1 After the uproar died down, Paul called his disciples together to encourage them. Then he said goodbye and set out on his journey to Macedonia.
2 He traveled throughout those regions and spent himself in speaking and encouraging them. He finally arrived in Greece.
3 When he had been there for three months, he wanted to set sail for Syria, but as the Jews were plotting against him, he decided to return by way of Macedonia.
4 When he was about to leave for the Asian province, some companions went with him, Sopater, son of Pyrrhus, from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy, Tychicus and Trophimus from Asia.
5 So they went ahead and waited for us in Troas,
6 while we set sail from Philippi as soon as the festival of Unleavened Bread was over. Five days later we joined them in Troas where we spent a week.
7 On the first day of the week we were together for the breaking of the bread, and Paul, who intended to leave the following day, spoke at length. The discourse went on until midnight,
8 with many lamps burning in the upstairs room where we were gathered. A young man named Eutychius was sitting on the window ledge,
9 and as Paul kept on talking, Eutychius grew more and more sleepy, until he finally went sound asleep and fell from the third floor to the ground. There they found him dead.
10 Paul went down, bent over him and took him in his arms. "Do not be alarmed," he said, "there is life in him."
11 Then he went back upstairs, broke the bread and ate. After that he kept on talking with them for a long time until daybreak and then he left.
12 As for the young man, they lifted him up alive and were greatly comforted.
13 We went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we were to pick up Paul. This was the arrangement since Paul intended to travel by foot.
14 In fact, we met him at Assos and taking him aboard, we went on to Mitylene.
15 We sailed from there and arrived off Chios the next day. A day later we came to Samos and the following day we reached Miletus.
16 Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so as not to lose time in Asia, for he was eager to reach Jerusalem by the day of Pentecost, if at all possible.
17 From Miletus Paul sent word to Ephesus, summoning the elders of the Church.
18 When they came to him, he addressed them, "You know how I lived among you from the first day I set foot in the province of Asia,
19 how I served the Lord in humility through the sorrows and trials that the Jews caused me.
20 You know that I never held back from doing anything that could be useful for you; I spoke publicly and in your homes
21 and I urged Jews and non-Jews alike to turn to God and believe in our Lord Jesus.
22 But now I am going to Jerusalem, chained by the Spirit, without knowing what will happen to me there.
23 Yet in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that imprisonment and troubles await me.
24 Indeed I put no value on my life, if only I can finish my race and complete the service to which I have been assigned by the Lord Jesus, to announce the good news of God's grace.
25 I now feel sure that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the Kingdom of God will ever see me again.
26 Therefore I declare to you this day that my conscience is clear with regard to all of you.
27 For I have spared no effort in fully declaring to you God's will.
28 Keep watch over yourselves and over the whole flock the Holy Spirit has placed into your care. Shepherd the Church of the Lord which he has won at the price of his own blood.
29 I know that after I leave, ruthless wolves will come among you and not spare the flock.
30 And from among yourselves, some will arise corrupting the truth and inducing the disciples to follow them.
31 Be on the watch, therefore, remembering that for three years, night and day, I did not cease to warn everyone even with tears.
32 Now I commend you to God and to his grace-filled word, which is able to make you grow and gain the inheritance that you shall share with all the saints.
33 I have not looked for anyone's silver, gold or clothing.
34 You yourselves know that these hands of mine have provided for both my needs and the needs of those who were with me.
35 In every way I have shown you that by so working hard one must help the weak, remembering the words that the Lord Jesus himself said, 'Happiness lies more in giving than in receiving.'"
36 After this discourse, Paul knelt down with them and prayed.
37 Then they all began to weep and threw their arms around him and kissed him.
38 They were deeply distressed because he had said that they would never see him again. And they went with him even to the ship.
Versículos relacionados com Acts, 20:
Chapter 20 of Acts of the Apostles narrates Paul's farewell of the elders of the Church of Ephesus, as well as his journey to Jerusalem. Paul recalls his ministry among them and warns them of the future dangers that the Church would face. The verses related to the topics addressed in Acts 20 are:
Ephesians 4:11-12: "And he himself granted one to apostles, others to prophets, others for evangelists and others to pastors and masters, with a view to improving the saints for the performance of their service, for building the body of Christ " - These verses talk about the variety of gifts God grants to church members to build the body of Christ, something Paul discusses with the elders in his farewell.
2 Timothy 4:5: "But you, be sober in everything, support the sufferings, do the work of an evangelist and fully fulfill your ministry" - this verse brings Paul's exhortation to Timothy so that he will continue to do Work of an evangelist, a call that is also relevant to the Church of Ephesus.
1 Peter 5:1-2: "To the elders, who are among you, I, also elder like them, witness to the sufferings of Christ and participant in the glory that will be revealed, I ask the following: Take care of the flock of God who is under his Responsibility. You can do so as who is accountable, not willingly, but because God wants " - this verse talks about the responsibility of the church leaders to take care of God's flock, something Paul reinforces in his farewell to the elders of Ephesus.
Acts 20:29-30: "I know that after my departure, fierce wolves will penetrate in the midst of you and will not spare the flock. And among yourself will rise men who will twist the truth in order to attract the disciples to themselves." - This verse is Paul's warning to Ephesus's elders about the future dangers that the Church would face, including the entry of false leaders and the removal of some members of the truth.
Colossians 4:17: "Say Archipus: 'See well the ministry you received from the Lord and try to fulfill him with diligence'" - This verse is a call from Paul to Archipo, mentioned in Filemom as leader of the Church of Colossos, that he may fulfill with diligence the ministry he received from the Lord. This call is relevant to the Church of Ephesus and any leader who wants to fulfill his role in the church.
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