Acts 20
20
Paul Travels Through Macedonia and Greece
1All the trouble came to an end. Then Paul sent for the believers. After encouraging them, he said goodbye. He then left for Macedonia. 2He traveled through that area, speaking many words of hope to the people. Finally he arrived in Greece. 3There he stayed for three months. He was just about to sail for Syria. But some Jews were making plans against him. So he decided to go back through Macedonia. 4Sopater, son of Pyrrhus, from Berea went with him. Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, and Timothy went too. Tychicus and Trophimus from Asia Minor also went with him. 5These men went on ahead. They waited for us at Troas. 6But we sailed from Philippi after the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Five days later we joined the others at Troas. We stayed there for seven days.
Eutychus Is Raised From the Dead at Troas
7On the first day of the week we met to break bread and eat together. Paul spoke to the people. He kept on talking until midnight because he planned to leave the next day. 8There were many lamps in the room upstairs where we were meeting. 9A young man named Eutychus was sitting in a window. He sank into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. Sound asleep, Eutychus fell from the third floor. When they picked him up from the ground, he was dead. 10Paul went down and threw himself on the young man. He put his arms around him. “Don’t be alarmed,” he told them. “He’s alive!” 11Then Paul went upstairs again. He broke bread and ate with them. He kept on talking until daylight. Then he left. 12The people took the young man home. They were greatly comforted because he was alive.
Paul Says Goodbye to the Ephesian Elders
13We went on ahead to the ship. We sailed for Assos. There we were going to take Paul on board. He had planned it this way because he wanted to go to Assos by land. 14So he met us there. We took him on board and went on to Mitylene. 15The next day we sailed from there. We arrived near Chios. The day after that we crossed over to Samos. We arrived at Miletus the next day. 16Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus. He didn’t want to spend time in Asia Minor. He was in a hurry to get to Jerusalem. If he could, he wanted to be there by the day of Pentecost.
17From Miletus, Paul sent for the elders of the church at Ephesus. 18When they arrived, he spoke to them. “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you,” he said. “From the first day I came into Asia Minor, 19I served the Lord with tears and without pride. I served him when I was greatly tested. I was tested by the evil plans of the Jews who disagreed with me. 20You know that nothing has kept me from preaching whatever would help you. I have taught you in public and from house to house. 21I have told both Jews and Greeks that they must turn away from their sins to God. They must have faith in our Lord Jesus.
22“Now I am going to Jerusalem. The Holy Spirit compels me. I don’t know what will happen to me there. 23I only know that in every city the Spirit warns me. He tells me that I will face prison and suffering. 24But my life means nothing to me. My only goal is to finish the race. I want to complete the work the Lord Jesus has given me. He wants me to tell others about the good news of God’s grace.
25“I have spent time with you preaching about the kingdom. I know that none of you will ever see me again. 26So I tell you today that I am not guilty if any of you don’t believe. 27I haven’t let anyone keep me from telling you everything God wants you to do. 28Keep watch over yourselves. Keep watch over all the believers. The Holy Spirit has made you leaders over them. Be shepherds of God’s church. He bought it with his own blood. 29I know that after I leave, wild wolves will come in among you. They won’t spare any of the sheep. 30Even men from your own people will rise up and twist the truth. They want to get the believers to follow them. 31So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning you. Night and day I warned each of you with tears.
32“Now I trust God to take care of you. I commit you to the message about his grace. It can build you up. Then you will share in what God plans to give all his people. 33I haven’t longed for anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. 34You yourselves know that I have used my own hands to meet my needs. I have also met the needs of my companions. 35In everything I did, I showed you that we must work hard and help the weak. We must remember the words of the Lord Jesus. He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”
36Paul finished speaking. Then he got down on his knees with all of them and prayed. 37They all wept as they hugged and kissed him. 38Paul had said that they would never see him again. That’s what hurt them the most. Then they went with him to the ship.
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Acts 20: NIrV
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Acts 20
20
Paul Goes to Macedonia and Greece
1When the trouble stopped, Paul invited the Lord’s followers to come visit him. After encouraging them, he told them goodbye and left for Macedonia. 2On his way through Macedonia he had many words of encouragement for the followers in various places. Then he went to Greece 3and stayed there three months.
Paul was ready to sail for Syria, but some Jews were planning something against him. So he decided to go back through Macedonia to Syria. 4These men were traveling with him: Sopater, the son of Pyrrhus, from the city of Berea; Aristarchus and Secundus, from the city of Thessalonica; Gaius, from the city of Derbe; Timothy; and two men from Asia, Tychicus and Trophimus. 5These men went first, ahead of Paul. They waited for us in the city of Troas. 6We sailed from the city of Philippi after the Festival of Unleavened Bread. We met these men in Troas five days later and stayed there seven days.
Paul’s Last Visit to Troas
7On Sunday#20:7 Sunday Literally, “first day of the week,” which for the Jews began at sunset on Saturday. But if Luke is using Greek time here, then the meeting was Sunday night. we all met together to eat the Lord’s Supper.#20:7 to eat the Lord’s Supper Literally, “to break bread.” This may mean a meal or the Lord’s Supper, the special meal Jesus told his followers to eat to remember him. See Lk. 22:14-20. Paul talked to the group. Because he was planning to leave the next day, he continued talking until midnight. 8We were all together in a room upstairs, and there were many lights in the room. 9There was a young man named Eutychus sitting in the window. Paul continued talking, and Eutychus became very, very sleepy. Finally, he went to sleep and fell out of the window. He fell to the ground from the third floor. When the people went down and lifted him up, he was dead.
10Paul went down to where Eutychus was, knelt down beside him, and put his arms around him. He said to the other believers, “Don’t worry. He is alive now.” 11Then Paul went upstairs again, broke off some pieces of bread and ate. He spoke to them a long time. It was early morning when he finished, and then he left. 12The Lord’s followers took Eutychus home alive, and they were all greatly comforted.
The Trip From Troas to Miletus
13We went on ahead of Paul and sailed for the city of Assos, planning to meet him there. This is what he told us to do because he wanted to go by land. 14When he caught up with us at Assos, we took him on board, and we all sailed to Mitylene. 15The next day, we sailed away from there and came to a place near the island of Chios. Then the next day, we sailed to the island of Samos. A day later, we came to the city of Miletus. 16Paul had already decided not to stop at Ephesus. He did not want to stay too long in Asia. He was hurrying because he wanted to be in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost if possible.
Paul Speaks to the Elders From Ephesus
17In Miletus Paul sent a message back to Ephesus, telling the elders of the church in Ephesus to come to him.
18When they came, Paul said to them, “You know about my life from the first day I came to Asia. You know the way I lived all the time I was with you. 19The Jews planned things against me, and this gave me much trouble. But you know that I always served the Lord, sometimes with tears. I never thought about myself first. 20I always did what was best for you. I told you the Good News about Jesus in public before the people and also taught in your homes. 21I told everyone—Jewish and non-Jewish people—to change and turn to God. I told them all to believe in our Lord Jesus.
22“But now I must obey the Spirit and go to Jerusalem. I don’t know what will happen to me there. 23I know only that in every city the Holy Spirit tells me that troubles and even jail wait for me. 24I don’t care about my own life. The most important thing is that I finish my work. I want to finish the work that the Lord Jesus gave me to do—to tell people the Good News about God’s grace.
25“And now listen to me. I know that none of you will ever see me again. All the time I was with you, I told you the Good News about God’s kingdom. 26So today I can tell you one thing that I am sure of: God will not blame me if some of you are not saved. 27I can say this because I know that I told you everything that God wants you to know. 28Be careful for yourselves and for all the people God has given you. The Holy Spirit gave you the work of caring for#20:28 gave … caring for Literally, “made you overseers of.” this flock.#20:28 flock A flock is many sheep. Here, it means a group of God’s people who follow their leaders (elders) like sheep following a shepherd. You must be shepherds to the church of God,#20:28 of God Some Greek copies say, “of the Lord.” the people he bought with his own blood.#20:28 his own blood Or “the blood of his own Son.” 29I know that after I leave, some men will come into your group. They will be like wild wolves and will try to destroy the flock. 30Also, men from your own group will begin to teach things that are wrong. They will lead some of the Lord’s followers away from the truth to follow them. 31So be careful! And always remember what I did during the three years I was with you. I never stopped reminding each one of you how you should live, counseling you day and night and crying over you.
32“Now I am putting you in God’s care. I am depending on the message about his grace to make you strong. That message is able to give you the blessings that God gives to all his holy people. 33When I was with you, I never wanted anyone’s money or fine clothes. 34You know that I always worked to take care of my own needs and the needs of the people who were with me. 35I always showed you that you should work just as I did and help people who are weak. I taught you to remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘You will have a greater blessing when you give than when you receive.’”
36When Paul finished speaking, he knelt down, and they all prayed together. 37-38They cried and cried. They were especially sad because Paul had said they would never see him again. They hugged him and kissed him. Then they went with him to the ship to say goodbye.
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