​1 When the uproar was over, Paul sent for the disciples, encouraged them, said goodbye, and left for Macedonia. 

2 He went through that region and spoke many words of encouragement to the people.

Then he went to Greece 3 and stayed there for three months.

Paul in Troas

When Paul was going to board a ship for Syria, he found out that the Jews were plotting to kill him. So he decided to go back through Macedonia.

4 Sopater (son of Pyrrhus) from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia accompanied Paul. 5 All these men went ahead and were waiting for us in Troas. 

​6 After the Festival of Unleavened Bread, we boarded a ship at Philippi.

Five days later we joined them in Troas and stayed there for seven days.

7 On Sunday we met to break bread.

Paul was discussing Scripture with the people. Since he intended to leave the next day, he kept talking until midnight. 

8 (Many lamps were lit in the upstairs room where we were meeting.) 

9 A young man named Eutychus was sitting in a window. As Paul was talking on and on, Eutychus was gradually falling asleep. Finally, overcome by sleep, he fell from the third story and

was dead when they picked him up. 

10 Paul went to him, took him into his arms, and said, “Don’t worry! He’s alive!” 

11 Then Eutychus went upstairs again, broke the bread, and ate.

Paul talked with the people for a long time, until sunrise, and then left. 12 The people took the boy home. They were greatly relieved that he was alive.

Paul’s Trip to Miletus
​
13 We went ahead to the ship and sailed for the city of Assos. At Assos, we were going to pick up Paul. He had made these arrangements, since he had planned to walk overland to Assos. 14 When Paul met us in Assos, we took him on board and went to the city of Mitylene. 

15 We sailed from there. On the following day we approached the island of Chios. The next day we went by the island of Samos, and on the next day we arrived at the city of Miletus. 16 Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia. He was in a hurry to get to Jerusalem for the day of Pentecost, if that was possible.

Paul Meets with the Spiritual Leaders from Ephesus

17 From Miletus Paul sent messengers to the city of Ephesus and called the spiritual leaders[a] of the church to meet with him in Miletus. 

18 When they were with him, he said to them,

“You know how I spent all my time with you from the first day I arrived in the province of Asia. 19 I humbly served the Lord, often with tears in my eyes. I served the Lord during the difficult times I went through when the Jews plotted against me." 

20 "I didn’t avoid telling you anything that would help you, and I didn’t avoid teaching you publicly and from house to house.  21 I warned Jews and Greeks to change the way they think and act and to believe in our Lord Yeshua."

22 “I am determined to go to Jerusalem now. I don’t know what will happen to me there. 23 However, the Holy Spirit warns me in every city that imprisonment and suffering are waiting for me. 

24 But I don’t place any value on my own life. I want to finish the race I’m running. I want to carry out the mission I received from the Lord Yeshua—the mission of testifying to the Good News of God’s kindness.[b]

25 “Now I know that none of you whom I told about the kingdom of God will see me again. 26 Therefore, I declare to you today that I am not responsible for the spiritual death of any of you.

27 I didn’t avoid telling you the whole plan of God. 28 Pay attention to yourselves and to the entire flock in which the Holy Spirit has placed you as bishops[c] to be shepherds for God’s church which he acquired with his own blood. 

29 I know that fierce wolves will come to you after I leave, and they won’t spare the flock.  30 Some of your own men will come forward and say things that distort the truth.

They will do this to lure disciples into following them. 

31 So be alert! Remember that I instructed each of you for three years, day and night, at times with tears in my eyes.

32 “I am now entrusting you to God and to his message that tells how kind he is. That message can help you grow and can give you the inheritance that is shared by all of God’s holy people.

33 “I never wanted anyone’s silver, gold, or clothes.  34 You know that I worked to support myself and those who were with me. 35 I have given you an example that by working hard like this we should help the weak.

We should remember the words that the Lord Yeshua said, ‘Giving gifts is more satisfying than receiving them.’”

36 When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down and prayed with all of them. 37 Everyone cried a lot as they put their arms around Paul and kissed him. 38 The thought of not seeing Paul again hurt them most of all. Then they took Paul to the ship.


​
Footnotes:

1. Acts 20:17 Or “pastors,” or “elders.”
2. Acts 20:24 Or “grace.”
3. Acts 20:28 English equivalent difficult.

Names of God Bible (NOG)The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.

1 While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul went through the upper inland districts and came down to Ephesus. There he found some disciples. 

2 And he asked them, Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed [on Jesus as the Christ]?

And they said, No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.

3 And he asked, Into what [baptism] then were you baptized? They said, Into John’s baptism. 

4 And Paul said, John baptized with the baptism of repentance, continually telling the people that they should believe in the One Who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus [having a conviction full of joyful trust that He is Christ, the Messiah, and being obedient to Him].

5 On hearing this:
They were baptized [again, this time] in the name of the Lord Jesus. 

6a And as Paul laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them;

6b and they spoke in [foreign, unknown] tongues *heavenly (languages) and prophesied. 

7 There were about twelve of them in all.

8 And he went into the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly,

persuading and arguing and pleading about the kingdom of God. 

NOTE: (apology = defence of the faith; polemics = confronting opposition to the faith; as a lawyer-like messenger, preacher, teacher: To convince those who resist the Gospel of its heaven sent origin lived out and demonstrated revealing God's love by Jesus Christ (God come in the flesh) and His divine presence with those who believe through the day to day ingestion of the bread of His broken flesh - and - drinking of the wine of His poured out blood as a dynamic Communion with Jesus by His Spirit, who is the Lord.)

9 But when some became more and more stubborn (hardened and unbelieving), discrediting and reviling and speaking evil of the Way [of the Lord] before the congregation, he separated himself from them, taking the disciples with him, and went on holding daily discussions in the lecture room of Tyrannus from about ten o’clock till three. 10 This continued for two years, so that all the inhabitants of [the province of] Asia, Jews as well as Greeks, heard the Word of the Lord [concerning the [a]attainment through Christ of eternal salvation in the kingdom of God].

11 And God did unusual and extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 So that handkerchiefs or towels or aprons which had touched his skin: 
a) were carried away and 
b) put upon the sick, and
c) their diseases left them and
d) the evil spirits came out of them.

13 Then some of the traveling Jewish exorcists (men who adjure evil spirits) also undertook to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, I solemnly implore and charge you by the Jesus Whom Paul preaches! 

14 Seven sons of a certain Jewish chief priest named Sceva were doing this.

15 But [one] evil spirit retorted, Jesus I know, and Paul I know [b]about, but who are you? 

16 Then the man in whom the evil spirit dwelt leaped upon them, mastering [c]two of them, and was so violent against them that they dashed out of that house [in fear], stripped naked and wounded.

17 This became known to all who lived in Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks, and alarm and terror fell upon them all; and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled and magnified.

18 Many also of those who were now believers came making [d]full confession and thoroughly exposing their [former deceptive and evil] practices.

19 And many of those who had practiced curious, magical arts collected their books and [throwing them, [e]book after book, on the pile] burned them in the sight of everybody. When they counted the value of them, they found it amounted to 50,000 pieces of silver ([f]about $9,300). 

​20 Thus the Word of the Lord [concerning the attainment through Christ of eternal salvation in the kingdom of God] grew and spread and intensified, prevailing mightily.

21 Now after these events Paul determined in the [Holy] Spirit that he would travel through Macedonia and Achaia (most of Greece) and go to Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, I must visit Rome also.
22 And having sent two of his assistants, Timothy and Erastus, into Macedonia, he himself stayed on in [the province of] Asia for a while.

23 But as time went on, there arose no little disturbance concerning the Way [of the Lord]. 

24 For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of [the goddess] Artemis [h][Diana], brought no small income to his craftsmen.

25 These  he called together, along with the work of similar trades, and said,

​"Men, you are acquainted with the facts and  understand that from this business we derive our wealth and livelihood. 26 Now you notice and hear that not only at Ephesus but almost all over [the province of] Asia this Paul has persuaded and induced people to believe his teaching and has alienated a considerable company of them, saying that gods that are made with human hands are not really gods at all. 27 Now there is danger not merely that this trade of ours may be discredited, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis may come into disrepute and  count for nothing, and that her glorious magnificence may be degraded and fall into contempt—she whom all [the province of] Asia and the wide world worship."

(continued next column)

1 After these things, Paul departed from Athens and came to Corinth.
2 There he found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus and lately come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome. Paul went unto them,
3 and because he was of the same craft, he lodged with them and worked; for by their occupation they were tentmakers.
4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.
5 And when Silas and Timothy had come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ.
6 But when they opposed themselves and blasphemed,

Paul shook his raiment and said unto them, “Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean. From henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles.” 

7 And he departed thence and entered into a certain man’s house named Justus, one who worshiped God and whose house was adjoining the synagogue.

8 And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, with all his house. And many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptized.

The Lord Appears to Paul

9 Then the Lord spoke to Paul in the night through a vision, saying, “Be not afraid, but speak and hold not thy peace.
10 For I am with thee, and no man shall set upon thee to hurt thee, for I have many people in this city.”

11 And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the Word of God among them.
​
12 And when Gallio was deputy of Achaia, the Jews with one accord began an insurrection against Paul, and brought him to the judgment seat,
13 saying, “This fellow persuadeth men to worship God contrary to the law.”

14 And when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said unto the Jews, “If it were a matter of wrong or wicked lewdness, O ye Jews, reason would have it that I should bear with you.
15 But if it be a question of words and names and your own law, look ye to it; for I will not be judge of such matters.”
16 And he drove them from the judgment seat.

17 Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the chief ruler of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the judgment seat. But Gallio was concerned about none of those things.

18 And Paul after this tarried there yet a good while, and then took his leave of the brethren and sailed then into Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila, having shorn his head at Cenchrea, for he had made a vow.

19 And he came to Ephesus and left them there, but he himself entered into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews.
20 When they desired him to tarry a longer time with them, he consented not,
21 but bade them farewell, saying, “I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem, but I will return again unto you, if God wills.” And he sailed from Ephesus.

22 And when he had landed at Caesarea and had gone up and saluted the church, he went down to Antioch.

23 And after he had spent some time there, he departed and went through all the country of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening all the disciples.

24 And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. 25 This man was instructed in the Way of the Lord; and being fervent in the Spirit, he spoke and taught diligently the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John.

26 And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla had heard him,

they took him in and expounded to him the Way of God more perfectly.

27 And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him. And when he had come, he helped them much who had believed through grace; 28 for he mightily refuted the Jews (and that publicly), showing by the Scriptures that Jesus was Christ.

21st Century King James Version (KJ21)Copyright © 1994 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc.

#BeBoldBelieve
"March Forth"
Sharing Communion
House to House

Paul continues His 2nd Gospel Marching Forth in Mission from one city to another as led by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit brings him to Corinth to meet Roman Jewish Believers, Aquila and Priscilla woho would then continue with Paul to meet Apollos, and Egyptian believer who only knew salvation history up to the Baptism of John. In Syria Aquilla and priscilla would be used by the Lord to bring Apollos up to speed.

What happened in Corinth was a turning point in salvation history. The Gospel's focus would begin to move to the non-Jewish population of the world. In Corinth Paul tried very hard by  followingg his pattern to go to the Synogogue first and then to the populace outside.

​4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks. 5 And when Silas and Timothy had come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ. 

​6 But when they opposed themselves and blasphemed, Paul shook his raiment and said unto them, “Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean. From henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles.”

HOUSE TO HOUSE
No Longer the Synogogue...

His next stop was a house meeting at the house of Justus which was actually attched to the same synogogue. From now on the Church found its purpose and meaning in commuunion as they broke bread from house to house. 

The Holy Spirit brought Paul to a place where he witnessed the door of the Gospel of grace being closed along with the doors of the Synogogue and the hearts of the Jewish people. But then the Lord spoke to him about facing this development with a new vision.

But - note that Crispus, the Chief Ruler of the Synogue converted to Christianity as did everyone in his house.  

In the houses of Justus and Crispus Paul, Timothy and Silas (probably accompanied by Luke, the journalist and Physician) many heard, believed and were baptized. So the Lord encoureged this new level of the evolution of the Gospel.

The Lord Appears to Paul to Confirm The New Direction

9 Then the Lord spoke to Paul in the night through a vision, saying, “Be not afraid, but speak and hold not thy peace.

10 For I am with thee, and no man shall set upon thee to hurt thee, for I have many people in this city.”

So Paul continued with His evangelism team for 18 months more in Corinth with Aquilla, Priscilla, Silas, Timothy and Luke who got a first hand experience in how to share the Gospel with a world who did not know the way of the the Jews... free and clear of the law of sin and death.

Now He preached the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus! in a whole new way to open the gates of righteousness to the Gentiles and the Lord added crispus, Sosthenes and then Apollos in the next city to the ever increasing army of those who became martyr-level witnesses about their personal relationship with Jesus Christ through the meal of the New and everlasting Covenent, Communion with the fire of Christ's glory!

Sosthenes had been elected chief ruler of the synagogue because Crispus had become a Christian. His persecution came because he was a Jew and associated with the synagogue. Paul’s persecution came from his bold witness for the Lord Jesus Christ. Sosthenes also may have become a believer, and when Paul left Corinth he went with him. We find in the salutation to 1 Corinthians the following greeting,

“Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and SOSTHENES, OUR BROTHER, Unto the church of God which is at Corinth.” - 1 Corinthians 1:1

So revival came to Corinth as well as persecution both of the Christians and the Jews, becase the two rulers of the Synogue became Christians. This is where we would find Paul writing about His encounter with Jesus who personally instructed him in the grace, simplicity and power of CommunionFire.