Acts 20

Acts 20 is the twentieth of the twenty-eight chapters of Acts. After the riot at Ephesus in Acts 19 subsides, Paul brings his third missionary journey to a close, and this chapter begins his journey to Jerusalem.

Outline

• Verses 1–6 Paul passes through Macedonia and spends three months in Greece. When the Jews plot against him, he returns through Macedonia. Seven companions go ahead to Troas, and "we" sail from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, reaching Troas in five days and staying there seven days.
• Verses 7–12 On the first day of the week, when the disciples gather to break bread, Paul preaches until midnight. Eutychus, sitting in a window and overcome by sleep, falls from the third story and is taken up dead, but Paul embraces him and says, "his life is in him."
• Verses 13–16 The others travel by ship while Paul goes on foot to Assos. They then sail by way of Mitylene, Chios, and Samos and arrive at Miletus. Paul bypasses Ephesus in order to reach Jerusalem by the day of Pentecost.
• Verses 17–27 Paul summons the Ephesian elders to Miletus and reviews his ministry in Asia. He tells them that he is going to Jerusalem bound in the Spirit and that bonds and afflictions await him.
• Verses 28–35 He charges the elders to feed the flock. He warns them against grievous wolves and reminds them of his example of working with his own hands to support the weak.
• Verses 36–38 All kneel and pray, and then, weeping, they accompany Paul to the ship.

Key Verses

• Acts 20:24 "neither count I my life dear unto myself": a representative verse expressing Paul's resolve to fulfill his calling.
• Acts 20:28 "to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood": frequently cited in discussions of the responsibility of church leaders.
• Acts 20:35 "It is more blessed to give than to receive": a saying of Jesus not recorded in the Gospels (Acts 20:34–35).

People and Places

• Eutychus: the young man at Troas who dozed off and fell from the window.
• Paul's companions include Sopater, Aristarchus, Secundus, Gaius, Timothy, Tychicus, and Trophimus.
• Troas is a port in northwestern Asia Minor, and Miletus is a port city south of Ephesus.
• The chapter also mentions Macedonian cities such as Philippi and Thessalonica, as well as Paul's destination, Jerusalem.

Interpretive Notes

• Elders and overseers: The "elders" of verse 17 and the "overseers" of verse 28 refer to the same people. Presbyterians regard this as evidence that elder and bishop are a single office. Churches with episcopal polity explain that the offices of the early church gradually became differentiated (church polity).
• Breaking of bread: The "first day of the week" in verse 7 is often cited as early evidence of Lord's Day gatherings. Interpretations differ on whether the "breaking of bread" here refers to the Lord's Supper or to a shared meal.
• The death of Eutychus: Verse 9 states that he "was taken up dead." Most read this as a miracle of restoration to life, though some interpret it to mean that he had merely fainted.
• The "we" passages: Beginning with verse 5, the first-person plural narration resumes. This has traditionally been regarded as evidence that the author, Luke, accompanied Paul.
• Textual variants in verse 28: Manuscripts are known to differ between the readings "church of God" and "church of the Lord."
• The following chapter: The journey to Jerusalem continues in Acts 21.

In the Korean Church

Verses 24 and 28 are frequently used as sermon texts at ordination services and at commissioning services for missionaries. Verse 35 is commonly cited in sermons encouraging charity and generosity.