Acts 15:41
Went through ( διηρχετο ). Imperfect middle. So Paul went forth on his second mission tour with heart-aches and high hopes mingled together.Syria and Cilicia ( την Συριαν κα την Κιλικιαν ). He took the opposite course from the first tour, leaving Cyprus to Barnabas and Mark. Probably Paul had established these churches while in Tarsus after leaving Jerusalem (Ac 9:30; Ga 1:21). Paul would go "by the Gulf of Issus through the Syrian Gates, a narrow road between steep rocks and the sea, and then inland, probably past Tarsus and over Mt. Taurus by the Cilician gates" (Page). This second tour will occupy Luke's story in Acts through 18:22.
Acts 16:1
And he came also to Derbe and Lystra ( κατηντησεν δε κα εις Δερβην κα εις Λυστραν ). First aorist active of κατανταω, late verb to come down to, to arrive at. He struck Derbe first of the places in the first tour which was the last city reached then.Timothy ( Τιμοθεος ). Apparently a native of Lystra ("there," εκε ), his Hebrew mother named Eunice and grandmother Lois (2Ti 1:5) and his Greek father's name not known. He may have been a proselyte, but not necessarily so as Timothy was taught the Scriptures by his mother and grandmother (2Ti 3:15), and, if a proselyte, he would have had Timothy circumcised. It is idle to ask if Paul came on purpose to get Timothy to take Mark's place. Probably Timothy was about eighteen years of age, a convert of Paul's former visit a few years before (1Ti 1:2) and still young twelve years later (1Ti 4:12). Paul loved him devotedly (1Ti 1:3; 5:23; 2Ti 3:15; Php 2:19f.). It is a glorious discovery to find a real young preacher for Christ's work.
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