Bible chapter guide

Acts 20

Paul travels through Macedonia and Greece. At Troas Eutychus falls from a window during his long sermon and is brought back alive. At Miletus Paul says farewell to the elders of Ephesus, reminding them to shepherd the flock, and they weep, knowing they will not see him again.

Summary written for the Labs; read the chapter itself for the full text.

What happens in this chapter

After the riot Paul goes through Macedonia to Greece and stays three months, but a plot against him as he is about to sail for Syria sends him back overland through Macedonia. Seven companions from the churches go ahead to Troas, and Paul and the narrator sail from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread. At Troas, on the first day of the week, Paul talks until midnight and a young man named Eutychus falls asleep in the window and drops from the third floor; Paul goes down, embraces him and says he is alive. Paul walks to Assos while the others sail round, then hurries past Ephesus by way of Mitylene, Chios and Samos to Miletus, where he sends for the Ephesian elders and says goodbye.

What the lab shows, and where to look

The third journey route in Paul's Roads runs through this whole chapter. Start at 'Greece: three months at Corinth', where the card notes that Romans was most likely written, then 'Philippi: after Unleavened Bread' and 'Troas: Eutychus'. From Troas the leg cards slow down to one day each: the walk of 30-odd km to Assos, then Mitylene, opposite Chios, Samos and Miletus. Each hop is stated in the text, and each harbour is located with confidence. The Samos stop explains why the ship passed Ephesus.

Questions people ask

Why did Paul sail past Ephesus?

The text says so directly: he did not want to spend time in Asia, because he was hurrying to be in Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost (20:16). Instead he called the Ephesian elders to meet him at Miletus.

Textually stated

Where was the letter to the Romans written?

Almost certainly at Corinth, during the three months in Greece (20:3). In Romans 16 Paul sends greetings from Gaius his host and from Erastus the city treasurer, and commends Phoebe of Cenchreae, Corinth's port, who probably carried the letter.

Strongly supported

Why did Paul walk to Assos?

Acts says only that he had arranged it, 'minding himself to go afoot' (20:13), and gives no reason. The walk from Troas is a little over 30 km, while the ship had to round Cape Lectum. Whatever his reason, the others took him aboard when he met them at Assos (20:14).

Textually stated

See it in the Labs

Follow Paul's missionary journeys on the map

How sure can we be?

Textually stated
From Assos they sailed to Mitylene on Lesbos.
Acts 20:14.
Textually stated
The next day they came opposite Chios.
Acts 20:15.
Textually stated
The following day they touched at Samos.
Acts 20:15.
Textually stated
The next day they came to Miletus.
Acts 20:15.
Textually stated
The crossing from Troas to Neapolis took two days.
Acts 16:11. The return crossing on the third journey took five days against the wind (Acts 20:6).
Textually stated
They sailed from Philippi and reached Troas in five days.
Acts 20:6. The same crossing took two days on the second journey (16:11), so the winds were likely against them.

Explore this chapter in the Knowledge Graph

Read the chapter

King James Version (KJV) Chinese Union Version, 1919 (Wikisource)