Paul in Macedonia and Greece

20 When the ·trouble stopped [uproar ended], Paul sent for the ·followers [disciples] to come to him. After he encouraged them and then told them good-bye, he left and went to Macedonia [^Cnorthern Greece; 16:9]. ² He ·said many things to strengthen the followers [^Lencouraged them with many words] in the different places on his way through Macedonia. Then he ·went to [arrived in] Greece [probably Achaia (southern Greece)], ³ where he stayed for three months [^Cprobably in Corinth; at this time he wrote his letter to the Romans]. He was ready to sail for Syria, but some of the Jews were ·planning [plotting] something against him. So Paul decided to go back through Macedonia to Syria. ⁴ The men who went with him were Sopater [Rom. 16:21] son of Pyrrhus, from the city of Berea [17:10–15]; Aristarchus [19:29; Col. 4:10; Philem. 24] and Secundus, from the city of Thessalonica [17:1–9]; Gaius [19:29], from Derbe [14:20–21]; Timothy [Rom. 16:21]; and Tychicus [Eph. 6:21; Col. 4:7; 2 Tim. 4:12] and Trophimus [21:29; 2 Tim. 4:20], two men from Asia [^Call representatives of the Gentile churches delivering a financial gift to the church in Jerusalem]. ⁵ These men went on ahead and waited for us at Troas [^Chere begins the second “we” section in Acts, indicating that the author, Luke, has rejoined Paul (16:10–17; 20:5—21:18; 27:1—28:16)]. ⁶ We sailed from Philippi after the Feast of Unleavened Bread [^Canother name for Passover; Ex. 12:14–20]. Five days later we met them in Troas [16:8], where we stayed for seven days.

Eutychus Raised from the Dead at Troas

⁷ On the first day of the week [^CSunday; or perhaps Saturday night since the Jewish day began in the evening (Greeks reckoned from the morning)], we all met together to break bread [^Cprobably a reference to the Lord’s Supper; Luke 22:14–20], and Paul ·spoke to [or was having a discussion with] the group. Because he was planning to leave the next day, he kept on talking until midnight. ⁸ We were all together in a room upstairs, and there were many lamps in the room [^Cusing up oxygen and causing drowsiness]. ⁹ A young man named Eutychus was sitting in the window. As Paul continued talking, Eutychus was falling into a deep sleep. Finally, he went sound asleep and fell to the ground from the third floor. When they picked him up, he was dead. ¹⁰ Paul went down to Eutychus, ·knelt down [or threw himself on him; ^Clike Elisha; 2 Kin. 4:32–35], and ·put his arms around [embraced] him. He said, “Don’t ·worry [fear]. ·He is alive now [^LFor his life/soul is in him].” ¹¹ Then Paul went upstairs again, broke bread, and ate. He spoke to them a long time, until ·it was early morning [dawn], and then he left. ¹² They took the young man home alive and were ·greatly [^Lnot in a small measure] comforted.

The Trip from Troas to Miletus

¹³ We went on ahead of Paul and sailed for the city of Assos [^Con the east coast of the Aegean in the Gulf of Adramyttium], where we ·intended [planned] to take Paul on board. Paul ·planned [arranged] it this way because he wanted to go to Assos by land. ¹⁴ When he met us there, we took him aboard and went to Mitylene [^Cthe main city on the island of Lesbos in the Aegean]. ¹⁵ We sailed from ·Mitylene [^Lthere] and the next day came to a place ·near [opposite; across from] Kios [^Can island five miles off the coast in the Aegean]. The following day we sailed to Samos [^Canother island off the coast in the Aegean], and the next day we reached Miletus [^Ca city on the western coast of Asia Minor]. ¹⁶ [^LFor] Paul had already decided ·not to stop at [^Lto sail past] Ephesus [18:19], because he did not want to stay too long in [^Cthe province of] Asia [^Cwith so many friends in Ephesus (ch. 19), a short stop would be impossible]. He was hurrying to be in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost [^Cone of three great Jewish festivals, celebrated 50 days after Passover], if that were possible.

The Elders from Ephesus

¹⁷ Now from Miletus [20:15] Paul sent to Ephesus [18:19; 19:1–41] and called for the elders [14:23; 1 Tim. 5:17] of the church. ¹⁸ When they came to him, he said, “You know about my life from the first day I came to Asia [18:19]. You know the way I lived all the time I was with you [19:1–41]. ¹⁹ ·Some Jewish opponents [^LThe Jews] ·made plans [plotted] against me, which ·troubled me very much [severely tested/tried me]. But you know I always served the Lord ·unselfishly [^Lwith humility], and ·I often cried [in sorrowful times; ^Lwith tears]. ²⁰ You know I preached to you and did not hold back anything that would help you. You know that I taught you in public and ·in your homes [from house to house]. ²¹ I ·warned [witnessed/testified to] both Jews and Greeks to ·change their lives and turn to God [repent] and believe in our Lord Jesus. ²² But now [^Lindeed; ^Tbehold] ·I must obey the Holy Spirit and [^Lbound/compelled by the Spirit, I must] go to Jerusalem. I don’t know what will happen to me there. ²³ I know only that in every city the Holy Spirit ·tells [warns; testifies to] me that ·troubles and even jail [^Lchains and persecutions/afflictions] wait for me. ²⁴ [^LBut] I don’t ·care about my own life [consider my life worth anything]. ·The most important thing [or My only goal] is that I ·complete [finish] my ·mission [task; course; ^Lrace; 2 Tim. 4:7; Heb. 12:1], the ·work [ministry; service] that ·the Lord Jesus gave me [^LI received from the Lord Jesus]—to ·tell people [testify/witness to] the ·Good News [Gospel] about God’s grace.

²⁵ “And now [^Llook; ^Tbehold], I know that none of you among whom I was ·preaching [proclaiming] the ·kingdom of God [^Lkingdom] will ever see ·me [^Lmy face] again. ²⁶ So today I ·tell [testify/witness to] you that ·if any of you should be lost, I am not responsible [^LI am innocent/clean of the blood of everyone; Ezek. 33:9], ²⁷ because I ·have told [^Lhave not held back from telling] you ·everything God wants you to know [or the whole purpose/plan/will of God]. ²⁸ ·Be careful for [Keep watch over] yourselves and for all the ·people [^Lflock] the Holy Spirit has ·given to you to oversee [^Lmade you overseers/guardians; John 21:16]. You must be like shepherds to the church of God,^[a] which he ·bought [or obtained] with the ·death of his own Son [^Lwith the blood of his own (Son); or with his own blood]. ²⁹ I know that after ·I leave [my departure; I am gone], ·some people will come like wild wolves [^Lwild/savage wolves will come in among you] and ·try to destroy [will not spare] the flock. ³⁰ ·Also, [or Even] some from your own group will rise up and ·twist the truth [^Lspeak perversions/distortions] and will ·lead away [lure; entice] ·followers [disciples] after them. ³¹ So ·be careful [keep watch]! Always remember that for three years, day and night, I never stopped warning [admonishing; instructing] each of you, ·and I often cried over you [^Lwith tears].

³² “Now I ·am putting you in the care of [commend/commit/entrust you to] God and the ·message [word] about his grace. It is able to ·give you strength [edify you; build you up], and it will give you the ·blessings God has [^Linheritance] ·for [or among] all ·his holy people [those who are sanctified; those set apart for himself]. ³³ When I was with you, I never ·wanted [coveted] anyone’s ·money [^Lsilver or gold] or fine clothes [Ex. 20:17; Deut. 5:21; 1 Sam. 12:3]. ³⁴ You [^Lyourselves] know I always worked [^Lwith my own hands] to take care of my own needs and the needs of those who were with me. ³⁵ I ·showed [provided an example to] you ·in all things [in everything I did] that you should work as I did and help the weak. I taught you to remember the words Jesus said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive [^Ca saying of Jesus not recorded elsewhere in Scripture].’”

³⁶ ·When [After] Paul had said this, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. And they all ·cried [wept loudly/a great deal] because Paul had said they would never see ·him [^Lhis face] again. They ·put their arms around him [embraced/hugged him] and kissed him. Then they ·went with [escorted; accompanied] him to the ship.