Acts 20:3 - Printer Friendly

ESV: There 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.

NIV: where he stayed three months. Because some Jews had plotted against him just as he was about to sail for Syria, he decided to go back through Macedonia.

NASB: And there he spent three months, and when a plot was formed against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia.

CSB: and stayed three months. The Jews plotted against him when he was about to set sail for Syria, and so he decided to go back through Macedonia.

NLT: where he stayed for three months. He was preparing to sail back to Syria when he discovered a plot by some Jews against his life, so he decided to return through Macedonia.

KJV: And there abode three months. And when the Jews laid wait for him, as he was about to sail into Syria, he purposed to return through Macedonia.

NKJV: and stayed three months. And when the Jews plotted against him as he was about to sail to Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia.

Paul is finally back in Corinth. He had planted the church there during his second missionary voyage (Acts 18) and he had planned on returning directly from Ephesus (2 Corinthians 1:15–16). Unfortunately, he heard disturbing things about them; this may have inspired him to wait to cool off first (1 Corinthians 1:11–17; 5:1–8; 2 Corinthians 1:23). He wrote them a strongly worded letter—1 Corinthians—but felt sorrow over whatever hurt feelings it may have caused (2 Corinthians 7:8). Paul spent days worrying about how they would respond before Titus brought news of their repentance and desire to see him (2 Corinthians 7:5–9). Luke doesn't tell us about the reunion, however, and it's unlikely he is there. Some believe his reference to a "painful visit" in 2 Corinthians 2:1 was between the writing of those letters, others are not so sure.

Paul had written his letter to the church in Rome while still in Ephesus (Acts 19:29; Romans 16:23). Although he wants to go to Rome, it isn't the right time (Acts 19:21); he feels compelled to visit Jerusalem for Pentecost (Acts 20:16). He needs to collect money from the churches and take it to Jerusalem to help afflicted believers there (Romans 15:26). And the Holy Spirit has been warning him that when he returns to Jerusalem, he will be imprisoned (Acts 20:22–23).

Paul could take an easy voyage from Corinth to the port at Caesarea Maritima in Judea, but the leaders of the synagogue thwart his plan. Instead, Paul retraces his steps, going north to Macedonia, back east to Troas, and south past Ephesus to Miletus (Acts 20:6, 15). Shortly after he reaches Jerusalem he is arrested and spends two years under house arrest in Caesarea Maritima before sailing, finally, to Rome.

Acts 20:1–6 records a very short summary of Paul's travels after he leaves Ephesus during his third missionary voyage. He sails to Macedonia and visits the churches there before going south to Corinth where he spends three months. He wants to sail directly to Judea, but a plot against his life forces him to retrace his footsteps to Macedonia and Troas. He and his team will spend one week—including one infamously long sermon—in Troas then travel south to Miletus where they will meet with the Ephesian elders one last time (Acts 20:7–38).

Acts 20 finishes Paul's third missionary journey. He leaves Ephesus after three years and travels to Macedonia and Corinth. Threats from the Corinthian Jews send him and his team back to Macedonia and Troas. In Troas, Paul gives a very long sermon and raises Eutychus from the dead after he falls—both asleep and out a window. In Miletus, Paul meets with the Ephesian elders. He reminds them to beware of false teachers and tells them he is going to be imprisoned and will not see them again. After a tearful farewell, he boards a ship for Judea.

Acts 20 records the last stages of Paul's third missionary journey. He started by visiting the churches he and Barnabas had planted in central modern-day Turkey (Acts 18:23). From there, he traveled southwest to the province of Asia, where he established a church in Ephesus (Acts 19). In Acts 20, he visits the churches in Macedonia and Greece before returning to Judea. When he lands, he meets briefly with Philip the Evangelist in Caesarea Maritima before going to Jerusalem and getting arrested. He will stay in house arrest for the next two years before embarking on a dangerous sea voyage to Rome (Acts 21—28).

The summary of the book of Acts is provided in Jesus' words in Acts 1:8: ''But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.'' In Acts 2:1–13, the Christ-followers receive the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:14—7:60 describes the rapid growth of the church in Jerusalem. Chapters 8—12 find Jewish persecution inadvertently spreading the gospel throughout Judea and Samaria. And in chapters 13—28, Paul and his companions spread the good news throughout the Roman Empire.