The Acts of the Apostles
Chapter 20
Vs. 1 After all that upset at the amphitheater was done, Paul called the believers together and said good-bye. Then Paul left for Macedonia. Along the way, he stopped to encourage believers in the various towns.
He came to Greece and stayed there 3 months. He was getting ready to sail to Syria, when he heard some of the Jews were trying to hurt him. So he decided to go back through Macedonia.
Several men were traveling with him. These men went on to Troas and waited for Paul. When the Passover holy days were over, Paul and some others got on a ship at Philippi in Macedonia. After 5 days of sailing, they arrived at Troas. They stayed there a week.
On the day before Paul left, he was preaching and he preached a long time because he was going to leave the next day. He preached until midnight. The people were in an upstairs room.
The room had lamps and like candles the light flickers. One young man was getting sleepy so he went to sit on the edge of an open window to get fresh air.
Then he went to sleep, and he fell out of the window. The room was on the third level of the building so he fell down a long way. He died.
The people ran down to see him and saw he was dead. Paul went to him and took him in his arms and prayed for him. He came alive again.
The people went back upstairs and had the “Lord’s supper” together. Paul kept talking until the sun came up. Then Paul left.
The young man went home alive and not hurt.
Vs. 13 Paul went by land and his friends went by ship. They met at Assos. Then they sailed together to Mitylene. They passed several other places and arrived at Miletus.
Vs. 16 Paul did not stop at Ephesus this time. He was trying to hurry on to Jerusalem.
He hoped to get there by the time of the holy day Pentecost. But he sent word to the leaders in Ephesus to come down and meet him.
He told the leaders that he had in every way been true to preaching about Jesus.
He had been in danger over and over because of the Jews against him.
Vs.23 He said the Holy Spirit had been warning him over and over in various cities that jail and suffering would be happening to him. But he still wanted to go to Jerusalem.
Vs. 24 He said that none of those things said we going to stop him. It did not matter if bad things would happen to him. He said, he did not hold his life so dear that he would avoid danger just to stay alive he felt he must go do the ministry that God gave him to do.
The King James Version says: “None of these things move me.” Meaning that no matter the troubles Paul would keep on doing what God sent him to do. He said: “ So that I might finish my course with joy.”
Have you ever given up on something too soon. And afterwards you wished you had stayed with it and finished it? Or waited for someone or something got tired of waiting and gave up and went on or did something else then the thing you waited for happen?
There is wisdom in staying with a thing until it is done. No matter the troubles and hard things that come with it. Paul said he stayed “on course” “on the path” because he wanted to have “joy” in the end. When we give up too soon we have sorrow and regret.
Vs. 25 Paul told them that they would not see his face again. He said “I have been faithful. I have told you all that the Holy Spirit showed me.
Now be careful because men will come into your group and will be teaching things that are wrong. Some men in your own group may try to change the truth so they can get people to follow them.
Paul said for 3 years I was with you and watched over you teaching you.
Now I must trust you into God’s care to keep you and teach you.
I have never taken anything from any one. I worked to meet my own needs. I paid for those who were with me.
You should remember the words of Jesus that it is more blessed to give than to receive.
Then Paul prayed for them. They cried and hugged him and told him Good-bye.
They were very sad because Paul had said they would never see him again.
Then they walked him to the ship.