Prochorus is a biblical figure who is mentioned by name only twice in the New Testament. He was one of the seven men appointed by the apostles to oversee the distribution of food in the early church in Jerusalem (Acts 6:5). He later became a companion of the Apostle Paul on some of his missionary journeys.
Here is what we know about Prochorus from the Bible:
He was one of the Seven Deacons appointed in Acts 6
In Acts 6, we read about how the early Christian community in Jerusalem grew rapidly after Pentecost. As more and more people became believers, an issue arose regarding the equitable distribution of food to Greek-speaking and Hebrew-speaking widows. The twelve apostles were being consumed with preaching and teaching, so they summoned the community and asked them to choose seven men to appoint over this matter. The only qualification given was that these men should be “of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom” (Acts 6:3).
Prochorus was one of the seven men chosen by the community. The other six were Stephen, Philip, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas (Acts 6:5). The apostles prayed over these seven men and “laid their hands on them” – thus appointing them to oversee the distribution of food. The Greek word used to describe their role is diakonos, which is where we get the English word “deacon.” So these seven men, including Prochorus, were likely the first official deacons appointed in church history.
He accompanied Paul on some of his missionary journeys
The next time we read about Prochorus is in Acts 16, as Paul embarks on his second missionary journey. The passage simply states: “Paul chose Silas and departed, having been commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches. Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek. He was well spoken of by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered to them for observance the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem. So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily. And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing pleading with him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. So, setting sail from Troas, we made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city some days. And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us. As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. She followed Paul and us, crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour. But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers. And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, “These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city. They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice.” The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods. And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened. When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God. But when it was day, the magistrates sent the police, saying, “Let those men go.” And the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent to let you go. Therefore come out now and go in peace.” But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us publicly, uncondemned, men who are Roman citizens, and have thrown us into prison; and do they now throw us out secretly? No! Let them come themselves and take us out.” The police reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens. So they came and apologized to them. And they took them out and asked them to leave the city. So they went out of the prison and visited Lydia. And when they had seen the brothers, they encouraged them and departed.” (Acts 16:1-40 ESV)
This extensive passage recounts Paul’s second missionary journey as he and his companions traveled through modern-day Turkey and Greece. The passage starts by mentioning Paul choosing Silas to go with him. But then in verse 10, the author suddenly starts using the pronoun “we” instead of “they”, indicating that the author was now part of Paul’s travel party. This has led many scholars to believe that the author of Acts joined Paul’s group in Troas during this second missionary journey. The author of Acts is traditionally considered to be Luke, and he does use “we” language in certain sections of Acts where he seems to be recounting his own involvement in the story.
So if Luke was the author of Acts and joined Paul in Troas as the “we” passages suggest, it means Luke became part of Paul’s ministry team starting with the second missionary journey. And given that Prochorus is listed alongside Luke’s name in Colossians 4, it seems probable that Prochorus may have also joined Paul’s entourage around the same time as Luke did. So while the text does not explicitly say Prochorus traveled with Paul, the circumstantial evidence points in that direction.
He was with Paul in Rome at the end of Acts
The last mention of Prochorus comes at the very end of the book of Acts. In Acts 28:11-16, Paul and his companions finally arrive in Rome after Paul appeals his case to Caesar. Verse 16 mentions “When we came into Rome, Paul was allowed to stay by himself, with the soldier who guarded him.” Again, “we” indicates that Luke was part of this group that accompanied Paul to Rome. And Paul was allowed to stay in his own rented house for two years under a sort of house arrest, during which time he welcomed visitors.
It is likely during this two-year Roman house imprisonment that Paul wrote his letters to the Ephesians, the Philippians, the Colossians, and Philemon. And in his letter to the Colossians, Paul sends greetings from several companions who are with him, including Luke and Prochorus:
Luke the beloved physician greets you, as does Demas. Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house. And when this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea. And say to Archippus, “See that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord.” I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you. (Colossians 4:14-18 ESV)
So when Paul wrote Colossians from Rome, Prochorus was with him, along with Luke and several other fellow workers. This means Prochorus likely accompanied Paul all the way to Rome as part of his ministry team.
Summary of Prochorus
In summary, here is what we know about Prochorus from Scripture:
- He was one of the seven deacons appointed in Acts 6 to oversee the distribution of food in the Jerusalem church
- He likely joined Paul’s ministry team as a companion on his second missionary journey around 50-51 AD
- He traveled extensively with Paul around the Roman Empire building up and establishing churches
- He accompanied Paul to Rome when Paul appealed his case to Caesar around 60-61 AD
- He was still with Paul in Rome during Paul’s house imprisonment when Colossians was written around 60-62 AD
So although he is not mentioned extensively, Prochorus clearly played an important role in the early Christian movement as one of the first deacons and as a trusted companion of the Apostle Paul. He helped distribute food to the needy, plant churches, and spread the gospel message throughout the Roman world.
Extra-biblical Traditions about Prochorus
There are some extra-biblical sources and traditions about Prochorus that developed in the early church after the close of the New Testament canon. However, these must be viewed as legends or traditions rather than historically reliable facts about Prochorus. Some of these traditions include:
- Prochorus was one of the Seventy Disciples sent out by Jesus in Luke 10 in addition to being one of the seven deacons.
- He was the brother of Nicander and Nicolaus who are mentioned in Acts 6.
- He became the bishop of Nicomedia in Bithynia.
- He was martyred in Antioch.
- He wrote the Acts of the Apostle John.
- He was the scribe or amanuensis of the Apostle John and wrote the Gospel of John based on John’s dictation.
However, none of these traditions can be conclusively verified from existing historical records. The church fathers Irenaeus and Eusebius mention some of these traditions, but there is no way to fully validate them. So while they provide interesting legendary material about Prochorus, the biblical texts themselves give us the only completely reliable information about him.
The meaning of the name Prochorus
The name Prochorus is Greek and comes from the root words pro meaning “before” or “first” and khoros meaning “choir leader” or “dance leader.” So his name carries the idea of being first or leading the chorus/dance. Appropriately, he was part of the first group of seven men appointed to leadership positions in the Jerusalem church. The meaning of his name may signify the importance of his role in the early church.
Lessons from the life of Prochorus
Although only a few details are known about him, Prochorus exemplifies several important virtues and qualities that modern Christians can learn from:
- Faithfulness – He faithfully carried out his duties as a deacon caring for the widows’ needs.
- Service – He willingly served the apostles in practical needs like distribution of food and finances.
- Sacrifice – He left his home and livelihood to join Paul’s team in spreading the gospel.
- Commitment – He stuck with Paul’s ministry for many years through difficult journeys.
- Humility – There is no evidence he sought prestige or power. He quietly served in the background.
- Teamwork – He worked alongside other leaders like Luke and Silas in unity.
In an age where so many Christian leaders fall into sin, abuse power, or fight among themselves, Prochorus provides an inspiring example of quiet, steady service for the sake of the gospel. As one writer put it, “The path of humble service and laboring in the background is a path that the Lord highly values.” Followers of Christ today would do well to imitate the selfless service and supporting role that Prochorus fulfilled.
The life of Prochorus provides a powerful lesson that not all ministry involves preaching or public prominence. There is great value in behind-the-scenes service that aids the more visible leaders. Prochorus reminds us that whether up front or in the background, all are needed for the church to fulfill its mission.