But we sailed from Philippi after the days of the azymes and came to them to Troas in five days, where we abode seven days.
ημεις δε εξεπλευσαμεν μετα τας ημερας των αζυμων απο φιλιππων και ηλθομεν προς αυτους εις την τρωαδα αχρι ημερων πεντε ου διετριψαμεν ημερας επτα
6 Church Fathers comment on this verse
It seems to me that he tried to spend the feasts in the larger cities. He sails from Philippi, where the event in the prison occurred (Acts 16:16-32). Now he was in Macedonia for the third time. The Philippians deserved his special attention, and therefore he stayed there. Troas was a small city. Why, then, did they spend seven days in it? Probably it was great in the number of believers.
In the spring, around Pascha of the year 58 or 59, Paul left Corinth. Some of his companions crossed over to Troas before him (Acts 20:4-5). Paul spent Pascha in Philippi and took Luke from there, whom he had previously left there. He spent a week in Troas to make up for the shortness of his previous stay there, which had been caused by his desire to learn quickly the state of the Corinthian Church (2 Cor 2:12). There, on the first day of the week, he was present at the Church's worship and conversed with the brethren in a house. Providence, seeing the need to confirm the faithful in the teaching they had received and to spread it among the Gentiles, opened an occasion for the divine power active in the Apostle to show itself most strikingly.
A young man fell from the third story of the house and was picked up dead, but Paul restored him to life. Yet, hastening to Jerusalem for the feast of Pentecost, Paul did not wish to remain there longer. His companions boarded the ship. He himself, as long as he could, still went on foot with the Troan brethren as far as Assos. In order not to be delayed in Ephesus, he decided to pass it by. He arranged only that the presiding clergy of the Ephesian Church, and probably of several other Churches, should come to him in Miletus. The phrase Ένοίς διήλϑον (Acts 20:25) points not to one place or community, but to many. Irenaeus, the disciple of Polycarp, bishop of those regions, speaks directly of the bishops and presbyters of Ephesus and the other neighboring cities (Contr. Haeres. III, 4, §12). This agrees with the indication that Paul's preaching in Ephesus lasted two years and three months (Acts 19:8, 10).
After the riot ceased, Paul took leave of the Ephesian Christians, departed, and came to Macedonia. There he visited the Churches he had founded earlier and gave the faithful abundant instruction. From there the Apostle Paul sent the Second Epistle to Corinth. From Macedonia he went for the same purpose to Hellas, or Achaia. The Apostle remained there for three months. At this time, probably in Corinth, the Apostle Paul wrote the Epistle to the Romans. It was intended to precede his personal coming to Rome, where he planned to go during his proposed fourth journey (Acts 19:21). A disturbance raised against him by the Jews forced him to leave Greece, and he directed his way toward Syria. The more convenient and shorter route there was by sea.
Yet the Apostle wished to see the Macedonian Christians once more. For this purpose he set out for Syria by land through Macedonia. There, in Philippi, the Apostle spent the Days of Unleavened Bread. Afterward he went by sea to Troas, where he arrived after five days.
Having completed his ministry in Corinth and gathered a considerable alms for the suffering Christians of the holy city, the Apostle Paul resolved to visit Jerusalem once more, specifically for the feast of Pascha. He wished to sail directly from Corinth by ship to Syria. But on the eve of departure his co-workers discovered a base plot by the Jews. Its aim was to destroy the Apostle during the sea voyage, which was very easy for them because of their connections with sailors and direct bribery. Therefore the Apostle Paul was forced to go by land through Macedonia, accompanied by his friends and fellow ministers. He spent Pascha in Philippi in the peaceful and loving circle of his disciples and co-workers. Among them again was the chronicler of his activity, St. Luke. Only after this did he sail to Asia and stop in Troas for a week's rest.
"After the days of Unleavened Bread": that is, after the feast of the Jewish Passover (cf. Lk 22:1 and parallels). Paul celebrated it in his Christian freedom and Christian spirit. Or, if he did not celebrate it, he remained at rest according to the commandment (Lk 23:56). "In five days we came to Troas": the first time, when they had been called by the vision, they made the journey from that city to Philippi more quickly (Acts 16:11 and following).
The arrival in Troas of Paul's companions and of Paul himself did not take place at the same time. The Apostles Paul and Luke delayed somewhat in Philippi because of the feast of Pascha, which is also called by the Jewish name, the Days of Unleavened Bread. During those days the Jews did not eat leavened bread, in remembrance that at the first Pascha they ate only unleavened bread (see Lk 22:1). According to Bishop Michael's remark, 'Paul celebrated this Pascha in his Christian freedom and in a Christian spirit.' 'The writer of Acts does not indicate why his companions went ahead. Perhaps it was to prepare a more convenient voyage for Paul from Troas onward.
From the description of the voyage one may surmise that Paul had a ship specially prepared for his journey.' 'Troas is a coastal city of Asia Minor, lying in the northwestern corner of Mysia, not far from ancient famous Troy, somewhat south of the mouth of the Hellespont. Many Roman colonists lived there. There was an immense harbor, many temples, theaters, and aqueducts. Troas lay on the route from Asia Minor to Macedonia. Returning from Greece and Macedonia, the Apostle spent seven days there. It is evident that the planting of Christianity was done by the Apostle during this second visit to Troas (see Acts 16:8-11; compare 2 Cor 2:12). He probably stayed there in the house of the well-known Carpus, from whom he later asked to take the cloak and books he had left with him.' It is worth noting that in verse 6 the writer clearly distinguishes himself and Paul from those named in verse 4. From this it is clear that the compiler of this section, and indeed of the whole book, could not have been any of the persons named there in verse 4.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 24 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS