Acts 20
20
1Once the uproar had died down, Paul called the believers together and encouraged them. Then he said goodbye, and left for Macedonia. 2He passed through the area, sharing many words of encouragement with the believers there, and then traveled on to Greece. 3After he had spent three months there and just as he was about to sail to Syria, it was discovered that the Jews were plotting against him. So he decided to return through Macedonia. 4These were the people who traveled with him: Sopater of Berea, the son of Pyrrhus; Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica; Gaius from Derbe; Timothy; Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia. 5They went on ahead and waited for us at Troas. 6After the Festival of Unleavened Bread we sailed from Philippi, and met them five days later in Troas, where we spent a week.
7Paul was speaking on the first day of the week as we gathered together to break bread. He was planning to leave in the morning, and went on speaking until midnight. 8(The upstairs room where we were meeting was lit by many lamps.)
9A young man called Eutychus was sitting in the window, and he began feeling very sleepy. As Paul went on speaking he fell sound asleep and tumbled down from the third story. When they picked him up they found he was dead.
10Paul went down, stretched himself out upon him, and hugged him. “Don't worry, he's alive,” he said.
11Paul went back upstairs, broke bread, and ate together with them. He went on talking with them until dawn came, and then he left. 12They took the young man home alive and well, and were very thankful for this.
13We went on ahead to the ship and sailed to Assos. There we were due to pick up Paul, since that was what he had planned as he decided to travel on foot. 14He did indeed meet us at Assos. We picked him up, and went on to Mitylene. 15Sailing on from there we arrived off Kios, and the next day we stopped briefly at Samos, and the following day we arrived at Miletus. 16Paul had planned to sail on past Ephesus so he wouldn't have to spend time in the province of Asia. He was keen to get to Jerusalem in time for the Day of Pentecost.
17From Miletus Paul sent a message to the elders of the church in Ephesus. 18When they arrived, he told them, “You know how I always behaved while I was with you from the first day I arrived in the province of Asia. 19I served the Lord in humility and in tears. I put up with the troubles and stress caused by the plots of the Jews. 20However, I never held back from sharing with you anything that would be to your benefit, and I taught you in public, going from house to house. 21I witnessed both to Jews and Greeks that it was essential to repent and turn to God, and to trust in our Lord Jesus Christ. 22Now the Spirit is insisting that I go to Jerusalem, and I have no idea what will happen to me there. 23All I know is that in every city I visit the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and suffering are waiting for me. 24But I don't consider my life as worth anything to me. I only want to finish my mission and the ministry that the Lord Jesus gave to me, to witness to the good news of the grace of God.
25Now I am certain that you will not see my face again, you among whom I shared the news of the kingdom. 26So I declare to you today that I am not responsible if anyone is lost.#20:26. Literally, “I am not guilty of the blood of anyone.” Probably referencing Ezekiel 33:8-9. 27I didn't hesitate to tell you everything God wants you to know. 28Take care of yourselves and of all the flock, which the Holy Spirit has given to you to supervise. Feed the Lord's church which he bought with his own blood. 29I know that after I leave vicious wolves will come among you, and won't spare the flock. 30From among your own group men will rise up perverting what is right and good so they can lead believers to follow them. 31So watch out! Don't forget that for three years I went on instructing all of you night and day, often crying over you. 32Now I commit you to God's care and to the message of his grace, which is able to build you up and provide you with the inheritance that belongs to all who are kept right with him. 33I never had any desire for anyone's silver or gold or clothing. 34You know that I worked with my own hands to provide for my own needs, as well as for those who were with me. 35I have given you an example in everything: work to help those who are weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
36When he finished speaking, he kneeled down and prayed with all of them. 37They all wept as they hugged and kissed him. 38What upset them the most was what he said about never seeing him again... Then they walked down to the ship with him.
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com
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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