Paul Strengthens the Believers
20 1 After the uproar had ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, and when he had encouraged them and said farewell, he left to go to 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 formed a plot against him as he was about to set sail for Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia. 4 He was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus of Berea, by Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians, by Gaius of Derbe and Timothy, and by Tychicus and Trophimus from Asia. 5 These went on ahead and were waiting for us at Troas. 6 We sailed from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and in five days we joined them at Troas, where we stayed seven days.
A Young Man Raised at Troas
7 On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul spoke with them, intending to depart the next day, and he kept on speaking 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 on and on. Overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and was picked 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 Then he went back up, broke bread and ate, and talked with them a long while, until daybreak, and then departed. 12 And they brought the young man home alive, and were greatly comforted.
The Journey to Miletus
13 We went on ahead to the ship and set sail for Assos to take Paul aboard, for he had arranged to go by land himself. 14 And when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and came to Mitylene. 15 And sailing from there, we arrived the following day opposite Chios; the next day we stopped at Samos; and the day after that we came to Miletus. 16 For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he would not have to spend time in Asia, for he was hurrying to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost.
17 From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him. 18 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 our Lord Jesus with all humility and with tears and with trials that came upon me through the plots of the Jews, 20 how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that would benefit you, and teaching you in public and from house to house, 21 testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward our Father and of faith in our Lord Jesus. 22 And now, bound by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, 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 count my life of any value or as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from our Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of our Father.
25 And now, I know that none of you among whom I have gone about 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 Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of our Father, 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 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, night and day, I never stopped warning each one of you with tears. 32 And now I commend you to our Father 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 clothing. 34 You yourselves know that these hands provided for my needs and for 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 our Lord Jesus, how 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 of all because of what he had said, that they would not see his face again. And they accompanied him to the ship.