Acts 20–28

Paul in Macedonia

20After the uproar was over, Paul sent for the disciples, encouraged them, and after saying good-bye, departed to go to Macedonia. ^q2And when he had passed through those areas and exhorted them at length, he came to Greece ³and stayed three months. When he was about to set sail for Syria, a plot was devised against him by the Jews, so a decision was made to go back through Macedonia. ^r4He was accompanied ^sby Sopater son of Pyrrhus ^tfrom Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy, ^uand Tychicus ^vand Trophimus ^wfrom Asia. ⁵These men went on ahead and waited for us in Troas, ^x6but we sailed away from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread. ^yIn five days we reached them at Troas, where we spent seven days.

Eutychus Revived at Troas

⁷On the first day of the week, we ^zassembled to break bread. ^aPaul spoke to them, and since he was about to depart the next day, he extended his message until midnight. ⁸There were many lamps in the room upstairs where we were assembled, ⁹and a young man named Eutychus was sitting on a window sill and sank into a deep sleep as Paul kept on speaking. When he was overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and was picked up dead. ¹⁰But Paul went down, fell on him, embraced him, and said, “Don’t be alarmed, for his life is in him!” ^b11After going upstairs, breaking the bread, and eating, Paul conversed a considerable time until dawn. Then he left. ¹²They brought the boy home alive and were greatly comforted.

From Troas to Miletus

¹³Then we went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, intending to take Paul on board there. For these were his instructions, since he himself was going by land. ¹⁴When he met us at Assos, we took him on board and came to Mitylene. ¹⁵Sailing from there, the next day we arrived off Chios. The following day we crossed over to Samos, and ^cthe day after, we came to Miletus. ^d16For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus so he would not have to spend time in Asia, because he was hurrying to be in Jerusalem, if possible, for the day of Pentecost. ^e

Farewell Address to the Ephesian Elders

¹⁷Now from Miletus, he sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the church. ¹⁸And when they came to him, he said to them: “You know, from the first day I set foot in Asia, how I was with you the whole time ^f— ¹⁹serving the Lord with all humility, with tears, and with the trials that came to me through the plots of the Jews ^g— ²⁰and that I did not shrink back from proclaiming to you anything that was profitable or from teaching it to you in public and from house to house. ²¹I testified to both Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God ^hand faith in our Lord Jesus. ⁱ

²²“And now I am on my way to Jerusalem, bound in my spirit, ^jnot knowing what I will encounter there, ^k23except that in town after town the Holy Spirit testifies to me that chains and afflictions are waiting for me. ^l24But I count my life of no value to myself, so that I may finish my course ^mand the ministry ⁿI received from the Lord Jesus, ^oto testify to the gospel of God’s grace.

²⁵“And now I know that none of you will ever see my face again—everyone I went about preaching the kingdom to. ²⁶Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent ^pof everyone’s blood, ^q27for I did not shrink back from declaring to you the whole plan of God. ^r28Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock ^sthat the Holy Spirit has appointed you to as overseers, ^tto shepherd the church of God, ^uwhich He purchased with His own blood. ^v29I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. ³⁰And men will rise up from your own number with deviant doctrines to lure the disciples into following them. ^w31Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for three years I did not stop warning each one of you with tears. ^x

³²“And now ^yI commit you to God and to the message of His grace, ^zwhich is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance ^aamong all who are sanctified. ³³I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. ^b34You yourselves know that these hands have provided for my needs and for those who were with me. ^c35In every way I’ve shown you that by laboring like this, it is necessary to help the weak and to keep in mind the words of the Lord Jesus, for He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

³⁶After he said this, he knelt down and prayed with all of them. ^d37There was a great deal of weeping by everyone. They embraced Paul and kissed him, ³⁸grieving most of all over his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they escorted him to the ship. ^e

Warnings on the Journey to Jerusalem

21After ^fwe tore ourselves away from them and set sail, we came by a direct route to Cos, the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara. ²Finding a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, we boarded and set sail. ³After we sighted Cyprus, leaving it on the left, we sailed on to Syria and arrived at Tyre, because the ship was to unload its cargo there. ⁴So we found some disciples and stayed there seven days. Through the Spirit they told Paul not to go to Jerusalem. ^g5When our days there were over, we left to continue our journey, while all of them, with their wives and children, escorted us out of the city. After kneeling down on the beach to pray, ⁶we said good-bye to one another. Then we boarded the ship, and they returned home.

⁷When we completed our voyage from Tyre, we reached Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and stayed with them one day. ^h8The next day we left and came to Caesarea, where we entered the house of Philip ⁱthe evangelist, ^jwho was one of the Seven, and stayed with him. ⁹This man had four virgin daughters who prophesied. ^k

¹⁰While we were staying there many days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. ¹¹He came to us, took Paul’s belt, tied his own feet and hands, and said, “This is what the Holy Spirit says: ‘In this way the Jews in Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into Gentile hands.’ ” ^l12When we heard this, both we and the local people begged him not to go up to Jerusalem.

¹³Then Paul replied, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” ^m

¹⁴Since he would not be persuaded, we stopped talking and simply said, “The Lord’s will be done!” ⁿ

Conflict over the Gentile Mission

¹⁵After these days we got ready and went up to Jerusalem. ¹⁶Some of the disciples from Caesarea also went with us and brought us to Mnason, a Cypriot and an early disciple, with whom we were to stay. ^o

¹⁷When we reached Jerusalem, the brothers welcomed us gladly. ^p18The following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present. ^q19After greeting them, he related in detail what God did among the Gentiles through his ministry. ^r

²⁰When they heard it, they glorified God and said, “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are who have believed, and they are all zealous ^sfor the law. ²¹But they have been told about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to abandon Moses, by telling them not to circumcise their children or to walk in our customs. ^t22So what is to be done? ^uThey will certainly hear that you’ve come. ²³Therefore do what we tell you: We have four men who have obligated themselves with a vow. ²⁴Take these men, purify yourself along with them, and pay for them to get their heads shaved. Then everyone will know that what they were told about you amounts to nothing, but that you yourself are also careful about observing the law. ^v25With regard to the Gentiles who have believed, we have written a letter containing our decision that ^wthey should keep themselves from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from what is strangled, and from sexual immorality.”

The Riot in the Temple Complex

²⁶Then the next day, Paul took the men, having purified himself along with them, and entered the temple, announcing the completion of the purification days when the offering for each of them would be made. ^x27As the seven days were about to end, the Jews from Asia saw him in the temple complex, stirred up the whole crowd, and seized him, ^y28shouting, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people, our law, and this place. What’s more, he also brought Greeks into the temple and has profaned this holy place.” ^z29For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple complex. ^ab

³⁰The whole city was stirred up, and the people rushed together. They seized Paul, dragged him out of the temple complex, and at once the gates were shut. ^c31As they were trying to kill him, word went up to the commander of the regiment that all Jerusalem was in chaos. ³²Taking along soldiers and centurions, he immediately ran down to them. Seeing the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. ³³Then the commander came up, took him into custody, and ordered him to be bound with two chains. ^dHe asked who he was and what he had done. ³⁴Some in the mob were shouting one thing and some another. Since he was not able to get reliable information because of the uproar, he ordered him to be taken into the barracks. ^e35When Paul got to the steps, he had to be carried by the soldiers because of the mob’s violence, ³⁶for the mass of people followed, yelling, “Take him away!” ^f

Paul’s Defense before the Jerusalem Mob

³⁷As he was about to be brought into the barracks, Paul said to the commander, “Am I allowed to say something to you?”

He replied, “Do you know Greek? ³⁸Aren’t you the Egyptian who raised a rebellion some time ago and led 4,000 Assassins ^ghinto the wilderness?” ⁱ

³⁹Paul said, “I am a Jewish man from Tarsus of Cilicia, ^ja citizen of an important city. ^kNow I ask you, let me speak…