World English Bible · Under Rome
Acts 20
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After the uproar had ceased, sent for , took leave of them, and departed to go into . When he had gone through those parts and had encouraged them with many words, he came into . When he had spent three months there, and a plot was made against him by as he was about to set sail for , he determined to return through . These accompanied him as far as : of , and of the Thessalonians, of , , and and of . But these had gone ahead, and were for us at . We sailed away from after the days of , and came to them at in five days, where we stayed seven days. On the first day of the week, when were gathered together to break bread, talked with them, intending to depart on the next day; and continued his speech until midnight. There were many lights in the upper room where we were gathered together. A certain young man named Eutychus sat in the window, weighed down with deep sleep. As spoke still longer, being weighed down by his sleep, he fell down from the third floor and was taken up . went down and fell upon him, and embracing him said, "Don't be troubled, for his life is in him." When he had gone up, had broken bread and eaten, and had talked with them a long while, even until break of day, he departed. They brought the boy in alive, and were greatly comforted. But we, going ahead to the ship, set sail for , intending to take aboard there; for he had so arranged, intending himself to go by land. 14When he met us at , we took him aboard and came to . Sailing from there, we came the following day opposite Chios. The next day we touched at Samos and stayed at Trogyllium, and the day after we came to . For had determined to sail past , that he might not have to spend time in ; for he was hastening, if it were possible for him, to be in on the day of . From he sent to and called to himself the of . When they had come to him, he said to them, "You yourselves know, from the first day that I set foot in , how I was with you all the time, with all humility, with many tears, and with which happened to me by the plots of the ; how I didn't shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, teaching you publicly and from house to house, testifying both to and to toward and toward our . Now, behold, I go bound by to , not knowing what will happen to me there; except that testifies in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions wait for me. But these things don't count; nor do I hold my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from , to fully testify to the of the of . "Now, behold, I know that you all, among whom I went about preaching Kingdom, will see no more. Therefore I testify to you today that I am clean from of all men, for I didn't shrink from declaring to you the whole of . Take heed, therefore, to yourselves and to all the flock, in which has made you overseers, to of and which he purchased with his own . For I know that after my departure, vicious wolves will enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Men will arise from among your own selves, speaking perverse things, to draw away after them. Therefore watch, remembering that for a period of three years I didn't cease to admonish everyone night and day with tears. Now, brothers, I entrust you to and to the word of his , which is able to build up and to give you the among all those who are . I coveted no one's silver, gold, or clothing. You yourselves know that these hands my necessities, and those who were with me. In all things I gave you an example, that so laboring you ought to help the weak, and to remember the words of , that he himself said, 'It is more to give than to receive.' " When he had spoken these things, he knelt down and with them all. They all wept freely, and fell on neck and kissed him, sorrowing most of all because of the word which he had spoken, that they should see no more. Then they accompanied him to the ship.
A public domain modern English translation, free to read and share. Notes and cards are EKLI’s own.
The world at this moment · Under Rome, 63 BC to AD 100 ›
Judea as a client kingdom and then a province. Roads, garrisons, taxes, crucifixion, and a common Greek language that let a message travel the empire faster than any before it.
- Rome
- The republic tears itself apart in civil war and comes out as an empire under Augustus. What follows is two centuries of relative peace across the whole Mediterranean, enforced by legions and paid for by taxes, with safe roads and safe sea lanes. Every one of Paul's journeys depends on that.
- Judea
- Governed first through Herod the Great, a client king of enormous ability and enormous brutality who rebuilds the temple into one of the wonders of the ancient world, then directly by Roman prefects. Crucifixion is the standard penalty for sedition and is used often and publicly.
- The wider world
- Greek is spoken from Spain to Syria, which means a letter written in Corinth can be read in Rome without translation. Jewish communities already exist in most major cities, which is where the first Christian preaching lands. Mystery religions, imperial cult, and philosophy all compete in the same marketplace.
- Further afield
- The Han dynasty rules China and trades silk westward along routes that touch the Roman world at second hand. In Britain the Roman conquest begins within a decade of the crucifixion.