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Acts · Chapter 20

Acts 20

Berean Standard Bible · Public domain · Source credits

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Paul in Macedonia and Greece

1When the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples. And after encouraging them, he said goodbye to them and left for Macedonia.

2After traveling through that area and speaking many words of encouragement, he arrived in Greece,

3where he stayed three months. And when the Jews formed a plot against him as he was about to sail for Syria, he decided to go back through Macedonia.

4Paul was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia.*

5These men went on ahead and waited for us in Troas.

6And after the Feast of Unleavened Bread, we sailed from Philippi, and five days later we rejoined them in Troas, where we stayed seven days.*

Eutychus Revived at Troas

(2 Kings 4:18–37)

7On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Since Paul was ready to leave the next day, he talked to them and kept on speaking until midnight.

8Now there were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered.

9And a certain young man named Eutychus, seated in the window, was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell from the third story and was picked up dead.

10But Paul went down, threw himself on the young man, and embraced him. “Do not be alarmed!” he said. “He is still alive!”

11Then Paul went back upstairs, broke bread, and ate. And after speaking until daybreak, he departed.

12And the people were greatly relieved to take the boy home alive.

From Troas to Miletus

13We went on ahead to the ship and sailed to Assos, where we were to take Paul aboard. He had arranged this because he was going there on foot.

14And when he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene.

15Sailing on from there, we arrived the next day opposite Chios. The day after that we arrived at Samos, and on the following day we came to Miletus.*

16Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, because he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost.*

Paul’s Farewell to the Ephesians

17From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church.

18When they came to him, he said, “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I arrived in the province of Asia.

19I served the Lord with great humility and with tears, especially in the trials that came upon me through the plots of the Jews.

20I did not shrink back from declaring anything that was helpful to you as I taught you publicly and from house to house,

21testifying to Jews and Greeks alike about repentance to God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.*

22And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there.

23I only know that in town after town the Holy Spirit warns me that chains and afflictions await me.

24But I consider my life of no value to me, if only I may finish my course and complete the ministry I have received from the Lord Jesus—the ministry of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.

25Now I know that none of you among whom I have preached the kingdom will see my face again.

26Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men.*

27For I did not shrink back from declaring to you the whole will of God.

28Keep watch over yourselves and the entire flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which He purchased with His own blood.*

29I know that after my departure, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock.

30Even from your own number, men will rise up and distort the truth to draw away disciples after them.

31Therefore be alert and remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.

32And now I commit you to God and to the word of His grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all who are sanctified.

33I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing.

34You yourselves know that these hands of mine have ministered to my own needs and those of my companions.

35In everything, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus Himself: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

36When Paul had said this, he knelt down with all of them and prayed.

37They all wept openly as they embraced Paul and kissed him.

38They were especially grieved by his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.

Source notes

  1. 20:4 Literally from Asia; Asia was a Roman province in what is now western Turkey; also in verses 16 and 18.
  2. 20:6 Literally after the days of the Unleavened; see Exodus 12:14–20. Read Exodus 12:14
  3. 20:15 BYZ and TR and, after remaining at Trogyllium,
  4. 20:16 That is, Shavuot, the late spring feast of pilgrimage to Jerusalem; it is also known as the Feast of Harvest (see Exodus 23:16) or the Feast of Weeks (see Exodus 34:22). Read Exodus 23:16 Read Exodus 34:22
  5. 20:21 ECM, TR, and Tischendorf; NA, SBL, NE, BYZ, and WH our Lord Jesus
  6. 20:26 See Ezekiel 33:8–9. Read Ezekiel 33:8
  7. 20:28 Tischendorf of the Lord; BYZ and GOC of the Lord and God Or with the blood of His own Son.

Old Testament references

References from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Text from the Berean Standard Bible.

Exodus 12:14

And this day will be a memorial for you, and you are to celebrate it as a feast to the LORD, as a permanent statute for the generations to come.

Exodus 23:16

You are also to keep the Feast of Harvest with the firstfruits of the produce from what you sow in the field. And keep the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather your produce from the field.

Exodus 34:22

And you are to celebrate the Feast of Weeks with the firstfruits of the wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the turn of the year.

Ezekiel 33:8

If I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you will surely die,’ but you do not speak out to dissuade him from his way, then that wicked man will die in his iniquity, yet I will hold you accountable for his blood.

Genesis 48:10

Now Israel’s eyesight was poor because of old age; he could hardly see. Joseph brought his sons to him, and his father kissed them and embraced them.

1 Samuel 20:41

When the young man had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone, fell facedown, and bowed three times. Then he and Jonathan kissed each other and wept together—though David wept more.

1 Samuel 20:42

And Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for the two of us have sworn in the name of the LORD, saying, ‘May the LORD be a witness between you and me, and between your descendants and mine forever.’” Then David got up and departed, and Jonathan went back into the city.

Zechariah 9:13

For I will bend Judah as My bow and fit it with Ephraim. I will rouse your sons, O Zion, against the sons of Greece. I will make you like the sword of a mighty man.

Ezra 8:31

On the twelfth day of the first month we set out from the Ahava Canal to go to Jerusalem, and the hand of our God was upon us to protect us from the hands of the enemies and bandits along the way.

Proverbs 1:11

If they say, “Come along, let us lie in wait for blood, let us ambush the innocent without cause,

Jeremiah 5:26

For among My people are wicked men; they watch like fowlers lying in wait; they set a trap to catch men.

Exodus 12:15

For seven days you must eat unleavened bread. On the first day you are to remove the leaven from your houses. Whoever eats anything leavened from the first day through the seventh must be cut off from Israel.

Exodus 12:18

In the first month you are to eat unleavened bread, from the evening of the fourteenth day until the evening of the twenty-first day.

Exodus 12:19

For seven days there must be no leaven found in your houses. If anyone eats something leavened, that person, whether a foreigner or native of the land, must be cut off from the congregation of Israel.

Exodus 12:20

You are not to eat anything leavened; eat unleavened bread in all your homes.”

Read the commentary on Acts 20

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