Acts 20:1
Outline:
I. \\#Acts 1:1-8:4\\ God’s Work in Jerusalem
A. \\#1:1-3\\ The Introduction
B. \\#1:4-26\\ Jesus’ Departure
C. \\#2:1-8:4\\ The Holy Ghost’s Coming
II. \\#Acts 8:5-12:24\\ God’s Work in Judea and Samaria
III. \\#Acts 13:1-28:31\\ God’s Work in Uttermost Parts of the World
A. \\#13:1-14:28\\ The First Missionary Journey
1. \\#13:1-3\\ The Calling
2. \\#13:4\\ Seleucia
3. \\#13:5-12\\ Cyprus
4. \\#13:13\\ Perga in Pamphylia
5. \\#13:14-52\\ Antioch of Pisidia
6. \\#14:1-5\\ Iconium
7. \\#14:6-19\\ Lystra
8. \\#14:21\\ Debra
9. \\#14:22-25\\ Retracing the Journey
10. \\#14:25\\ Attalia
11. \\#14:26-28\\ Antioch of Syria
B. \\#15:1-35\\ Judaism or Grace
1. \\#15:1-3\\ The Issue
2. \\#15:4-29\\ The Council At Jerusalem
3. \\#15:30-35\\ The return to Antioch
C. \\#15:36-18:22\\ Paul’s Second Missionary Journey
1. \\#15:36-40\\ Problems in Preparation
2. \\#15:41\\ Syria and Cilicia
3. \\#16:1-5\\ Derbe, Lystra, and Iconium
4. \\#16:6-9\\ "they had gone throughout"
5. \\#16:11-40\\ On to Philippi
6. \\#17:1-9\\ Thessalonica
7. \\#17:10-14\\ Berea
8. \\#17:15-34\\ Athens
9. \\#18:1-18\\ Corinth
10. \\#18:19-21\\ Ephesus
11. \\#18:22\\ Caesarea
D. \\#Acts 18:23-21:17\\ Paul’s Third Missionary Journey
1. \\#18:23\\ Galatia and Phrygia
2. \\#18:24-28\\ Apollos in Ephesus
3. \\#19:1-23\\ Paul Returned to Ephesus
4. \\#20-1-6\\ Paul in Greece
5. \\#20:7-12\\ Paul in Troas
6. \\#20:13-16\\ Paul in the Coastal Cities
7. \\#20:17-38\\ Paul Bids the Elders of Ephesus Farewell
I. \\#20-1-6\\ Paul in Greece (Macedonia and Achaia) Map
A. \\#1\\ "departed into Macedonia" - Paul left Ephesus
traveling to Macedonia; however, he will travel north to
Troas to get there.
B. \\#2\\ "he had gone over those parts …he came into Greece"
Since he does not come to Macedonia (Greece) until the end of
the verse, the "parts" that Paul was traveling over must have
been in Asia. The exact details of where he went are not
given.
C. \\#3\\ At the end of the last verse, Paul "came into Greece."
1. "He will stay in Macedonia and Achaia "three months."
Again, the exact details of his travels are not given but
it is likely that he visited Corinth twice during that
time.
a. 1Corinthians was probably written from Ephesus.
\\#1Cor 4:19, 16:5, 1Cor 16:6\\ This visit was
Paul’s "heavy" visit \\#2Cor 2:1\\.
b. 2Corinthians was probably written shortly after Paul
left Corinth (perhaps from Philippi although that
would have made it difficult for him to complete a
third missionary journey in that period of time
\\#2Cor 13:14\\), while still on his third
missionary journey. He returned soon thereafter for
a third visit. \\#2Cor 12:14, 13:1\\
2. "Jews laid wait" - Paul was in southern Greece (Achaia)
"to sail into Syria," going back to Antioch, when he
learned that Jews had plotted to kill him, perhaps
onboard the ship.
3. "he purposed to return through Macedonia" - So Paul
changed his plans and traveled north to Macedonia,
choosing to sail out of Philippi instead.
D. \\#4-6\\ Paul at Philippi Map
1. \\#4\\ Here we read of seven who traveled more or less
with Paul from Philippi to Asia.
a. "Sopater of Berea"
b. "Aristarchus and Secundus" of Thessalonica
c. "Gaius of Derbe"
d. "Timotheus …Tychicus and Trophimus" of Asia
2. \\#5\\ "These going before tarried for us at Troas"
These seven went on ahead but Paul, and at least Luke,
were to follow.
3. \\#6\\ Paul stayed in Philippi for the Feast of Unleavened
Bread, which occurs the week after Passover/Easter.
4. It took "five days" to sail to Troas, although it is
possible that the ship took port on the journey across.
5. Once in Troas, Paul stayed there "seven days."
II. \\#20:7-12\\ Paul in Troas - While Paul had traveled through
Troas several times, except for the vision he had there
\\#Acts 16:8-11\\, we have no details of the work done there.
A. \\#7\\ "upon the first day of the week" - Sunday CHURCH!
B. Paul preached to the church "until midnight."
C. \\#9\\ A young man, Eutychus" fell out a "third loft" window
and died.
D. \\#10\\ "And Paul …fell on him" - Paul laid himself upon
the lad, apparently restoring life to him, and declared
"his life is in him."
E. \\#11\\ Then they talked "til break of day" and Paul left.
III. \\#20:13-16\\ Paul in the Coastal Cities Map
A. \\#13\\ The company sailed to "Assos," but Paul walked.
1. This is the first time this city has been mentioned and
was perhaps a new work.
2. Paul might have been getting a bit leery at of sailing
as he would have likely written 2Corinthians by this
time and in it he states:
2Co 11:25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once
was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a
night and a day I have been in the deep;
3. I find it interesting that none of those shipwrecks are
mentioned by the Luke in Acts.
4. There remains at least one more shipwreck ahead
\\#Acts 27:12-44\\.
B. \\#14\\ Then to "Mitylene."
C. \\#15\\ Then near "Chios."
D. "Samos"
E. "Trogyllium"
F. "Miletus"
1. The ship was probably stopping to load and unload cargo.
2. \\#16\\ Miletus was near Ephesus, but Paul did not want to
go to Ephesus for he wanted to be "at Jerusalem the day
of Pentecost."
3. Pentecost is also the Feast of Firstfruits, one of the
three days when all Jewish men were commanded to come to
Jerusalem (Passover and Feast of Tabernacles).
IV. \\#20:17-35\\ Paul Bids the Elders of Ephesus Farewell
A. \\#17\\ "called the elders of the church" - So Paul sent word
to the Ephesians elders to come see him in Miletus, about
30 miles away.
B. \\#18-38\\ Paul shared his heart with these church leaders.
1. \\#18-21\\ Paul had worked hard and shared the gospel
faithfully.
a. \\#20\\ Paul had taught "publickly, and from house to
house."
b. \\#21\\ Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the
Greeks.
2. \\#22\\ "I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem" - The
journey Paul was making to Jerusalem was something he
felt strongly that the Holy Spirit wanted him to do.
3. "not knowing the things that shall befall me there" -
Paul did not know what God had in store for him in
Jerusalem.
4. \\#23\\ "Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every
city …that bonds and afflictions abide me" - Many of
the Christians (who had the gift of prophecy we would
presume) were telling Paul that he would suffer greatly
in Jerusalem.
5. \\#24\\ "But none of these things move me" - None of their
warnings were going to change Paul’s mind.
a. "neither count I my life dear unto myself" - Paul did
not consider life out of the will of God a way to
live.
b. "that I might finish my course" - But wanted to finish
his "race" or "course." Paul was on a course—the
journey to Jerusalem being part of that course—given
to him of the Lord.
c. "with joy" - With the joy that comes with knowing he
had done what God desired.
d. "and the ministry which I have received of the Lord"
And he wanted to complete the work God gave him,
which he believed included this journey to Jerusalem
and a journey to Rome. \\#Acts 19:21, Rom 1:13, 15\\
6. \\#25-35\\ "I know that ye all, among whom I have gone
preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more"
a. Paul did know that he would not be back through Asia
or Macedonia.
b. Paul was saying goodbye to all of the churches
through the church of Ephesus.
c. If our time estimates are correct, Paul would have
spend around 13 years making these three journeys.
d. \\#26-25\\ "I take you to record"
(1) Paul wanted them to verify that his conduct had
been right before men as he knew it had been
right before God. He will emphasize how he
worked, took nothing from them, and modeled
Jesus teaching to give \\#33-35\\.
(2) "I have not shunned to declare …all the counsel
of God." - Paul had preached the Word to those
people in its entirety.
7. \\#28-32\\ "Take heed therefore unto yourselves" - Paul
also wanted to encourage these Christians to stick with
God!
a. \\#29\\ For I know …after my departing …grievous
wolves" - Paul knew what kind of people would come
against the church after he died and he called them
wolves.
b. \\#30\\ "Also of your own selves" - The attacks would
not be just from without but also from WITHIN.
c. \\#31\\ "Therefore watch" - So stay alert.
(1) Jesus would speak to the same church at Ephesus
through John in \\#Rev 2:1-7\\, warning them to
return to the their "first love."
(2) Today, Ephesus is modern-day Turkey and is 98%
Muslim. Obviously, the wolves destroyed that
church.
(3) "space of three years" - This is probably the
cumulative time Paul spent in Ephesus, although
most of that would have had to have been at
the beginning of his third missionary journey.
d. \\#32\\ "I commend you to God, and …his grace" - Now
Paul was putting them directly into the hands of God
and the working of God’s grace for Paul knew he would
no longer be able to aid God in that work.
V. \\#20:36-38\\ The Farewell - Luke spent a few verses describing
the emotion that the elders of Ephesus displayed.
A. \\#36\\ Paul "kneeled down, and prayed with them all."
B. \\#37-38\\ "they wept sore …kissed him …Sorrowing …that
they should see his face no more."
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