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Acts 19:22
So he sent into Macedonia two of them that ministered unto him, Timotheus and Erastus; but he himself stayed in Asia for a season.

Romans 16:23
Gaius mine host, and of the whole church, saluteth you. Erastus the chamberlain of the city saluteth you, and Quartus a brother.

Trophimus.

Acts 20:4
And there accompanied him into Asia Sopater of Berea; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timotheus; and of Asia, Tychicus and Trophimus.

Acts 21:29
(For they had seen before with him in the city Trophimus an Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.)

Miletum.

Acts 20:15,17
And we sailed thence, and came the nextday over against Chios; and the nextday we arrived at Samos, and tarried at Trogyllium; and the nextday we came to Miletus…

Miletus.

Philippians 2:26,27
For he longed after you all, and was full of heaviness, because that ye had heard that he had been sick…

and Trophimus I left sick in Miletus
Trophimus was a Gentile believer from Ephesus, as noted inActs 21:29, where his presence with Paul in Jerusalem caused a stir among the Jews. Miletus was a coastal city in Asia Minor, near Ephesus, and served as a significant port and trade center. Paul's decision to leave Trophimus sick in Miletus reflects the reality of human frailty and illness, even among faithful servants of God. It also indicates that miraculous healings were not always the norm, even in the apostolic age. This situation may have tested the faith and patience of both Trophimus and the early church, reminding believers of the importance of trusting God's sovereignty in all circumstances.

Paul closes his last letter, written from a Roman dungeon, with very down-to-earth travel notes (2 Timothy 4:9-22). These personal lines are not filler; they remind us that the gospel advances through real people in real places, not abstract ideals.Acts 19:21-22 andActs 20:1-6 show the same blend of mission strategy and friendship.

• Erastus was already a trusted coworker.Acts 19:22 records Paul sending “Timothy and Erastus ahead into Macedonia.”

•Romans 16:23 identifies him as “the city treasurer,” proof that believers served Christ while holding influential civic posts. The inscription archaeologists found in Corinth confirming an Erastus who “laid this pavement at his own expense” further supports the literal accuracy of Scripture.

• By staying in Corinth, Erastus helped stabilize the church that Paul had once pastored for eighteen months (Acts 18:11). Corinth still needed mature leadership, as 1 Corinthians and 2 Corinthians reveal.

• Paul’s decision shows flexibility: sometimes the Spirit directs coworkers to stay put rather than travel (cf.Titus 1:5, where Titus is left in Crete “to set in order what was lacking”).

• Trophimus, a believer from the province of Asia, traveled with Paul on the third missionary journey (Acts 20:4). Later, Jews falsely accused Paul of bringing him into the temple (Acts 21:27-29), underscoring his close association with the apostle.

• Despite God having used Paul to perform “extraordinary miracles” at Ephesus (Acts 19:11-12), Trophimus was not instantly healed. Scripture presents both divine healing and temporary illness without contradiction (Philippians 2:25-30;1 Timothy 5:23).

• Miletus, a port about thirty miles south of Ephesus (Acts 20:15-17), would have had resources for medical care and rest. Luke, “the beloved physician” (Colossians 4:14), may still have been traveling with Paul and could minister practically.

• God’s sovereignty over sickness teaches humility. Healing is His gift, not a guarantee we can command.James 5:14-16 urges prayer and anointing but leaves the outcome to the Lord’s will.

• Faithful workers sometimes stay behind; others press on. Either path honors Christ when obeying His call (Ephesians 2:10).

• Illness does not equal lack of faith. Even apostolic companions suffered; believers today can trust God in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:7-10).

• Practical compassion—making sure someone sick has lodging, care, and fellowship—is part of gospel ministry (Matthew 25:36).

• Personal details in Scripture anchor doctrine in history, assuring us that the Bible records verifiable events (Luke 1:1-4).

2 Timothy 4:20 shows Paul’s real-world ministry decisions: Erastus stayed in Corinth to serve a needy congregation, while Trophimus remained in Miletus, recovering under God’s care. These brief comments affirm that Christian service can mean staying or going, health or sickness, yet in every circumstance Christ directs His people and His Word stands true.

Another "Eastus" appears among those who ministered to St. Paul at Ephesus (Acts 19:22). Him St. Paul sent on missionary work into Macedonia. There were, therefore, among St. Paul's friends two men of this name: the one a resident official personage at Corinth; the other one of that band who journeyed hither and thither for the propagation of the faith.

But Trophimus have I left at Miletum sick.--Trophimus, a Gentile Christian, who was with St. Paul on his third missionary journey, and whom the Apostle was accused of taking into the Temple at Jerusalem. It was this accusation on the part of the Jews which led to St. Paul's arrest which preceded his first long imprisonment. The event here alluded to must have taken place some timeafter the Apostle's release from the first imprisonment, A.D. 63, and, probably, in the course of his last journey, shortly before his second arrest and imprisonment at Rome, about A.D. 66.

Miletus (not "Miletum"), a seaport of Caria, about thirty miles from Ephesus, once a city of great renown, whence, it is said, eighty colonies had proceeded; but in the days of St. Paul its glories were already on the wane. It is now famous only for its vast ruined theatre. (SeeActs 20:15.)

It has been suggested that this mention of Trophimus was intended to clear him of any neglect. "Erastus," wrote the Apostle, "remained at Corinth;but Trophimus' reason for not coming to Rome was his sickness."