Sopater
“Savior of his father”
Summary
A Christian from Berea who accompanied Paul on his return journey from Greece to Asia during the third missionary journey.
☩Companion of Paul
Sopater, son of Pyrrhus from Berea, was one of several companions who accompanied Paul as he returned from Greece into Asia after his third missionary journey. The group included Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius of Derbe, Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus from Asia. They went ahead and waited for Paul at Troas.
☩Possible Delegate
It has been conjectured that Sopater and the other companions mentioned were delegates from their respective churches, appointed to accompany Paul as he carried the offering collected 'for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem.' If so, Sopater would have been the representative of the Berean church, those noble believers who 'received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily.'
☩Identity with Sosipater
Sopater is probably the same person as Sosipater mentioned in Romans 16:21, where Paul calls him a 'kinsman' (fellow Jew). The name Sosipater is simply the fuller form of Sopater. If this identification is correct, Sopater was with Paul in Corinth when the epistle to the Romans was written.
Related Verses1 mention
Acts· 1 verse
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Sopater," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. IX (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Hastings (ed.), "Sopater," in Dictionary of the Apostolic Church, vol. II (T. & T. Clark, 1915–1918).