THE BOOK OF ACTS. CHAPTER 20 OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY. MARK DUNAGAN I. OUTLINE OF CHAPTER 20: I. From Ephesus to Corinth: Acts 20:1-3 II. From Corinth To Troas: Acts 20:3-12 A. Paul's traveling companions: Acts 20:4 B. Events at Troas: Acts 20:7-12 III. From Troas to Miletus: Acts 20:13-17 IV.... [ Continue Reading ]
"And after the uproar ceased, Paul having sent for the disciples and exhorted them, took leave of them, and departed to go into Macedonia"After the uproar ceased": After the riot described in Acts 19:29-41. "Took leave of them": "His helpers could stay behind and carry on the work without the terrif... [ Continue Reading ]
"And when he had gone through those parts, and had given them much exhortation, he came into Greece"Gone through those parts": That is, gone through Macedonian territory. During this time, Paul not only wrote Second Corinthians, he also probably revisited the congregations in Philippi, Thessalonica,... [ Continue Reading ]
"And when he had spent three months there, and. plot was laid against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he determined to return through Macedonia"Three months": These "were the winter months (January to March)" (Reese p. 728). (Acts 20:16) "Paul's three months in Corinth are lik... [ Continue Reading ]
"And there accompanied him as far as Asia, Sopater of Beroea, the son of Pyrrhus; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and of Asia, Tychicus and Trophimus"There accompanied him": Luke temporarily interrupts Paul's journey to tell us who was traveling w... [ Continue Reading ]
"But these had gone before, and were waiting for us at Troas"But these had gone before": Evidently, these accompanying messengers went ahead of Paul to Troas. "Waiting for us": The word us indicates that Luke had rejoined Paul. "Since the Philippian church was planted nearly. years earlier, Luke has... [ Continue Reading ]
"And we sailed away from Phillipi after the days of unleavened bread, and came unto them to Troas in five days, where we tarried seven days" "After the days of unleavened bread": "This was the Passover. The Passover probably lasted only one day, the 14th day of the month called Nisan, but there foll... [ Continue Reading ]
"And upon the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul discoursed with them, intending to depart on the morrow; and prolonged his speech until midnight"Upon the first day of the week": "The regular Greek way of designating the day we call 'Sunday'" (Reese p. 733). S... [ Continue Reading ]
"And there were many lights in the upper chamber where we were gathered together"Many lights": Probably little hand lamps. "Upper chamber": Which was on the third floor of this building (Acts 20:9). "The upper rooms were often larger than those on lower floors...and also would be further removed fro... [ Continue Reading ]
"And there sat in the window. certain young man named Eutychus, borne down with deep sleep; and as Paul discoursed yet longer, being borne down by his sleep he fell down from the third story, and was taken up dead"In the window": Apparently he was sitting on the window ledge (NASV "on the window sil... [ Continue Reading ]
"And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Make ye no ado; for his life is in him"Fell on him, and embracing him": As Elijah (1 Kings 2:19 ff) and Elisha (2 Kings 2:32) did with certain deceased persons in the O.T. "Make ye no ado":"Do not be troubled" (NASV). This probably includ... [ Continue Reading ]
"And when he was gone up, and had broken the bread, and eaten, and had talked with them. long while, even till break of day, so he departed"Had broken the bread, and eaten": Various views exist concerning whether this expression refers to the Lord's Supper or some type of social meal.. think Reese h... [ Continue Reading ]
"And they brought the lad alive, and were not. little comforted"Brought": Probably means they brought him to his own home. "Were not. little comforted": "Much to their relief" (Mof). "There was great rejoicing" (Rieu). JOURNEY FROM TROAS TO MILETUS... [ Continue Reading ]
"But we going before to the ship set sail for Assos, there intending to take in Paul: for so had he appointed, intending himself to go by land"But we going before to the ship set sail for Assos": "But we, going ahead of the ship, set sail for Assos" (NASV). "When it left Troas, the ship had to round... [ Continue Reading ]
"And when he met us at Assos, we took him in, and came to Mitylene"Mitylene": (mit uh LEE neh). "The wealthy chief city of Lesbos, an island in the Aegean Sea off the western coast of Asia Minor" (Nelsons p. 719). "The ship evidently sailed each day and anchored each night. The reason, Ramsay explai... [ Continue Reading ]
"And sailing from thence, we came the following day over against Chios; and the next day we touched at Samos; and the day after we came to Miletus"Over against": "Anchored in. mainland port opposite the island" (Stott p. 322). "Chios": Which is pronounced kye ahs. "The island of Chios is separated f... [ Continue Reading ]
"For Paul had determined to sail past Ephesus, that he might not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hastening, if it were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost"He was hastening": "The imperfect tense verb hurrying expresses the desire for speed during the whole voyage" (Reese... [ Continue Reading ]
"And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called to him the elders of the church": Ephesus was 30 miles distance from Miletus, so assuming that it took one day for the messenger to arrive and one day for the elders to travel to Paul, he probably only had one day with them before the ship sailed. "As... [ Continue Reading ]
"And when they were come to him, he said unto them, Ye yourselves know, from the first day that. set foot in Asia, after what manner. was with you all the time"Ye yourselves know": "There is emphasis on you as though someone somewhere had attacked Paul, and so Paul appeals to these men's own persona... [ Continue Reading ]
"serving the Lord with all lowliness of mind, and with tears, and with trials which befell me by the plots of the Jews"With all lowliness of mind": Or, in. very humble manner. This statement reveals that even though Paul was an Apostle, he was neither arrogant nor self-righteous. "He did not exhibit... [ Continue Reading ]
"how. shrank not from declaring unto you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly, and from house to house"I shrank not": "To withdraw oneself, to cower, to shrink, or to conceal. Hebrews 10:38 " (Robertson p. 349). "Anything that was profitable": Even though Paul's life was often in... [ Continue Reading ]
"testifying both to Jews and to Greeks repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ"Testifying": As Peter did (Acts 2:40). "Stressing" (Rieu). "I insisted on" (NEB). "Repentance toward God": See Acts 17:29. Notice that the gospel Paul preached included repentance,. Christianity that... [ Continue Reading ]
"And now, behold,. go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there"Bound in the spirit": "Under spiritual constraint" (TCNT). Since the Holy Spirit was not overriding Paul's freewill, it seems that the expression bound in the spirit, primarily refers to his o... [ Continue Reading ]
"save that the Holy Spirit testifieth unto me in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me": The Holy Spirit was probably testifying through various Christians who had the gift of prophecy. We find one such "testimony" mentioned in Acts 21:11. but from the above passage, obviously Paul... [ Continue Reading ]
"But. hold not my life of any account as dear unto myself, so that. may accomplish my course, and the ministry which. received from the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God"I hold not my life of any account as dear unto myself": "But my life does not matter" (Gspd). Consider the cou... [ Continue Reading ]
"And now, behold,. know that ye all, among whom. went about preaching the kingdom, shall see my face no more"Preaching the kingdom": Paul preached that the kingdom of God was in existence and Christians had been added to it (Colossians 1:12). "Shall see my face no more": "At this point, it looked to... [ Continue Reading ]
"Wherefore. testify unto you this day, that. am pure from the blood of all men": "My conscience is clear in regard to the fate of any of you" (TCNT). "Should any of you perish, the responsibility is not mine" (Wey). "No man's fate can be laid at my door" (NEB). Compare with Ezekiel 2:18; Acts 18:6.... [ Continue Reading ]
"For. shrank not from declaring unto you the whole counsel of God"For": The reason why he was not responsible for those who ended up lost. "I shrank not": To withhold, to cower, to conceal, shun or draw back. "The whole counsel of God": "All the will of God" (Lam). "The complete will of God" (Phi).... [ Continue Reading ]
"Take heed unto yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit hath made you bishops, to feed the church of the Lord which he purchased with his own blood"Take heed": "Give attention to" (Bas). "Keep. watchful eye on" (Rieu). "Unto yourselves": What an important concept. An elder must fi... [ Continue Reading ]
"I know that after my departing grievous wolves shall enter in among you, not sparing the flock"I know": Apparently the influence of false teachers was already being felt in Ephesus. "Grievous": "Violent, rapacious" (Vincent p. 562). "Wolves": False teachers (Matthew 7:15). "Not sparing the flock":... [ Continue Reading ]
"and from among your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them"From among your own selves": So much for the doctrine of once saved, always saved. Even elders are not immune from going astray. Note, these elders are at this time faithful and sincere,... [ Continue Reading ]
"Wherefore watch ye, remembering that by the space of three years. ceased not to admonish every one night and day with tears"Watch ye": Because these things will happen. "Remembering that by the space of three years": Paul's diligence in the three years that he was with them should motivate the elde... [ Continue Reading ]
"And now. commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you the inheritance among all them that are sanctified"I commend you": "I entrust you to God" (Mof). "The word of His grace": The message that reveals His favor and how to enter into His favor. Tha... [ Continue Reading ]
"I coveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel"I coveted": "Never asked for" (Knox). "I have not wanted anyone's" (NEB). What. refreshing attitude. Paul was not motivated by the material benefits of preaching. He was not into it for the money, and the elders he addresses need to have the same pure... [ Continue Reading ]
"Ye yourselves know that these hands ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me"These hands ministered unto necessities": Indicating that while Paul was in Ephesus he supported himself with his trade, as he had done in Corinth (Acts 18:3). "To them that were with me": Paul also he... [ Continue Reading ]
"In all things. gave you an example, that so laboring ye ought to help the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that he himself said, It is more blessed to give than to receive"In all things. gave you an example": This is. great ethic to live by, in whatever we do. be an example. "Labo... [ Continue Reading ]
"And when he had thus spoken, he kneeled down and prayed with them all. And they all wept sore, and fell on Paul's neck and kissed him": To weep sore means to weep much or freely. The tense indicates that they kissed him repeatedly, probably one after the other falling on his neck.... [ Continue Reading ]
The Reformed Pastor. pp. 121-122.... [ Continue Reading ]