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
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
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