Bullet Point Bible

Paul Travels Through Macedonia and Greece

¹ After the disturbance had ended, Paul sent for the disciples, and after encouraging them and saying farewell, he left to go to Macedonia.² After he had gone through those regions and spoken many words of encouragement to the believers there, he came to Greece,³ where he stayed for three months. Because the Jews had made a plot against him as he was intending to sail for Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia.⁴ Paul was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, and Timothy, as well as Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia.⁵ These had gone on ahead and were waiting for us in Troas.⁶ We sailed away from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and within five days we came to the others in Troas, where we stayed for seven days.

Following the riot in Ephesus (Acts 19), Paul prioritized encouraging the disciples before departing, demonstrating pastoral care even amidst turmoil.
Paul's ministry involved extensive travel and consistent encouragement ("spoken many words of encouragement") to strengthen existing churches (Acts 20:2).
Renewed opposition from Jewish antagonists forced Paul to alter his travel plans, highlighting the persistent danger he faced (Acts 20:3). This echoes earlier plots against him (Acts 9:23-24, Acts 13:50, Acts 14:5-6, Acts 17:5-9, Acts 17:13).
The list of companions (Acts 20:4) likely represents delegates from various Gentile churches accompanying Paul to deliver the collection for the Jerusalem church (1 Corinthians 16:1-4, Romans 15:25-27). This demonstrated unity between Jewish and Gentile believers.
The shift to "us" in Acts 20:5 indicates that Luke, the author of Acts, rejoined Paul's group at Philippi. These "we sections" provide eyewitness details.
The mention of the "feast of Unleavened Bread" (Acts 20:6) provides a chronological marker (springtime) and shows continued observance of Jewish customs by these early Christians.
The five-day sea journey from Philippi to Troas (Acts 20:6), compared to the two-day journey in the opposite direction (Acts 16:11-12), suggests unfavorable winds or sailing conditions.

Eutychus Raised from the Dead in Troas

⁷ On the first day of the week, when we met to break bread, Paul began to speak to the people, and because he intended to leave the next day, he extended his message until midnight.⁸ (Now there were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting.)⁹ A young man named Eutychus, who was sitting in the window, was sinking into a deep sleep while Paul continued to speak for a long time. Fast asleep, he fell down from the third story and was picked up dead.¹⁰ But Paul went down, threw himself on the young man, put his arms around him, and said, "Do not be distressed, for he is still alive!"¹¹ Then Paul went back upstairs, and after he had broken bread and eaten, he talked with them a long time, until dawn. Then he left.¹² They took the boy home alive and were greatly comforted.

The gathering "on the first day of the week" (Sunday) for "breaking bread" (likely the Lord's Supper and a fellowship meal) is significant early evidence of Christian worship shifting from the Sabbath (Saturday) (Acts 20:7; see also 1 Corinthians 16:2).
Paul's extended sermon ("kept on talking until midnight," Acts 20:7, and then "spoken extensively... until daybreak," Acts 20:11) shows his dedication and the eagerness of the believers to learn before his departure.
The detail of "many lamps" (Acts 20:8) might explain the sleepiness of Eutychus due to heat and fumes, adding realism to the account.
Eutychus' fall and death (Acts 20:9) presented a potential crisis and tragedy for the fledgling church community in Troas. Luke explicitly states he "was picked up dead."
Paul's action of embracing Eutychus (Acts 20:10) mirrors similar life-restoring miracles by Elijah (1 Kings 17:21) and Elisha (2 Kings 4:34), demonstrating God's power working through Paul.
Paul's calm assurance, "Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him" (Acts 20:10), displayed faith in God's power to restore life.
The continuation of fellowship and teaching after the miracle (Acts 20:11) underscores the importance of spiritual nourishment alongside the demonstration of divine power.
The restoration of Eutychus brought great comfort (Acts 20:12), turning a potential disaster into a powerful confirmation of God's presence and Paul's apostolic authority.

Paul's Journey from Troas to Miletus

¹³ We went on ahead to the ship and put out to sea for Assos, intending to take Paul aboard there, for he had arranged it this way. He himself was intending to go there by land.¹⁴ When he met us in Assos, we took him aboard and went to Mitylene.¹⁵ We set sail from there, and on the following day we arrived off Chios. The next day we approached Samos, and the day after that we arrived at Miletus.¹⁶ For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus so as not to spend time in the province of Asia, for he was hurrying to arrive in Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost.

Paul chose to walk the approximately 20 miles from Troas to Assos alone (Acts 20:13), perhaps seeking solitude for prayer and reflection before the demanding journey to Jerusalem and the anticipated hardships there.
Luke meticulously records the coastal journey's stages (Assos, Mitylene, Chios, Samos, Miletus), reflecting careful record-keeping and likely drawing from a travel diary (Acts 20:14-15).
Paul's decision to bypass Ephesus (Acts 20:16), despite his deep connection to the church there (having spent three years, Acts 20:31), highlights his urgency to reach Jerusalem.
The goal of reaching Jerusalem by Pentecost (Acts 20:16) was significant. Pentecost was a major Jewish pilgrimage festival, and Paul likely aimed to deliver the collection from the Gentile churches then (cf. 1 Corinthians 16:3-8) and perhaps use the occasion for witness.
This urgency foreshadows the warnings Paul received about dangers awaiting him in Jerusalem (Acts 20:22-23, Acts 21:4, Acts 21:10-14).

Farewell Address to Ephesian Elders: Review of Ministry

¹⁷ From Miletus he sent a message to Ephesus, telling the elders of the church to come to him.¹⁸ When they arrived, he said to them, "You yourselves know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I set foot in the province of Asia,¹⁹ serving the Lord with all humility and with tears, and with the trials that happened to me because of the plots of the Jews.²⁰ You know that I did not hold back from proclaiming to you anything that would be helpful, and from teaching you publicly and from house to house,²¹ testifying to both Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus.²² And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem without knowing what will happen to me there,²³ except that the Holy Spirit warns me in town after town that imprisonment and persecutions are waiting for me.²⁴ But I do not consider my life worth anything to myself, so that I may finish my task and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the good news of God's grace.²⁵ "And now I know that none of you among whom I went around proclaiming the kingdom will see me again.²⁶ Therefore I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of you all.²⁷ For I did not hold back from announcing to you the whole purpose of God.

Paul summons the elders (presbyters/overseers, cf. Acts 20:28) from Ephesus to Miletus (about 30 miles south) for a final meeting, indicating their leadership role in the church.
This speech is the only major address by Paul directed primarily to Christians recorded in Acts and resembles a farewell discourse, similar to those of Jacob (Genesis 49), Moses (Deuteronomy 31-33), Joshua (Joshua 23-24), and Jesus (John 14-17).
Paul appeals to his own example as a model for ministry: humility, emotional investment ("tears"), perseverance through trials (Acts 20:18-19).
His teaching was comprehensive ("did not hold back... anything helpful," "the whole purpose of God") and conducted in various settings ("publicly and from house to house") (Acts 20:20, 27).
The core message centered on "repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus," presented universally to Jews and Greeks (Acts 20:21).
Paul expresses a sense of divine compulsion ("compelled by the Spirit") driving him toward Jerusalem, despite explicit warnings from the Holy Spirit about impending suffering (Acts 20:22-23). This highlights the tension between divine guidance and foreknowledge of hardship.
Paul's supreme commitment was to fulfill his God-given ministry ("finish my task") of proclaiming the gospel ("testify to the good news of God's grace"), valuing it above his own life (Acts 20:24). This echoes Jesus' own determination (Luke 9:51).
He declares his conviction that this is their final meeting ("will see me again," Acts 20:25) and asserts his faithfulness in declaring God's full message, absolving himself of responsibility for their future spiritual state ("innocent of the blood of you all," Acts 20:26; cf. Ezekiel 33:1-9).

Farewell Address: Warnings and Exhortations

²⁸ Watch out for yourselves and for all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God that he obtained with the blood of his own Son.²⁹ I know that after I am gone fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.³⁰ Even from among your own group men will arise, teaching perversions of the truth to draw the disciples away after them.³¹ Therefore be alert, remembering that night and day for three years I did not stop warning each one of you with tears.³² And now I entrust you to God and to the message of his grace. This message is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.³³ I have desired no one's silver or gold or clothing.³⁴ You yourselves know that these hands of mine provided for my needs and the needs of those who were with me.³⁵ By all these things, I have shown you that by working in this way we must help the weak, and remember the words of the Lord Jesus that he himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"

Paul charges the elders ("overseers," Greek *episkopoi*) to guard both their own spiritual lives and the "flock" (the church) entrusted to them (Acts 20:28). This highlights the dual responsibility of leadership.
The Holy Spirit appoints church leaders ("the Holy Spirit has made you overseers"), emphasizing divine calling over mere human selection (Acts 20:28).
The task is described as shepherding ("to shepherd," Greek *poimainein*), implying care, guidance, protection, and nourishment for the church (Acts 20:28).
A profound theological statement is made about the church's value: it was obtained ("purchased" or "acquired") by God "with the blood of his own Son" (or "his own blood," depending on manuscript variations), underscoring the immense cost of redemption (Acts 20:28).
Paul warns of future dangers from both external ("fierce wolves," likely false teachers attacking the church) and internal sources ("from among your own group," leaders distorting the truth) (Acts 20:29-30). This anticipates later issues addressed in epistles like 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus.
He urges vigilance ("be alert"), reminding them of his own persistent, tearful warnings during his three years in Ephesus (Acts 20:31).
Paul commends the elders to God's care and the power of the gospel message ("the message of his grace") for their spiritual growth ("build you up") and future hope ("inheritance among all those who are sanctified") (Acts 20:32).
He defends his financial integrity, stating he coveted no one's possessions and supported himself and his team through manual labor ("these hands of mine provided") (Acts 20:33-34; see also 1 Corinthians 4:12, 1 Thessalonians 2:9, 2 Thessalonians 3:8). This served as an example against greed.
Paul connects hard work not only to self-support but also to the ability to "help the weak" (Acts 20:35).
He concludes with a saying of Jesus not recorded in the Gospels: "{{It is more blessed to give than to receive}}" (Acts 20:35), summarizing a life of service and generosity modeled by both Jesus and Paul.

Emotional Farewell and Departure

³⁶ When he had said these things, he knelt down with them all and prayed.³⁷ They all began to weep loudly, and hugged Paul and kissed him,³⁸ especially saddened by what he had said, that they were not going to see him again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.

The farewell concludes with communal prayer, with Paul kneeling alongside the elders, demonstrating humility and dependence on God (Acts 20:36).
The deep emotional response—loud weeping, hugging, and kissing—reveals the strong bonds of love and affection between Paul and the Ephesian leaders (Acts 20:37). This contrasts with the often contentious relationships depicted elsewhere.
The primary cause of their sorrow was Paul's statement that they would not see him again (Acts 20:38, referencing Acts 20:25), underscoring the perceived finality of this parting.
Their accompanying him to the ship was a final act of respect, love, and support for Paul as he embarked on the next stage of his journey toward Jerusalem and the uncertain future awaiting him there.
This poignant scene highlights the human cost of Paul's apostolic ministry and the deep relationships forged through shared faith and service.

The Bullet Point Bible

Acts 20