Acts 20:14 - Printer Friendly

What does Acts 20:14 mean?

ESV: And when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and went to Mitylene.

NIV: When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene.

NASB: And when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and came to Mitylene.

CSB: When he met us at Assos, we took him on board and went on to Mitylene.

NLT: He joined us there, and we sailed together to Mitylene.

KJV: And when he met with us at Assos, we took him in, and came to Mitylene.

NKJV: And when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and came to Mitylene.

Verse Commentary:

The voyage from Troas to Jerusalem will take Paul and his companions along the Aegean coast of Asia, the large province in southwest modern-day Turkey. They are nearing the end of a very circuitous journey. It started when Paul realized it was time for him to leave Ephesus. He had been there for three years, planting and building the church (Acts 20:31). He had planned to go to Corinth, which is just west across the sea from Ephesus. Sadly, he received a report that disturbed him greatly. Overwrought, he may have decided he was not in a good frame of mind to see the church in Corinth and decided to go north to Troas and across to Macedonia, instead (2 Corinthians 1:15–16, 23–24). Others believe the "painful visit" of 2 Corinthians 2:1 was this emotion-laden event.

After visiting Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea, Paul and his companions continued south to Corinth. Paul had a tear-filled reconciliation and stayed for three months. He wanted to go to Jerusalem for Pentecost, and Corinth was a perfect place to catch a ship and sail to Caesarea Maritima on the Judean coast. Unfortunately, the Jewish leaders plotted against him and he realized his plan would be too dangerous. Instead, he backtracked up the coast of Greece and Macedonia and back to Troas (Acts 20:1–6, 16).

We don't know for certain why God allowed Paul's journey home to face so many challenges, but there are hints. He and Luke spend some time in Philippi before moving on; in fact, it seems Luke wouldn't have gone to Jerusalem had Paul not had to retrace his steps. If Luke hadn't gone to Jerusalem, he wouldn't have been able to interview Mary and the other witnesses of Jesus' life to write his Gospel.

In addition, Paul is able to spend a night with the church in Troas, building their faith and answering their questions. Soon, he will reach Miletus and call the elders of the church in Ephesus to him. Paul knows that when he reaches Jerusalem he will be imprisoned (Acts 20:22–23). He may not know that he will spend two years in Caesarea Maritima under house arrest, take a long, dangerous sea voyage, then spend another two years under house arrest in Rome. He does know that this trip along the coast of the Aegean Sea gives him the opportunity to say goodbye to friends he will not see again. Not only is he able to give final instructions to the churches he planted, but he can also take encouragement from them that his efforts over the last several years have yielded good, strong churches that worship Christ.

Assos was on the mainland, south and slightly east of Troas. Mitylene was a port city southeast of Assos on the island of Lesbos. From Mitylene, the ship will sail southwest to the island of Chios, then southeast again to the island of Samos before reaching Miletus (Acts 20:15). Miletus was east of Patmos where the apostle John was exiled.

In Acts 20:13–16, Luke shows his love for the sea by including an inordinate amount of detail about the journey. Paul, Luke, Timothy, and companions from all over Macedonia and modern-day Turkey leave Troas for Jerusalem. Most of them board a ship directly; Paul joins them down the road in Assos. Ephesus, where Paul had recently spent three years, is along their route, but Paul doesn't want to get distracted. Seeking to arrive in Jerusalem by Pentecost, they sail past to Miletus, and the Ephesian elders join them there (Acts 20:17).

Chapter Summary:

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.

Chapter Context:

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.

Accessed 5/5/2024 11:07:39 AM