May - Reading 9

Thank you Clint for the answer to my question - I am posting it here in case anyone else wondered about it.
Member # 2843 posted 11-05-2003 12:05 AM
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18And we are sending along with him the brother who is praised by all the churches for his service to the gospel.
Dear Clint,
Who is the brother refered to in this verse? Bible reading 9th May 2003
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Clint Kritzer

Member # 1797 posted 11-05-2003 03:31 AM
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Good question, Gwyneth!

The research I did shows that we can only guess to whom Paul is referring.

Abbot's commentary says this:

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2Co 8:18. The brother, whose praise, &c. It is not known to whom Paul here refers. Some conjecture that it was Luke; others, Mark; others, Silas or Barnabas.

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Barnes:

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2Co 8:18
Verse 18. And we have sent with him the brother. It has been generally supposed that this anonymous brother was Luke. Some have supposed, however, that it was Mark; others that it was Silas or Barnabas. It is impossible to determine with certainty who it was; nor is it material to know. Whoever it was, it was some one well known, in whom the church at Corinth could have entire confidence. It is remarkable that though Paul mentions him again, 2Co 12:18, he does it also in the same manner, without specifying his name. The only circumstances that can throw any light on this are,
(1.) that Luke was the companion and intimate friend of Paul, and attended him in his travels. From Ac 16:10-11, where Luke uses the term "we," it appears that he was with Paul when he first went into Macedonia; and, from Ac 16:16, it is clear that he went with Paul to Philippi. From Ac 17:1, where Luke alters his style, and uses the
term "they," it is evident that he did not accompany Paul and Silas when they went to Thessalonica, but either remained at Philippi, or
departed to some other place, he did not join them again until they went to Troas, on the way to Jerusalem, Ac 20:5. In what manner
Luke spent the interval is not known. Macknight supposes that it might have been in multiplying copies of his gospel for the use of the churches. Perhaps also he might have been engaged in eaching, and in services like that in the case before us.
(2.) It seems probable that Luke is the person referred to by the phrase, "whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches."
This would be more likely to be applied to one who had written a gospel, or a life of the Redeemer, that had been extensively
circulated, than to any other person. Still it is by no means certain that he is the person here referred to, nor is it of material
consequence.

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Jamieson/Fausset/Brown:

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2Co 8:18
18. the brother, whose praise is in the gospel--whose praise is known in connection with the Gospel: Luke may be meant; not that
"the Gospel" here refers to his written Gospel; but the language implies some one well known throughout the churches, and at that time with Paul, as Luke then was (Ac 20:6). Not a Macedonian, as appears from 2Co 9:4. Of all Paul's "companions in travel" (2Co 8:19; Ac 19:29), Luke was the most prominent, having been his companion in preaching the Gospel at his first entrance into Europe (Ac 16:10).
The fact that the person here referred to was "chosen of the churches" as their trustee to travel with Paul in conveying the contribution to Jerusalem, implies that he had resided among them
some time before: this is true of Luke, who after parting from Paul at Philippi (as he marks by the change from "we" to "they," Ac 16:11) six years before, is now again found in his company in Macedonia. In the interim he had probably become so well known that "his praise was throughout all the churches." Compare 2Co 12:18; Phm 1:24. He who is faithful in the Gospel will be faithful also in matters of inferior importance [BENGEL].

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People's New Testament:

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2Co 8:18
We have sent with him the brother. Two brethren are sent with Titus. These are not named, and we can only conjecture who they were. As 2Co 8:19 says that he "was chosen of the churches to travel with us in this grace," and as Ac 20:4 says that the Macedonian brethren, Sopater, Aristarchus and Secundus did travel with him to Jerusalem, one of these is probably meant. Many have held that Luke was the person, nor is this improbable.

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