Text Box: Chapter 19: Paul's Ministry In Ephesus 1. Paul And Twelve Ignorant Disciples V. 1-7 V. 1 1. Apollos was at Corinth in Achaia where he desired to go in Acts 18:27. (See Map 3, page 54) 2. "Upper coasts" = upper parts; refers to the elevated regions of Asia Minor through which Paul passed on his way to Ephesus which was located in a lower elevation. 3. "Disciples" = a learner; denotes a follower of Christ; these were converts of Apollos who had known only the baptism of John. V. 2 1. Paul discerned something was missing in their spiritual life, thus the question here. 2. "Since" = when. 3. They had not heard the complete truth because Apollos did not have all the truth. This leads us to two conclusions. A. A man must believe the right message before he can be saved. B. A person can lead others only where he has been himself. 4. These men were not saved because they had not received the Holy Ghost (Spirit). (Rom. 8:9) 5. Their answer is plain proof that they did not understand John's message because he spoke of the coming baptism of the Holy Ghost. (Mat. 3:11) V. 3 1. "Unto what" = into what; on what basis; refers to what faith or doctrine they were baptized unto. 2. "Unto John's baptism" = they had been dipped but they had not grasped the significance of the ordinance. V. 4 1. "Verily" = truly; indeed. 2. "Baptism of repentance" = baptism as an expression of repentance; a baptism that symbolized a repentance which had already taken place; John refused to baptize those who had not repented. (Mat. 3:8) 3. The baptism of John was accompanied with the message that they who were baptized should believe (put in trust with; to commit to one's trust) on Jesus as the Christ (the Messiah). 4. Paul is not saying that John's baptism was inadequate but he simply explains what John really taught and what his baptism signified. He preached the Word and gave the sense so that they could understand. (Neh. 8:8) V. 5 1. "Heard" = to hear with the ear of the mind; to understand. 2. "In the name of the Lord Jesus" = on the authority of the Lord Jesus as He Himself had commanded in Mat. 28:19; because Jesus is the revealer of the Father (John 17:6) and the one who baptizes in the Holy Spirit (Mat. 3:11), the baptism "in Jesus' name" should not be understood or interpreted as being opposed to baptism in the name of the Trinity and in no way cancels the baptismal formula given by the Lord Himself in Mat. 28:19. 3. These were baptized, not so much again, but really baptized this time because they had the Lord Jesus as their object of faith. They just got saved. V. 6 1. "Laid his hands upon them" = an act of identification; Paul identifies with these as brethren in Christ. 2. "Came on them" = refers to a manifestation of supernatural power; they received the Holy Ghost (Spirit) the moment they trusted the Lord Jesus as their Lord. (Rom. 8:9) 3. "Tongues" = languages, not unknown. 4. "Prophesied" = to speak for another; they simply gave testimony as to what the Lord had done in a language which was understood by those present. 5. Neither the baptism in water nor the laying on of hands "convey" the Holy Spirit nor forgiveness of sins. V. 7 1. "About twelve" = Luke was not concerned with numbers; there could have been eleven, twelve, or thirteen present on this occasion. 2. The exact number is not important but their experience is. 2. Paul At The School Of Tyrannus V. 8-12 V. 8 1. "Spake boldly" = to speak freely, fearlessly, and openly; this he did for three months, longer than he was able to do anywhere else; Paul was fulfilling his promise that he would return and speak to them further in Acts 18:21. 2. "Disputing" = reasoning; to converse; discourse with one; argue; discuss; Paul used the OT Scriptures as the text and basis of his ideas. 3. "Persuading" = to convince; to influence by persuasion; the Greek construction indicates that Paul was trying to persuade them, some of whom he did and others he could not. 4. "Kingdom" = rule; authority; the things concerning the kingdom of God parallels the gospel of the grace of God. (Acts 20:24-25) V. 9 1. "Divers" = some; a number; but not the majority. 2. "Were hardened" = to render stubborn; to become obstinate; unyielding. 3. "Believed not" = disobedient; unpersuaded. 4. "That way" = refers to Christianity as in Acts 9:2; the one and only way of salvation; the manner in which God saves men. 5. "Departed" = to withdraw from; to go away. 6. "Separated" = to set off by boundary; refers to the removal of the disciples (the ones who had set themselves apart to follow Jesus and learn more of Him) from the influence and society of those who were seeking to draw them away from the faith. 7. "Disputing" = same as verse 8. 8. "School" = schoolroom; lecture hall. 9. "Tyrannus" = not much is known about him; probably a Jew who was employed as a teacher; he allowed Paul to meet with the believers in the room he occupied for teaching; as a result, Paul was able to teach and preach daily instead of only once a week on the Sabbath day. V. 10 1. Paul continued in this same location which resulted in the whole Roman province of Asia being evangelized as both Jew and Gentiles came from all directions to hear the Word of God. 2. Since Ephesus was a great center, people came from all over the province, some were converted, taught by Paul, went back to their home cities, and were used by the Lord to start new churches. V. 11 1. "Wrought" = worked; performed. 2. "Miracles" = powers; manifestations of divine power; deeds which showed God's power. 3. "Special" = extraordinary; not the common. 4. All miracles are supernatural and out of ordinary but here God regularly performed miracles beyond those familiar to the disciples and completely different from the deeds of the Jewish exorcists. 5. "By the hands of Paul" = Paul was the human instrument God used to reveal Himself through; the Greek construction implies mighty miracles were an everyday occurrence in Paul's ministry here. V. 12 1. "Handkerchiefs" = sweat cloths he used to wipe away perspiration while he was working. (Acts 20:34) 2. "Body" = skin. 3. "Aprons" = a piece of cloth which was girded round the waist to preserve the clothes of those who were engaged in any kind of work. 4. It seems that the people took these items from Paul's workplace without his permission but he did not seem to mind. He knew there was nothing magic about these items and that he was not causing the miracles anyway. God was and Paul was only a channel God was using. 5. "Evil spirits" = demons. 6. The use and sale of "prayer cloths and handkerchiefs" today is unscriptural. 3. Paul And Seven Jewish Pretenders V. 13-20 V. 13 1. "Vagabond" = to go about; refers to strollers or wanders. 2. "Exorcists" = one that binds by an oath or spell; these exorcists travelled around from place to place like modern gypsy fortune tellers claiming to be able to cast out evil spirits or demons by magical formulas, for a fee of course. 3. "Took upon them" = means they took it upon themselves to use the name of Jesus to cast out demons; the Bible does not imply that they had success; they were imitating Paul who had success. 4. "Adjure" = to command under the solemnness of an oath. 5. "Preacheth" = to herald; proclaim. 6. These exorcists did not realize that Paul, in using the name of Jesus was recognizing Jesus for who He is. He did not minister the gift of healing just for the sake of building a reputation for himself. He was preaching the gospel, the true Word of God and the Lord was confirming the Word with signs following (Mark 16:20), therefore the Word, not the signs had the important place. V. 14 1. "Sceva" = a Greek name, but nothing more is known of him than what is recorded here. 2. "Chief of the priests" = not high priest, but he was a Jewish priest; a priest of distinction and held the office of a ruler. V. 15 1. The evil spirit's answer was to the command given in verse 13. 2. First "know" = to have knowledge; recognize; every demon of hell knows who Jesus is (Mark 5:7); this demon recognized that these sons of Sceva only knew Jesus as a name of someone whom Paul was preaching; they did not know Jesus for themselves. 3. Second "know" = to know of; to understand who he is. 4. "Who are ye" = emphatic; the meaning is, "You belong neither to Jesus nor Paul, and you have no right or authority to attempt to work miracles in the name of either." 5. Note: the man who had the demon was no longer in control of his senses but the demon who possessed him had taken charge and was able to use the man's speech organs to answer these sons of Sceva. We have no authority to command demons as some are teaching today. (Jude 9) V. 16 1. The demon also used the man's body to overpower the seven sons of Sceva. 2. "Leaped" = to spring on like a panther. 3. "Overcame" = to lord against; mastered. 4. "Prevailed" = to have strength to overcome; the Greek implies this occurred to all seven. 5. "Naked" = stripped of their outer garments; without sufficient clothing. 6. "Wounded" = the Greek indicates the wounds were severe enough to affect them for a while. V. 17 1. "Known" = well known; refers to the incident concerning the seven sons of Sceva. 2. "Greeks" = Gentiles. 3. "Fear" = an awe inspired by the supernatural. 4. "Fell" = seized. 5. "Was magnified" = to make great; acquired increasing honour; the people saw a great contrast between the sons of Sceva and the apostle Paul. V. 18 1. "Came" = tense reveals that they kept coming, one after another. 2. "Confessed" = to agree fully; the word implies from the heart, freely or publicly; openly; a necessary part of salvation. (Rom. 10:9-10) 3. "Shewed" = to announce; to declare. 4. "Deeds" = actions; their evil course of life; evidence of repentance. 5. These Gentiles had a struggle with their past life and the evil environment they lived in but they had victory. V. 19 1. "Many" = not a few. 2. "Used" = practiced. 3. "Curious arts" = refers to the acts of magic and slight of hand. 4. "Books" = books that explained the arts and contained magical formulas; pieces of parchment. 5. "Before all" = in the sight or presence of; publicly; their practice of these arts had been public, therefore they sought to undo the evil they had done as much as they could by publicly burning these books. 6. "Counted" = to add up; the price was estimated at 50,000 pieces of silver; no specific coin is mentioned but those in Ephesus knew what coin they were speaking of; this was probably done by the people who watched in astonishment and amazement at the folly (to the thinking of the ones who did the counting) of destroying their own property. 7. Real evidence of salvation is confessing and forsaking as Pro. 28:13 brings out. V. 20 1. "Grew" = increasing; tense indicates a continuous action. 2. "Mightily" = refers to divine might and power. 3. "Prevailed" = to have force; to be strong; tense indicates a continuous action. 4. Ephesus had been a stronghold of Satan but the Word of God (gospel) penetrated his stronghold and Ephesus became a center of Christian power for years to come. Polycarp, one of the martyrs listed in "Foxe's Book of Martyrs" was pastor of the Church at Ephesus. 4. Paul And The Silversmiths V. 21-41 V. 21 1. "Ended" = fulfilled; indicates that Paul had carried out the ministry he came to accomplish and his presence was no longer necessary. 2. "Purposed in the spirit" = determined in his mind. 3. "Passed through Macedonia and Achaia" = to visit the churches there and take up a collection for the poor saints at Jerusalem (Rom. 15:25-26) 4. "To go to Jerusalem" = to carry the contribution of the Gentile churches to the poor and oppressed Christians in Judea. 5. "Must" = it is necessary; indicates a divine necessity laid upon him; Paul had a great desire to preach the gospel in Rome (Rom. 1:10; 15); he did go to Rome, but as a prisoner instead of being free. V. 22 1. "Ministered" = wait upon; to serve another. 2. "Timotheus" = Timothy; he was a proper person to send to prepare the churches, as he had been there before with Paul when they were established. 3. "Erastus" = chamberlain (treasurer of the city) of Corinth (Rom. 16:23); Paul's convert at Corinth who followed him to wait upon him; since he had had dealing with money, he was a proper person to be sent with Timothy for the purpose of making the collection for the poor saints at Jerusalem. 4. "In Asia" = Ephesus. 5. "A season" = a space of time, how long we do not know; he waited for a convenient opportunity to follow them when they had fully prepared the churches for the collection. V. 23 1. "Arose" = come into existence. 2. "Stir" = disturbance; tumult; described as "no small" which means it was large in size; this could have been the incident Paul spoke of in I Cor. 15:32 when he portrays his opponents as wild beasts. 3. "About that way" = concerning the way; phrase for Christianity. (Acts 9:2) V. 24 1. "Diana" = a celebrated goddess of the heathen, and one of the twelve superior deities, represented with a great number of breasts to denote her as being the fountain of blessing and the fertility goddess of Ephesus; her temple was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. 2. "Silversmith" = a beater of silver; one who works with silver and in this case made shrines out of silver. 3. "Shrines" = temple; the word properly means a case, small chest or box in which sacred things are deposited; in context, denotes small portable temples, or edifices, made of silver, so as to represent the temple of Diana, and probably containing a silver image of the goddess. 4. "Demetrius" = there is historical evidence that he may have been the head of a guild (union) of silversmiths connected with the temple and its priesthood; most heathen temples in those days carried on large business enterprises. 5. "Gain" = profit; describes as "no small" = not small; great; the great number of people that came to Ephesus to worship the goddess and purchased these shrines made the silversmiths much profit. 6. "Craftsmen" = laborers; refers to the silversmiths. V. 25 1. "Like occupation" = refers not just to silversmiths but to all who made shrines or artifacts used in worship of Diana; this was a gathering of associated trades, not for a strike, but in protest against the preaching of Paul. 2. "Sirs" = men. 3. "Craft" = business; occupation. 4. "Wealth" = income; it does not mean they were rich in abundance (lucrative--yes), but they depended on the sales of their crafts for their living. 5. Demetrius appealed to their self interest. Since they got stirred up the way they did proves that their chief concern was not the worship or honor of the goddess, but their own prosperity. Their attachment to the goddess was simply to make it a means of gain for themselves. Many of the religious TV personalities have the same motive. V. 26 1. These words of Demetrius, a heathen, are a testimony to the power and effectiveness of the gospel Paul preached. (Rom. 1:16) 2. "Almost throughout all Asia" = Asia Minor; there may have been an element of exaggeration to incite the workman to action. 3. "This Paul" = use of the word used here reveals Demetrius' contempt for Paul; he despised and disrespected him. 4. "Persuaded" = convinced. 5. "Turned away" = changed; many had turned away from their idols to serve the true and living God. 6. "Gods made with hands" = idols; images; people identified their gods with the images of them; the tense reveals that these gods were made from time to time. V. 27 1. "To be set at nought" = to become worthless. 2. "Despised" = counted; the Greek word is connected with "nothing"; thus Demetrius is saying that the temple of the great (wonderful in his estimation) goddess Diana, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world would come to a time when it would be thought on as of no value (this became a reality in A.D. 262 when the temple of Diana burned and was never rebuilt). 3. "Magnificence" = majesty and glory; refers to the splendor of her temple and her worship. 4. "Be destroyed" = diminished and finally come to nought. 5. Demetrius again makes an exaggerated claim. No doubt many visitors did come from other parts of the Roman Empire and while in Ephesus visited the temple and joined in the worship of the goddess, but there is little historical evidence that she was worshipped elsewhere. Demetrius was trying to save his income by stirring up a mob. V. 28 1. "Full of wrath" = greatly enraged due to the prospect of losing their gains. 2. "Cried out" = speaks of a loud cry, expressing deep emotion; tense reveals they began to cry out and kept it up continuously. 3. "Great" = wonderful; noble, of high rank; this term was often applied by the Greeks to Diana. V. 29 1. "Filled" = wholly take possession of; the silversmiths kept up their shouting until their chant filled the whole city with confusion and disturbance. 2. "Confusion" = tumult; disorder; vivid description of the inevitable riot that followed. 3. "Having caught" = to seize by force; how the mob got hold of these two we do not know--whether by accidental recognition or by search after failure to get Paul. 4. Paul may have been desperately ill at this time as was the case once during his stay in Ephesus. (II Cor. 1:8-9) 5. "Gaius" = a man of Macedonia originally from Derbe (Acts 20:4); lived at Corinth and had kindly entertained Paul at his house (Rom. 16:23); also helped Paul while in Corinth. (I Cor. 1:14) 6. "Aristarchus" = a Macedonian of Thessalonica and accompa-nied Paul on the ship to Rome as a fellow prisoner. (Acts 27:2; Col. 4:10) 7. "Rushed" = moving with great force and violence. 8. "One accord" = one mind and one purpose. 9. "Theatre" = "theater" = a place for large public gatherings of any sort outside; a Greek-style amphitheater, stadium, or arena open to the sky with room to seat 25,000 people. V. 30 1. "Would have entered in" = intended to go in. 2. "Disciples" = followers of Christ and companions of Paul; those accompanying Paul on this missionary journey was considerably larger than on his earlier travels. 3. "Suffered him not" = would not permit him to enter the theatre; they were concerned for his safety; the Greek construction implies that the more Paul insisted on going the more the disciples refused to agree to it. V. 31 1. "Chief of Asia" = ten officers elected by the city who presided over sacred things and public games; by the wording it appears that more than one was his friend. 2. "Friends" = means they had a high opinion of Paul and were unwilling for him to expose his life to a wild mob; the wording does not indicate that they were saved but they were at least tolerant toward Paul and his preaching. 3. "Sent" = to send a dispatch or a message by someone chosen for the purpose. 4. "Desiring" = urging; begging; beseeching. 5. "Would not adventure" = would not risk his life in the tumult and under the excited feelings of the multitude. V. 32 1. "Confused" = to throw into disorder; some were crying one thing and some another; the majority (more) part of the assembly did not have any idea why (wherefore) they had come together. 2. "Assembly" = ekklesia; same word for church; means that which is called out; this was not an assembly but an irregular disorganized mob in a state of confusion; it really was an unlawful gathering. (verse 39) V. 33 1. "Drew" = to force forward; to bring to the front; the Jews did this; they were as strongly opposed to idolatry as the Christians. 2. "Alexander" = a Hellenistic Jew (a Jew who adapted to the Greek culture where he lived and even took on a Greek name; Alexander is Greek); not much else is known about him; some believe he was a coppersmith (II Tim. 4:14) and being a fellow metal worker, he would be known by the silversmiths who had started this riot and hopefully might be able to influence them. 3. "Beckoned" = gesture for quiet and order; rapidly waving the hand up and down to get a hearing. 4. "Would" = desired; wanted. 5. "Made his defence" = not just for himself but for the Jews because they were thinking that the riot could turn into mob violence and turn on them because Paul was a Jew (Christianity was looked upon by the Greeks as a sect of the Jews); the Jews were very anxious to let the mob know the Jews were completely innocent and had done nothing to stir up this riot. V. 34 1. "Knew" = recognized; coming to know fully and clearly; this they did by his features. 2. "With one voice" = united in one continued shout and loud outcry. 3. "Cried out" = this they did at first to silence Alexander, but the shouting continued for about two hours to show their attachment to Diana. V. 35 1. "Townclerk" = the secretary of the city; not a mere secretary of another officer, but the most influential person in Ephesus who drafted decrees, had charge of the city's money, and was the power in control of the assembly. 2. "Appeased" = subdued; quieted; restrained the people (multitude) so as to be able to address them. 3. "Men" = word for men only; it seems that only men had gathered. 4. "Man" = word for mankind without respect of sex; human being. 5. "Knoweth" = to know by experience. 6. "Worshipper" = temple keeper; the city was in charge of the temple and the image; it was regarded as an office of honor and dignity to have charge of the temples of the gods and to keep them in order. 7. "Fell down from Jupiter" = one word in the Greek; Jupiter (Zeus) was considered lord of the sky or heaven and tradition said that the image was sent down from heaven; it is probable that the image was so ancient that the maker of it was unknown, and a story was fabricated that it fell from heaven (image may have been placed upon a fallen meteor); it was in the interest of the priest to keep up this legend. V. 36 1. "Cannot be spoken against" = indisputable; undeniable; these legends were accepted as true and in the townclerk's estimation, they were undeniable. 2. "Ought" = it is necessary. 3. "Quiet" = appeased; restrained. 4. "Rashly" = reckless; impulsive; in thoughtless haste. V. 37 1. "Robbers of churches" = one word in the Greek; means temple robbery; used of those who took the gold vessels, the funds, or sacred books from a temple; does not apply to churches because there were none others in existence, in Ephesus, except the one started by Paul. 2. "Blasphemers" = to speak harshly, reproachfully, or abusively. 3. These men (Gaius and Aristarchus; may also refer to Paul) had so conducted themselves that no charge could be placed against them either in act (temple robbery) or word (blasphemy). Paul used tact to avoid illegalities. V. 38 1. "Have a matter against" = have a complaint of injury; if injustice has been done to them by anyone. 2. "Law is open" = court was in session at this very time. 3. "Deputies" = governor appointed by the Roman Senate for provinces, under their jurisdiction; the plural is a general phrase but there was only one present at a time; the cause might be brought before them with the certainty that it would be heard and decided. 4. "Implead" = to bring a charge against. 5. The townclerk makes a definite appeal to the mob for orderly legal procedure as opposed the mob violence. V. 39 1. "Enquire" = desire; wish; seek. 2. "Any thing concerning other matters" = refers to going further and passing regulations about the situation at hand; charges of illegal conduct should be settled in the regular legal way. 4. "Determined" = to solve further. 5. "Lawful" = duly constituted. 6. "Assembly" = that which is called out; the Roman officials alone could give the sanction for calling such a lawful assembly. 7. The implication is that the assembly gathered here was an unlawful gathering. V. 40 1. "Danger" = to be put in jeopardy or peril; refers to the city being in jeopardy of having a charge of sedition, rebellion, or revolution brought against it by the Roman government. 2. "Called in question" = to bring a charge against; there was a Roman law that made it a capital offense for anyone to be engaged in promoting a riot. 3. "Uproar" = uprising; referring to the unlawful gathering. 4. "Cause" = reason or crime; they would not be able to give a reason (account) for this concourse. 5. "Concourse" = a disorderly riot. V. 41 1. The townclerk gave the aspect of law and order to the mob and finally dismissed them. 2. He did this to protect the city against the charge to which they were liable. Chapter 20: Paul On His Way To Jerusalem 1. Paul And The Local Churches V. 1-12 V. 1 1. "Embraced" = to enfold in the arms; to draw to oneself in an embrace in farewell giving them parting expressions of kindness. 2. "Departed" = to Macedonia as he had planned in Acts 19:21. (See Map 3, page 54.) V. 2 1. "Gone over those parts" = the parts of the province of Macedonia. 2. "Much exhortation" = instructed and encouraged them with much talk; Acts being history does not give all the details as to where Paul went and what he said but we can learn more about the time spent in Macedonia on this trip by studying his epistles; II Corinthians was probably written while in Macedonia on this trip. 3. "Into Greece" = province of Achaia and the city of Corinth. (See Map 3, Page 54). V. 3. 1. "Abode" = stayed; it is believed that Paul wrote the epistle of Romans and may have written Galatians during these three months. 2. "Laid wait" = plot; a plan against someone. 3. "As he was about to sail" = it seems from this, that the plan of the Jews was to attack the ship in which he was about to sail, or to have him arrested on board ship. 4. "Syria" = north of Palestine (Israel) on the east coast of the Mediterranean Sea. (See Map 3, page 54.) 5. "Purposed" = resolved; determined; he resolved to avoid the snare which they had laid for him by returning to Syria through Macedonia, no doubt travelling on foot. V. 4 1. "Accompanied" = to attend in company with; it was the usual custom for some of the disciples to go with the apostles in their journeys. 2. These seven men may have been representatives of the churches who gave an offering for the poor saints in Jerusalem, therefore they went along to see how the offering was used and reported back to their home church. 3. Three were from Macedonia: Sopater of Berea; Aristarchus and Secundus of Thessalonica. 4. Two from Galatia: Gaius of Derbe; Timotheus of Lystra. 5. Two from Asia: Tychicus and Trophimus. V. 5. 1. "Going before" = these seven men sailed to Troas before Paul; from what port they sailed, we do not know. 2. "Tarried" = waited. 3. "Us" = indicates that Luke, the human instrument who wrote Acts, joined Paul at Philippi of Macedonia. V. 6 1. "Sailed away" = to depart by ship. 2. "Days of unleavened bread" = the Jews feast of seven days following the Passover, during which time they ate unleavened bread. 3. It took five days to cross the Aegean Sea probably due to contrary winds since they had made the trip from Troas to Philippi before in two days. (Acts 16:11-12) 4. "Abode" = remained. V. 7 1. "First day of the week" = Sunday; the Lord's day. 2. "Came together" = as the custom was begun immediately after Christ's resurrection (John 20:19) and commanded for all saints to do so. (I Cor. 16:2; Heb. 10:25) 3. "To break bread" = seems to have application to a fellowship meal with observance of the Lord's Supper afterwards. 4. "Preached" = to say thoroughly. 5. "Ready" = intended. 6. "Morrow" = the following day. 7. "Continued" = to prolong; the reason for the long discourse (speech) may have been due to the fact Paul was going to leave them, probably to see them no more. V. 8 1. "There were many lights" = refers to lamps filled with olive oil and a wick inserted; we do not know for certain why this is mentioned, but they could be to designate a place of public worship; the Jews and Gentiles were accustomed to having many lights burning in a place of public worship. 2. "Upper chamber" = a room reached by an outside stairway and would probably hold 200 or 300 people. V. 9 1. "Window" = a small opening in the wall covered with a lattice (wood not glass) when closed but open here because of the heat from the lamps and the crowd. 2. "Eutychus" = a common slave name which meant "fortunate." 3. "Young man" = word describes a youth up to forty years of age. 4. "Fallen" = overcome; the Greek describes the gradual process of going into a deep sleep, possibly due to the heat, the crowd, the smell and smoke of the lamps, the late hour, and the long message; same word as "sunk." 5. "Third loft" = third story. 6. "Was taken up dead" = not merely injured or dying but the Greek brings out clearly that the man was dead and beyond natural help; Luke the physician agrees that he was dead. V. 10 1. "Went down" = descended the stairs to the ground outside. 2. "Fell on him" = threw himself upon the young man, throwing his arms around him (embracing) in a tight embrace no doubt praying as he did so; this was an act of tenderness and compassion revealing a strong desire to restore him to life. (I Kings 17:21; II Kings 4:33-35) 3. "Trouble not yourselves" = make no ado; stop making those noisy lamentations which was so traditional when one died, especially among the Jews. 4. "Life" = physical life; refers to his soul returning to his body; restored to life. V. 11 1. Paul then went back to the upper chamber, ate an ordinary meal (broken bread), and began his message where he had left off before this incident had occurred. 2. "Talked" = to converse with; the meeting seems to be more informal after the midnight incident than it was before; he continued "till break of day" = first ray of light. 3. "Departed" = Luke sums up the results and simply says that Paul departed. V. 12 1. "Young man" = boy; the wording of this verse and verse 9 indicates the boy may have been in his teens. 2. "Alive" = living in contrast to death, thus proof the boy was dead. 3. "Comforted" = consoled; encouraged; described as "not a little" = not moderately; a great deal. 4. This pictures the joyful scene of the boy being raised to life again as his friends bought him while they were saying farewell to Paul as he was leaving Troas. 2. Paul And The Local Pastors V. 13-38 V. 13 1. "Went before" = to go before; precede; Luke along with the others precede Paul in going to Assos because Paul intended to walk (minding himself to go afoot). 2. "Assos" = a city of Asia about 20 miles SE of Troas. (See Map 3, page 54) 3. "Appointed" = arranged; planned; gave orders. 4. Paul wanted to be alone as he walked these 20 miles (about half the distance the ship had to travel) so he could settle what the will of the Lord was concerning going to Jerusalem. V. 14 1. "Took him in" = refers to Paul boarding the ship. 2. "Mitylene" = capital of Lesbos an island in the Aegean Sea about 30 miles south of Assos, an easy day's sailing. (See Map 3, page 54) V. 15 1. "Over against" = means to come right down in front of, face to face with. 2. "Chios and Samos" = islands West of Ephesus in the Aegean Sea. (See Map 3, page 54) 3. "Arrived" = to throw alongside; touched; the ship did not stay the night at Samos but stayed (tarried) at "Trogyllium" = a city on the coast of Asia not shown on Map 3, page 54; they remained there until morning because it would have been very difficult to make their way through the strait (a narrow restricted place) in the darkness. 4. "Miletus" = a city on the seacoast of the Roman province of Asia about 36 miles south of Ephesus. (See Map 3, page 54) V. 16 1. "Had determined" = decided; Paul either controlled the ship due to it being chartered or the captain was willing to oblige him; the ship could have been chartered to carry goods to the poor saints in Jerusalem. 2. "Sail by Ephesus" = means to pass Ephesus without going to it. 3. "Hasted" = to hurry. 4. "If it were possible" = the Greek indicates it was a remote possibility. 5. Paul had settled in his heart that he should go to Jerusalem, and he was in a hurry to get there by the "day of Pentecost" = a Jewish feast, 50 days after the feast of First Fruits (the first day of the week after Passover). V. 17 1. "Sent" = to send a person with a message; Ephesus was a day's journey from Miletus, thus it would take two days before the Elders could get to where Paul was (one day for the person to carry the message and one day for the Elders to make the trip). 2. "Called" = summoned; means to call from one place to another. 3. "Elders" = title of a pastor and refers to the person; the plural is used because the early churches had a plurality of pastors. 1) Paul's past ministry V. 18-21 V. 18 1. "Know" = to put the mind upon; means they were well acquainted with Paul's behavior at Ephesus. 2. "First day" = refers to the first time he set foot in Ephesus in Acts 18:19 which had been approximately four years before. 3. "After what manner" = refers to how he lived and acted described in verses 19-21. 4. "At all seasons" = at all times, not just on Sunday. V. 19 1. "Serving" = to be in the position of a servant and act accordingly. 2. "Lord" = supreme in authority; He is Lord at salvation not later on in time. 3. "Humility of mind" = a deep sense of one's littleness; the people knew this was a strong contrast to the boastfulness of the false teachers who were trying to draw a following after themselves. 4. "Many tears" = weeping because the opposition of the Jews hindered his ministry from reaching the lost. 5. "Temptations" = trials arising from the opposition of the Jews. 6. "Befell" = to happen; occur. 7. "Lying in wait" = a plan against someone; plot. V. 20 1. "Kept back" = to withhold; to cower or shrink from; conceal. 2. "Nothing" = not even one thing. 3. "Profitable" = advantageous, helpful, beneficial, or useful for their good. 4. "Shewed" = to announce in detail; declared. 5. "Taught" = to shape the will of the one taught by the communication of knowledge. 6. "Publickly" = in public assembly. 7. "From house to house" = privately; his visits were not merely social calls nor chit-chat sessions but teaching true doctrine. 8. Paul does not try to impress the people with beautiful oratory. V. 21 1. "Testifying" = to bear witness; to give a first-hand detailed account of the necessity of repentance toward God and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ for one to be saved. 2. "Repentance" = a change of mind, attitude, heart, and direction; this will only come when God grants it (works it by godly sorrow). (John 3:27; II Cor. 7:10) 3. "Toward" = word implies motion into or towards; indicates the point reached or entered, of place, time, and purpose. 4. "Faith" = belief; trust; confidence. 5. Paul always preached these two ingredients of salvation wherever he went. Repentance and faith are connected and both are necessary for one to be saved. 6. He did nothing in secret, therefore all men knew his message and his methods. 2) Paul's present burden V. 22-24 V. 22 1. "Bound" = to put under obligation; to have a strong sense of duty. 2. "The spirit" = refers to his own spirit, the quickened inner being; there is serious doubt whether Paul was really in the divine will of God in going to Jerusalem (Acts 21:4), but a strong sense of duty moved him to go; this sense of duty may have been because of: A. His love for his fellow Jews. (Rom. 9:1-3; 10:1) B. His desire to see the damaged repaired which he had caused while he made havoc of the church while lost, thus making many widow, orphans, and beggars. Now he had a chance to relieve the suffering and hardships of the poor saints by bringing them the offering he had collected. 3. "Befall" = to meet with; occur; Paul knew that there would be calamities or trials of some kind but he did not know of what kind they would be nor whether the result would be life or death. V. 23 1. "Save that" = except that; this is all Paul knew concerning what was to befall him. 2. "Witnesseth" = fully testifies; the Holy Ghost had done this in every city (place after place) where he had been by the trials and afflictions he had already faced. 3. "Saying" = to speak; the Holy Ghost spoke plainly to Paul concerning what he would face in Jerusalem. 4. "Bonds" = chains; shackles; bound as a prisoner. 5. "Afflictions" = pressures; tribulation; trouble. 6. "Abide" = remain; await; indicates that Paul must expect to suffer bonds and afflictions; this was stated clearly to Paul and was no doubt one of the things that he had to consider when he got saved. (Acts 9:15-16) V. 24 1. "None" = not one. 2. "Move me" = alarm me or keep me from my purpose. 3. "Count" = hold; consider. 4. "Dear" = valuable; Paul considers not his life as being so valuable to retain while failing to do his duty. (Rom. 8:18; Phil. 1:21) 5. "Finish" = complete. 6. "Course" = race; life is represented as a course or race to be run; Paul did finish his course. (II Tim. 4:6-7) 7. "Joy" = cheerfulness; gladness of heart; Paul looked to Jesus as his example. (Heb. 12:2) 8. "Ministry" = duties of the office of apostle; "finish" applies to this also. 9. "Have received of the Lord Jesus" = refers to the ministry or office of apostle as having been bestowed upon him by the Lord Jesus, a fact Paul never had doubt about even though men did. (Rom. 11:13; Gal. 1:1; I Cor. 15:8; Acts 1:21-22) 10. "To testify" = to testify fully; to bear witness. 11. "Gospel" = good tidings. 12. "Grace" = unearned and unmerited favor of God giving his own son to die for our sins, be buried, and raised again. (I Cor. 15:1-4) 13. Paul had a secret: A. He had seen the "light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." (II Cor. 4:6) B. He felt in his body "the excellency of the power of God." (II Cor. 4:7) C. He had received the "earnest" or first installment of what the Spirit will make fully real for every believer when the Lord Jesus comes again. (Eph. 1:13-14) D. Therefore, he was willing "to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord." (II Cor. 5:8) E. He had hope of his own resurrection due to the fact of the resurrection of Jesus, thus all fear of death was gone. (II Cor. 4:14-16; I Cor. 15:20, 51, 54) 3) Paul's warning of future danger V. 25-35 V. 25 1. "Know" = have an absolute, positive knowledge of the facts; Paul uses this word expressing his personal conviction and fears that they would not see his face (presence again); the pastoral epistles indicate Paul did come to Ephesus again (I Tim. 1:3); Paul had reason enough for his fears even though it turned out different from what he thought. 2. "Ye all" = refers to all of the Ephesians not just the elders who were the ones Paul was speaking to. 3. "Preaching" = to herald forth; proclaim. 4. "Kingdom" = rule; reign; refers to the rule of God manifested in and through Jesus Christ by God's grace. 5. Paul showed that the gospel of the grace of God (verse 24) is the same as the preaching of the Kingdom of God, and therefore is the same as the gospel of the Kingdom. V. 26 1. "Wherefore" = in view of the past, referring to Paul's ministry and labours among the Ephesians. 2. "Take you to record" = one word in the Greek; means to bring forward or witness; to declare solemnly. 3. "Pure" = clean; unstained with the guilt; will not be charged with the guilt of your condemnation; Paul is not claiming absolute perfection, but he had a clear conscience concerning the Ephesians. 4. "Blood" = used often in the sense of death, or bloodshed, thus the guilt or crime of putting one to death; refers to those to whom Paul had been faithful to preach and teach that if they should die the second death and be lost forever, the fault would be their own, not his. V. 27 1. "For" = gives the reason for what was said in the previous verse. 2. "Shunned" = to withhold; conceal; used with "not" thus meaning Paul did not hold back any truth from them. 3. "To declare" = to announce in detail; to declare freely and openly. 4. "Counsel" = advice; purpose; denotes the divine decree laying at the basis of the history of redemption; Paul said in Acts 20:20 he kept back nothing that was profitable; he didn't say he didn't keep back anything from them; even Jesus held back some things from the disciples (John 16:12); Paul delivered the advice and purpose of God for that congregation on that specific day. V. 28 1. "Take heed" = to hold the mind towards; attend to; be on your guard against the dangers which beset you, and seek to discharge your duty faithfully. 2. "Unto yourselves" = to your own opinions and manner of life; this is the first duty of every elder for without this all his preaching will be in vain; actions speak louder than words. 3. "All the flock" = refers to the local church where the elders minister; all refers to the rich and poor, the bond and free, and the old and young. 4. "Hath made" = to place; appoint; even though they had been appointed by the church, Paul states the fact it was in reality done by the Holy Ghost, because He had called and qualified them for the work. 5. "Overseers" = bishops; denotes those who are appointed to oversee or inspect the local church. 6. "To feed" = to tend as a shepherd; refers to the care which a shepherd exercises over his flock, that of protecting, guiding, guarding, instructing, governing, and folding of the flock as well as leading it to nourishment. 7. "Church" = called out ones; refers to the local church, the saved people, not a building, who belong to God, because He purchased it with His own blood. 8. "Purchased" = to preserve for one's self. 9. "His own blood" = with the sacrifice of His own life; refers to the life and blood of Jesus Christ who was God. (Gen. 22:8; Rom. 3:25) V. 29 1. "Know" = to have an absolute, positive knowledge; he knew by what he had seen in other places. 2. "My departing" = not his death but his leaving them at this time. 3. "Wolves" = picture of the enemies and adversaries of the flock; described as "grievous" = heavy; strong; mighty; dangerous; difficult to handle; so strong that the feeble flock would not be able to resist them; refers to false, hypocritical, and dangerous teachers. 4. "Enter in among you" = come in from the outside; Jesus warned of such in Mat. 7:15. 5. "Not sparing the flock" = seeking to destroy the church. V. 30 1. Paul also warns of danger from within. 2. "Of your own selves" = from among your own selves; those who profess to be Christians. 3. "Men" = word for men only. 4. "Arise" = stand up; be manifested. 5. "Perverse" = to distort; turn aside; twist; refers to twisting the truth, the Scriptures. 6. "To draw away" = to separate; to drag forth. 7. "After them" = refers to their real purpose, that of building up themselves instead of the assembly. 8. Paul's long stay at Ephesus enabled him to judge clearly the conditions present in Ephesus. V. 31 1. "Therefore" = in view of the dangers they faced: A. Themselves. V. 28 B. False teachers without. V. 29 C. False teachers within. V. 30 2. "Watch" = to keep awake; refers to spiritual alertness; be on your guard, observe the approach of danger and set yourselves against it. 3. "Remember" = call to mind; recall his advice and warning in reference to these dangers; it seems that Paul had mentioned these dangers many times before. 4. "Three years" = the total length of Paul's stay at Ephesus. 5. "Ceased not" = did not stop; continued. 6. "To warn" = to place before the mind; to admonish; Paul had set before each individual the danger they faced and their duty; he did so continually (night and day) with a heart of love and compassion evidenced by tears. (Psa. 126:5-6) 7. "Forewarned is to be forearmed." V. 32 1. "Brethren" = from the same womb; all saved come forth from the womb of God. 2. "Commend" = to deposit with one; to entrust; to commit; means to place them in His hands and under His protection. 3. "The Word of his grace" = His gracious Word; His merciful promise; the instrumentality through preaching and the Holy Ghost used by God. 4. "Is able" = to have power. (Heb. 4:12) 5. "To build up" = to establish; make firm, or permanent; word is applied to a house which is reared and completed by slow degrees, and by toil; refers to instruction and establishment in doctrine. 6. "Inheritance" = heirship; to make you heirs; to make you joint partakers with the saints of the blessings that has been reserved for the children of God. 7. "Among all them which are sanctified" = with all who are holy; with all the saints. (Rom. 8:17; II Tim. 4:6-8) V. 33 1. "Coveted" = to set the heart upon; Paul did not desire to obtain their property. (II Cor. 12:14) 2. "Silver or gold" = refers to money or wealth; one of the slanders against Paul was that he was raising the collection for the poor saints in Jerusalem for himself. 3. "Apparel" = raiment; clothing; Paul includes this because oriental wealth consisted largely in fine apparel. V. 34 1. "Know" = to know by experience; they knew that the church in Ephesus had not supported Paul while he was there; instead he had labored with his own hands by making tents to earn enough to supply his needs. 2. "Ministered" = to render service. 3. "Necessities" = food, clothing, and shelter. 4. "To them that were with me" = Paul's tent making supplied the necessities for Paul's companions as well as himself. V. 35 1. "Have shewed" = to exhibit under the eyes; gave you an example; to give an object lesson, by deed as well as by word. 2. "All things" = for three years Paul set an example, illustrating the design, nature, and duties of the office of the bishop; he did this by preaching, proper manner of life, self-denial, and toil. 3. "Labouring" = to feel fatigue; to labor with wearisome effort. 4. "Ought" = it is necessary. 5. "To support" = to help; to aid. 6. "Weak" = to be feeble; sick; refers to those who are unable to labor; Paul also said in II Thess. 3:10 that if any would not work (refers to those who were able) they should not eat. 7. "Remember" = to call to mind; recollect. 8. "The words of the Lord Jesus" = these words are not recorded in the gospels, but John 21:25 states that all His words are not recorded; therefore, Paul received these words either by word of mouth or direct revelation. 9. "Blessed" = supremely blest, spiritually prosperous. 4) Paul's final blessing V. 36-38 V. 36 1. "Kneeled down" = indicates reverence and humility; the usual attitude of devotion represented in the Scriptures. 2. "With them all" = the elders also kneeled and they prayed together. 3. The early church knew how to seek God fervently and pour out their hearts to Him in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving. V. 37 1. "Wept sore" = wept much; indicates there was considerable weeping of all present. 2. "Fell on" = to embrace or seize; a token of tender affection. 3. "Kissed him" = to kiss earnestly; a strong word to show how strong their love and concern for Paul was; the tense indicates a repeated action, probably one after the other embracing him; they probably kissed Paul on both cheeks, because this type of a kiss was a common greeting and farewell in all of Bible times. V. 38 1. "Sorrowing" = to grieve; word means to cause intense pain, to torment; these elders were filled with much pain and sorrow most of all because Paul said they would see his face (presence) no more. 2. "Accompanied" = to go along with; they escorted Paul to the ship and no doubt waited on the shore to see the ship depart and to have a last glimpse of their beloved apostle. Text Box: Edgar Lee Paschall Text Box: by