Concerning our brother Apollos, I greatly desired him to come unto you with the brethren: but his will was not at all to come at this time; but he will come when he shall have opportunity.
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Ambrosiaster
AD 400
Paul is hinting that Apollos did not want to go to Corinth because the church there was divided, in the hope that when they heard this they would be eager to make peace. Apollos would come when the church reached agreement. Commentary on Paul’s Epistles.
Apollos was the bishop of Corinth, but he had left the church on account of its divisions and gone to be with Paul. He would not go back with the letter, because he did not want to return until the divisions were healed. .
As to our brother. St. Paul here makes an apology for sending Timothy to them, who was a young man, and not so renowned for eloquence and sanctity as Apollo, informing them that Apollo did not wish to come, perhaps on account of the commotions that were at Corinth on his account. (Estius)
Apollos was probably older than Timothy, and some at Corinth may have wondered why Paul did not send him instead. Therefore, Paul reassures them by calling Apollos his brother and by saying that he did try to encourage him to go, but he did not want to at that particular point. Paul did not mean to criticize Apollos when he said this. He merely meant that the time was not right for him to come.
This man appears to have been both well-educated and also older than Timothy. Lest they should say then, For what possible reason did he not send the man grown, but the youth instead of him? observe how he softens down this point also, both calling him a brother, and saying that he had besought him much. For lest he should seem to have held Timothy in higher honor than him and to have exalted him more, and on this account not to have sent him, and cause their envy to burst out more abundantly, he adds, I besought him much to come. What then: did not the other yield nor consent? Did he resist and show himself contentious? He says not this, but that he might not excite prejudice against him, and also might make excuse for himself, he says, and it was not at all his will to come now. Then to prevent their saying that all this was an excuse and pretence, he added, but he will come to you when he shall have opportunity. This was both an excuse for him, and a refreshment to them who desired ...
