Secundus is a name found in the King James Bible, appearing 1 time in the text.
Who This Was
Secundus was a Christian man from Thessalonica who is named among the companions of the Apostle Paul during a journey recorded in the Book of Acts. He appears in the account of Paul’s travels as the apostle moved from Macedonia toward Asia, part of a larger company of believers accompanying him on the road. The text presents him simply as one of “the Thessalonians,” alongside Aristarchus, which places him within the community of faith that had been established in Thessalonica during Paul’s earlier missionary work there.
His single appearance in Scripture comes in Acts 20:4, where the writer lists those who traveled with Paul: “And there accompanied him into Asia Sopater of Berea; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timotheus; and of Asia, Tychicus and Trophimus.” In this list, Secundus is identified by both his city of origin and his name, distinguishing him from the others in the party. The passage does not record any words he spoke, any act he performed, or any particular role he filled beyond being present with Paul and the other believers on this journey.
What Scripture says of Secundus, then, is brief but concrete: he was a Thessalonian Christian who accompanied Paul as the apostle made his way toward Asia. He is numbered among a group of named disciples whose loyalty and companionship are preserved in the sacred record, even though the details of his service remain unknown to us.
The Name
The name Secundus is Latin rather than Hebrew or Greek, and its meaning is well established: it derives from the Latin word *secundus*, meaning “second.” In the Roman world it was a common name, often given to a second-born son or used simply as an ordinary personal name. It is not a name whose meaning must be guessed at or recovered from obscure roots; the sense of “second” is clear and widely recognized. That a man from Thessalonica—a city in Macedonia with strong Roman cultural influence—bore a Latin name is unsurprising and reflects the mixed cultural setting of the early Christian communities in that region.
A Closing Thought
Secundus is one of those quiet figures in Scripture who appear only once, named in a travel list, with no recorded words or deeds. Yet his presence in that company matters. He was willing to leave home and journey with Paul toward Asia, sharing in the cost and uncertainty of the road. Most of us will never be remembered for a single dramatic act of faith. Like Secundus, we are simply called to show up, to walk alongside those who carry the gospel, and to be counted among the faithful. A name in a list can be a life well spent.
At a Glance
- Gender: Male
- Testament: New
- Mentions in the KJV: 1
Where It Appears in Scripture
- Acts 20:4 — And there accompanied him into Asia Sopater of Berea; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timotheus; and of Asia, Tychicus and Trophimus.