Paul Strengthens the Believers
20 1 After the uproar ended, Paul sent for the disciples, encouraged them, said goodbye, and left for Macedonia. 2 When he had passed through those regions and given the believers much encouragement, he came to Greece. 3 He stayed three months; when the Jews plotted against him as he was about to sail for Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia. 4 Sopater son of Pyrrhus of Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus of Thessalonica, Gaius of Derbe, Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia accompanied him. 5 These went on ahead and were waiting for us at Troas. 6 We sailed from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, reaching them at Troas in five days and staying there seven days.
A Young Man Raised at Troas
7 On the first day of the week, when we gathered to break bread, Paul talked with them; planning to leave the next day, he kept talking until midnight. 8 There were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered. 9 A young man named Eutychus sat in the window, sinking into deep sleep as Paul kept talking. Overcome by sleep, he fell from the third story and was picked up dead. 10 Paul went down, bent over him, and embracing him said, "Don't be alarmed; his life is in him."
11 He went back up, broke bread, ate, and talked with them a long time, until daybreak, then left. 12 And they brought the young man home alive, and were greatly comforted.
The Journey to Miletus
13 We went ahead by ship to Assos, planning to take Paul aboard; he had chosen to go by land. 14 And when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and came to Mitylene. 15 Sailing from there, we came opposite Chios the next day, put in at Samos the day after, and reached Miletus the following day. 16 Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, avoiding time in Asia; he was hurrying to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by Pentecost.
17 From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him. 18 When they came, he said, "You know how I lived among you the whole time, from the first day I set foot in Asia, 19 serving our Lord Jesus with complete humility, tears, and trials brought on by the Jews' plots against me, 20 how I held nothing back that would help you, but declared it and taught you publicly and house to house 21 testifying to both Jews and Greeks: repentance toward our Father and faith in our Lord Jesus. 22 Now bound by the Spirit, I'm heading to Jerusalem, not knowing what awaits me there, 23 except the Holy Spirit tells me in every city that chains and sufferings await me. 24 But I place no value on my life, nor treasure it for myself, only that I finish my course and the ministry I received from our Lord Jesus, testifying to the gospel of our Father's grace.
25 And now I know none of you among whom I went preaching the kingdom of our Father will see my face again. 26 Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all, a a v26 'Innocent of the blood of all': Paul is saying that if anyone here is spiritually lost, it is not for lack of warning from him — he has held nothing back. 27 for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of our Father. 28 Watch yourselves and all the flock the Holy Spirit made you overseers of, to shepherd our Father's church, which he purchased with the blood of his own Son. b b v28 The Greek reads literally "through the blood of his own," which the FHB renders as "his own Son" — our Father obtained the church at the cost of his Son's blood. Paul names the same truth in Romans 8:32: our Father did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all. 29 I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock, 30 Men from among you will rise, speaking distorted things, to draw the disciples away after them. 31 So watch, remembering that for three years, night and day, I never stopped warning each one of you with tears. 32 Now I entrust you to our Father and to the word of his grace, able to build you up and give you the inheritance among all who are made holy. 33 I coveted no one's silver or gold or clothing. 34 You yourselves know that these hands provided for my needs and for those who were with me. 35 In everything I showed you that, working hard this way, we must help the weak, remembering the words of our Lord Jesus, that he himself said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive."
36 And when he had said these things, he knelt down with them all and prayed. 37 They all wept; they embraced Paul and kissed him, 38 Grieving most over his words—that they'd never see his face again—they walked him to the ship.
