Acts 20

1 After the uproar had ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, took leave of them, and departed to go into Macedonia.

2 When he had gone through those parts and had encouraged them with many words, he came into Greece.

3 When he had spent three months there, and a plot was made against him by Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he determined to return through Macedonia.

4 These accompanied him as far as Asia: Sopater of Beroea, Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians, Gaius of Derbe, Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia.

5 But these had gone ahead, and were waiting for us at Troas.

6 We sailed away from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and came to them at Troas in five days, where we stayed seven days.

7 On the first day of the week, when the disciples were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day; and continued his speech until midnight.

8 There were many lights in the upper room where we were gathered together.

9 A certain young man named Eutychus sat in the window, weighed down with deep sleep. As Paul spoke still longer, being weighed down by his sleep, he fell down from the third floor and was taken up dead.

10 Paul went down and fell upon him, and embracing him said, “Don’t be troubled, for his life is in him.”

11 When he had gone up, had broken bread and eaten, and had talked with them a long while, even until break of day, he departed.

12 They brought the boy in alive, and were greatly comforted.

13 But we, going ahead to the ship, set sail for Assos, intending to take Paul aboard there; for he had so arranged, intending himself to go by land.

14 When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and came to Mitylene.

15 Sailing from there, we came the following day opposite Chios. The next day we touched at Samos and stayed at Trogyllium, and the day after we came to Miletus.

16 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 in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost.

17 From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to himself the elders of the assembly.

18 When they had come to him, he said to them, “You yourselves know, from the first day that I set foot in Asia, how I was with you all the time,

19 serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears, and with trials which happened to me by the plots of the Jews;

20 how I didn’t shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, teaching you publicly and from house to house,

21 testifying both to Jews and to Greeks repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus.

22 Now, behold, I go bound by the Spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there;

23 except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions wait for me.

24 But these things don’t count; nor do I hold my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to fully testify to the Good News of the grace of God.

25 “Now, behold, I know that you all, among whom I went about preaching God’s Kingdom, will see my face no more.

26 Therefore I testify to you today that I am clean from the blood of all men,

27 for I didn’t shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.

28 Take heed, therefore, to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the assembly of the Lord and God which he purchased with his own blood.

29 For I know that after my departure, vicious wolves will enter in among you, not sparing the flock.

30 Men will arise from among your own selves, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.

31 Therefore watch, remembering that for a period of three years I didn’t cease to admonish everyone night and day with tears.

32 Now, brothers, I entrust you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

33 I coveted no one’s silver, gold, or clothing.

34 You yourselves know that these hands served my necessities, and those who were with me.

35 In all things I gave you an example, that so laboring you 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.’ ”

36 When he had spoken these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all.

37 They all wept freely, and fell on Paul’s neck and kissed him,

38 sorrowing most of all because of the word which he had spoken, that they should see his face no more. Then they accompanied him to the ship.

Around Acts 20

Context

Context for this book is being written. A note appears here only once it names its sources.

AI explanation

Acts 20 · Written by an AI model · Not reviewed by a theological reader

This explanation was written by an AI model to help you get started. It names no sources and can contain mistakes. Scripture comes first, and context with sources is shown separately on this page.

What this chapter says

On the first day of the week, in an upper room at Troas, Paul talks with the disciples until midnight. A young man named Eutychus, sitting in a window, sinks into a deep sleep as Paul keeps speaking, and falls from the third floor. He is taken up dead. Paul embraces him and says, “Don’t be troubled, for his life is in him.” By dawn the boy is brought in alive.

Hurrying toward Jerusalem, Paul calls the elders of Ephesus to meet him at Miletus. He says he goes to Jerusalem bound by the Spirit, knowing only that bonds and afflictions wait. He warns of wolves who will come, and he leaves them a saying of the Lord Jesus, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” They weep, embrace him, and walk him to the ship, grieving most over his word that they will see his face no more.

Background

The speech at Miletus is the only long speech in Acts that Paul gives to believers rather than outsiders, so it sounds a lot like his letters. It has often been compared with them. The narrator says we in much of the chapter, which tradition connects with Luke's presence. The elders are also called overseers and told to shepherd the flock. The saying of Jesus that Paul quotes is not found in the four Gospels, and the text simply says he said it.

About this explanation

Written by Claude Sonnet 5.5, an AI model, on 15 October 2026. It draws on the WEB text and general knowledge and was not checked against sources by a person. Every quotation from Scripture is checked automatically against the WEB text.

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World English Bible. Public-domain source and edition notes