In Macedonia and Greece
20
📚And after the uproar had ceased, Paul called the disciples to him, embraced them and left to go to Macedonia. 2 📚And when he had gone over those areas and had given them much encouragement, he came to Greece, 3 📚and stayed there three months. And when the Jews made a plot against him as he was about to sail to Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia. 4 📚And Sopater of Berea accompanied him to Asia, also the Thessalonians Aristarchus and Secundus, Gaius of Derbe 📖, and Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia. 5 📚These men, going ahead, waited for us 📖 at Troas.In Troas
6 📚And we sailed away from Philippi after the Days of Unleavened Bread 📖, and in five days joined them in Troas, where we stayed for seven days.
7 📚And on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, being ready to leave the next day, preached to them and continued his talk until midnight.
20:7 They met together on Sunday to observe the Lord’s Supper, instead of on the old Jewish Sabbath (see also 1 Cor 16:2). This was fitting because it was the day the Lord Jesus rose from the dead, and brought the dawn of a new age.⚜
8 📚And there were many lamps in the upper room where they were gathered together. 9 📚And in a window there sat a certain young man named Eutychus, who was falling into a deep sleep. And as Paul continued to speak for a long time, he collapsed with sleep and fell down from the third story and was lifted up dead. 10 📚And Paul went down, prostrated himself on him, and put his arms around him and said, “Don’t trouble yourselves, for his life is in him”. 11 📚So when he had come up again and broken bread and eaten, and had talked a long time, even until daybreak, he departed.
12 📚And they led the young man away alive, and were not a little comforted. 13 📚And we went ahead to the ship and sailed to Assos, there intending to take Paul aboard. This is what he had arranged, planning to go on foot himself. 14 And when he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and came to Mitylene. 15 📚And we sailed from there and came the next day opposite Chios, and the next day we arrived at Samos, and stayed at Trogyllium, and the day after that we came to Miletus.
20:15 Miletus was a port about 50 kilometers south of Ephesus.⚜
16 📚For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, because he did not want to spend time in Asia, for he was hurrying on to be in Jerusalem by the day of Pentecost 📖, if possible.
Paul’s farewell to the Ephesian elders
17 📚And from Miletus he sent word to Ephesus and called the elders 📖 of the church. 18 📚And when they had come to him, he said to them, “You know the manner of my life the whole time I was with you from the first day I came to Asia, 19 📚how I served the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears 📖 and trials which came to me because of the plotting of the Jews,
20:19 Is it possible for a humble man to know that he is humble? Evidently. At least he may know that he has behaved in a humble way.⚜
20 📚and how I kept back nothing that was helpful to you, but made it known to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house, 21 📚solemnly declaring both to the Jews and to the Greeks the need of repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
20:20-21 At whatever cost to himself he was determined that every person would have a chance to hear Christ’s gospel. If they did not come to public meetings he went to them. He preached always the two essentials for salvation – repentance and faith in Christ (which is really but one essential – true faith is linked inseparably with repentance). On repentance see Acts 2:38; 17:30; Matt 3:2; 4:17; Luke 13:1-5; 24:47.⚜
22 📚“And, see, now I go bound in the Spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, 23 📚except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and sufferings await me. 24 📚But none of these things moves me, nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.
20:24 Here we see one of the secrets of the great success of this man of God. He practiced Matt 10:38; Luke 9:23; 14:26-27. And he had one great goal in life – to finish what God had given him to do and to win the prize at the end – 1 Cor 9:24-27; Phil 3:12-14; 2 Tim 4:7-8. His work was to proclaim and explain the grace of God to everyone he could reach (Eph 3:2, 7; 2 Tim 1:9-11). Comforts, conveniences, ease, pleasures, the things that people in general hold dear, even life itself, were as nothing to him as he pursued his goal. His power for all this is seen in Col 1:29.⚜
25 📚“And now, look, I know that all of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom of God, will see my face no more.
20:25 He felt his work in that part of the world was completed, and he planned to go elsewhere (Acts 19:21; Rom 15:23-24). Observe that “preaching the kingdom” is the same ministry as “testifying to the gospel of God’s grace” (v 24).⚜
26 📚Therefore I call you as witnesses this day, that I am innocent of the blood of all men. 27 📚For I have not hesitated to declare to you the whole counsel of God.
20:26-27 See Acts 18:6; Ezek 33:7-9. Paul was a great evangelist, but he was not satisfied to preach the bare facts of the gospel and move on. And he did not hold back any truth because of the fear of men or desire for their approval (v 20; Gal 1:10).⚜
28 📚Therefore take care about yourselves, and about all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers to shepherd the church 📖 of God, which he purchased with his own blood.
20:28 The leaders of the church there (Greek “episkopous”) were made such by the Holy Spirit. These are the only leaders in any church who deserve the name, and only such can successfully fill the office – which is to be true shepherds of Christ’s sheep (John 21:16; Eph 4:11; 1 Pet 5:2-4). If churches choose their own leaders without the guidance of the Holy Spirit they will have to suffer the consequences – and the consequences will not be good.⚜
29 📚For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves 📖 will come in among you, not sparing the flock.
20:1-2 The churches started by Paul’s ministry described in Acts 16:10—18:18 were all in Macedonia and Greece.⚜
30 📚Also from among yourselves men will arise and speak distorted things, to draw away disciples after them.
20:30 It is not enough for church leaders to watch for false teachers coming from outside. Inside churches, too, there will be men who want followers for themselves, not for Christ. To get followers they are willing to pervert the truth of God, because their own ego is more important to them than truth.⚜
31 📚Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.
20:31 Verse 19. Faithful servants of Christ love the truth, and must warn God’s people about teachers who would distort it. Jesus and His apostles did this repeatedly (Matt 7:15; 24:4-5; 2 Cor 11:13-15; 1 John 2:18-19; Jude 3,4).⚜
32 📚“And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up 📖, and to give you an inheritance 📖 among all those who are sanctified 📖.
20:32 The “word of grace” is what we have in the gospel of Christ.⚜
33 📚I have coveted no man’s silver, or gold, or clothing.
34 📚Yes, you yourselves know that these hands provided for my necessities, and for those who were with me. 35 📚I showed you in every way how that by labouring like this you ought to support the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”
20:35 These words of Jesus are not in any of the Gospels, but He always showed this principle in His life and ministry (Jesus did many things and said many things that are not written down – John 21:25). See His attitude toward the poor and helpless in Matt 9:36; 11:5; 19:21; Luke 4:18; 6:20; 11:41; 14:13; John 5:6-8 (most of His miracles were performed on the poor). He gave all that He was and all that He had with no desire to receive anything from those He helped. Compare Matt 20:28; John 10:11. Paul followed His example – 1 Cor 9:12-17; 2 Cor 12:15. He was not like many today who think “godliness” is a means to financial gain (1 Tim 6:5), and only want what they think is the blessing of piling up money or possessions for themselves (compare John 12:6). Such people have never understood that Christianity in action is not seeing how much we can get for ourselves, but how much we can give to others. Have we learned even this most basic principle given by the Lord Jesus Himself? See notes and references on giving at 2 Cor 9:15.⚜
36 📚And when he had said this, he knelt down and prayed with them all.
20:18-36 Paul was an example of what a servant of Christ should be, and was set forth by God Himself for our instruction (Phil 3:17; 1 Cor 4:16; 11:1; 2 Thess 3:8-9; 1 Tim 1:16). He did not speak these words to the elders to show his own greatness, but to try to show what they as elders should be. He well knew what he was, and that he had nothing to boast about in himself (Rom 7:18; 1 Cor 3:7; 2 Cor 2:5-6; 1 Tim 1:15).⚜
37 📚And they all wept many tears, and fell on Paul’s neck and kissed him,
20:37 They knew that there was no exaggeration in his words, that he had given his time, his strength, his money, his talents, and himself for them. Their tears now testify to their love.⚜
38 📚sorrowing most of all for the words which he spoke, that they would see his face no more. And they accompanied him to the ship.