Acts 20
20
Paul in Macedonia
1After the uproar was over, Paul sent for the disciples, encouraged them, and after saying farewell, departed to go to Macedonia.#Ac 11:26; 16:9; 19:21; 2Co 2:12–13 2And when he had passed through those areas and offered them many words of encouragement, he came to Greece 3and stayed three months. The Jews plotted against him when he was about to set sail for Syria, and so he decided to go back through Macedonia.#Ac 9:23; 20:19; 23:12; 25:3; 2Co 11:26 4He was accompanied#20:4 Other mss add to Asia by Sopater son of Pyrrhus#20:4 Other mss omit son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy,#Ac 14:6; 16:1; 17:1; 19:29 and Tychicus#Eph 6:21; Col 4:7; 2Tm 4:12; Ti 3:12 and Trophimus#Ac 21:29; 2Tm 4:20 from the province of Asia. 5These men went on ahead and waited for us in Troas,#Ac 16:8,10; 20:6–8,13–15 6but we sailed away from Philippi after the Festival of Unleavened Bread.#Ex 12:14–15; 23:15 In five days we reached them at Troas, where we spent seven days.
Eutychus Revived at Troas
7On the first day of the week, we assembled to break bread.#Ac 2:42; 1Co 10:16 Paul spoke to them, and since he was about to depart the next day, he kept on talking until midnight. 8There were many lamps in the room upstairs where we were assembled, 9and a young man named Eutychus was sitting on a window sill and sank into a deep sleep as Paul kept on talking. When he was overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and was picked up dead. 10But Paul went down, bent over him, embraced him, and said, “Don’t be alarmed, because he’s alive.”#1Kg 17:21; 2Kg 4:34; Mt 9:23–24; Mk 5:39 11After going upstairs, breaking the bread, and eating, Paul talked a long time until dawn. Then he left. 12They brought the boy home alive and were greatly comforted.
From Troas to Miletus
13We went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we were going to take Paul on board, because these were his instructions, since he himself was going by land. 14When he met us at Assos, we took him on board and went on to Mitylene. 15Sailing from there, the next day we arrived off Chios. The following day we crossed over to Samos, and#20:15 Other mss add after staying at Trogyllium the day after, we came to Miletus.#Ac 20:17; 2Tm 4:20 16For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, because he was hurrying to be in Jerusalem, if possible, for the day of Pentecost.#Ac 2:1; 18:19; 19:21; 1Co 16:8
Farewell Address to the Ephesian Elders
17Now from Miletus, he sent to Ephesus and summoned the elders of the church. 18When they came to him, he said to them, “You know, from the first day I set foot in Asia, how I was with you the whole time,#Ac 18:19; 19:1,10 19serving the Lord with all humility, with tears, and during the trials that came to me through the plots of the Jews.#Ac 20:3,27 20You know that I did not hesitate to proclaim anything to you that was profitable and to teach you publicly and from house to house. 21I testified to both Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God#Mk 1:15; Ac 2:38; 18:5 and faith in our Lord Jesus.#Ac 24:24; 26:18; Eph 1:15; Col 2:5; Phm 5
22“And now I am on my way to Jerusalem, compelled by the Spirit,#20:22 Or in my spirit not knowing what I will encounter there,#Ac 17:16; 20:16 23except that in every town the Holy Spirit warns me that chains and afflictions are waiting for me.#Ac 9:16; 21:4,11; 1Th 3:3 24But I consider my life of no value to myself; my purpose is to finish my course#20:24 Other mss add with joy and the ministry#Ac 1:17; 21:13; 2Co 4:1; 2Tm 4:7 I received from the Lord Jesus,#Gl 1:1; Ti 1:3 to testify to the gospel of God’s grace.
25“And now I know that none of you, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, will ever see me again. 26Therefore I declare to you this day that I am innocent#20:26 Lit clean of the blood of all of you,#Ac 18:6; 20:38; 28:31 27because I did not avoid declaring to you the whole plan of God.#Lk 7:30; Ac 20:20; Eph 1:11 28Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock#Lk 12:32; Jn 10:16; 1Co 9:7; 1Pt 5:2–3 of which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as overseers,#Php 1:1; 1Tm 3:2; Ti 1:7; 1Pt 2:25 to shepherd the church of God,#20:28 Some mss read church of the Lord; other mss read church of the Lord and God which he purchased with his own blood.#Eph 1:7,14; Heb 9:12; 1Pt 1:19; Rv 5:9 29I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 30Men will rise up even from your own number and distort the truth to lure the disciples into following them.#Ac 11:26; 1Tm 1:20; 1Jn 2:19 31Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for three years I never stopped warning each one of you with tears.#Ac 19:10; 20:19
32“And now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace,#Ac 14:23; Heb 13:9 which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance#Ac 26:18; Eph 1:14; Col 1:12; 3:24; Heb 9:15; 1Pt 1:4 among all who are sanctified. 33I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing.#1Sm 12:3; 1Co 9:12; 2Co 7:2; 11:9; 12:17 34You yourselves know that I worked with my own hands to support myself and those who are with me.#Ac 18:3; 19:22 35In every way I’ve shown you that it is necessary to help the weak by laboring like this and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, because he said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
36After he said this, he knelt down and prayed with all of them.#Lk 22:41; Ac 7:60; 21:5 37There were many tears shed by everyone. They embraced Paul and kissed him, 38grieving most of all over his statement that they would never see his face again. And they accompanied him to the ship.#Ac 15:3; 20:25
© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
