galilee like Paul was or if they were simply part of a Jewish family in this area belonging to Paul’s extended kin with more Greek and Latin names. If they were not residents of the area during Jesus’s ministry, it could be that they were pilgrims who were among the groups that witnessed Jesus’s resurrection appearances while they were in the area between Passover and Pentecost. But that is simply a speculative suggestion if they were not from the birthplace of the Church to begin with. In the latter case, Junia’s name could be an alternate form of “Joanna” (as in Luke 8:3; 24:10). Furthermore, if, as in many cases, “Junia” was a name suggestive of Roman citizenship, as Paul was also a Roman citizen, that could be further justification for identifying this Junia with Joanna from Luke. In such a case, it is unclear if Andronicus is Junia’s second husband, her brother, or a name adopted by Chuza in the way Junia was adopted by Joanna. We simply do not have enough information to be particularly confident here.
We can treat the next three names in vv. 8–9 together as those of gentiles, two of whom are described as “beloved” (Ampliatus and Stachys) and two of whom are common names of slaves and freedmen in Rome (Ampliatus and Urbanus). Though we have seen alternating male and female names, all three of these are masculine names. None of them are mentioned in any of Paul’s other letters or even in Acts. The description of individuals as “beloved” is common in Paul and he applies it to larger assemblies as well (Rom 16:5, 8–9, 12; 1 Cor 4:14, 17; 10:14; 15:58; 2 Cor 7:1; 12:19; Eph 5:1; 6:21; Phil 2:12; 4:1; Col 1:7; 4:7, 9, 14; 1 Thess 2:8; 1 Tim 6:2; 2 Tim 1:2; Phlm 1, 16). Interestingly, Urbanus is described as Paul’s “coworker” (συνεργός), which is a description of honor he gives to those who tended to be his frequent collaborators, such as Priscilla and Aquila (Rom 16:3), Timothy (Rom 16:21; 1 Thess 3:2), Titus (2 Cor 8:23), Epaphroditus (Phil 2:25), Clement (Phil 4:3), Aristarchus (Col 4:10; Phlm 24), Mark (Col 4:10; Phlm 24), Justus (Col 4:11), Philemon (Phlm 1), Demas (Phlm 24), and Luke (Phlm 24). These three and several others from Rom 16 have traditionally been listed among the “Seventy” from Luke 10 as the apparent origin of their connection with the Jesus movement.
A seventh man is named Apelles (16:10) and he is also never mentioned in any other Pauline work or Acts. But for as much as Paul reiterates descriptors, Apelles is set apart as “the approved one in Christ.” What this meant more specifically in his case was known at the time, but that knowledge has since been lost. All that can be said as of now is that he was tested and shown trustworthy and true as a brother in Christ.
In vv. 10–11 Paul mentions two groups who are “of” a named individual, but it is not clear that the named individuals are of the faith or to be greeted as such. There are those of “Aristobulus” and those of “Narcissus.” Both were not unusual Greco-Roman names, especially the former. The reference to a Narcissus in Rome at this time is interesting, since Narcissus was the name of a freedman of the late Emperor Claudius, but as far as I can tell that is more of a connection of trivia than something truly suggestive here.
An eighth man is named Herodion in v. 11. He also is identified as a kinsman of Paul, and thus a Jew, at least the fourth such man in this list and the sixth Jew overall. One wonders if he was in some way related to the Herodian family. Indeed, it has been speculated that he was a freedman of that family.
The fourth and fifth women referenced are the pair of Tryphaena and Tryphosa (16:12). They were likely sisters who could both be described as “laborers in the Lord,” once again declaring their work in the gospel ministry, though without specificity for those of us who did not know them. I have seen speculation that they were twins, but really the only reason we have to think that is because of the broad experience of how parents of twins make it unnecessarily difficult on themselves and everyone else by giving their twins overly similar names.
Persis is a feminine name to this day and she, the sixth woman listed, is also noted for her great labor in the Lord (16:12). The name may suggest some association with Persia. However, it is unclear if she herself was from Persia or if her family simply had roots there.
A seventh woman is mentioned but not named alongside the ninth man named. That is, she is the mother of Rufus (16:13). Rufus himself is described as “chosen in the Lord,” but it is unclear what was so significant about this designation. It could be explicable if this Rufus is the same Rufus mentioned as one of the sons of Simon the Cyrenian in Mark 15:21. He would then be one who had an indirect connection with Jesus, and he could well have been one of the early converts (also note that some of the initial converts were said to be from Cyrene in Acts 2:10). Indeed, the fact that Mark names him and his brother alongside his father would seem to suggest that the family as a whole became Christians, whereby they would be known to Mark’s audience. But this identification is obviously speculative, and Rufus was not an unusual name.
Five more men are named in 16:14: Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, and Hermas. That brings the total of named distinctly Christian men to fourteen (that is, not counting Aristobulus and Narcissus, in case they were not). None of them are mentioned anywhere else in Paul’s works or Acts, but the fact that Paul says to greet the “brothers and sisters with them,” would seem to indicate that they were either church leaders or particularly influential/well-known members. Much the same could be said for Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas with “all the saints who are with them” (16:15). With these names, we have seventeen named men (besides Aristobulus and Narcissus), seven named women, and two more who are mentioned but not named (Rufus’s mother and Nereus’s sister), though it should be remembered that one of them (Phoebe) is not of the assembly of Christians in Rome and is being sent by Paul to them. The two names of Hermes and Hermas are especially notable, as the former was the name of one of the Olympian gods and the later was the name associated with the early post-NT work The Shepherd of Hermas (though there is no clear reason besides the name to associate the two individuals, and it was a common name).
On the other hand, Paul conveys greetings from others who are with him. The first one he conveys greetings from is Timothy (16:21). Timothy was one of his most frequent collaborators, as he is mentioned in such a capacity beyond this letter in 1 Corinthians (4:17; 16:10), 2 Corinthians (1:19), Philippians (2:19, 22), and 1 Thessalonians (3:2). He is even mentioned as a co-sender of Paul’s letters in 2 Cor 1:1; Phil 1:1; Col 1:1; 1 Thess 1:1; 2 Thess 1:1; and Phlm 1. He first met Paul in Lystra during the latter’s second missionary journey (Acts 16:1), after which he became a regular companion (16:3) for his work in Macedonia (17:14–15), Corinth (18:5), Ephesus (19:22), and beyond (20:4). He would even receive two of Paul’s letters, which bear his name, after he remained in Ephesus.
Paul also conveys greetings from three Jewish coworkers: Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater (16:21). The first name is rather common and there is no Lucius mentioned in any other Pauline letter, so we cannot say with any degree of confidence whether this is the Lucius of Cyrene that was with Paul in Antioch before he was sent off on his first missionary journey (Acts 13:1). Given that Paul is probably writing this letter from Corinth (since he sent Phoebe), it is plausible that this Jason could be Jason of Thessalonica who hosted Paul and Silas (Acts 17:5–9), though it is not explicitly stated there that Jason was Jewish. Sosipater is an alternate form of Sopater, and so this person may well be the one from Beroea referenced in Acts 20:4, which further suggests that this Jason could have also been the Macedonian one noted in Acts.
Another greeting comes from Tertius, who writes the greeting himself (16:22). His name often signifies a third son in a Latin family, but it was also a common name of slaves. It is not clear where he is from, but it could be that he was native to Corinth or the surrounding area (there is much evidence of Latin names from that era of Corinth), or perhaps he was one of those expelled with Priscilla and Aquila, but he did not return. Paul has recruited him to write at least this letter for him (i.e., he is Paul’s amanuensis). For as much as Romans is presented as a characteristic letter of Paul, and though his authorship is not disputed, Paul is not the one who actually put pen to paper (so to speak) to write this letter. This is the only thing this Tertius is known for, apart from his link in tradition with the Seventy. And what an impression to leave it is.
We know nothing about Quartus, the name of the last person Paul sends greetings from (16:23). But more suggestive indications that Paul wrote from Corinth come from the other two names in v. 23. While Gaius was an extremely common Latin name, and there was even a Gaius from Derbe that accompanied Paul (Acts 19:29; 20:4), this Gaius appears to have been more stationary in light of how Paul commends his hospitality towards him and the “whole church” (Rom 16:23). There was a Gaius in Corinth who was among the earliest converts there, being one of the few Paul personally baptized (1 Cor 1:14). It is possible that Gaius could be the first name (praenomen) for Titius Justus with whom Paul stayed in Corinth in Acts 18:7.
The other name appearing in v. 23 that is suggestive of the Corinthian provenance is Erastus. Paul refers to him as οἰκονόμος of the city, which signifies one who manages the household order and thus indicates that he had some kind of stewardship role. At one point, Erastus had been sent by Paul with Timothy to Macedonia during his time in Ephesus (Acts 19:29). And we learn in 2 Tim 4:20 that around a decade later he stayed put in Corinth. That this Erastus is from Corinth may well be further confirmed by the Erastus Inscription, which dates from the time of Paul. That inscription links the pavement of the road to an Erastus who was the aedile of the city. Aediles were responsible for public maintenance, public order, and public finances of the cities they were appointed over. However, it is unclear if at the time of this letter Erastus was still in public office, perhaps in a lower capacity, or if he had left public office and Paul still called him as he did because that was how he became familiar with him.
1 Corinthians
We have already noted from the previous section some of those who were with Paul in Corinth when he authored the letter to the Romans. Naturally, we hear about others here. The fact that he sent Phoebe rather than all of those mentioned in the last letter and here further indicate that she was some kind of remarkable (and wealthy) woman.
Namely, Paul refers to Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus (1 Cor 16:17). They were probably the ones to bear the letter back to Corinth from Ephesus when they came to bring Paul something that relieved him. The latter two are not mentioned anywhere else in Paul or Acts and remain uniquely linked to Corinth, and they are also indicative of the Latin names that were prevalent in Corinth at this time. Stephanas is a rather significant member of the Corinthian assembly because he and his household were the “first fruits” of Paul’s ministry in Achaia (16:15), and they were among the few Corinthians he baptized (1:16).
Paul also passes along greetings from the churches of Asia to the Corinthians (16:19). Paul passed along such greetings because he was in Ephesus at the time (16:8). Likewise, Aquila and Priscilla were with him, and he passed along a greeting from them and the church that met with them in their house. As noted above, they were well known to the Corinthians, being Paul’s companions in ministry during his initial eighteen months or so in Corinth. And at this point they established a house church in Ephesus during their time there with Paul.
Ephesians
Paul references only one person in this letter that was likely originally a circular that went out from Ephesus (our earliest manuscripts lack a reference to “in Ephesus” in 1:1). But that one person turns out to be one of Paul’s most important companions in his ministry in Asia: a man named Tychicus (6:21–22). He was the one sent with this letter and likely read it prior to answering questions, such as might have been raised by 6:21–22. According to Acts 20:4, he was native to the province of Asia. Paul’s description of him as a “faithful servant” where the word for “servant” is the root of “deacon” is probably simply a reference to his faithful work as Paul’s companion in the gospel ministry as his service is not linked to any particular assembly. As such, it is less likely that Paul is invoking an official designation here. Much of the same description appears as well in Col 4:7–8, where he takes on the same role in delivering and reading this letter (as also implied by 4:16). Paul also mentions him as someone he might possibly send to Titus in Crete (Titus 3:12). Indeed, he remained a faithful servant of Paul to the latter’s last days, as Paul mentions in his second letter to Timothy that he had sent Tychicus to Ephesus (2 Tim 4:12). This is after he mentioned how only Luke was with him at the moment, yet he clarified that Tychicus had not abandoned him; he was away for some task Paul had given him to do. Several others had abandoned him or otherwise found themselves too tied up to attend to him, but it was not so for the faithful Tychicus.
Philippians
Paul’s final greetings in this letter are rather short. He conveys the greetings of the brothers and sisters who are with him, but it is hard to say where he is at the time. Generally, Paul’s imprisonment while he wrote Philippians is identified with either his house arrest in Rome, his imprisonment in Caesarea before he left for Rome, or an imprisonment in Ephesus. But we do not adjudicate on these possibilities here. Paul could have conveyed greetings from any of them.
Fascinatingly, when he conveys greetings from “all the saints,” he emphasizes, “especially those of Caesar’s household” (4:22). Today, it is unclear how close or how far removed from Nero these people were, as Caesar’s household also included freedmen and slaves. This may have included the praetorian guards Paul had mentioned earlier in 1:13. Their proximity to Nero probably suggests that, if they did not manage to leave their stations beforehand, they faced martyrdom along with Paul late in Nero’s reign.
Colossians and Philemon
We might as well treat these letters together. Everyone mentioned in the greetings of Philemon is also mentioned in Colossians. We have already noted Tychicus, who is mentioned in Col 4:7–8, and his role as the deliverer and reader. Unlike Ephesians, though, he has a fellow deliverer: Onesimus (4:9). Onesimus was at the center of Paul’s letter to Philemon, since he was Philemon’s slave (Phlm 10) and Paul wished to have him as a coworker in ministry. As I mentioned in the previous post, it is possible that this man became bishop of Ephesus in the time of Ignatius of Antioch, but it is difficult to state that too confidently.
At the time Paul writes Colossians, Aristarchus is a fellow prisoner with him (Col 4:10) because, as Paul says in Philemon, he was Paul’s coworker in the gospel (Phlm 24). By the time of Paul’s ministry in Ephesus during his third missionary journey, Aristarchus is known for being a traveling companion of Paul far away from his native Macedonia (Acts 19:29). It is later specified that he was from Thessalonica (20:4), which probably indicates that he was one of Paul’s earliest converts there from his preaching in the synagogue, as v. 11 will tell us that Aristarchus was a Jew. Despite being caught in the riot in Ephesus at this time, he would continue to travel with Paul through Macedonia, Greece, and back to the lands of Asia Minor. Luke even mentions that he accompanied Paul during his sailing towards Rome (27:2). In such a situation, Aristarchus met with Paul hundreds and hundreds of miles from home when they were setting sail from Caesarea. And this was around a decade after 1 Thessalonians was written, which shows the long-lasting personal impact Paul made on the church in this city and on Aristarchus personally that he would continue to travel with him despite the violence and imprisonment he faced.
He also conveys greetings from and commends Mark, the cousin of Barnabas (Col 4:10; Phlm 24). Although by the time of these letters Paul called Mark his coworker, their relationship had to go through some twists to get here. Unlike others we have noted for whom we have specific information on their involvement in Paul’s mission, Mark’s relationship with Paul goes all the way back to before his first missionary journey when his primary companion was Barnabas, Mark’s cousin (Acts 12:25). In fact, Paul and Barnabas went their separate ways on mission after the first missionary journey and the “Council of Jerusalem” because Barnabas wanted to bring Mark with them and Paul did not because, for whatever reason, Mark abandoned them after they came to Pamphylia and returned to Jerusalem (Acts 13:13; 15:37–39). They could not reconcile their differences on this point and Luke never mentions them working together again. This is not to suggest some intransigent resentment, but after they went their separate ways, they just never came back together to work with each other. Paul still sees Barnabas as worth mentioning in Colossians when he identifies Mark, so that seems to indicate that, although they went on different trajectories thereafter, there was no ill will between them. The fact that Paul is working with Mark now all this time later indicates that he eventually reconciled with Mark and could now see him as someone trustworthy, probably because he heard of the mission he went on with Barnabas and changed his mind about him. Indeed, at the end of his life he tells Timothy to bring Mark with him when he comes to see him in prison because “he is useful to me for ministry/service” (2 Tim 4:11).
He also mentions one “Jesus who is called Justus” among his coworkers (Col 4:11). “Jesus” was, of course, the Greek spelling of “Joshua/Yeshua.” In case his name was not a giveaway that he is a Jew, Paul states that the three people he has mentioned as conveying their greetings thus far—Aristarchus, Mark, and Jesus/Justus—are the only ones “of the circumcision” among his present coworkers for the kingdom of God.
Epaphras is said to be “one of you” and a servant of Christ Jesus (4:12). That is, he is a native to Colossae and he had already been a coworker with Paul among them, as stated in 1:7. He is also said to be toiling with anguish for those in Colossae and the nearby cities of Laodicea and Hierapolis (4:13). Like Aristarchus and others that we have seen, he is also mentioned in Philemon as Paul’s “fellow prisoner” (Phlm 23).
Luke is referred to as “beloved” and a “doctor” (Col 4:14). He is traditionally identified with the author of Luke and Acts, and the initiation of the “we” passages beginning in Acts 16:10 indicates that he joined Paul on his second missionary journey in Troas. Of course, that does not necessarily mean he was from there. We are not told in the Bible where he came from and where one thinks he came from will typically depend on how much stock one puts in tradition and in which specific tradition. As for what we have from Paul, he is also identified as one of Paul’s coworkers in Philemon (Phlm 24). He is also a man known for being Paul’s faithful companion as he could tell Timothy while he spent his last days in prison, “only Luke is with me” (2 Tim 4:11).
Demas, another one of Paul’s coworkers, is mentioned in both Colossians (4:14) and Philemon (24) but is given no particular description beyond being Paul’s collaborator. Sadly, the trajectory of his relationship with Paul went the opposite direction of Mark’s relationship with Paul. Paul says in 2 Timothy that Demas abandoned him because he loved “the present age” (4:11). Whatever exactly this love of the present age entailed for Demas, it was not as if Demas was unfamiliar with the trials Paul faced for his ministry. But at some point, it apparently became too much for him and he left Paul far behind as he went to Thessalonica. We do not know what ultimately became of Demas, but hopefully Paul’s Judas found a better fate than the original Judas by coming to repentance.
He instructs the Colossians to greet the brothers and sisters in Laodicea, which was nearby. Presumably, Nympha and the church in her house were among the Laodicean believers, but Paul might have singled her and her church out for some other reason. In any case, as with Gaius, as well as Priscilla and Aquila, this description indicates that she is the patron of a house church.
Paul does not use the typical terminology of greeting for Archippus (4:17). He simply says for the Colossians to tell him, “See to it that the ministry which you received in the Lord that you would fulfill it.” In the letter to Philemon, he would address Archippus as “our comrade/fellow soldier” (Phlm 2). Nothing else in the letter is addressed specifically to him as Paul writes more directly to Philemon. It could be that Archippus is being called upon as a trustworthy witness of Paul’s instruction to keep Philemon accountable.
2 Timothy
In addition to Priscilla and Aquila, who have already been noted, Paul tells Timothy to greet the household of Onesiphorus (4:19). The head of this household is only mentioned in this letter, but he was someone Paul knew well in Ephesus (1:18). While others had abandoned him at various times, Onesiphorus had always showed him good will and refreshed him, never being ashamed of being associated with one chained for the sake of the gospel (1:16). Indeed, he had even made the long trip from Ephesus to Rome to find Paul (1:17).
After Paul notes that Erastus stayed in Corinth, he also says that he left Trophimus sick in Miletus (4:20). Like Tychicus, Trophimus is said to be a native of Asia among the companions Paul had at one point in his third missionary journey (Acts 20:4). More specifically, he is said to be an Ephesian (Acts 21:29). The fact that he was a known companion of Paul and the fact that he was seen in Jerusalem with him was the pretext Paul’s Jewish opponents used for persecuting Paul and his fellows, claiming that he had brought a gentile into the temple.
Otherwise, Paul conveys the greetings of four others—Eubulus, Pudens, Linus, and Claudia—along with all the brothers and sisters (4:21). These four are apparently singled out because of their leadership or functions as hosts among whatever churches they represent (they have Latin names, but that hardly secures that they were from Rome). We know nothing from the rest of Paul’s works about these people as they are only named here. Interestingly, according to popular tradition, Linus is said to have succeeded Peter as the bishop of Rome.
Titus
I noted before that Paul was considering sending Tychicus to Titus in Crete. The other possibility was that he would send one Artemas (3:12). Traditionally, he has been identified as Artemas of Lystra and as one of the Seventy. But from the Bible we know nothing else about him. Likewise, Paul also calls upon Titus to do whatever he can to help Zenas the lawyer (3:13), who we also know nothing about. But apparently his designation indicates that he was wealthier than most.
Finally, Paul mentions Apollos as another one that Titus should help on his way (Titus 3:13). There is no clear record of Apollos, a Jew from Alexandria, working side by side with Paul, but they appear to have run in the same circles. Priscilla and Aquila were the ones who first instructed him more accurately about the Way while he was in Ephesus (Acts 18:24). He also came to Corinth after Paul’s initial departure (Acts 19:1). While he did good work there, the factionalist spirit in Corinth caused some to declare their allegiance to Apollos and others to Paul, which Paul strongly argued against (1 Cor 1:12; 3:4–6, 22; 4:6), since he and Apollos were united in the gospel ministry. And in case there was any chance for a wrong impression that he might have somehow sought to undermine Apollos, he encouraged Apollos to come to the Corinthians again with his fellows (1 Cor 16:12). And as we can see from Titus, they continued to be on good terms for many years thereafter.