Sunday School Lessons: Acts 20

Lesson 24
Chapter 20
Paul’s Third Missionary Journey, continued

20:1 After the uproar ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, and after encouraging them, he said farewell and departed for Macedonia.

What uproar?  (review what had happened in Ephesus, Chapter 19)
1 Corinthians 16:2 and 2 Corinthians 8-9 tell us that the purpose of this trip was to collect an offering for the relief of the church in Jerusalem.  He may have stayed in Macedonia a year or so.

2 When he had gone through those regions and had given them much encouragement, he came to Greece. 3 There he spent three months, and when a plot was made against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia. 4 Sopater the Berean, son of Pyrrhus, accompanied him; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and the Asians, Tychicus and Trophimus. 5 These went on ahead and were waiting for us at Troas, 6 but we sailed away from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and in five days we came to them at Troas, where we stayed for seven days.

When Paul was in Greece, he wrote the book of Romans.  After three months, he left Greece because of a plot against his life.  Some went ahead of Paul to Troas, but he sailed from Philippi.  Paul had wanted to celebrate the Passover in Jerusalem, but he didn’t make it back in time.  Instead he met up with the other disciples in Troas.  Apparently, Luke accompanied Paul to Philippi and then to Troas because verse 5 says the disciples that had gone ahead to Troas were waiting “for us.”  They stayed in Troas 7 days.  The men who are mentioned in verse 4 are men who had heard the Gospel of Christ through Paul and had believed.  Now they were serving as missionaries alongside him!

7 On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight. 8 There were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered. 9 And a young man named Eutychus, sitting at the window, sank into a deep sleep as Paul talked still longer. And being overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead. 10 But Paul went down and bent over him, and taking him in his arms, said, “Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him.” 11 And when Paul had gone up and had broken bread and eaten, he conversed with them a long while, until daybreak, and so departed. 12 And they took the youth away alive, and were not a little comforted.

Notice that they were gathered together on the first day of the week.  The Jews worshiped on the last day of the week, the Sabbath, but the Christians gathered for worship on Sunday, the first day of the week.  This is because Jesus was raised from the dead on Sunday.

Paul only stayed in Troas for 7 days and this was his last day there.  The church met together to break bread.  They shared communion and probably had a meal together.  Paul was making the most of his last day among them by preaching and teaching all day and into the evening.

A young man called Eutychus fell asleep as Paul was talking and fell out of a window to his death.  Paul went down and lifted him up and told them that the young man was alive! Some people think that he really wasn’t dead and that Paul was just telling them that he hadn’t died after all.  But this was a miracle.  The boy was dead.  Remember who is writing this book.  Luke.  Dr. Luke.  As a doctor, Luke would certainly know whether someone was dead or not!  He tells us that Eutychus was dead.  Paul went down and raised him from the dead and then told them that “his life was in him!”
Paul stayed with them for the rest of the night and then departed for Assos:

13 But going ahead to the ship, we set sail for Assos, intending to take Paul aboard there, for so he had arranged, intending himself to go by land. 14 And when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and went to Mitylene. 15 And sailing from there we came the following day opposite Chios; the next day we touched at Samos; and the day after that we went to Miletus. 16 For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he might not have to spend time in Asia, for he was hastening to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost.

Paul is traveling through Greece on his way to Jerusalem.  Paul decided to walk instead of sailing with the others.  After about a twenty mile walk, he met up with the others in Assos.  He decided not to take the time to go to Ephesus because he wanted to get to Jerusalem by the day of Pentecost.  (50 days after the Passover)

17 Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him.
Paul didn’t take the time to go to Ephesus, but he still wanted to check up on the church there and talk to the leaders of the church, so he asked them to travel to Miletus (the port of Ephesus) to meet with him there.
18 And when they came to him, he said to them:
“You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, 19 serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews; 20 how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, 21 testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. –

Paul begins his visit with the Ephesian elders by reminding them about the kind of minister he had been to them.  What are some of the things of which he reminded them?

22 And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, 23 except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. 24 But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. 25 And now, behold, I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again.

He tells them he is going to Jerusalem “constrained by the Spirit.”  What does it mean to be constrained?  
He is constrained to go, but he doesn’t have a clear view of what is going to happen to him once he gets there.  However, the Holy Spirit has told him that imprisonment and afflictions are coming.  

Paul was not afraid of what was coming.  Read verse 24 again.  What was Paul’s life’s purpose?  Why could he care so little about his own life?  He tells them that he will never see them again.  How does he know this?  He has said he doesn’t know what will happen in Jerusalem.

26 Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all of you, 27 for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. 28 Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.

Paul knows that he will lose his life in the cause of the Gospel.  He is not afraid of dying or concerned about what will happen after his death because he knows that he has done all that the Holy Spirit has asked of him.  Having talked to them about his ministry among them and after having told them that this would be their last time together, he warns them to follow his example.

29 I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. 31 Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish everyone with tears.

Paul knows what is coming and warns the Ephesian elders that wolves will attack the church and that even some from among themselves will walk away from the truth of the Gospel.  He tells them to be alert and reminds them again of his own ministry among them—he pleaded with them night and day with tears that they remain in the faith.

32 And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 33 I coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel. 34 You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me. 35 In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

He commends them to God and to God’s word.  He reminds them that he had provided for his own needs while he ministered to them and had not taken money from them.  He asks them to follow his example in this, too, and to help the week and give to the poor.  The saying of Jesus in verse 35 is recorded no where else in scripture, but the elders of Ephesus knew that he had said it because Paul tells them to remember what Christ had said.  

36 And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. 37 And there was much weeping on the part of all; they embraced Paul and kissed him, 38 being sorrowful most of all because of the word he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. And they accompanied him to the ship.

Paul prayed with them and they all cried because they knew they would not see each other again.  A minister of the Gospel, sent by the Spirit, will have a love for the church of God and they for him.  Instead of returning to Ephesus immediately, they accompanied Paul to the ship.  It must have been hard for them to say good-bye to Paul.

Next week, Chapter 21.

*These lessons are written for use with elementary aged students.  You can find lessons for previous chapters here.