The Acts of the Apostles
Acts 20
Chapter XX · Vol. IV, pp. 294–296
1 Paul goeth to Macedonia. 7 He celebrateth the Lord's supper, and preacheth. 9 Eutychus having fallen down dead, 10 is raised to life. 17 At Miletus he calleth the elders together, telleth them what shall befall to himself, 28 committeth God's flock to them, 29 warneth them of false teachers, 32 commendeth them to God, 36 prayeth with them, and goeth his way.
1 And aftera the uproar was ceased, bPaul called unto him the disciples, and embraced them, and cdeparted for to go into Macedonia.
2 And when he had gone over those 1parts, and dhad given them much exhortation, he came into Greece,2
A.M. cir. 4064. A.D. cir. 60.
1 The parts of country in and near Macedonia.—I.
d ch.14.22; 15.41; 16.5. 1 Th.2.3,11. Col.1.28.
2 Greece, in the New Testament, was equivalent to 'Achaia,' including Greece proper, and also the Peloponnesus—now the Morea.—C.
3 And there abode three months. And when the Jews laid wait for him,3 as he was about to sail into Syria, he purposed to return through Macedonia.
4 And there accompanied him into Asia eSopater of Berea; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and gGaius of Derbe, and hTimotheus; and of Asia, iTychicus and jTrophimus.
6 And we sailed away from lPhilippi4 after the ndays of unleavened bread, and came unto them to Troas in five days; where we abode seven days.
l ch.16.12. Phi.1.1.
4 Philippi was an inland city, but its port was Neapolis, and from it doubtless Paul sailed across the Archipelago to Troas.—P.
n Ex.12.18,19; 13.6,7; 23.15; 34.18.
7 And upon the ofirst day of the week, when the disciples came together pto break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and qcontinued his speech until midnight.Cited in WSC 59, 60 · WLC 116, 117 · WCF 21.7, 29.3
o Jn.20.1,19,26. 1 Co.16.2. Re.1.10.
p ch.2.42,46. 1 Co.10.16; 11.20-34.
q 2 Ti.4.2. ver.31. 1 Co.15.10.
8 And there were many lights in the rupper chamber, where they were gathered together.
r Lu.22.12. ch.1.13; 9.39.
9 And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into sa deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up *dead.5
* This is stated as a fact, not as a mere supposition or belief of those who had not full opportunity of testing the truth. That Paul by a miracle restored him to life is plainly indicated.—P.
5 See note * in first column.
10 And Paul went down, tand fell on him, and embracing him, said, uTrouble not yourselves; for his life is in him.
t 1 Ki.17.21. 2 Ki.4.34.
u Mat.9.24. Jn.11.11,44. ch.9.40,41.
11 When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed.
12 And they brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted.
13 And we went before to ship, and sailed unto Assos,6 there intending to take in Paul: for so had he appointed, minding himself to go afoot.
6 It appears that Paul was delayed by his evangelistic labours, so that he could not reach the ship in time. His companions, therefore, left him, and went on board. Paul himself arranged to travel overland to Assos (a distance of 20 miles), and there join his brethren in the ship, which he accomplished.—P.
14 And when he met with us at Assos,7 we took him in, and came to Mitylene.8
7 Assos. A seaport in the province of Troas.—C.
8 Mitylene, the ancient capital of Lesbos, one of the largest islands in the Ægean Sea, and also one of the most beautiful and fruitful.—C.
15 And we sailed thence, and came the next day over against Chios;9 and the next day we arrived at Samos, and tarried at 1Trogyllium; and the next day we came to Miletus.2
9 Chios and Samos—islands of the Ægean.—C.
1 Trogyllium. A promontory in the Ægean, projecting from the coast of Lydia opposite Samos.—C.
2 Miletus. Once the chief city of Ionia. Its inhabitants were called 'Milesii,' were much addicted to navigation and commerce, and, according to Seneca, planted no fewer than 380 colonies in different parts of the world.—C.
16 For Paul had determined to vsail by Ephesus, because he would not spend the time in Asia; for he hasted, if it were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem the xday of Pentecost.
v ch.18.21; 21.4,12; 19.21.
A.M. cir. 4064. A.D. cir. 60.
x ch.2.1. 1 Co.16.8. Nu.28.26-31. Ex.23.16,17; 34.22,23. with ch.24.17.
18 And when they were come to him, he said unto them, yYe know, from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons,
y 1 Th.2.1-10; 1.5. 2 Ti.4.2. ch.19.1-20,18.
19 Servingz the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations,5 which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews:
z ver.3. 1 Co.2.3; 15.9,10. 2 Co.3.5. Phi.3.18. 1 Co.4.9-13. 2 Co.4.7-11; 6.4-10; 11.23-29; 7.5.
5 Temptations.—Trials of faith, charity, patience, perseverance, and courage.—C.
20 Anda how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have showed you, and have taught you publicly, and from house to house,
21 Testifyingb both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.Cited in WSC 85 · WLC 153 · WCF 15.1
22 And now, behold, cI go bound in the spirit,6 unto Jerusalem, dnot knowing the things that shall befall me there:
c ch.18.21; 19.21.
6 See note * below.
* Bound in the spirit. 'Under a strong impulse of his own mind,' according to Bloomfield, &c. The fact, however, that the apostle did not, upon other occasions, act by his own impulses, but by the guidance of the Holy Ghost, which commanded him to go to Jerusalem, but left him uninformed of the result, farther than the general prophecies of 'bonds and imprisonments,' delivered to him 'in every city' through which he had passed.—C.
24 Butg none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which hI have received of the Lord Jesus, ito testify the kgospel of the grace of God.
g ch.21.13. Ro.8.35,37. 1 Co.15.31. 2 Co.1.8; 4.8,16; 6.4,9; 7.4; 12.10. Ga.6.14. Ep.3.13; 6.20. Phi.1.20-24; 2.17. Col.1.24. 2 Ti.2.9; 3.11; 4.7,16. He.10.34.
h Jn.17.4. 1 Co.9.24. 2 Ti.4.7. Col.4.17. Tit.1.3. ch.9.15; 22.21; 26.17. 1 Co.1.1; 9.1-4.
i ver.21. Jn.15.27. ch.1.8. He.2.3,4.
k ch.14.3. Tit.2.11,12. Lu.2.10,11. Ro.5.20,21.
25 And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the lkingdom of God, shall see my face no more.
l ver.24. Mar.1.1,14,15. ch.28.23. Mat.13.19,52.
26 Whereforen I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men.
n ch.18.6. 2 Co.7.2. 1 Th.2.10-12. Eze.3.18-21; 33.4-9.
28 Takep heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers,8 to feed the church of God,9 which he hath purchased with his own blood.1Cited in WLC 38 · WCF 8.7, 30.1 · HC 54
p 1 Co.9.27. Col.4.17. 1 Ti.4.16. He.13.17. Jn.21.15-17. ch.13.2; 14.23. Phi.1.1. Pr.10.21. Je.3.15. 1 Pe.5.2,3.
8 Inspectors or bishops.—C.
9 Church of God. There is a variety in the MSS. of this verse—such as, 'church of the Lord;' 'of Christ;' 'of the Lord God;' 'of God and (even) the Lord;' 'of the Lord and (even) God.' Fathers and versions, however, are almost unanimously in favour of 'the church of God;' and all the most ancient and valuable MSS. concur in reading either 'the church of God,' or, 'of the Lord and (even) God.' Moreover, the phrase 'church of God' occurs many times in the epistles of Paul—'church of the Lord' never. See, for example, 1 Co.1.2; 10.32; 11.22; 15.9. Ga.1.13. 1 Th.2.14. 1 Ti.3.5,15. See Bloomfield's Greek Test. and recent Synop.—C.
1 With his own blood, when 'God with us,' 'God manifest in the flesh;' and, consequently, manifest in all its sinless conditions, of which the possession and shedding of blood was one.—C.
29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous qwolves enter in among you, not rsparing the flock.
30 Alsos of your ownselves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.
s Je.13.20; 23.1. Eze.34.2,3. Zec.11.17.
31 Thereforet watch, and remember, that uby the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.
32 And now, brethren, xI commend you to God, and to ythe word of his grace, zwhich is able to build you up, and to agive you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.Cited in WSC 89 · WLC 4, 43, 155 · WCF 13.1, 14.1
34 Yea, ye yourselves know, cthat these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me.
35 dI have showed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, eIt is more blessed to give than to receive.2
37 Andg they all wept sore, and fell on Paul's neck, and kissed him,
g Ge.33.4; 45.14; 46.29. 1 Sa.20.41. Lu.15.20.
38 Sorrowing most of all for the words which he spake, hthat they should see his face no more. And ithey accompanied him unto the ship.
h ver.25.
i ch.15.3; 20.38; 21.5,16. 1 Co.16.11.
Notes
Ver. 7. Upon the first day of the week An evident proof that the primitive Christians observed the first (or Lord's) day, and were also accustomed on that day to assemble themselves for hearing the Word and observing the Lord's supper. C.
Ver. 8. Many lights. For what purpose are the 'lights' mentioned? Partly perhaps to bear record of the perfect visibility of all the acts of Christian worship which the heathen were ready to calumniate, and partly to account for the sleep of Eutychus, from the heat of the room and the exhaustion of the air. C.
Ver. 12. How much more should parents and friends be 'comforted' when they that have fallen asleep in forbidden pleasures, and have fallen "dead in trespasses and sins," are restored again to life through the preaching of the Word and the power of the Spirit. C.
Ver. 21. Repentance toward God. Grief for and hatred of sin, not because it has injured ourselves, but because it has offended a holy and merciful God—hence called 'godly sorrow,' 2 Co.7.10, whereby the sinner, by 'faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ,' the only Saviour and way to the Father, turns from his sin to God. C.
Ver. 31. Night. For the avoiding of danger and offence, it would appear that the primitive Christians were much accustomed to meet by night; see ver. 8. Poverty, no doubt, also tended to introduce the practice—some being originally poor, others reduced by being outcasts from their friends and proscribed in their trade, others ruined by 'the spoiling of their goods' by the hands of their covetous and unfeeling persecutors. C.
Reflections.—Christ's providence can carry his servants safe through the wildest uproars, and turn mad outrage into calm tranquillity and peace. Parting with Christian friends whom we expect to see no more on earth ought to be very devout and affectionate. And if murderous enemies lie in wait for us, we may cautiously avoid them. If we honour Christ much, he will honour us with good companions. And if ministers be truly faithful, they will never think they do enough in the service of Christ. They may be often wearied with, but never weary of, their work. Christians who fervently love Christ will make his Sabbath and supper their delight. And it is very unlike a Christian to shorten the one by unnecessary, sloth and sleep, and almost forget the other by unfrequency. How criminal and dangerous is it, even at mid-day, to sleep at the worship of God! What if he whom we affront as unworthy of our notice—he whom we contemn as unworthy to be embraced—should seize the moment, and awaken us in eternal woe! Surely then every sermon should be heard, every sacrament received, every prayer poured forth, and every farewell of friends taken, as on the brink of eternity, and as before the awful tribunal.—Infinite is the importance of the ministerial work. With deep humility, earnest care, holy fear, self-denial, and candid fidelity, all the duties of it ought to be performed. The truths, the honour of Jesus Christ, and the salvation of immortal souls, are all at stake. And both ministers and people have need to be recommended to the grace of God, that he may increase their gifts, graces, and success, and at last grant them a free admission to the state of perfect holiness and happiness above.