SECOND EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. 187 



suffered persecutions in the three cities, his persecutions at 

 which are appealed to in the epistle ; and not only so, but 

 to have suffered these persecutions both in immediate suc- 

 cession, and in the order in which the cities are mentioned 

 in the epistle. The conformity also extends to another cir- 

 cumstance. In the apostolic history, Lystra and Derbe are 

 commonly mentioned together : in the quotation from the 

 epistle, Lystra is mentioned, and not Derbe. And the dis- 

 tinction will appear on this occasion to be accurate, for St. 

 Paul is here enumerating his persecutions : and although he 

 underwent grievous persecutions in each of the three cities 

 through which he passed to Derbe, at Derbe itself he met 

 with none : "The next day he departed," says the historian, 

 "to Derbe; and when they had preached the gospel to that 

 city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra." 

 The epistle, therefore, in the names of the cities, in the order 

 in which they are enumerated, and in the place at which the 

 enumeration stops, corresponds exactly with the history. 



But a second question remains, namely, how these per- 

 secutions were "known" to Timothy, or why the apostle 

 should recall these in particular to his remembrance, rather 

 than many other persecutions with which his ministry had 

 been attended. When some time, probably three year? 

 afterwards, (vide Pearson's "Annales Paulinas,") St. Paul 

 made a second journey through the same country, "in order 

 to go again and visit the brethren in every city where he 

 had preached the word of the Lord," we read. Acts 16:1, 

 that when "he came to Derbe and Lystra, behold, a certain 

 disciple was there, named Timotheus." One or other, there- 

 fore, of these cities Avas the place of Timothy's abode. We 

 read; moreover, that he was well reported of by the brethren 

 that were at Lystra and Iconium ; so that he must have 

 been well acquainted with these places. Also again, when 

 Paul came to Derbe and Lystra, Timothy was already a 

 disciple: "Behold, a certain disciple was there, named 

 Timotheus." He must therefore have been converted be 



