Trophimus

TROPHIMUS, a Disciple of St. Paul, a Gentile by Religion, and an Ephesian by Birth. After St. Paul had converted him, he adhered constantly to him, nor quitted him ever after. He came from Ephesus to Corinth with the Apostle, and kept him company in his whole Journey from Corinth to Jerusalem, in the Year of our Lord 58. When St. Paul was in the Temple there, the Jews laid hold of him, crying out, Men of Israel, help; this is the man that teacheth all men every where against the people, and the Acts xxi. 28, 29.law, and this place; and farther, brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place. And this they said, because certain Jews of Ephesus having seen Trophimus with St. Paul in the City, whom they looked upon as a Gentile, imagined that St. Paul had introduced him into the Temple. The whole City was immediately in an Uproar, and St. Paul was secured, as we have said before, under his Article. It is very probable that Trophimus followed him to Rome, and forsook him not in his Bonds. It is pretended, that after the Apostle had obtained his Liberty, in the Year 63, he went into Spain; and that passing through the Country of the Gauls, he left Trophimus at Arles, as Bishop there. See Baronius in the Year 62, Sect. 4. But this is very difficult to reconcile with what St. Paul writes to 2 Tim. iv. 20.Timothy, that he had left Trophimus sick at Miletus. Trophimus must necessarily have gone back into Asia, about a Year after that St. Paul had left him at Arles. The Greeks keep April 14. in honour of Trophimus, and say he had his Head cut off by the Command of Nero, along with St. Paul. Those of Arles keep his Feast on the 29th Day of December.

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