Paul’s ministry in Greece and Asia Minor (Acts 20)
Christian Arts Ministries: Biblical precepts & Gospel music
Scriptures reading (Acts
20)
Paul arrived in Greece 20:1-6
1 When the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples and, after encouraging them,
said good-by and set out for Macedonia. 2 He traveled through that
area, speaking many words of encouragement to the people, and finally arrived
in Greece, 3 where he stayed three months. Because the Jews made a
plot against him just as he was about to sail for Syria, he decided to go back
through Macedonia. 4 He was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus
from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe,
Timothy also, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia. 5These
men went on ahead and waited for us at Troas. 6 But we sailed from
Philippi after the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and five days later joined the
others at Troas, where we stayed seven days.
Asia Minor: Troas and the elders of
Ephesus 20:7-38
7 On the first day of the week we came
together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to
leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight. 8There were many
lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting. 9 Seated in a
window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as
Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the
third story and was picked up dead. 10Paul went down, threw himself
on the young man and put his arms around him. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said, “He’s
alive!”11 Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After
talking until daylight, he left. 12 The people took the young man
home alive and were greatly comforted.
13 We went on ahead to the ship and sailed
for Assos, where we were going to take Paul aboard. He had made this
arrangement because he was going there on foot. 14 When he met us at
Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene. 15 The next day
we set sail from there and arrived off Kios. The day after that we crossed over
to Samos, and on the following day arrived at Miletus.16 Paul had
decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia,
for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost.
17 From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for
the elders of the church.18 When they arrived, he said to them: “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came
into the province of Asia. 19 I served the Lord with great humility
and with tears, although I was severely tested by the plots of the Jews. 20
You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to
you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. 21 I
have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance
and have faith in our Lord Jesus.
22 And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to
Jerusalem not knowing what will happen to me there. 23 I only know
that in every city the Holy Spirit warms me that prison and hardships are
facing me. 24 However, I consider my life worth nothing
to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has
given me- the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.
25 Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. 26Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of all men. 27 For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. 28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God which he bought with His own blood.
29 I know that
after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will arise and distort
the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on
your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you
night and day with tears.
32 Now I commit you to God and to the word of His grace,
which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 33 I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing.34
You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the
needs of my companions. 35 In everything I did, I showed you that by
this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus Himself
said: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
36 When he had said this, he knelt down with all of them
and prayed. 37 They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. 38
What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again.
Then they accompanied him to the ship.
Verse 1-4 Luke’s brevity here, a mere mention of the
missionary team and a journey through Macedonia revisiting established communities,
suggests that Acts could have been a much longer book. It was there that Paul wrote
his second Epistle to the church in Corinth (2 Cor.2:13).
Verse 3 During that time, in Corinth, the apostle wrote
his Epistle to the saints in Rome (Rom.15:22-32; Acts 19:21;20:1-3’1Cor.16:3-7).
Paul had originally intended to go to Jerusalem through Syria from Achaia in Greece
(19:21;1Cor.16:3-7). Because of the Jews’
plot against him, he changed his route, going northward to Macedonian. From there
he returned to Jerusalem. He knew that the Jews were plotting against him and that
he would suffer because of this (v.19). Therefore, he begged the saint in Rome to
pray for him concerning his return to Jerusalem (Rom.15:25-26,30-31). This might
also have been the reason that he was bound in his spirit to go to Jerusalem (v.22).
Eventually, after returning to Jerusalem, he was seized by the Jews (21:27-30) who
sought to kill him (21:31;23:12-15).
Verse 7 On the first day of the week. This became the
regular day of worship for Christians in remembrance of Christ’s resurrection of
Sunday. The Lord’s Day (Rev.1:10) Paul stayed in Troas for seven days (v.6), but
it was only on the first day of the week that they gathered together to break bread
in remembrance of the Lord. This indicates that at that time the apostle and the
church considered the first day of the week a day to meet together for the Lord.
Verse 16 Probably to meet people from different countries
who came to Jerusalem on that day (21:5).
Verse 22 Paul’s regenerated spirit, in which he served
God. In his spirit, a spirit joined to the Lord the Spirit (1Cor.6:17). Paul sensed
beforehand that something would happen to him in Jerusalem, and the Holy Spirit
testified this to him. (v.21).
Verse 23 Paul did not know what he would encounter in
Jerusalem (v.22) but he did know one thing the Holy Spirit was solemnly testifying
to him those bonds and affliction awaited him. The Holy Spirit’s testifying was
only a prophecy, a foretelling, not a charge. Hence, he must not have taken it as
a command but as a warning.
Verse 28 The apostles appointed the elders in every church
(14:23).But here Paul, the leading one, who did the appointing said that the Holy
Spirit did it, indicating that the Holy Spirit was one with the apostles in their
appointing of the elders, and that the apostles did it according to the leading
of the Holy Spirit. The elders of the church (v.17), proving that overseer and elder
are synonymous terms denoting the same person. To make an overseer a bishop of a
district to rule over the elders of various localities in that district is grossly
erroneous. That is what Ignatius did. His erroneous teaching became the basis for
the establishing of rank and brought in the hierarchy. The main responsibility of
the elders as overseers is not to rule over but to shepherd, to take all-inclusive
tender care of the flock, the church of God.
Indicating the precious love of God for the church and
the preciousness, the exceeding worth, of the church in the eyes of God. Here the
apostle did not touch the divine life and nature of the church as in Eph.5:23-32,
but the value of the church as a treasure to God, a treasure which He acquired with
His own precious blood. Paul expected that the elders as overseers would treasure
the church as God did.
Both the Holy Spirit and God’s own blood are divine provisions
for the church that He treasures. The Holy Spirit is God Himself, and God’s own
blood denotes God’s work. God’s redemptive work acquired the church; now God Himself,
the all-inclusive life-giving Spirit (1Cor.15:45), cares for the church through
the overseers. God’s own blood is the blood of Jesus Christ. This implies that the
Lord Jesus is God.
Verse 29 The Apostle did not care for his own life, but
he was very concerned for the future of the church, which was a treasure to him
as well as to God.
Verse 30 The perverted ones among the believers in the
church are always used by the devil, who hates the church, to draw the sheep away
to form another flock.
Veres 32 The Greek word here refers to the legal inheritance
of a share of an estate. To participate in God’s inheritance requires us to be sanctified,
and to be sanctified requires the word of God’s grace (John 17:17).
Verse 35 or the infirm. Referring to those who were weak
physically (1Cor.11:30), hence, the poor ones. This word is not recorded in the
Gospels; it must have been received by oral communication.
Bibliography,
King James, The
Holy Bible (KJV), Cleveland, OH: The world publishing company
Ryrie, Charles
C. The Ryrie study Bible (NIV). Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible
Institute, 1986
Lee, Witness. The
New Testament (R.V.) Anaheim, CA: Living Stream Ministry, 1985.
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