Acts 20:13 - 21:16

Teacher: Rusty Kennedy
​Series: Acts

Rusty's Notes

• We last left Paul in Troas where he had preached all night.
• He decides to travel by land to Assos.
• Assuming he wanted to continue dialogue with his followers.

 
FROM TROAS TO MILETUS
ACTS 20:13-38 (verses 13-16 w/ map)
13 We went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos (ah-sose), where we were going to take Paul on board, because these were his instructions, since he himself was going by land. 14 When he met us at Assos, we took him on board and went on to Mitylene. (Meh-tee-leaney) 15 Sailing from there, the next day we arrived off Chios (kee-ose). The following day we crossed over to Samos (sah-mose), and the day after, we came to Miletus (me-lee-tose). 16 For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, because he was hurrying to be in Jerusalem, if possible, for the day of Pentecost.
 
FAREWELL ADDRESS TO THE EPHESIAN ELDERS
17 Now from Miletus, he sent to Ephesus and summoned the elders of the church. 18 When they came to him, he said to them, “You know, from the first day I set foot in Asia, how I was with you the whole time, 19 serving the Lord with all humility, with tears, and during the trials that came to me through the plots of the Jews. 20 You know that I did not hesitate to proclaim anything to you that was profitable and to teach you publicly and from house to house. 21 I testified to both Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus.
22 “And now I am on my way to Jerusalem, compelled by the Spirit, not knowing what I will encounter there, 23 except that in every town the Holy Spirit warns me that chains and afflictions are waiting for me. 24 But I consider my life of no value to myself; my purpose is to finish my course and the ministry I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of God’s grace.
25 “And now I know that none of you, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, will ever see me again. 26 Therefore I declare to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all of you, 27 because I did not avoid declaring to you the whole plan of God. 28 Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as overseers, to shepherd the church of God, which he purchased with his own blood.

• Had a conversation this week about when I am gone.
• It’s not about Sunday mornings.
• It is some organization.
• A lot of communication.
• But mostly relationships.

29 I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 Men will rise up even from your own number and distort the truth to lure the disciples into following them. 31 Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for three years I never stopped warning each one of you with tears.

• Stick with identity in Jesus
• Remind them of their forgiveness
• Teach the Holy Spirit in us
• Rise – Transform - Rest

32 “And now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all who are sanctified. 33 I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. 34 You yourselves know that I worked with my own hands to support myself and those who are with me. 35 In every way I’ve shown you that it is necessary to help the weak by laboring like this and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, because he said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

• From day one, when I had very little, the elders said, “Be generous”.

36 After he said this, he knelt down and prayed with all of them. 37 There were many tears shed by everyone. They embraced Paul and kissed him, 38 grieving most of all over his statement that they would never see his face again. And they accompanied him to the ship.[1]

• Watching these families hug and kiss their men goodbye as they leave and cross the border from Ukraine to Poland.

 
WARNINGS ON THE JOURNEY TO JERUSALEM
ACTS 21
1 After we tore ourselves away from them, we set sail straight for Cos, the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara. 2 Finding a ship crossing over to Phoenicia (Phe-neeki), we boarded and set sail. 3 After we sighted Cyprus, passing to the south of it, we sailed on to Syria and arrived at Tyre (tee-rah) (5 days of sailing), since the ship was to unload its cargo there. 4 We sought out the disciples and stayed there seven days.

• This new testament church was established after the dispersion of Stephen’s martyred death.
• Paul was involved with Stephen’s death.

Through the Spirit they told Paul not to go to Jerusalem. 5 When our time had come to an end, we left to continue our journey, while all of them, with their wives and children, accompanied us out of the city. After kneeling down on the beach to pray, 6 we said farewell to one another and boarded the ship, and they returned home.
7 When we completed our voyage from Tyre, we reached Ptolemais (Puh-tole-eh-my-ees), where we greeted the brothers and sisters and stayed with them for a day. 8 The next day we left and came to Caesarea, where we entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the Seven, and stayed with him.

• Philip, one of the original deacons (Acts 6:1–6) who also served as an evangelist (Acts 8:5ff).
• It was now some twenty years since he had come to Caesarea and made it his headquarters (Acts 8:40).
• Since Philip had been an associate of Stephen, and Paul had taken part in Stephen’s death, this must have been an interesting meeting.[2]

9 This man had four virgin daughters who prophesied.
10 After we had been there for several days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.

• Some fifteen years before, Paul and Agabus had worked together in a famine relief program for Judea (Acts 11:27–30)(Sept 22, 2019), so they were not strangers.[3]

11 He came to us, took Paul’s belt, tied his own feet and hands,

• Old Testament – dramatic way of telling prophecy.

and said, “This is what the Holy Spirit says: ‘In this way the Jews in Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him over to the Gentiles.’” 12 When we heard this, both we and the local people pleaded with him not to go up to Jerusalem.
13 Then Paul replied, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”
14 Since he would not be persuaded, we said no more except, “The Lord’s will be done.”
 
CONFLICT OVER THE GENTILE MISSION
15 After this we got ready and went up to Jerusalem. 16 Some of the disciples from Caesarea also went with us and brought us to Mnason (muh-nah-sone) of Cyprus, an early disciple, with whom we were to stay.[4]

• A company of believers left Caesarea and traveled with Paul to Jerusalem, probably to celebrate the feast.
• It was a journey of sixty-five miles that took at least three days by foot—two days if they had animals.
• What fellowship they must have enjoyed as they recounted what God had done in and through them!
• What a great encouragement it was for Paul to have these friends at his side as he faced the challenge of Jerusalem.[5)

[1] Christian Standard Bible (Ac 20:13–38). (2020). Holman Bible Publishers.
[2] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 489). Victor Books.
[3] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 489). Victor Books.
[4] Christian Standard Bible (Ac 21:1–16). (2020). Holman Bible Publishers.
[5] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 490). Victor Books.