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The Acts of the Apostles Chapter 20:1–38 Paul Travels 20:1 After the disturbance had ended, Paul sent for the disciples, and after encouraging them and saying farewell, he left to go to Macedonia. After the disturbance in Ephesus had ended Paul sent for his disciples so that he could encourage them in the faith before department from them to go to Macedonia. 20:2–3 After he had gone through those regions and spoken many words of encouragement to the believers there, he came to Greece, where he stayed for three months. Because the Jews had made a plot against him as he was intending to sail for Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia. While he was there he encouraged the believers in all the towns that he passed through, he always took every opportunity to preach and teach (Ephesians 5:16, Ecclesiastes 9:10, Romans 13:11). He then went down to Greece where he stayed for three months. He planned to sail from there to Syria but on discovering a plot by the Jews to kill him he returned through Macedonia. 20:–5 Paul was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, and Timothy, as well as Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia. These had gone on ahead and were waiting for us in Troas. Several brethren had gone ahead of him and were waiting at Troas to accompanied him, Sopater from Berea where many of the residents had responded to the Word of God (Acts 17: 10–12) Aristarchus and Gaius who had been seized by the silversmiths in Ephesus (Acts 19:29) and Timothy (Acts 16: 1–2) Tychicus (Ephesians 6:21). All these remained faithful to Christ and to Paul throughout his life (Romans 16:21; Col. 4:10; 2 Timothy 1:2; Romans 16:23; 3 John 1:1; Col. 4:7).
20:6 We sailed away from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and within five days we came to the others in Troas, where we stayed for seven days.
After the Passover had ended Paul and Luke boarded a ship at Philippi and five days later joined the others in Troas where they stayed for seven days.
The Importance of God’s Word 20:7 On the first day of the week, when we met to break bread, Paul began to speak to the people, and because he intended to leave the next day, he extended his message until midnight. On the first day of the week the believers met together for communion before partaking of it Paul began to minister the Word of God to the people. As he intended to leave the next day and didn’t know whether he would ever return that way he preached until midnight wanting to make certain that these believers were well informed of the true doctrines of the Lord Jesus Christ. 20:8 (Now there were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting.) As the evening went on and it began to get many lamps were lit in the upper room where the meeting was held. 20:9 A young man named Eutychus, who was sitting in the window, was sinking into a deep sleep while Paul continued to speak for a long time. Fast asleep, he fell down from the third story and was picked up dead. As Paul was speaking for a long time a young man named Eutychus who was sitting on the windowsill fell fast asleep and fell three stories to his death. 20:10 But Paul went down, threw himself on the young man, put his arms around him, and said, "Do not be distressed, for he is still alive!"4 Paul went done and bent over him took him in his arms and praying for him he was brought back to life. This was similar to what Elijah had done (1 Kings 17:21–22)and Elisha (2 Kings 4:34). 20:11–12 Then Paul went back upstairs, and after he had broken bread and eaten, he talked with them a long time, until dawn. Then he left. They took the boy home alive and were greatly comforted. Afterwards Paul went back upstairs and after they had taken the communion continued to preach until dawn. After the meeting had ended they took the boy home alive and well and were greatly comforted.
Paul’s Farewell Speech to the Ephesian Church 20:13–14 We went on ahead to the ship and put out to sea for Assos, intending to take Paul aboard there, for he had arranged it this way. He himself was intending to go there by land. When he met us in Assos, we took him aboard and went to Mitylene. Paul’s companions went ahead of him by ship to Assos while he travelled there by land where he joined them to sailed to Mitylene.
20:15 We set sail from there, and on the following day we arrived off Chios. The next day we approached Samos, and the day after that we arrived at Miletus. Sailing from there they passed the island of Chios the next day they approached Samos and the day following arrived at Miletus. 20:16 For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus so as not to spend time in the province of Asia, for he was hurrying to arrive in Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost. Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus as he didn’t want to be delayed in Asia as he wanted to be Jerusalem if possible before the day of Pentecost. 20:17 From Miletus he sent a message to Ephesus, telling the elders of the church to come to him. So from Miletus he sent a message to the elders of the church in Ephesus to come to him. 20:18–19 When they arrived, he said to them, "You yourselves know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I set foot in the province of Asia, serving the Lord with all humility and with tears, and with the trials that happened to me because of the plots of the Jews. When they arrived he testified to them of the upright Christian life that he had lived all the time that he was with them. How he had fully committed his life in all humility in serving the Lord (Romans 1:1) and shedding many tears at the unbelief and obstinacy of many he had preached to and also for his care and concern for the church of Christ (2 Cor. 11: 26–28). 20:20–21 You know that I did not hold back from proclaiming to you anything that would be helpful, and from teaching you publicly and from house to house, testifying to both Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus. How he had not shrunk back at withholding anything from them that would be of benefit to them or of teaching them publicly, in spite of being in danger of his life, also going from house to house. He had boldly testified to both Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. 20:22–23 And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem without knowing what will happen to me there except that the Holy Spirit warns me in town after town that imprisonment and persecutions are waiting for me. Now the Holy Spirit had compelled him to go to Jerusalem where he didn’t know what would happen to him there except that the Holy Spirit has warned him in every city he had passed through that imprisonment and persecution was awaiting him. 20:24 But I do not consider my life worth anything to myself, so that I may finish my task and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the good news of God's grace. None of these thing bother him for he considers his life to be worth nothing to himself (Gal. 2:20; Phil. 3: 8) for the most important thing is that he might accomplished the task and the ministry that the Lord Jesus Christ had called him to do and that is to preach the Gospel of God’s grace to all men.
20:25 "And now I know that none of you among whom I went around proclaiming the kingdom will see me again”. Paul tells them that he knows with a certainty that all those that he had met and proclaimed the kingdom of God too and had believed will never see him again. 20:26 Therefore I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of you all. For I did not hold back from announcing to you the whole purpose of God. Because he had faithfully made known the way of Salvation through Jesus Christ to all men he was innocent of their blood for he had not withheld back anything but had made known the whole purpose of God for those who believe and for those who rejected the way (Ezek. 3:18–19). 20:28–29 Watch out for yourselves and for all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God that he obtained with the blood of his own Son. He warns them to guard themselves and God’s people for it is the Holy Spirit that has made them as elders to feed and guide the church that Jesus Christ has purchased with his own blood (1 Peter 1:18–19). 20:29 I know that after I am gone fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. The Lord Jesus warned his disciples about wolves in sheep clothing coming amongst the people of God to destroy (Matthew 7:15; Matthew 10:16; John 10:12). Paul warns them that after he has gone savage wolves will come in among them showing no mercy for the flock of God. 20:30 Even from among your own group men will arise, teaching perversions of the truth to draw the disciples away after them. These will arise from among the believers who will distort the truth to draw a following after themselves (2 Tim. 4:3-4). There are many like this in the church today and will increase in numbers as the day of the return of the Lord Jesus approaches. Note: Jesus said they would be wolves in sheep clothing meaning that they would be well disguised however, not matter how well they may tried to deceive at the end of the day a wolf is a wolf and will betray themselves as the light of God’s Word and discernment by the Holy Spirit will uncover them. 20:31 Therefore be alert, remembering that night and day for three years I did not stop warning each one of you with tears. His final warning to them is to be always on the alert for these false prophets remembering all that he had taught, exhorted and warned them with many tears for three years. 20:32 And now I entrust you to God and to the message of his grace. This message is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. He now commits them into the hand of God and to the message of his grace. It is only God’s word that is able to build them up in the faith and can give them the inheritance that is the portion of all those whom He has set apart for Himself (1 Pet. 1:3–5).
20:33 I have desired no one's silver or gold or clothing. Paul coveted after no one else's silver, gold or clothes he was satisfied with the Lord’s provision for him (Phil. 4: 11–13). 20:34 You yourselves know that these hands of mine provided for my needs and the needs of those who were with me. He reminds them that he had provided for his own needs and those of his fellow workers by tent making (2 Thess. 3:8–9). 20:35 By all these things, I have shown you that by working in this way we must help the weak, and remember the words of the Lord Jesus that he himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" Paul had been an example to them how that by working in this way they could help those in need. The Lord Jesus Christ said that ‘It is more blessed to give than receive’ There is no record of these words in the gospels the nearest to it is in Luke 14:13–14 (Amp. Bible) But when you give a banquet or a reception, invite the poor, the disabled, the lame, and the blind. Then you will be blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied), because they have no way of repaying you, and you will be recompensed at the resurrection of the just (upright). 20:36 When he had said these things, he knelt down with them all and prayed. When he had finished his final farewell speech to the believers of Ephesus he knelt down and prayed with them all. 20:37–38 They all began to weep loudly, and hugged Paul and kissed him, especially saddened by what he had said, that they were not going to see him again. Then they accompanied him to the ship. At this sad departure they all wept profusely, hugged and kissed him especially as they knew that they would never see him again. They then escorted him down to the ship. © Derek Williams & Mathew Bartlett 2015. Bible Studies Online UK www.biblestudiesonline.org.uk You may copy, print or distribute our studies freely in any form, just so long as you make no charges. Sign up today for our FREE monthly Bible study magazine “Living Word” Scriptures taken from the NET Bible www.bible.org