Acts20
New Living Translation
1When the uproar was over, Paul sent for the believers and encouraged them. Then he said good-bye and left for Macedonia.
2While there, he encouraged the believers in all the towns he passed through. Then he traveled down to Greece,
3where he stayed for three months. He was preparing to sail back to Syria when he discovered a plot by some Jews against his life, so he decided to return through Macedonia.
4Several men were traveling with him. They were Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea; Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica; Gaius from Derbe; Timothy; and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia.
5They went on ahead and waited for us at Troas.
6After the Passover ended, we boarded a ship at Philippi in Macedonia and five days later joined them in Troas, where we stayed a week.
7On the first day of the week, we gathered with the local believers to share in the Lord’s Supper. Paul was preaching to them, and since he was leaving the next day, he kept talking until midnight.
8The upstairs room where we met was lighted with many flickering lamps.
9As Paul spoke on and on, a young man named Eutychus, sitting on the windowsill, became very drowsy. Finally, he fell sound asleep and dropped three stories to his death below.
10Paul went down, bent over him, and took him into his arms. “Don’t worry,” he said, “he’s alive!”
11Then they all went back upstairs, shared in the Lord’s Supper, and ate together. Paul continued talking to them until dawn, and then he left.
12Meanwhile, the young man was taken home alive and well, and everyone was greatly relieved.
13Paul went by land to Assos, where he had arranged for us to join him, while we traveled by ship.
14He joined us there, and we sailed together to Mitylene.
15The next day we sailed past the island of Kios. The following day we crossed to the island of Samos, and a day later we arrived at Miletus.
16Paul had decided to sail on past Ephesus, for he didn’t want to spend any more time in the province of Asia. He was hurrying to get to Jerusalem, if possible, in time for the Festival of Pentecost.
17But when we landed at Miletus, he sent a message to the elders of the church at Ephesus, asking them to come and meet him.
18When they arrived he declared, “You know that from the day I set foot in the province of Asia until now
19I have done the Lord’s work humbly and with many tears. I have endured the trials that came to me from the plots of the Jews.
20I never shrank back from telling you what you needed to hear, either publicly or in your homes.
21I have had one message for Jews and Greeks alike—the necessity of repenting from sin and turning to God, and of having faith in our Lord Jesus.
22“And now I am bound by the Spirit to go to Jerusalem. I don’t know what awaits me,
23except that the Holy Spirit tells me in city after city that jail and suffering lie ahead.
24But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.
25“And now I know that none of you to whom I have preached the Kingdom will ever see me again.
26I declare today that I have been faithful. If anyone suffers eternal death, it’s not my fault,
27for I didn’t shrink from declaring all that God wants you to know.
28“So guard yourselves and God’s people. Feed and shepherd God’s flock—his church, purchased with his own blood—over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as leaders.
29I know that false teachers, like vicious wolves, will come in among you after I leave, not sparing the flock.
30Even some men from your own group will rise up and distort the truth in order to draw a following.
31Watch out! Remember the three years I was with you—my constant watch and care over you night and day, and my many tears for you.
32“And now I entrust you to God and the message of his grace that is able to build you up and give you an inheritance with all those he has set apart for himself.
33“I have never coveted anyone’s silver or gold or fine clothes.
34You know that these hands of mine have worked to supply my own needs and even the needs of those who were with me.
35And I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
36When he had finished speaking, he knelt and prayed with them.
37They all cried as they embraced and kissed him good-bye.
38They were sad most of all because he had said that they would never see him again. Then they escorted him down to the ship.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Acts 20.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: Paul's journeys. (1–6). Eutychus restored to life. (7–12). Paul travels towards Jerusalem. (13–16). Paul's discourse to the elders of Ephesus. (17–27). Their farewell. (28–38).
vv1-6
Tumults or opposition may constrain a Christian to remove from his station or alter his purpose, but his work and his pleasure will be the same, wherever he goes. Paul thought it worth while to bestow five days in going to Troas, though it was but for seven days' stay there; but he knew, and so should we, how to redeem even journeying time, and to make it turn to some good account.
vv7-12
Though the disciples read, and meditated, and prayed, and sung apart, and thereby kept up communion with God, yet they came together to worship God, and so kept up their communion with one another. They came together on the first day of the week, the Lord's day. It is to be religiously observed by all disciples of Christ. In the breaking of the bread, not only the breaking of Christ's body for us, to be a sacrifice for our sins, is remembered, but the breaking of Christ's body to us, to be food and a feast for our souls, is signified. In the early times it was the custom to receive the Lord's supper every Lord's day, thus celebrating the memorial of Christ's death. In this assembly Paul preached. The preaching of the gospel ought to go with the sacraments. They were willing to hear, he saw they were so, and continued his speech till midnight. Sleeping when hearing the word, is an evil thing, a sign of low esteem of the word of God. We must do what we can to prevent being sleepy; not put ourselves to sleep, but get our hearts affected with the word we hear, so as to drive sleep far away. Infirmity requires tenderness; but contempt requires severity. It interrupted the apostle's preaching; but was made to confirm his preaching. Eutychus was brought to life again. And as they knew not when they should have Paul's company again, they made the best use of it they could, and reckoned a night's sleep well lost for that purpose. How seldom are hours of repose broken for the purposes of devotion! but how often for mere amusement or sinful revelry! So hard is it for spiritual life to thrive in the heart of man! so naturally do carnal practices flourish there!
vv13-16
Paul hastened to Jerusalem, but tried to do good by the way, when going from place to place, as every good man should do. In doing God's work, our own wills and those of our friends must often be crossed; we must not spend time with them when duty calls us another way.
Key Words
θόρυβος (thórybos): a disturbance
παύω (paúō): to stop (transitively or intransitively), i.e. restrain, quit, desist, come to an end
Παῦλος (Paûlos): (little; but remotely from a derivative of G3973 (παύω), meaning the same); Paulus, the name of a Roman and of an apostle
προσκαλέομαι (proskaléomai): to call toward oneself, i.e. summon, invite
μαθητής (mathētḗs): a learner, i.e. pupil
καί (kaí): and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words
παρακαλέω (parakaléō): to call near, i.e. invite, invoke (by imploration, hortation or consolation)
ἀσπάζομαι (aspázomai): to enfold in the arms, i.e. (by implication) to salute, (figuratively) to welcome
ἐξέρχομαι (exérchomai): to issue (literally or figuratively)
Μακεδονία (Makedonía): Macedonia, a region of Greece
Cross References
Acts 20Establishes first-day-of-the-week gathering for Christian worship and collection of alms.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB
Directly links 'the first day of the week' with the apostolic term 'the Lord's Day'.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Parallel account of the Holy Spirit's warnings in every city regarding Paul's coming bonds in Jerusalem.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB
Identifies the manual labor of Paul's hands in tentmaking to support himself and companions.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Expands on Paul's ministry in 'those parts,' noting he preached as far as Illyricum.
Supported by JFB
Identifies 'Sopater of Berea' as Sosipater, Paul's kinsman who joined in sending greetings.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Identifies Aristarchus and Gaius as Paul's travel companions previously caught in the Ephesian riot.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Elijah stretching himself over the dead child matches Paul's physical action of falling upon Eutychus.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Elisha laying upon the dead child parallels Paul's bodily embrace to restore life.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Records Paul's prior, settled plan to travel through Macedonia/Achaia and then on to Jerusalem.
Supported by JFB
Parallels Christ's purchasing of the church with redemption through His own blood.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Christ's command to Peter to 'feed my sheep' parallels Paul's charge to the elders.
Supported by JFB
Christ's foundational warning concerning false prophets who are inwardly 'ravening wolves.'
Supported by Matthew Henry
Samuel's final public protestation of financial integrity closely mirrors Paul's farewell appeal.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Underpins the cultural custom of physical kissing and embracing as a sign of Christian fellowship.
Supported by Matthew Poole