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Paul’s Missionary Journey
After the near riot in Ephesus had ceased, Paul understood that after three years it was the Lord’s time for him to depart Ephesus. The loss of Ephesus in the departure of Paul was the gain of other cities. From verse 1 it would appear that Paul traveled directly from Ephesus to Macedonia. However, from 2 Corinthians 2:12-13 we learn that he first went to Troas. There he found an open door to preach the gospel but was anxious to see Titus and to learn from him how the Corinthians had received his first letter. When he did not find Titus in Troas he crossed over the northeastern corner of the Aegean Sea to Macedonia. Paul stopped at all the congregations in Macedonia which he and his companions had planted (Philippi, Thessalonica), and sought to give them a word of encouragement. It is during this three-month period that Paul wrote his letter to the Romans. This is borne out in the Book of Romans itself (Romans 15:23-24; 16:23).
Paul’s visit to Greece was short lived. The Jews were plotting to kill him. It was likely planned for when he would leave by ship. Thus Paul decided to foil their plans by going by land back through Macedonia. The men traveling with Paul represented churches he had established in Asia. Each man was carrying an offering from his home church to the believers in Jerusalem. Paul’s strategy of having each man deliver the gift gave the gift a personal touch and promoted the unity of believers. It was also an effective way to teach the church about giving, because the men were able to report back to their churches the way God was working through their giving. Paul discussed this gift in one of his letters to the Corinthian church (2 Corinthians 8:1-21). It appears that the above seven brethren traveled on ahead to Troas, while Paul and Luke visited Philippi. We know Luke was with Paul because of the use of the first person pronoun “us” in verse 5 and 6.
After the days of unleavened bread, or Passover, Paul and Luke sailed from Macedonia to Troas. The trip took five days from Philippi to Troas, on the western coast of Asia Minor. Once there, they stayed a week so they could be there for the breaking of bread on the Lord’s Day. It is certainly clear from verse 7 that it was the practice of the early Christians to gather on the first day of the week in order to observe the Lord’s supper (1 Cor. 16:2). That Paul should have spoken until midnight should not surprise anyone. We do not know if Paul began preaching during the day and continued until into the night, or if they had met after dark and continued to meet until the midnight hour. As the night wore on, it became hot and stuffy in the upper room. Perhaps the many lamps contributed to this as well as the number of people.
A certain young man by the name of Eutychus sitting in an open window fell asleep and fell three stories down to the ground and died. Paul went down and stretched himself over the body and announced to the people not to worry themselves because there was life in the young man. It might seem from Paul’s words that there was no need for concern because the young man had not died. But it is clear from verse 9 that the young man did die. When Paul returned upstairs, they broke bread (v.11) and observed the Lord’s Supper for which they had gathered for (v.7). After an all night meeting, never to be forgotten, Paul bade farewell to the believers and departed.
Paul left Troas on foot and walk 20 miles to the city of Assos. His traveling companions went by ship, and picked Paul up on the southern side. There is no explanation of why Paul chose to walk; perhaps he wanted a little time to himself. The party met Paul at Assos and he joined them. Sailing south, along the western coast of Asia Minor, they came to Mitylene, the chief city of the island Lesbos. The following night they anchored off the island of Chios. Another day’s journey brought them to the island of Samos and they stayed at Trogyllium. Finally they arrived in Miletus, a port on the southwest coast of Asia Minor, thirty-six miles south of Ephesus. Paul intentionally bypassed Ephesus because he feared that a visit there would require too much time, and he was hurrying to get to Jerusalem for the day of Pentecost.
Upon landing at Miletus, Paul sent word to the Elders in Ephesus asking them to come for a meeting. Undoubtedly it took some time for the message to reach them and for them to make the journey, but they would be richly rewarded by the message they would hear from the mouth of Paul. Upon the arrival of the elders, Paul reminded them of his manner of life when he lived among them. From the first day he set foot in Asia, and all the time he was there, he served the Lord with true humility and self-denial. In connection with his ministry, there was a constant strain on his emotional system; there were tears of sorrow and trials. Constantly he suffered persecution as a result of the plotting of the Jews. Yet in spite of all the adverse circumstances, his ministry was bold and fearless.
Paul declared that he did not hold back any teaching that was useful. He lived the advice that he gave to other preachers and he taught both publicly and privately. Paul preached to all people both Jew and Gentile, and preached the necessity of repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul was not fleeing Ephesus. He had never labored out of fear for his life. In fact, he knew that arrest and imprisonment awaited him at the end of his journey. It was a bittersweet meeting for both Paul and the Ephesian elders. Paul had worked with these men and he probably appointed them elders over the flock at Ephesus. He was convinced that he would never see them again, which he did not.
In any event, he could leave with a clear conscience. He had held nothing back that would prepare them for the coming days ahead. Paul was guided by the Spirit, i.e. being “bound by the Spirit”; in that the Spirit revealed to him that he would suffer afflictions when he came to Jerusalem. Perhaps the Spirit witnessing in every town is referring to something similar in Acts 21:10-11. Paul did not become bitter because of the prospect of his impending suffering (see Acts 9:15-16). As Paul weighed this outlook in his mind, he did not think that his own life was the great issue. His ambition was to obey God and to please him. If in doing this, he would be called upon to offer up his life he was willing to do so.
Since Paul knew that he would never see them again, he delivered a solemn charge to the elders that they should first take heed to their own spiritual condition. Unless they were living in fellowship with the Lord, they could not expect to be spiritual leaders in the church, the church which Christ purchased with his blood. Paul knew that after his departure the church would be attacked from without and from within. False teachers, wolves in sheep’s clothing (Matt. 7:15), would prey upon the flock showing no mercy. Paul reminded them that for three years he warned them of these things day and night with many tears. These elders would need to remain alert for the dangers that would come.
There is one important point we need to learn from this passage, that faithfulness on the part of a congregation can never be assured past one generation. Grounding in the faith must be a continual process. Paul wanted them to depend on God and his word. Paul did not commend them to leaders of men, rather he entrusted them to God and his word. In his closing message Paul once again set before the elders the example of his own life and ministry. He could say in all honest that he never worked to take no one’s silver or gold, but he labored by his own hands to support himself. Paul was not saying that it was wrong to accept any support for the preaching of the gospel. On the contrary, he taught on several occasions that brethren had a responsibility to support those who preach the word (Philippians 4:15-17; 1 Corinthians 9:11-14). Paul is saying that these elders should labor unselfishly among the brethren. They should not be overly concerned with physical things.
At the conclusion of his message, Paul knelt on the ground and prayed with the elders. He had so much he wanted to pray about, but he was most of all concerned for the future of these brethren he loved so dearly. The reaction of the elders was one of deep sorrow. They wept unashamedly and showed their love for Paul by falling on his neck and kissing him. The words that particularly grieved them were his statement that they would see his face no more. Heavyhearted, they accompanied Paul to the ship for his trip to Jerusalem.
Question/Answers?
Who were the seven men that accompanied Paul on his missionary journey?
The seven men are as follow:
1- Sopater of Berea: A Christian from Berea who was with Paul from Greece to the province of Asia (Acts 20:4). This may be the same man mentioned in Romans 16:21 as being a relative of Paul.
2- Aristarchus of Thessalonica: Nearly lost his life in the riot at Ephesus (Acts 19:29). We later read of him as being a fellow prisoner with Paul (Philemon 24; Col. 4:10). He accompanied Paul to Rome (Acts 27:2).
3- Secundus: An early Christian who lived in Thessalonica (Acts 20:4). He was among the seven men that accompanied Paul on his third missionary journey.
4- Gaius: A citizen of Derbe who was with Paul as far as Asia Minor (Acts 20:4). The name Gaius was a common name in the Scriptures.
5- Timothy: Paul’s friend and chief associate. Timothy is mentioned as a joint sender in six of Paul’s epistles (2 Cor. 1:1; Phil. 1:1; Col. 1:1; 1 Thess. 1:1; 2 Thess. 1:1; Philemon 1). Timothy first appeared on the second missionary journey of Paul (Acts 16:1-3).
6- Tychicus: A Christian of the province of Asia (Acts 20:4). He was a fellow worker and messenger of Paul (Eph. 6:21-22; Col. 4:7-8). Paul also sent Tychicus to Ephesus to deliver and perhaps read his letter to the Christians in that city (Eph. 6:21). He did the same with the letter to the Colossians (Col. 4:7). Paul sent him as a messenger to Titus in Crete (Titus 3:12) and afterward to Ephesus (2 Tim. 4:12).
7- Trophimus: A Gentile Christian who lived in Ephesus and who accompanied Paul to Jerusalem at the end of Paul’s third missionary journey. Apparently Trophimus accompanied Paul on the trip to Rome. In his second letter to Timothy, Paul revealed “Trophimus I have left in Miletus sick” (2 Tim. 4:20).
After the near riot in Ephesus had ceased, Paul understood that after three years it was the Lord’s time for him to depart Ephesus. The loss of Ephesus in the departure of Paul was the gain of other cities. From verse 1 it would appear that Paul traveled directly from Ephesus to Macedonia. However, from 2 Corinthians 2:12-13 we learn that he first went to Troas. There he found an open door to preach the gospel but was anxious to see Titus and to learn from him how the Corinthians had received his first letter. When he did not find Titus in Troas he crossed over the northeastern corner of the Aegean Sea to Macedonia. Paul stopped at all the congregations in Macedonia which he and his companions had planted (Philippi, Thessalonica), and sought to give them a word of encouragement. It is during this three-month period that Paul wrote his letter to the Romans. This is borne out in the Book of Romans itself (Romans 15:23-24; 16:23).
Paul’s visit to Greece was short lived. The Jews were plotting to kill him. It was likely planned for when he would leave by ship. Thus Paul decided to foil their plans by going by land back through Macedonia. The men traveling with Paul represented churches he had established in Asia. Each man was carrying an offering from his home church to the believers in Jerusalem. Paul’s strategy of having each man deliver the gift gave the gift a personal touch and promoted the unity of believers. It was also an effective way to teach the church about giving, because the men were able to report back to their churches the way God was working through their giving. Paul discussed this gift in one of his letters to the Corinthian church (2 Corinthians 8:1-21). It appears that the above seven brethren traveled on ahead to Troas, while Paul and Luke visited Philippi. We know Luke was with Paul because of the use of the first person pronoun “us” in verse 5 and 6.
After the days of unleavened bread, or Passover, Paul and Luke sailed from Macedonia to Troas. The trip took five days from Philippi to Troas, on the western coast of Asia Minor. Once there, they stayed a week so they could be there for the breaking of bread on the Lord’s Day. It is certainly clear from verse 7 that it was the practice of the early Christians to gather on the first day of the week in order to observe the Lord’s supper (1 Cor. 16:2). That Paul should have spoken until midnight should not surprise anyone. We do not know if Paul began preaching during the day and continued until into the night, or if they had met after dark and continued to meet until the midnight hour. As the night wore on, it became hot and stuffy in the upper room. Perhaps the many lamps contributed to this as well as the number of people.
A certain young man by the name of Eutychus sitting in an open window fell asleep and fell three stories down to the ground and died. Paul went down and stretched himself over the body and announced to the people not to worry themselves because there was life in the young man. It might seem from Paul’s words that there was no need for concern because the young man had not died. But it is clear from verse 9 that the young man did die. When Paul returned upstairs, they broke bread (v.11) and observed the Lord’s Supper for which they had gathered for (v.7). After an all night meeting, never to be forgotten, Paul bade farewell to the believers and departed.
Paul left Troas on foot and walk 20 miles to the city of Assos. His traveling companions went by ship, and picked Paul up on the southern side. There is no explanation of why Paul chose to walk; perhaps he wanted a little time to himself. The party met Paul at Assos and he joined them. Sailing south, along the western coast of Asia Minor, they came to Mitylene, the chief city of the island Lesbos. The following night they anchored off the island of Chios. Another day’s journey brought them to the island of Samos and they stayed at Trogyllium. Finally they arrived in Miletus, a port on the southwest coast of Asia Minor, thirty-six miles south of Ephesus. Paul intentionally bypassed Ephesus because he feared that a visit there would require too much time, and he was hurrying to get to Jerusalem for the day of Pentecost.
Upon landing at Miletus, Paul sent word to the Elders in Ephesus asking them to come for a meeting. Undoubtedly it took some time for the message to reach them and for them to make the journey, but they would be richly rewarded by the message they would hear from the mouth of Paul. Upon the arrival of the elders, Paul reminded them of his manner of life when he lived among them. From the first day he set foot in Asia, and all the time he was there, he served the Lord with true humility and self-denial. In connection with his ministry, there was a constant strain on his emotional system; there were tears of sorrow and trials. Constantly he suffered persecution as a result of the plotting of the Jews. Yet in spite of all the adverse circumstances, his ministry was bold and fearless.
Paul declared that he did not hold back any teaching that was useful. He lived the advice that he gave to other preachers and he taught both publicly and privately. Paul preached to all people both Jew and Gentile, and preached the necessity of repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul was not fleeing Ephesus. He had never labored out of fear for his life. In fact, he knew that arrest and imprisonment awaited him at the end of his journey. It was a bittersweet meeting for both Paul and the Ephesian elders. Paul had worked with these men and he probably appointed them elders over the flock at Ephesus. He was convinced that he would never see them again, which he did not.
In any event, he could leave with a clear conscience. He had held nothing back that would prepare them for the coming days ahead. Paul was guided by the Spirit, i.e. being “bound by the Spirit”; in that the Spirit revealed to him that he would suffer afflictions when he came to Jerusalem. Perhaps the Spirit witnessing in every town is referring to something similar in Acts 21:10-11. Paul did not become bitter because of the prospect of his impending suffering (see Acts 9:15-16). As Paul weighed this outlook in his mind, he did not think that his own life was the great issue. His ambition was to obey God and to please him. If in doing this, he would be called upon to offer up his life he was willing to do so.
Since Paul knew that he would never see them again, he delivered a solemn charge to the elders that they should first take heed to their own spiritual condition. Unless they were living in fellowship with the Lord, they could not expect to be spiritual leaders in the church, the church which Christ purchased with his blood. Paul knew that after his departure the church would be attacked from without and from within. False teachers, wolves in sheep’s clothing (Matt. 7:15), would prey upon the flock showing no mercy. Paul reminded them that for three years he warned them of these things day and night with many tears. These elders would need to remain alert for the dangers that would come.
There is one important point we need to learn from this passage, that faithfulness on the part of a congregation can never be assured past one generation. Grounding in the faith must be a continual process. Paul wanted them to depend on God and his word. Paul did not commend them to leaders of men, rather he entrusted them to God and his word. In his closing message Paul once again set before the elders the example of his own life and ministry. He could say in all honest that he never worked to take no one’s silver or gold, but he labored by his own hands to support himself. Paul was not saying that it was wrong to accept any support for the preaching of the gospel. On the contrary, he taught on several occasions that brethren had a responsibility to support those who preach the word (Philippians 4:15-17; 1 Corinthians 9:11-14). Paul is saying that these elders should labor unselfishly among the brethren. They should not be overly concerned with physical things.
At the conclusion of his message, Paul knelt on the ground and prayed with the elders. He had so much he wanted to pray about, but he was most of all concerned for the future of these brethren he loved so dearly. The reaction of the elders was one of deep sorrow. They wept unashamedly and showed their love for Paul by falling on his neck and kissing him. The words that particularly grieved them were his statement that they would see his face no more. Heavyhearted, they accompanied Paul to the ship for his trip to Jerusalem.
Question/Answers?
Who were the seven men that accompanied Paul on his missionary journey?
The seven men are as follow:
1- Sopater of Berea: A Christian from Berea who was with Paul from Greece to the province of Asia (Acts 20:4). This may be the same man mentioned in Romans 16:21 as being a relative of Paul.
2- Aristarchus of Thessalonica: Nearly lost his life in the riot at Ephesus (Acts 19:29). We later read of him as being a fellow prisoner with Paul (Philemon 24; Col. 4:10). He accompanied Paul to Rome (Acts 27:2).
3- Secundus: An early Christian who lived in Thessalonica (Acts 20:4). He was among the seven men that accompanied Paul on his third missionary journey.
4- Gaius: A citizen of Derbe who was with Paul as far as Asia Minor (Acts 20:4). The name Gaius was a common name in the Scriptures.
5- Timothy: Paul’s friend and chief associate. Timothy is mentioned as a joint sender in six of Paul’s epistles (2 Cor. 1:1; Phil. 1:1; Col. 1:1; 1 Thess. 1:1; 2 Thess. 1:1; Philemon 1). Timothy first appeared on the second missionary journey of Paul (Acts 16:1-3).
6- Tychicus: A Christian of the province of Asia (Acts 20:4). He was a fellow worker and messenger of Paul (Eph. 6:21-22; Col. 4:7-8). Paul also sent Tychicus to Ephesus to deliver and perhaps read his letter to the Christians in that city (Eph. 6:21). He did the same with the letter to the Colossians (Col. 4:7). Paul sent him as a messenger to Titus in Crete (Titus 3:12) and afterward to Ephesus (2 Tim. 4:12).
7- Trophimus: A Gentile Christian who lived in Ephesus and who accompanied Paul to Jerusalem at the end of Paul’s third missionary journey. Apparently Trophimus accompanied Paul on the trip to Rome. In his second letter to Timothy, Paul revealed “Trophimus I have left in Miletus sick” (2 Tim. 4:20).
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