In 1 Corinthians Paul anticipates the arrival of Timothy in Corinth (4:17; 16:10). In 2

Corinthians Paul records the return of Titus from Corinth (2 Cor. 7:6-16). There are

strong reasons to believe that the visit of Timothy to Corinth was one and the

same as the visit of Titus. See my paper.(1) Udo Borse advanced similar

arguments, but (unnecessarily) equated the letter of tears with 1 Corinthians.(2)

The following sequence is proposed:

After hearing alarming news from Corinth (probably

from Chloe's people) Paul sent Titus-Timothy and

Erastus to Macedonia with instructions to proceed

to Corinth. Timothy probably carried the tearful letter.

"So he sent two of his helpers, Timothy and

Erastus, to Macedonia, while he himself stayed for

sometime longer in Asia." (Acts 19:22)

"I urged Titus to go, and I sent the brother with him"

(2 Cor. 12:18)

Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus arrive in

Ephesus with reassuring news from Corinth.

"I rejoice at the coming of Stephanas and

Fortunatus and Achaicus, because they have

made up for your absence; for they refreshed my

spirit.." (1 Cor. 1617)

Paul wrote 1 Corinthians, which was delivered

to Corinth.

Titus-Timothy finally arrived in Corinth.

"If/whenever Timothy comes, see that he has

nothing to fear among you, for he is doing the

work of the lord just as I am" (1 Cor 16:10)

"In addition to our own consolation, we rejoiced

still more at the joy of Titus, because his mind

has been set at rest by all of you. For if I have

been somewhat boastful about you to him, I was

not disgraced; but just as everything we said to

you was true, so our boasting to Titus has proved

true as well. And his heart goes out all the more

to you, as he remembers the obedience of all of

you, and how you welcomed him with fear and

trembling." (2 Cor. 7:13-15)

Paul left Ephesus and went to the Troad.

Titus-Timothy was not able to meet up with Paul

in either Ephesus or the Troad.

"I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost" (1 Cor.

16:8)

"When I came to the Troad to proclaim the good

news of Christ, a door was opened for me in the

Lord; but my mind could not rest because I did

not find my brother Titus there" (2 Cor. 2:12-13)

Paul continued to Macedonia and Titus-Timothy

met him there.

"So I said farewell to them and went on to

Macedonia" (2 Cor. 2:13)

"For even when we came into Macedonia, our

bodies had no rest..." (2 Cor. 7:5)

"But God, who consoles the downcast, consoled

us by the arrival of Titus" (2 Cor. 7:6)

Paul wrote 2 Corinthians and sent it with Titus

and two others (2 Cor. 8:16-23).

Footnote: it is sometimes suggested that Timothy is part of the 'we' of 2 Corinthians

7:13 and 7:14b. If this were the case, he could not be Titus. However, the 'we' here

probably refers to Paul alone, as the singular in 7:14a suggests. It is well known

that Paul sometimes or frequently used the first person plural to refer to himself

alone. James Moulton wrote: "examples from late Greek literature and from papyrus

letters, which prove beyond all possible doubt that I and we chased each other

throughout these documents without rhyme or reason."(3)

(1) ‘Was Titus Timothy?’, JSNT 81 (2001) 33-58

(2) U. Borse, ‘Tränenbrief und 1. Korintherbrief’, Studien zum Neuen Testament und

Seiner Umwelt 9 (1984), pp. 175-202.

(3) J.H. Moulton, A Grammar of New Testament Greek, vol.1 (third edition;

Edinburgh; Clark, 1908) 86, citing K. Dick, Der schriftstellerische Plural bei Paulus

(1900).

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