Paul was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia.
Paul had stayed at Ephesus longer than anywhere since his ordination, and now Providence itself, in the form of this disturbance, showed him it was time to move on. He did not flee in panic but took solemn leave of the disciples, strengthening them at his departure. The world would need far more books to record all that was worthy in his travels.
AI summary
Commenting on Acts 20:1-6
And there accompanied him into Asia Sopater of Berea,.... This Sopater is thought to be the same with Sosipater in Rom 16:21 and in three of Beza's copies, and in as many of Stephens's, he is so called here; the Ethiopic version calls him Peter, a citizen of Berea; and the Arabic version Sopater of Aleppo.
Verse 4. And there accompanied him. It was usual for some of the disciples to attend the apostles in their journeys. Into Asia. It is not meant that they attended him from Greece through Macedonia; but that they went with him to Asia, having gone before him, and joined him at Troas. Sopater of Berea.