And we have sent with him the brother, whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches;
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Cornelius a Lapide
AD 1637
And we have sent with him the brother whose praise is in the Gospel. Barnabas, whose praise is in the preaching of the Gospel. He was ordained as S. Paul"s companion ( Acts 13:3) (Theodoret, Chrysostom, Å’cumenius); but since Barnabas and Paul were now separated, and Silas had taken S. Barnabas" place at S. Paul"s side ( Acts 15:40), it is better with Baronius to take the reference as being to Silas, or, with Anselm and Jerome, to Luke. S. Paul calls him brother, not Apostle, and this applies better to S. Luke , who wrote a Gospel, and was the inseparable companion of S. Paul. S. Ignatius, writing to the Ephesians , assigned this eulogy to Luke in the words: "As Luke testifies, whose praise is in the Gospel."
Brother, whose praise is in the gospel, through all the Churches. It may either signify in writing or in preaching the gospel, so that though St. Jerome expound this of St. Luke, who wrote his gospel, (but probably not till after this time) yet St. Chrysostom rather understands it of Barnabas, by the words that follow, who was ordained by the Churches companion of our travels. Others also guess it might be Silas or Silvanus. Who the third brother was, is also uncertain. (Witham)
Commentators very in their opinions upon the person here mentioned. St. Chrysostom and Theo. are of opinion, that this person is St. Luke or Barnabas; St. Jerome also thinks that it must be St. Luke the evangelist.
Our Lord and God, Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, first did and then taught, as Luke testifies, "whose praise is in the Gospel through all the Churches."
And who is this brother? Some indeed say, Luke, because of the history which he wrote, but some, Barnabas; for he calls the unwritten preaching also Gospel. And for what cause does he not mention their names; while he both makes Titus known see also 2 Corinthians 8:23 by name, and praises him for his cooperation in the Gospel, (seeing that he was so useful that by reason of his absence even Paul could do nothing great and noble; for, because I found not Titus my brother, I had no relief for my spirit, 2 Corinthians 2:13) and for his love towards them, (for, says he, his inward affection is more abundant towards you; 2 Corinthians 7:15) and for his zeal in this matter (for, he says, of his own accord he went)? But these he neither equally commends, nor mentions by name? What then is one to say? Perhaps they did not know them; wherefore he does not dwell upon their praises because as yet they had had no experience of them, but only says so much as was sufficient for their commendation un...
Who is this famous brother? Some say it is Luke because of the history which he wrote, but others say it was Barnabas because Paul also calls unwritten preaching the gospel. Why does he not mention him by name? Perhaps it was because the Corinthians did not know him personally, and Paul was content to say only enough to allay any possible suspicion of him at Corinth. Notice that the man was praised for his preaching.
