It appears from the term employed in v. 40 that Silas took the place of Barnabas, not of Mark. The latter was a mere unofficial companion in every case, as is shown by the word used.1 The verbs in the next few verses are all singular ; though it is clear that Silas is concerned in many of the actions. The singular was preferred by Luke because certain of the actions were special to Paul, the choosing of Silas and of Timothy. There is a decided harshness in the narrative that follows, owing to the variation between the singular and the plural. At some points in the action Paul monopolises the author's attention ; and probably the expression harsh though it be grammatically, corresponds to the facts. At the opening of the journey Paul alone is the subject : now at the opening the new comrade was un- trained to the work. After a time the plural begins, XVI 4, and, wherever travelling is described, it is em- ployed ; but, when the direction given to missionary work is alluded to, Silas disappears, and Paul alone is the subject, XVII 2.
1 avinrapaXapQavo XII 25, XV 37, p. 17a
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i. THE VISIT OF PAUL AND SILAS. (XVI i) AND HE CAME ALSO TO DERBE AND TO LYSTRA | AND BEHOLD A CERTAIN DISCIPLE WAS THERE NAMED TIMOTHY, THE SON OF A JEWESS WHICH BELIEVED; BUT HIS FATHER WAS A GREEK. (2) THE SAME HAD A GOOD REPUTA- TION AMONG THE BRETHREN THAT WERE IN LYSTRA AND ICONIUM. (3) HIM WOULD PAUL HAVE TO GO
FORTH WITH HIM ; AND HE TOOK AND CIRCUMCISED HIM BECAUSE OF THE JEWS THAT WERE IN THOSE PARTS, FOR THEY ALL KNEW THAT HIS FATHER WAS A GREEK. (4) AND AS THEY WERE PASSING THROUGH THE CITIES, THEY in each DELIVERED THEM THE DECREES FOR TO KEEP, WHICH HAD BEEN ORDAINED OF THE APOSTLES AND ELDERS THAT WERE AT JERU- SALEM. (5) THE CHURCHES THEN WERE STRENGTHENED IN THE FAITH, AND INCREASED IN NUMBER DAILY. (6) AND THEY MADE A MISSIONARY PROGRESS THROUGH THE PHRYGIAN REGION OF the province GALATIA {the Phrygo-Galatic Region).
In v. 1 it is implied that Derbe and Lystra are a pair, constituting a district (p. 1 10). The work of this journey
is divided according to districts: (1) Syria and Cilicia, a
'178)
Sec. i. The Visit of Paul and Silas. 179
single Roman province ; (2) Derbe and Lystra, a region of the province Galatia, which is here indicated by its two cities as the most convenient way, because in one of them a considerable halt had to be described ; (3) the Phrygian region of the province Galatia ; (4) Asia, where preaching was forbidden, was traversed transversely to its north- western point after an unsuccessful effort to enter the province Bithynia for missionary purposes. Between Cilicia and Derbe the great realm of Antiochus is omitted from the narrative, as being a non-Roman territory and out of Paul's plans.
Derbe and Lystra are grouped together as a Region, but the author dwells only on Lystra. The only reason why they are grouped together and separated from the districts that precede and follow, lies in the Roman classi- fication, which made them a group. But in order to mark that Lystra alone is referred to in the sequel, the historian repeats the preposition before it : " he came to Derbe and to Lystra ".
In v. 2 Lystra and Iconium are grouped together as the district where Timothy was well known. It is implied that he was not known at Derbe. This again is true to the facts of commerce and intercourse. Lystra is much nearer Iconium than it is to Derbe ; and geographically, Lystra goes along with Iconium, while Derbe goes with Laranda and that part of Lycaonia. Neither blood nor Roman classification could prevent commerce from running in its natural channels (XIV 19). The nearest city to Iconium was Lystra, and the nearest to Lystra was Iconium ; and the relations between them must always be close.