Knowing The Word in 2 Corinthians 8:18-19, Timothy, Apollos, Luke?

18 With him we are sending the brother who is famous among all the churches for his preaching of the gospel. 19 And not only that, but he has been appointed by the churches to travel with us as we carry out this act of grace that is being ministered by us, for the glory of the Lord himself and to show our good will.

Who is this mysterious brother? The top three choices are Timothy, Apollos, and Luke. We, however, cannot be certain. Why are these men the top candidates? According to F. F. Bruce in The Pauline Circle, there was none closer to Paul than Timothy, whose name appears with Paul’s in the superscription of six of his letters. Paul had other companions when he sent these letters, but Timothy’s name is associated with his own because Timothy shared in his ministry. Apollos was part of the large Jewish community in Alexandria, Egypt. He was a man of culture with a mastery of the Hebrew scriptures and a fellow proclaimer of Jesus as Messiah. Luke was the scribe, scholars think, of more of Paul’s letters than anyone else. He also wrote a gospel and Acts of the Apostles, making him the most prolific writer in the New Testament, and an important friend to Paul.

May the God of love who is the source of all our affection for each other formed here on earth take our friendships into his keeping, that they may continue and increase throughout life and beyond it, in Jesus Christ our Lord.

William Temple, former Archbishop of Canterbury, 1881-1944