Acts 20

Acts 20:1

The word of the Lord. It was needful to “preach the word”, for this heathen knew almost nothing of the gospel. In preaching it, Paul preached baptism, for that follows in Acts 16:33.

Acts 20:2

Washed [their] stripes. They were all covered with bruises, blood and dust. His heart is now changed and filled with the spirit of mercy. Howson suggests that they were washed in the tank or reservoir within the prison court, supplied by the water from the roof. Here also all were baptized . . . without delay. On the baptism of his household, see PNT Acts 16:15.

Acts 20:3

Brought them into his house. The Revised Version says “up into”; that is, from the court below where he washed their stripes, and was baptized. They were “brought ‘out’” (Acts 16:30), the word was preached “‘in’ his house” (Acts 16:32), they were then “taken” to the place of baptism (Acts 16:33), after he “brought them ‘into’ his house” (Acts 16:34). Believing in God with all his house. All his household were, therefore, believers.

Acts 20:4

The magistrates sent the officers. The lictors are meant. It is possible that the magistrates had, in some way, heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens. They wished, therefore, to quietly get rid of them. The Porcian and Valerian laws exempted all Roman citizens from stripes or torture. They had broken the law.

Acts 20:6

Being Romans. Paul was born a Roman citizen (Acts 22:25). His father, or some remoter ancestor, had been admitted to Roman citizenship, a great privilege and honor. Let them come themselves and fetch us out. They had been publicly scourged and tortured as evil doers, in violation of law. Paul insisted that they should be as publicly vindicated, not for their own honor, but for the sake of the church at Philippi.

Acts 20:7

They feared. Had Paul insisted, the magistrates could have been severely punished. They might abuse aliens, but “to be a Roman was greater than to be a king”. Hence, they humbled themselves, and “came, and besought them, and desired them to depart out of that city”.

Acts 20:9

When they had seen the brethren. Who now met at the house of Lydia. The church thus planted grew and was afterwards honored with an apostolic letter. Departed. To another field of labor. The reader should pause to reflect that Philippi had been the first place, so far as we know, where the gospel was preached in Europe (Acts 16:12,13), that a woman was the first convert (Acts 16:14,15), that the messengers of the cross were met with blows, torture, and the dungeon (Acts 16:22-24), but through grace and the power of God triumphed gloriously (Acts 16:40). While Paul was in his next field of labor, Thessalonica, this young church of Philippi twice sent contributions to sustain him (Philippians 4:15,16).

Acts 20:11

Paul at Athens SUMMARY OF ACTS 17: The Journey to Thessalonica. Labors in the Synagogue. A Church Planted. The Jews Stir Up Persecution. Departure to Berea. Journey to Athens. The City Full of Idols. Paul’s Evangelistic Labors. Taken to the Areopagus. His Address to the Athenians. The Diverse Results: Some Mock; Some Propose to Hear Again;. Some Are Converted. Passed through Amphipolis . . . came to Thessalonica. They traveled along the great Roman military road, which passed through Macedonia and Greece to Dyrrachium on the Adriatic Sea, and then beginning on the other side at Brundisium, extended to Rome. Amphipolis was about thirty miles, a day’s journey, southwest of Philippi; Apollonia about the same distance farther on, and Thessalonica about twenty-eight miles west of Apollonia. Thessalonica was a rich commercial city, the seat of the Roman governor of Macedonia, and is still a city of about 70,000 population, of whom one-third are Jews. Its excellent harbor makes it a coveted object of Austrian diplomacy in the Balkan provinces.

Acts 20:12

Paul, as his manner was. It was his custom always to begin his work in the synagogue if he found one. Here he showed from the Old Testament that the promised Messiah should die, and rise again, that Jesus complied with these conditions, and hence must be the Christ. This line of argument was continued in the synagogue for three sabbaths. This indicates how long he continued to argue in the synagogue, not how long he remained here.

Acts 20:14

Some of them believed. Of the Jews who heard in the synagogue. Also, of the devout Greeks a great multitude. These were religious Gentiles who had departed from heathenism, attended the synagogue, but had not been circumcised. See PNT Acts 10:2. Of the chief women. Some of them, no doubt, the wives of the “devout Greeks”. Some of the converts made during Paul’s stay were idolaters (1 Thessalonians 1:9). The result of these labors was the establishment of a flourishing church, the existence of which called out the two letters to the Thessalonians.

Acts 20:15

But the Jews. As usual, a part believed and the others were filled with hatred. Lewd fellows of the baser sort. “Vile fellows of the rabble” (Revised Version). The Jews called in the worst classes to aid them. Assaulted the house of Jason. Paul and Silas had abode there (Acts 17:7), but were not found, probably from having a warning.

Acts 20:16

Drew Jason . . . unto the rulers of the city. Called “politarchs” in the Greek text, and so called in an inscription of the first century still seen on an ancient arch in the city. These that have turned the world upside down. A strong tribute to the revolutionizing power of the new faith. It did change the world.

Acts 20:17

These all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar. A false charge, but the one most likely to secure the attention of the magistrates. Saying that there is another king. The Romans never called their ruler “a king”, but he was so called by subject nations. The Jews said to Pilate, “We will have no king but Caesar” (John 19:15). The only ground for the charge against Paul was that he preached the kingdom of Christ.

Acts 20:18

They troubled . . . the rulers. Troubled, because it was a charge of disloyalty to the Roman Caesar, and of an attempt to have another king. They were utterly ignorant of the nature of Christ’s kingdom.

Acts 20:19

When they had taken security. Of those asserted. They received some kind of guarantee that there would be nothing done contrary to the laws of the empire.

Acts 20:20

Sent away Paul and Silas by night. By night so as to leave without a fresh disturbance. Unto Berea. Howson places Berea sixty, Hackett forty-five, miles west of Thessalonica. The first states that it now has 18,000 population, and is called Verria.

Acts 20:22

Many of them believed. This would be the natural result. As elsewhere, the converts were Jews and devout Greeks, both men and women. Honourable women. Of high rank.

Acts 20:23

They came thither also. The inveterate hatred of the Jews of Thessalonica pursued him. When they began to stir up a disturbance at Berea, as Paul was the chief object of hatred, it was thought best for him to leave, but Silas and Timothy were left to continue the work.

Acts 20:24

To go as it were to the sea. He started as though to embark on the sea, Berea not being a seaport. Whether he did, or went to Athens by land, is not stated. The journey by land was about 250 miles. The sea voyage would be a much quicker route.

Acts 20:25

They that conducted Paul. Some of the Berean brethren. When they returned they took a message to Silas and Timothy to join him at once. From 1 Thessalonians 3:1,2 we learn that Timothy was at once sent to Thessalonica.

Acts 20:26

While Paul waited. At first he seems to have intended to await the arrival of Timothy and Silas before he opened his work, but his spirit was too much stirred. Wholly given to idolatry. “Full of idols” in the Revised Version. This is confirmed by the Greek writers. The Greek historian Pausanias says that there were more idols in Athens than in all the rest of Greece combined. Many other writers bear the same testimony. Paul would see them wherever he turned his eyes.

Acts 20:27

Disputed . . . in the market. There was in Athens one great “market place”, or public square. The porches around it were favorite places for discussion. Devout persons. See PNT Acts 10:2.

Acts 20:28

Of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks. Two of the philosophical schools then prevalent in Athens. The first held that the gods were careless about human affairs, and that a man’s best course was to get as much pleasure out of life as possible. With them pleasure was the chief good. The Stoics were fatalists, believers in a sort of pantheism, and insisted on self-righteousness. Epicurus was the founder of the first sect; Zeno, of the second. What will this babbler say? A contemptuous expression. A setter forth of strange gods. He spoke of God and the risen Jesus. Some have thought that they mistook “Anastasis”, the Greek for “resurrection”, for the name of a goddess.

Acts 20:29

Brought him unto Areopagus. The Greek term for Mars’ hill. See Acts 17:22. The hill was a place of assembly. There the supreme court of Athens met. There the courts that sat concerning religious matters convened. The associations had something to do, probably, with Paul being taken here to speak, though the meeting was informal and not official. The hill is about fifty feet high, and was then surrounded by the most glorious works of art in Athens.

Acts 20:31

To tell, or to hear some new thing. Demosthenes himself speaks of this propensity of the Athenians (Philipp. 1:43). It was harmony with the spirit of the city that he should be called on to speak to gratify the curiosity of the populace.

Acts 20:32

Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill. In the Areopagus. Let the reader keep in mind that this address was spoken in the literary capital of the ancient world, the most cultured city of the earth to which every Roman who sought a finished education resorted to complete his studies, the home of philosophers, orators, sculptors, painters and poets, and the great university where many thousands of strangers were gathered for study. This ancient city of so glorious history is the modern capital of Greece, and has about 100,000 inhabitants. [Ye] men of Athens. The introduction of Paul has always been regarded as a masterpiece of skill. He does not say, In all things ye are too superstitious, but that “ye are very religious” (Revised Version), or ye are “more religious than others”. His remark is a compliment, and he confirms it by a statement that he had found an altar “to the unknown God” (Acts 17:23).

Acts 20:33

THE UNKNOWN GOD. Besides thousands of altars and statues of deities whom they named, this altar was dedicated to the “Unknown”, as if to some deity whose presence they felt, but whom they did not comprehend. This Unknown, he announces, I declare to you. Ancient writers speak of altars at Athens to the unknown God, or gods. Such an introduction was well calculated to fix the attention of his critical audience.

Acts 20:34

God that made the world. He now declares the attributes of that unknown God: (1) The God that made the world; (2) Lord of heaven and earth; (3) dwelleth not in temples; (4) not worshiped by human hands; (5) giveth life to all that lives; (6) made of one blood all nations; (7) appointed that men should seek the Lord; (8) we are his offspring; (9) hence, the Godhead is not like any idol made by human hands. It dishonors so glorious a being to liken him to man’s device. Then comes the application.

Acts 20:36

The times before appointed. Athens had had her day. She was once the mistress of the seas. The same fact is true of every nation.

Acts 20:38

Certain also of your own poets. Aratus, who wrote about 200 years before. Also Cleanthes, in his Hymn to Jupiter.