Acts 20
20
To Macedonia and Achaia
1After the uproar died down, Paul called together the believers and with words of encouragement said goodbye to them. Then he left and went on to Macedonia. 2He went through those regions and encouraged the people with many messages. Then he came to Achaia, 3where he stayed three months. He was getting ready to go to Syria when he discovered that there were Jews plotting against him; so he decided to go back through Macedonia. 4Sopater son of Pyrrhus, from Berea, went with him; so did Aristarchus and Secundus, from Thessalonica; Gaius, from Derbe; Tychicus and Trophimus, from the province of Asia; and Timothy. 5They went ahead and waited for us in Troas. 6We sailed from Philippi after the Festival of Unleavened Bread, and five days later we joined them in Troas, where we spent a week.
Paul's Last Visit to Troas
7On Saturday#20.7 Saturday; or Sunday. evening we gathered together for the fellowship meal. Paul spoke to the people and kept on speaking until midnight, since he was going to leave the next day. 8Many lamps were burning in the upstairs room where we were meeting. 9A young man named Eutychus was sitting in the window, and as Paul kept on talking, Eutychus got sleepier and sleepier, until he finally went sound asleep and fell from the third storey to the ground. When they picked him up, he was dead. 10But Paul went down and threw himself on him and hugged him. “Don't worry,” he said, “he is still alive!” 11Then he went back upstairs, broke bread, and ate. After talking with them for a long time, even until sunrise, Paul left. 12They took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted.
From Troas to Miletus
13We went on ahead to the ship and sailed off to Assos, where we were going to take Paul aboard. He had told us to do this, because he was going there by land. 14When he met us in Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene. 15We sailed from there and arrived off Chios the next day. A day later we came to Samos, and the following day we reached Miletus. 16Paul had decided to sail on past Ephesus, so as not to lose any time in the province of Asia. He was in a hurry to arrive in Jerusalem by the day of Pentecost, if at all possible.
Paul's Farewell Speech to the Elders of Ephesus
17From Miletus Paul sent a message to Ephesus, asking the elders of the church to meet him. 18When they arrived, he said to them, “You know how I spent the whole time I was with you, from the first day I arrived in the province of Asia. 19With all humility and many tears I did my work as the Lord's servant during the hard times that came to me because of the plots of some Jews. 20You know that I did not hold back anything that would be of help to you as I preached and taught in public and in your homes. 21To Jews and Gentiles alike I gave solemn warning that they should turn from their sins to God and believe in our Lord Jesus. 22And now, in obedience to the Holy Spirit I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. 23I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit has warned me that prison and troubles wait for me. 24#2 Tim 4.7But I reckon my own life to be worth nothing to me; I only want to complete my mission and finish the work that the Lord Jesus gave me to do, which is to declare the Good News about the grace of God.
25“I have gone about among all of you, preaching the Kingdom of God. And now I know that none of you will ever see me again. 26So I solemnly declare to you this very day: if any of you should be lost, I am not responsible. 27For I have not held back from announcing to you the whole purpose of God. 28So keep watch over yourselves and over all the flock which the Holy Spirit has placed in your care. Be shepherds of the church of God,#20.28 God; some manuscripts have the Lord. which he made his own through the blood of his Son.#20.28 through the blood of his Son; or through the sacrificial death of his Son; or through his own blood. 29I know that after I leave, fierce wolves will come among you, and they will not spare the flock. 30The time will come when some men from your own group will tell lies to lead the believers away after them. 31Watch, then, and remember that with many tears, day and night, I taught every one of you for three years.
32“And now I commend you to the care of God and to the message of his grace, which is able to build you up and give you the blessings God has for all his people. 33I have not wanted anyone's silver or gold or clothing. 34You yourselves know that I have worked with these hands of mine to provide everything that my companions and I have needed. 35I have shown you in all things that by working hard in this way we must help the weak, remembering the words that the Lord Jesus himself said, ‘There is more happiness in giving than in receiving.’ ”
36When Paul finished, he knelt down with them and prayed. 37They were all crying as they hugged him and kissed him goodbye. 38They were especially sad because he had said that they would never see him again. And so they went with him to the ship.
Currently Selected:
Acts 20: GNBUK
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.
Acts 20
20
Paul in Macedonia
1After the uproar was over, Paul sent for the disciples, encouraged them, and after saying good-bye, 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 exhorted them at length, he came to Greece 3and stayed three months. When he was about to set sail for Syria, a plot was devised against him by the Jews, so a decision was made to go back through Macedonia. # Ac 9:23; 20:19; 23:12; 25:3; 2Co 11:26 4He was accompanied # Other mss add to Asia by Sopater son of Pyrrhus # 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 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 days 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 # Other mss read the disciples 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 extended his message 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 speaking. When he was overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and was picked up dead. 10But Paul went down, fell on him, embraced him, and said, “Don’t be alarmed, for his life is in him! ” # 1Kg 17:21; 2Kg 4:34; Mt 9:23-24; Mk 5:39 11After going upstairs, breaking the bread, and eating, Paul conversed a considerable time until dawn. Then he left. 12They brought the boy home alive and were greatly comforted.
From Troas to Miletus
13Then we went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, intending to take Paul on board there. For these were his instructions, since he himself was going by land. 14When he met us at Assos, we took him on board and came to Mitylene. 15Sailing from there, the next day we arrived off Chios. The following day we crossed over to Samos, and # 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 so he would not have to spend time in 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 called for the elders of the church. 18And when 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 with the trials that came to me through the plots of the Jews # Ac 20:3,27 — 20and that I did not shrink back from proclaiming to you anything that was profitable or from teaching it to you in public 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, bound in my spirit, # Or in the Spirit not knowing what I will encounter there, # Ac 17:16; 20:16 23except that in town after town the Holy Spirit testifies to me that chains and afflictions are waiting for me. # Ac 9:16; 21:4,11; 1Th 3:3 24But I count my life of no value to myself, so that I may finish my course # 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 will ever see my face again — everyone I went about preaching the kingdom to. 26Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent # Lit clean of everyone’s blood, # Ac 18:6; 20:38; 28:31 27for I did not shrink back from 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 that the Holy Spirit has appointed you to as overseers, # Php 1:1; 1Tm 3:2; Ti 1:7; 1Pt 2:25 to shepherd the church of God, # Other 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. 30And men will rise up from your own number with deviant doctrines 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 did not stop warning each one of you with tears. # Ac 19:10; 20:19
32“And now # Other mss add brothers, I commit you to God and to the message 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 these hands have provided for my needs and for those who were with me. # Ac 18:3; 19:22 35In every way I’ve shown you that by laboring like this, it is necessary to help the weak and to keep in mind the words of the Lord Jesus, for 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 was a great deal of weeping by everyone. They embraced Paul and kissed him, 38grieving most of all over his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they escorted him to the ship. # Ac 15:3; 20:25
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
© 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee. All rights reserved.