Acts Chapter 20

From The Open Bible Project

20:1 After the uproar had ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, took leave of them, and departed to go into Macedonia.

• (1) Paul departs from Ephesus by the consent of the church, not to be idle or at rest, but to take pains in another place.

20:2 When he had gone through those parts, and had encouraged them with many words, he came into Greece.

• (a) For after so great trouble, there was need of much exhortation.

20:3 When he had spent three months there, and a plot was made against him by Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he determined to return through Macedonia.

• (2) A perverse zeal is the guider and instructor to murderers: and we are not excluded by the wisdom of God to prevent the endeavours of wicked men.

20:4 These accompanied him as far as Asia: Sopater of Beroea; Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians; Gaius of Derbe; Timothy; and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia.

20:5 But these had gone ahead, and were waiting for us at Troas.

20:6 We sailed away from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and came to them at Troas in five days, where we stayed seven days.

20:7 On the first day of the week, when the disciples were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and continued his speech until midnight.

• (3) Assemblies in the night-time cannot be justly condemned, neither should they be, when the cause is good.
• (b) Literally, "the first day of the Sabbath", that is, upon the Lord’s day: so that by this place, and by (1 Corinthians 16:2) we properly understand that in those days the Christians habitually assembled themselves solemnly together upon that day.

20:8 There were many lights in the upper chamber where [69] we [See Acts Footnotes 69] were gathered together.

• (4) The devil, taking care to trouble the Church with a great offence, gives Paul a singular occasion to confirm the Gospel

20:9 A certain young man named Eutychus sat in the window, weighed down with deep sleep. As Paul spoke still longer, being weighed down by his sleep, he fell down from the third story, and was taken up dead.

20:10 Paul went down, and fell upon him, and embracing him said, "Don't be troubled, for his life is in him."

20:11 When he had gone up, and had broken bread, and eaten, and had talked with them a long while, even until break of day, he departed.

20:12 They brought the boy in alive, and were greatly comforted.

20:13 But we who went ahead to the ship set sail for Assos, intending to take Paul aboard there, for he had so arranged, intending himself to go by land.

20:14 When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard, and came to Mitylene.

20:15 Sailing from there, we came the following day opposite Chios. The next day we touched at Samos and stayed at Trogyllium, and the day after we came to Miletus.

20:16 For Paul had determined to sail past Ephesus, that he might not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hastening, if it were possible for him, to be in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost.

• (5) Paul, an earnest and diligent follower of Christ, making haste to his bonds without any ceasing or stopping in his race, first of all as it were makes his testament, wherein he gives an account of his former life, defends the doctrine which he taught, and exhorts the pastors of the church to persevere and go forward with continuance in their office.

20:17 From Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called to himself the elders of the assembly.

• (c) According as the situation of these places is set forth, the distance between Ephesus and Miletus was almost 50 miles or 80 km.

20:18 When they had come to him, he said to them, "You yourselves know, from the first day that I set foot in Asia, how I was with you all the time,

• (6) A graphic image of a true pastor.

20:19 serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears, and with trials which happened to me by the plots of the Jews;

20:20 how I didn't shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, teaching you publicly and from house to house,

• (d) I did not refrain form speaking, neither did I conceal my motives in any way at all, either for fear or for wicked gain.

20:21 testifying both to Jews and to Greeks repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus.[70]

20:22 Now, behold, I go bound by the Spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there;

• (7) He testifies that he goes to his imprisonment by the commandment of God.
• (e) He calls the guiding direction of the Holy Spirit, who forced him to take his journey to Jerusalem, the bond of the Sprit, whom he followed with all his heart.

20:23 except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions wait for me.

20:24 But these things don't count; nor do I hold my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to fully testify to the Good News of the grace of God.

20:25 "Now, behold, I know that you all, among whom I went about preaching the Kingdom of God, will see my face no more.

20:26 Therefore I testify to you this day that I am clean from the blood of all men,

• (f) If you perish, yet there will fault with me.

20:27 for I didn't shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.

• (8) The doctrine of the apostles is most perfect and absolute.

20:28 Take heed, therefore, to yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the assembly of [71] the Lord and [See Acts Footnotes 71] God which he purchased with his own blood.

• (g) To keep it, to feed and govern it.
• (h) A notable sentence for Christ’s Godhead: which shows plainly in his person, how that by reason of the joining together of the two natures in his own person, that which is proper to one is spoken of the other, being taken as deriving from one another, and not in the original: which in old time the godly fathers termed a communicating or fellowship of properties or attributes, that is to say, a making common of that to two, which belongs but to one.
• (i) The words "his own" show forth the excellency of that blood.

20:29 For I know that after my departure, vicious wolves will enter in among you, not sparing the flock.

• (9) A prophecy of pastors that would immediately degenerate into wolves, against those who boast and brag only of a succession of persons.

20:30 Men will arise from among your own selves, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.

• (k) This is great misery, to want the presence of such a shepherd, but it is a greater misery to have wolves enter in.

20:31 Therefore watch, remembering that for a period of three years I didn't cease to admonish everyone night and day with tears.

20:32 Now, [72] brothers, [See Acts Footnotes 72] I entrust you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build up, and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

• (10) The power of God, and his free promises revealed in his word, are the props and upholders of the ministry of the Gospel.
• (l) As children, and therefore an inheritance of free love and good will.

20:33 I coveted no one's silver, or gold, or clothing.

• (11) Pastors must before all things beware of covetousness.

20:34 You yourselves know that these hands served my necessities, and those who were with me.

20:35 In all things I gave you an example, that so laboring you ought to help the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that he himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"

• (m) As it were by reaching out the hand to those who otherwise are about to slip and fall away, and so to steady them.

20:36 When he had spoken these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all.

20:37 They all wept a lot, and fell on Paul's neck and kissed him,

• (12) The Gospel does not take away natural affections, but rules and bridles them in good order.

20:38 sorrowing most of all because of the word which he had spoken, that they should see his face no more. And they accompanied him to the ship.