Assignment for 8.8 to 8.22.09, Acts 20 (TWO-WEEKS)

[Irving]

Assignment for 8.8 to 8.22.09 (Two
weeks)
Acts 20

CHAPTER 20. 1-38. Continuance of Paul’s third Missionary Journey This
is a chapter dense in detail and significance, deserving of a two-week
study.

PREFACE: After the uproar in Ephesus had subsided Paul headed for
Macedonia, visiting the congregations that had been established on the
second journey and finally arriving in Greece at Corinth, where he
stayed for three months. He was planning to sail back to Antioch in
Syria, his sponsoring congregation, but got wind of a plot to
assassinate him and avoided the ports of Corinth and retraced his
steps back through Macedonia. He was in double jeopardy because in
addition to the hatred of the Jews, he and his companions carried all
of the collection he had made from the congregations in Asia and
Macedonia for the stricken Christian mother congregation in Jerusalem,
an invitation for thievery and murder. He had seven companions from
various congregations who had contributed to the collection. These
men went on and waited for Paul and Luke at Troas while they stayed at
Philippi to celebrate Passover and the subsequent Festival of
Unleavened Bread. Then they joined the others at Troas. On the next
Lord’s Day, Sunday, they celebrated Holy Communion and Paul spoke to
the people. Because his stay would be short, and he had a lot to
teach, he spoke until midnight by lamplight. One young man, sitting on
a window sill fell asleep during the lecture and fell three stories to
his death. Paul rushed down, and God used him to bring the boy back to
life. Then Paul went upstairs again, ate and continued teaching until
daybreak. The company then sailed to Assos, while Paul walked , for
what reason we don’t know. At that point, Paul got on board and they
sailed on to Mitylene and Kios (Chios). One day at a time they sailed
to Samos and Miletus, where Paul sent for the elders at Ephesus There
Paul had a long session of instruction with them during which he told
them he would never see them again. After the session they prayed
together and all of them wept , embraced Paul and kissed him in
departure, as he headed on to Jerusalem.

Names we encounter in 20: 1-38.
Sopater of Berea, Aristarchus of Thessalonica, Gaius of Derbe (not
the Gaius of the previous chapter, Timothy of Lystra, Tychius of Asia,
and Trophimus of Asia. all of whom were delegates from their
congregations or regions to participate in the delivery of the gift to
Jerusalem.
Eutychus, a young man who fell out of a third floor window and died,
but was restored by Paul.

verses 1,2. After the uproar in Ephesus subsided, Paul said goodbye
to the disciples , that is, to the Christian congregation at Ephesus,
and set out for Macedonia, under sail , revisiting, undoubtedly, all
of his previous stops, Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, and finally to
Corinth.
Some scholars opine that he got to the Dalmatian Coast during the
trip, based on Romans 15: 19, where he names the city, Illyricum, as
the farthest reach of his preaching. He stayed in Corinth 3 months
during the winter of 57 A.D. Ships did not sail regularly during this
season, and this is probably when Paul wrote his epistle to the
Romans.

verse 3. The Jews in Corinth were determined to kill Paul. Also, he
and his companions were carrying a substantial amount of money that he
had collected in Corinth, Galatia and Macedonia for the stricken
Christians of the mother congregation in Jerusalem. ( See Romans 15:
25-28 ). For these reasons Paul avoided going by ship, where he would
be vulnerable to violence at ports, and made his way overland by the
route he had just used to come to Corinth. This probably meant a 225
mile walk to the port of Neapolis, near Philippi,. where a boat could
be taken with relative safety.

verses 4,5, 6. These men were delegates, appointed by their
congregations to accompany Paul to carry a monetary gift to Jerusalem.
The background of this gift , collected by Paul from a number of
congregations to relieve the destitution of believers in the mother
congregation in Jerusalem can be found in 2nd Corinthians , chapter 8.
They went on ahead of Paul and Luke and waited at Troas. After the
Feast of Unleavened Bread (beginning with Passover and lasting a week
thereafter) Paul and Luke followed them to Troas.

verses 7,8. They celebrated Communion in Troas on Sunday, the first
Day of the Week. Paul, intending to leave the next day, spoke until
midnight, in the light of oil lamps, in order to tell the people all
the things he wanted to teach them.

verses 9,10. Falling asleep during a sermon can be dangerous! It is
especially so if one is sitting on a third story window sill. The
young man, Eutychus, fell out of the window and was killed on impact.
God used Paul to restore him to life.

verse 11. After Paul had eaten a little, he continued to talk until
daylight. ( today, people think a 30-minute sermon is a long one.)

verse 12. All’s well that ends well.

verse 13. All , including Luke sailed for Assos, about 20 miles, while
Paul walked to the same destination, after getting no sleep the
previous night! We don’t know his reasons.
The relative times of the two methods of travel between Troas and
Assos, sailing or walking were not that different because the
coastline along the sailing route was 40 miles while the walking route
was 20.

verses 14-16. They sailed on to Mitylene and the next day to Chios
(or Kios), the following day to Samos, another day to Miletus. Paul
avoided going to Ephesus this time, undoubtedly because he was in a
hurry to get to Jerusalem with the gift, by the end of Pentecost if
possible. If he had gone to Ephesus, he would have found it difficult
to disengage and leave promptly.

verse 17. When he arrived at Miletus, he sent for the elders of the
congregation at Ephesus.
(See the Lutheran Cyclopedia for a definition of “elder.”, page 263,
too lengthy to quote here).

verses 18-35. When they arrived, he addressed them in a serious
tone, feeling and so stating, that it would be the last time they
would meet. The office of elder was always important to Paul. He
always appointed or recommended elders when he founded a new
congregation. Some years later, he wrote down instructions about
elder’s qualifications, (1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1).

verses 17-21. Paul recounts to the elders how Ephesus had been a long
and tough campaign for him.

verses 22-24. Paul was compelled by the Spirit to make the dangerous
and difficult trip to Jerusalem and went despite the protests of those
who loved and respected him and to whom he had outlined the risks he
faced there.

verse 25. An emotional announcement for Paul to make and for his
friends to hear.

verse 26. Not an idle boast. Despite his past of persecuting and
killing Christians, he knows the forgiveness of God, won by Christ,
not by his own missionary deeds.

verse 27, 28, 29. Instructions to the elders. Be overseers and
shepherds. Savage wolves will come to devour your sheep. Some of
your fellow elders will arise and entice some of the flock away with
false doctrine; therefore:

verse 31. Be on your guard.

verses 32-35. Why does Paul go into this discussion with the elders?
(See again
1 Corinthians 9:3-6) Perhaps he is at pains to disabuse them of any
notion that the life of a congregational leader will be an easy berth.
The last words in verse 35, spoken here to the elders, were stated by
Paul to be the very words of Jesus, but they are not to be found in
the Gospels. How Paul learned them we are not told.

verses 36-38. Departure . These words reveal the deep ties that
existed among these early Christians, who felt so urgently the eternal
importance of the work in which they were engaged together. Would
that modern day Christians feel this same level of kinship with
respect to the work of the Kingdom.

Study Questions for Chapter 20

1. People of the 21st century think that they differ from those of
earlier times with respect to life stresses. Consider Paul and how he
faces problems. Use to time, met by lecturing all night; security in
travel, met by walking 225 miles rather than sailing from Corinth to
Neapolis; urgency in schedule, met by arranging a meeting with the
Elders of Ephesus at Miletus among his route, rather than making the
side trip to Ephesus. What comment can you make about such
observations?

2. It is remarkable that Paul is able to call successfully upon
congregations of new converts over a wide geographical range to make
financial contributions for Christians in Jerusalem.
This displays another facet of the book of Acts which is so rich in
instruction for how the Christian Church should conduct itself. What
examples can you cite about how this example is carried out by our
congregation and our national Church body? .

3. What reasons can you think of that might explain why Paul walked
from Troas to Assos instead of sailing with his associates, as
recorded in verse 13 ?

4. Paul’s brief time with the elders from Ephesus was full of (1) a
review of his own strenuous ministry with them (2) uncertainties of
his future course coupled with his commitment to the task Jesus had
given him (3) predictions of the spiritual dangers with which these
elders would be faced and the exhortation that they be on their guard,
and (4) a summary, as an example to be followed, of his own conduct
among them. Do you think Paul went too far in patting himself on the
back? Does the response of the elders to what Paul has just said have
an impact on your answer ?