保罗再访马其顿和希腊

20 这场风波平息后,保罗召集众门徒勉励一番后,便辞别他们去了马其顿。 他走遍那一带,用许多劝勉的话鼓励当地的门徒。之后,他又去希腊, 在那里逗留了三个月。当保罗正要乘船去叙利亚时,听闻犹太人计划要害他,就决定经马其顿回去。 同他到亚细亚去的人有庇哩亚人毕罗斯的儿子所巴特、帖撒罗尼迦人亚里达古和西公都,还有特庇人该犹、提摩太、亚细亚人推基古和特罗非摩。 他们先到特罗亚等候我们。 除酵节过后,我们从腓立比启航,五天后在特罗亚和他们会合,大家同住了七天。

犹推古死而复活

七日的第一日[a],我们聚会掰饼,保罗因为次日要离开,就向他们讲道,直到深夜。 我们聚会的楼上整夜灯火通明。 有个名叫犹推古的青年坐在窗台上听道。保罗讲了许久,犹推古不胜困倦睡着了,竟从三楼掉了下去。别人将他抱起来时,他已经死了。 10 保罗下去伏在他身上,抱着他对众人说:“不要惊慌,他还活着!” 11 保罗说完就回到楼上,与大家一同掰饼、用餐,又谈了很久,直到天亮才离去。 12 大家非常欣慰地把活过来的犹推古送回了家。

保罗告别以弗所的众长老

13 我们照保罗的吩咐先乘船到亚朔预备在那里接他,他打算由陆路步行到那里。 14 他到了亚朔,我们接他上船,一同前往米推利尼。 15 我们从米推利尼启航,第二天到了基阿附近,第三天到达撒摩,第四天在米利都停泊。 16 保罗急于赶回耶路撒冷,希望在五旬节前赶到,所以决定不去以弗所,免得在亚细亚境内耽误太久。

17 保罗从米利都派人到以弗所请教会的长老前来与他相会。 18 他们都来了,保罗说:“各位,自从我踏进亚细亚那天起,在你们当中为人如何,你们都很清楚。 19 我含着眼泪谦卑地事奉主,又遭到犹太人的迫害,历尽艰辛。 20 你们也知道,凡是对你们有益的事,我没有避而不宣,我总是在公开场合和各人家中教导你们。 21 我劝犹太人和希腊人都要悔改,归向上帝,信靠主耶稣基督。 22 现在,我在圣灵的催促下去耶路撒冷,不知道在那里会发生什么事, 23 只知道圣灵在各城镇指示我,前面必有监禁和苦难等着我。 24 不过,只要能跑完我当跑的路程,完成主耶稣交托给我的使命——为上帝充满恩典的福音做见证,就是牺牲性命,我也在所不惜。

25 “我一向在你们中间传扬上帝的国,如今我知道,以后你们再也见不到我的面了。 26 所以今天我向你们声明,将来你们有谁灭亡,与我无关。 27 因为上帝的整个计划,我没有向你们避而不宣。 28 你们要为自己,也要为教会的群羊警醒,因为圣灵已经任命你们做群羊的监督,牧养上帝的教会。教会是主用自己的血赎回来的。 29 我知道,在我离开以后,一定会有凶恶的豺狼闯进你们中间,残害羊群。 30 就是你们中间也会有人起来歪曲真理,引诱门徒跟随他们。 31 所以你们一定要警醒,牢记这三年来我怎样昼夜不住地流着泪劝诫你们。

32 “现在,我把你们交托给上帝和祂充满恩典的道,这道能造就你们,使你们与一切圣洁的人同得产业。 33 我从未贪图别人的金银和衣服, 34 你们都知道,我亲手做工养活自己和同工。 35 我凡事以身作则,教导你们勤奋工作,帮助软弱的人,并牢记主耶稣的话,‘施比受更有福。’”

36 保罗说完这番话,就和大家一同跪下祷告。 37 众人都哭了,抱着保罗与他亲吻, 38 最使他们伤心的就是他说“你们再也见不到我的面了”。最后,众人送他上了船。

Footnotes

  1. 20:7 照犹太人的算法,太阳下山后为一日的开始,基督徒又以礼拜天为一周之始,所以七日的第一日很有可能是礼拜六晚上。

保羅再訪馬其頓和希臘

20 這場風波平息後,保羅召集眾門徒勉勵一番後,便辭別他們去了馬其頓。 他走遍那一帶,用許多勸勉的話鼓勵當地的門徒。之後,他又去希臘, 在那裡逗留了三個月。當保羅正要乘船去敘利亞時,聽聞猶太人計劃要害他,就決定經馬其頓回去。 同他到亞細亞去的人有庇哩亞人畢羅斯的兒子所巴特、帖撒羅尼迦人亞里達古和西公都,還有特庇人該猶、提摩太、亞細亞人推基古和特羅非摩。 他們先到特羅亞等候我們。 除酵節過後,我們從腓立比啟航,五天後在特羅亞和他們會合,大家同住了七天。

猶推古死而復活

七日的第一日[a],我們聚會掰餅,保羅因為次日要離開,就向他們講道,直到深夜。 我們聚會的樓上整夜燈火通明。 有個名叫猶推古的青年坐在窗臺上聽道。保羅講了許久,猶推古不勝困倦睡著了,竟從三樓掉了下去。別人將他抱起來時,他已經死了。 10 保羅下去伏在他身上,抱著他對眾人說:「不要驚慌,他還活著!」 11 保羅說完就回到樓上,與大家一同掰餅、用餐,又談了很久,直到天亮才離去。 12 大家非常欣慰地把活過來的猶推古送回了家。

保羅告別以弗所的眾長老

13 我們照保羅的吩咐先乘船到亞朔預備在那裡接他,他打算由陸路步行到那裡。 14 他到了亞朔,我們接他上船,一同前往米推利尼。 15 我們從米推利尼啟航,第二天到了基阿附近,第三天到達撒摩,第四天在米利都停泊。 16 保羅急於趕回耶路撒冷,希望在五旬節前趕到,所以決定不去以弗所,免得在亞細亞境內耽誤太久。

17 保羅從米利都派人到以弗所請教會的長老前來與他相會。 18 他們都來了,保羅說:「各位,自從我踏進亞細亞那天起,在你們當中為人如何,你們都很清楚。 19 我含著眼淚謙卑地事奉主,又遭到猶太人的迫害,歷盡艱辛。 20 你們也知道,凡是對你們有益的事,我沒有避而不宣,我總是在公開場合和各人家中教導你們。 21 我勸猶太人和希臘人都要悔改,歸向上帝,信靠主耶穌基督。 22 現在,我在聖靈的催促下去耶路撒冷,不知道在那裡會發生什麼事, 23 只知道聖靈在各城鎮指示我,前面必有監禁和苦難等著我。 24 不過,哪怕是犧牲性命,我也在所不辭,只盼望我能跑完當跑的路程,完成主耶穌交託給我的使命,為上帝充滿恩典的福音做見證。

25 「我一向在你們中間傳揚上帝的國,如今我知道,以後你們再也見不到我的面了。 26 所以今天我向你們聲明,將來你們有誰滅亡,與我無關。 27 因為上帝的整個計劃,我沒有向你們避而不宣。 28 你們要為自己,也要為教會的群羊警醒,因為聖靈已經任命你們做群羊的監督,牧養上帝的教會。教會是主用自己的血贖回來的。 29 我知道,在我離開以後,一定會有兇惡的豺狼闖進你們中間,殘害羊群。 30 就是你們中間也會有人起來歪曲真理,引誘門徒跟隨他們。 31 所以你們一定要警醒,牢記這三年來我怎樣晝夜不住地流著淚勸誡你們。

32 「現在,我把你們交託給上帝和祂充滿恩典的道,這道能造就你們,使你們與一切聖潔的人同得產業。 33 我從未貪圖別人的金銀和衣服, 34 你們都知道,我親手做工養活自己和同工。 35 我凡事以身作則,教導你們勤奮工作,幫助軟弱的人,並牢記主耶穌的話,『施比受更有福。』」

36 保羅說完這番話,就和大家一同跪下禱告。 37 眾人都哭了,抱著保羅與他親吻, 38 最使他們傷心的就是他說「你們再也見不到我的面了」。最後,眾人送他上了船。

Footnotes

  1. 20·7 照猶太人的算法,太陽下山後為一日的開始,基督徒又以禮拜天為一周之始,所以七日的第一日很有可能是禮拜六晚上。

Paul Goes through Macedonia and Greece

20 When the riot was over, Paul sent for the followers and encouraged them. He then told them goodbye and left for Macedonia. As he traveled from place to place, he encouraged the followers with many messages. Finally, he went to Greece[a] and stayed there for three months.

Paul was about to sail to Syria. But some of the Jewish leaders plotted against him, so he decided to return by way of Macedonia. With him were Sopater, son of Pyrrhus from Berea, and Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica. Gaius from Derbe was also with him, and so were Timothy and the two Asians, Tychicus and Trophimus. They went on ahead to Troas and waited for us there. After the Festival of Thin Bread, we sailed from Philippi. Five days later we met them in Troas and stayed there for a week.

Paul's Last Visit to Troas

On the first day of the week[b] we met to break bread together.[c] Paul spoke to the people until midnight because he was leaving the next morning. In the upstairs room where we were meeting, there were a lot of lamps. A young man by the name of Eutychus was sitting on a window sill. While Paul was speaking, the young man got very sleepy. Finally, he went to sleep and fell three floors all the way down to the ground. When they picked him up, he was dead.

10 Paul went down and bent over Eutychus. He took him in his arms and said, “Don't worry! He's alive.” 11 After Paul had gone back upstairs, he broke bread, and ate with us. He then spoke until dawn and left. 12 Then the followers took the young man home alive and were very happy.

The Voyage from Troas to Miletus

13 Paul decided to travel by land to Assos. The rest of us went on ahead by ship, and we were to take him aboard there. 14 When he met us in Assos, he came aboard, and we sailed on to Mitylene. 15 The next day we came to a place near Chios, and the following day we reached Samos. The day after that we sailed to Miletus. 16 Paul had decided to sail on past Ephesus, because he did not want to spend too much time in Asia. He was in a hurry and wanted to be in Jerusalem in time for Pentecost.[d]

Paul Says Goodbye to the Church Leaders of Ephesus

17 From Miletus, Paul sent a message for the church leaders at Ephesus to come and meet with him. 18 When they got there, he said:

You know everything I did during the time I was with you when I first came to Asia. 19 Some of the Jews plotted against me and caused me a lot of sorrow and trouble. But I served the Lord and was humble. 20 When I preached in public or taught in your homes, I didn't hold back from telling anything that would help you. 21 I told Jews and Gentiles to turn to God and have faith in our Lord Jesus.

22 I don't know what will happen to me in Jerusalem, but I must obey God's Spirit and go there. 23 In every city I visit, I am told by the Holy Spirit that I will be put in jail and will be in trouble in Jerusalem. 24 (A) But I don't care what happens to me, as long as I finish the work the Lord Jesus gave me to do. And this work is to tell the good news about God's gift of undeserved grace.

25 I have gone from place to place, preaching to you about God's kingdom, but now I know that none of you will ever see me again. 26 I tell you today I am no longer responsible for any of you! 27 I have told you everything God wants you to know. 28 Look after yourselves and everyone the Holy Spirit has placed in your care. Be like shepherds to God's church. It is the flock he bought with the blood of his own Son.[e]

29 I know that after I am gone, others will come like fierce wolves to attack you. 30 Some of your own people will tell lies to win over the Lord's followers. 31 Be on your guard! Remember how day and night for three years I kept warning you with tears in my eyes.

32 I now place you in God's care. Remember the message about his gift of undeserved grace! This message can help you and give you what belongs to you as God's people. 33 I have never wanted anyone's money or clothes. 34 You know how I have worked with my own hands to make a living for myself and my friends. 35 By everything I did, I showed how you should work to help everyone who is weak. Remember that our Lord Jesus said, “More blessings come from giving than from receiving.”

36 After Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. 37 Everyone cried and hugged and kissed him. 38 They were especially sad because Paul had told them, “You will never see me again.”

Then they went with him to the ship.

Footnotes

  1. 20.2 Greece: Probably Corinth.
  2. 20.7 On the first day of the week: Since the Jewish day began at sunset, the meeting would have begun in the evening.
  3. 20.7 break bread together: See the note at 2.46.
  4. 20.16 in time for Pentecost: The Jewish people liked to be in Jerusalem for this festival (see the note at 2.1).
  5. 20.28 the blood of his own Son: Or “his own blood.”