Acts 20 Studies

For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each chapter is divided into a number of studies and each study or passage has a simple four-Part, verse-by-verse approach, to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Passage: Acts 20:1-6

1 When the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples and, after encouraging them, said goodbye and set out for Macedonia. 2 He travelled through that area, speaking many words of encouragement to the people, and finally arrived in Greece, 3 where he stayed three months. Because some Jews had plotted against him just as he was about to sail for Syria, he decided to go back through Macedonia. 4 He was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy also, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia. 5 These men went on ahead and waited for us at Troas. 6 But we sailed from Philippi after the Festival of Unleavened Bread, and five days later joined the others at Troas, where we stayed seven days.

A. Find Out:

1. Where did Paul go after Ephesus? v.1
2. What did he do there and where did he end up? v.2
3. How long did he stay and what then happened? v.3
4. Who travelled with him? v.4
5. How was the travel arranged? v.5
6. So what happened? v.6

B. Think:

1. Check a map for where they travelled in these verses.
2. How were his plans changed by men?
3. What picture are we given of the apostolic band?

C. Comment:

From Ephesus, Paul obviously travelled north and west crossing over to Macedonia again where he encouraged the churches he had previously established. Working south he came to Greece and probably stayed with the church in Corinth for the three months mentioned. His plan at that point was to travel back home directly by sea, but (it seems likely) finding many Jews boarding the ship, he decided this was very risky (knowing their opposition to him) and so decided to make his way back the long way, mostly by land.

It is easy to miss in such a few verses the extent of these travels. In just six verses Luke covers a journey of something like twelve hundred miles, and it was not by coach, train, fast boat or plane! Perhaps because Luke glosses over it so easily, it means it was not a particularly eventful time, yet it would have been a time of further building of relationships which Paul’s letters show he was so good at doing.

It is at this point that Luke gives us a picture of the apostolic community that often came together to travel with Paul. On this occasion six men are mentioned who travelled for the Lord sharing the Gospel and building the churches. Although an individualist Paul is also very much a team man who obviously likes company.

D. Application:

1. Church building is all about building relationships.
2. Church building is also about teamwork. Paul examples both for us.

Passage: Acts 20:7-12

7 On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight. 8 There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting. 9 Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third storey and was picked up dead. 10 Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms round him. ‘Don’t be alarmed,’ he said. ‘He’s alive!’ 11 Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left. 12 The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted.

A. Find Out:    

1. What were they doing and when? v.7a
2. What did Paul do? v.7b
3. What happened to Eutychus? v.9
4. What did Paul do? v.10
5. What did Paul then do? v.11
6. What happened to Eutychus? v.12

B. Think:

1. What early church practice do we see here?
2. How long did this “meeting” go on for?
3. What miracle appeared to happen?

C. Comment:

We have a meeting shown here that would put most Western “services” to shame. First of all note the purpose for which they gathered: to have “communion” and to receive teaching. The local church was meeting in the upstairs room of a three storey building and the meeting seems to go on late into the night. Why? Because Paul has got so much to teach them before he leaves the next day.

Unfortunately this long meeting was too much for one young listener who fell asleep and fell out of the upstairs window, apparently to his death. Is the meeting abandoned in disarray? No! Paul simply goes down (and presumably prays over him) and pronounces him alive, which he clearly is! They take the young man inside and the meeting continues on again – until daybreak! These are serious Christians!

It is interesting that they had been here a whole week, but it is only as the church gathers on Sunday that we are told that Paul spoke to them. Presumably this was the only time the Christians could all gather together and because Paul had to leave the next day, they were willing to listen on for hours and hours to the apostle’s teaching. They didn’t even break bread until after midnight! Do we have this same hunger for teaching?

D. Application:

1. The early church met on Sunday to gather and break bread.
2. Their meeting involved teaching as well as fellowship.

Passage: Acts 20:13-21

13 We went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we were going to take Paul aboard. He had made this arrangement because he was going there on foot. 14 When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene. 15 The next day we set sail from there and arrived off Chios. The day after that we crossed over to Samos, and on the following day arrived at Miletus. 16 Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost.

17 From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. 18 When they arrived, he said to them: ‘You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia. 19 I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents. 20 You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. 21 I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.

A. Find Out:

1. Where did their route take them? v.13-15
2. Why did they set in at Miletus? v.16
3. What did Paul do when they arrived there? v.17
4. How does Paul describe his time in the province of Asia? v.19
5. How does he describe what he has done? v.20
6. What was the heart of his message? v.21

B. Think:

1. What are we told about Paul’s journey now?
2. So why does he set in at Miletus?
3. What facts are given about the nature of his ministry here?

C. Comment:

At first sight these are not exceptional verses but when we consider them more fully they tell us much. First of all, about Paul’s travelling. There is now a sense of urgency about him, he wants to get to Jerusalem by Pentecost. Yet there is also the slowness of travel in those days. The boat goes from island to island. stopping at each one; there can be no rush in those days.

Second, about Paul’s concern for the church. He doesn’t want to stop at Ephesus because he is in a hurry and he knows if he does he will immediately get caught up in encouraging, teaching and blessing the church. Yet he does want to encourage the elders there, so he sets in a little further along the coast and sends for them to have a short “leaders’ retreat”. He is willing to be slowed up for such a purpose.

Third, we find a summary of Paul’s ministry in Asia Minor:

In stating these things, Paul re-establishes his credibility with the leaders from Ephesus and also sets them an example to follow.

D. Application:

1. Our central goal must always be to preach Christ.
2. We may use a variety of methods, but it must all be relying on Him.

Passage: Acts 20:22-27

22 ‘And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. 23 I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. 24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me – the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace. 25 ‘Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. 26 Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you. 27 For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.

A. Find Out:

1. Where was Paul going and why? v.22
2. What did he know was coming? v.23
3. How did he view all this? v.24
4. What did he know about them? v.25
5. What did he declare about himself? v.26
6. Why was he able to say that? v.27

B. Think:

1. What do these verses show, above all else, about Paul?
2. What, in one sense, is his purpose for meeting with these elders?
3. How do you think he must have felt about that?

C. Comment:

Having first spoken about his past ministry, Paul now moves on to what is coming. He has a certainty that this will be his last time with these Ephesian elders. He has a certainty in the Spirit that he is to go to Jerusalem and trouble awaits him. In this we see Paul is completely aware of the Lord’s coming purposes for him; he understands where he is in those purposes.

Yet he is not fatalistic or depressed by the possible outcome because he is only concerned for one thing: to be able to finish his life still preaching the Gospel. As long as he can carry on doing that to the end he is not bothered about his life. He is not concerned whether his life will apparently be restricted or ended prematurely, as long as he knows he is doing God’s will throughout and to the end, preaching the Gospel. What an example!

Having established that, he makes it clear that this will be the last time he will see them and therefore he wants them to be quite clear: he has fully discharged his responsibilities in the Gospel toward them, he has sought on every occasion to share the love of Jesus in its fullness. They therefore now know the whole counsel of God for he has shared it with them completely. They are not lacking in teaching; they know all they need to know.

D. Application:

1. Is the sharing of the Gospel our main priority in life?
2. Are we secure in knowing that we are in the will of God?

Passage: Acts 20:28-38

28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. 29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.

32 ‘Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 33 I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. 34 You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. 35 In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”’

36 When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. 37 They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. 38 What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.

A. Find Out:

1. What did Paul exhort them to do? v.28,31
2. Why? v.29,30
3. To what did Paul commit them? v.32
4. What was Paul able to testify? v.33,34
5. What example did he give? v.35
6. What upset the elders most? v.38

B. Think:

1. How does Paul describe the church in this passage?
2. How must God feel about it then?
3. How should that affect those of us that are leaders?

C. Comment:

Paul gives three straight forward instructions:

1. “Keep watch over yourselves”, i.e. make sure that you keep your own lives on the right path.
2. “Watch over… the flock…be shepherds”, i.e. look after the people of God.
3. “Be on your guard”

i.e. like shepherds watch against marauding wolves, so you guard against spiritual predators that would seek to snatch away the flock. The reason he says this is that he has a prophetic sense (word of knowledge?) that after he has gone there will be attacks on the beliefs of the believers from both people coming in from outside and from those already there. Therefore elders, watch out, seek to avoid it happening. Forewarned is forearmed.

Notice in passing how Paul describes the church as those “which he bought with his blood”, i.e. they are very precious to God, for He has given His ultimate, His very own Son to purchase them, so look after them carefully!

Finally, Paul commits them into God’s hands, sure that God’s grace is adequate for them, to enable them to become the people God has planned them to be. He reminds them of his own ever-giving example and then he prays for them. This is a moment of great significance. He’s raised them and now he has to leave them.

D. Application:

1. Christians are very precious to God. Ponder on that.
2. We need to guard against wrong teaching in its many forms.