Nov 15 - Acts 20-21
Acts
1After the uproar ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, and after encouraging them, he said farewell and departed for Macedonia.2When he had gone through those regions and had given them much encouragement, he came to Greece.3There he spent three months, and when a plot was made against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia.4Sopater of Berea, the son of Pyrrhus from Berea, accompanied him; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and the Asians, Tychicus and Trophimus.5These went on ahead and were waiting for us at Troas,6but we sailed away from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and in five days we came to them at Troas, where we stayed for seven days.7On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight.8There were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered.9And a young man named Eutychus, sitting at the window, sank into a deep sleep as Paul talked still longer. And being overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead.10But Paul went down and bent over him, and taking him in his arms, said, "Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him."11And when Paul had gone up and had broken bread and eaten, he conversed with them a long while, until daybreak, and so departed.12And they took the youth away alive, and were not a little comforted.13But going ahead to the ship, we set sail for Assos, intending to take Paul aboard there, for so he had arranged, intending himself to go by land.14And when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and went to Mitylene.15And sailing from there we came the following day opposite Chios; the next day we touched at Samos; and the day after that we went to Miletus.16For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he might not have to spend time in Asia, for he was hastening to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost.17Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him.18And 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,19serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews;20how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house,21testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.22And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there,23except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me.24But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.25And now, behold, I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again.26Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all of you,27for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.28Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.29I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock;30and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.31Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish everyone with tears.32And now I commend you to God 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.33I coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel.34You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me.35In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"36And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all.37And there was much weeping on the part of all; they embraced Paul and kissed him,38being sorrowful most of all because of the word he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. And they accompanied him to the ship.
1And when we had parted from them and set sail, we came by a straight course to Cos, and the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara.2And having found a ship crossing to Phoenicia, we went aboard and set sail.3When we had come in sight of Cyprus, leaving it on the left we sailed to Syria and landed at Tyre, for there the ship was to unload its cargo.4And having sought out the disciples, we stayed there for seven days. And through the Spirit they were telling Paul not to go on to Jerusalem.5When our days there were ended, we departed and went on our journey, and they all, with wives and children, accompanied us until we were outside the city. And kneeling down on the beach, we prayed6and said farewell to one another. Then we went on board the ship, and they returned home.7When we had finished the voyage from Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais, and we greeted the brothers and stayed with them for one day.8On the next day we departed and came to Caesarea, and we entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him.9He had four unmarried daughters, who prophesied.10While we were staying for many days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.11And coming to us, he took Paul's belt and bound his own feet and hands and said, "Thus says the Holy Spirit, 'This is how the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.'"12When we heard this, we and the people there urged him not to go up to Jerusalem.13Then Paul answered, "What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus."14And since he would not be persuaded, we ceased and said, "Let the will of the Lord be done."15After these days we got ready and went up to Jerusalem.16And some of the disciples from Caesarea went with us, bringing us to the house of Mnason of Cyprus, an early disciple, with whom we should lodge.17When we had come to Jerusalem, the brothers received us gladly.18On the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present.19After greeting them, he related one by one the things that God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.20And when they heard it, they glorified God. And they said to him, "You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed. They are all zealous for the law,21and they have been told about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or walk according to our customs.22What then is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come.23Do therefore what we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow;24take these men and purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses, so that they may shave their heads. Thus all will know that there is nothing in what they have been told about you, but that you yourself also live in observance of the law.25But as for the Gentiles who have believed, we have sent a letter with our judgment that they should abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality."26Then Paul took the men, and the next day he purified himself along with them and went into the temple, giving notice when the days of purification would be fulfilled and the offering presented for each one of them.27When the seven days were almost completed, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him,28crying out, "Men of Israel, help! This is the man who is teaching everyone everywhere against the people and the law and this place. Moreover, he even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place."29For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple.30Then all the city was stirred up, and the people ran together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut.31And as they were seeking to kill him, word came to the tribune of the cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion.32He at once took soldiers and centurions and ran down to them. And when they saw the tribune and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.33Then the tribune came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains. He inquired who he was and what he had done.34Some in the crowd were shouting one thing, some another. And as he could not learn the facts because of the uproar, he ordered him to be brought into the barracks.35And when he came to the steps, he was actually carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the crowd,36for the mob of the people followed, crying out, "Away with him!"37As Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, he said to the tribune, "May I say something to you?" And he said, "Do you know Greek?38Are you not the Egyptian, then, who recently stirred up a revolt and led the four thousand men of the Assassins out into the wilderness?"39Paul replied, "I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no obscure city. I beg you, permit me to speak to the people."40And when he had given him permission, Paul, standing on the steps, motioned with his hand to the people. And when there was a great hush, he addressed them in the Hebrew language, saying: