76 stanley e. porter
even in relationship to 2 timothy—to say nothing of his simply dismiss-
ing 1 timothy and titus as pseudepigraphal, whereas he considers the evi-
dence of 2 timothy. in other words, he makes fit what he can, but does
not satisfactorily explain everything.
Wolfgang metzger offers an even more detailed and robust explana-
tion, going into detail regarding all of the possible lines of personal con-
nection regarding the Pastoral epistles. he rejects that Paul went to spain
but argues instead that he traveled around the aegean.27 marshall gives a
cogent summary of metzger’s contention:
Paul sent titus to Crete, and then instructed him to come to nicoplis, timo-
thy went with Paul who intended to send him to ephesus (from an intended
stop at miletus). tychicus was summoned from ephesus to tell Paul on the
ship what was happening at ephesus. artemas joined Paul and was to be
sent to Crete to relieve titus. Paul then visited Crete to see the existing
churches and saw for himself the needs. he sent a messenger from miletus
to ephesus to say that he was not coming and was sending timothy instead.
the news from tychicus allowed Paul to write 1 tim. But Paul still hoped to
visit ephesus. however, he feared arrest in ephesus in view of past events,
and so from troas he wrote 1 tim and titus. then he journeyed through
macedonia to nicopolis. from here he sent titus to dalmatia. he then went
to Corinth. he still wished to see ephesus and went across to miletus, where
he was arrested as a result of the activity of alexander, and was sent to
rome. he saw timothy briefly. luke and tychicus went with him, but tro-
phimus was left at miletus. he reached rome, where onesiphorus traveled
separately to meet him (and died).... here Paul wrote 2 timothy, and then
came the end.28
Whereas metzger’s reconstruction covers all of the major data, though
virtually always following the standard interpretation of the relevant data
from the Pastoral epistles, and creates a theoretically plausible account,
there is little to no basis for this reconstruction being correct—especially
when he speculates regarding unknown trips and communications
between Paul and others.
there is enough evidence from extra-biblical writers to suggest the
validity of Paul’s second roman imprisonment, even if his trip to spain
is less certain. however, there is little within the Pastoral epistles them-
selves, apart from some references in 2 timothy regarding Paul and his
death—and even that is debatable—to indicate any kind of travel itinerary
27 Wolfgang metzger, Die letzte Reise des Apostels Paulus: Beobachtungen und Erwägun-
gen zu seinem Itinerar nach den Pastoralbriefen (stuttgart: Calwer, 1976), 29–59.
28 marshall, Pastoral Epistles, 69–70. i have examined metzger but find marshall’s sum-
mary clear and concise.