Acts 20 Summary - 5 Minute Bible Study

Acts 20 in 5 Minutes

WHEN:

• Paul’s 3rd mission trip likely occurred between 53-57 A.D.

CHARACTERS:

• Paul (Saul) – An Apostle who was working in the Mediterranean area planting churches.

• Disciples Who Travelled with Paul – Sopater the Berean, Aristarchus and Secundus of Thessalonica, Gaius of Derbe, Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia.

• Eutychus – A young man who fell from a window and died.

• Ephesian Elders – Paul gives them encouragement and advice while in Miletus.

WHERE:

• At the beginning of chapter 20, Paul leaves Ephesus and goes to Macedonia. He travelled south through Macedonia and spent three months in Greece. Due to a Jewish plot against him, he backtracked through Macedonia before arriving in Troas. He boarded a ship in Assos and arrived in Miletus after a few short layovers.

OUTLINE:

• PAUL TRAVELS TO MACEDONIA AND GREECE (20:1-6):

  • After the riot in Ephesus (Acts 19) Paul determined to go west to Macedonia.

  • After going through the region and encouraging the churches, he went to Greece.

  • He planned to sail from Greece to Syria, but a plot against him was uncovered, and he decided to backtrack through Macedonia.

  • He eventually made his way to Troas and met with the saints.

• EUTYCHUS RAISED FROM THE DEAD (20:7-12):

  • While Paul was preaching in Troas, a young man named Eutychus fell asleep in the 3rd story window of the house where they were gathered.

  • He fell from the window and died.

  • Paul went downstairs and raised him from the dead.

• PAUL ENCOURAGES THE EPHESIAN ELDERS ONE LAST TIME (20:13-38):

  • Paul boarded a ship in Assos and sailed to Miletus.

  • He wanted to get back to Jerusalem for Pentecost, so he decided to call the elders of the church in Ephesus to meet him in Miletus.

  • Paul reminded them of his work in their city, how he faithfully taught the comprehensive truth of God to both Jews and Gentiles.

  • He told them he was going to Jerusalem and did not know what awaited him there, but God had revealed he would not see any of them again in his lifetime.

  • He told them to carefully guide the disciples who God had entrusted to them.

  • They were going to be challenged by “fierce wolve” from without and within who would try to do damage to their people and the name of Jesus.

  • Paul reminded them to work hard to help the weak and to give their lives in the service of others.

  • When Paul finished speaking, they all knelt and prayed, and with “much weeping” they accompanied Paul to his ship.

APPLICATION:

• One of the most difficult things in the world is saying goodbye to good friends.

• Paul worked in Ephesus for 3 years (20:31) and clearly made some good friends.

• There are occasions when we will have to leave good friends to accomplish what we believe God is calling us to do.

• One way or another, all of us must leave our friends when they die, or we die.

• But doesn’t that make the promise of heaven sweeter, a place where we can be with God and our friends forever and we will never have to say goodbye?

• Live for heaven, not for a world that only offers temporal relationships.