Coachlight Bible Study - Acts
Chapter 20
Characteristics
of the Didaskalos
In the last chapter,
Demetrius, a silversmith making shrines to Diana, caused an uproar against
Paul. Two of Paul's companions had been
taken to the Ampitheatre in Ephesis presumably to be victims in gladiator
spectacles. The Lord used the townclerk
to deliver his people, and Paul left for Macedonia
Paul leaves Ephesis and
travels up and down Macedonia, Greece, Asia, and finily to Troas where he met
his friends There Paul breaks bread with his friends and preached. After
raising a boy who fell out of a window while Paul was preaching, Paul leaves to
Assos. There he meets with Luke and
other disciples and sails to a seaport next to Ephesis Paul calls a
meeting with the Elders of the Church
at Ephesus. At that meeting we have the characteristics of a great teacher
(didaskalos) - characteristics of
compassion to teach, discipling, warnings, and encouragement to feed the flock.
In this chapter, Paul
demonstrates what it means to tend God's flock, and as he charged Timothy, he
challenges us today:
2 Timothy
2:2 And the things that thou hast heard
of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be
able to teach others also.
I. After The Uproar.
(Acts 20:1-6)
A. Paul had
intended to go to Macedonia in the last chapter
Acts 19:21 After these things were ended, Paul purposed
in the spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to
Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, I must also see Rome.
B. Paul leaves
Ephesis and goes to Macedonia first
1. He gave them
much exortation
3870 parakalew parakaleo par-ak-al-eh’-o
2. He watered
churches he had planted
a. Philippi
b. Thessalonica
C. He left for
Greece
1. It was on his
way to Greece that the first epistle to the Corinthians was written
a. Unleavened
bread mentioned to note the time
b. Paul
taught, that Christs is our
Passover, and a Christian life our
feast of unleavened bread
1 Corinthians
5:7 Purge out therefore the old leaven,
that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover
is sacrificed for us: {is sacrificed; or, is slain}
1 Corinthians
5:8 Therefore let us keep the feast,
not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with
the unleavened bread of sincerity and
truth. {the feast: or, holyday}
2. In Greece
(Achaia) for 3 months
D. Paul returns To Macedonia
a. was about to
sail to Antioch of Syria
b. Paul changed
his mind, and returned to
Macedonia, the same way he came.
c. The Jews were
after him - Wanting to kill him
E. Details of
Paul's trip we get from his Epistles
1. Paul wanted
to stay at Ephesis until after Pentecost
1 Corinthians
16:8 But I will tarry at Ephesus until
Pentecost.
2. Paul went to
Troas again - A door opened
2 Corinthians
2:12 Furthermore, when I came to Troas
to preach Christ’s gospel, and a door
was opened unto me of the Lord,
3. Paul would
have remained longer except that Titus had not arrived
a. Titus, whom he sent to Corinth to finish the
collection for the poor saints at Jerusalem
b. Paul wanted
to bring him word what effect his first Epistle to that church had produced.
1 Corinthians
16:1 Now concerning the collection for
the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye.
1 Corinthians
16:2 Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay
by him in store, as God hath
prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.
2 Corinthians
8:6 Insomuch that we desired Titus,
that as he had begun, so he would also finish in you the same grace also.
{grace: or, gift}
4. Titus not
arriving as soon as Paul concerned him
2 Corinthians
7:5 For, when we were come into
Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears.
5. Paul left the
brethren at Troas, and went to Macedonia.
a. It was, no
doubt, the city of Phillipi that he
came to (Nicopolis, its seaport)
compare these
two Scriptures
2 Corinthians
11:9 And when I was present with you,
and wanted, I was chargeable to no man: for that which was lacking to me the
brethren which came from Macedonia supplied: and in all things I have kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself.
Philippians
4:15 Now ye Philippians know also, that
in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church
communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only.
6. Finally Titus
arrived, to the joy of Paul and brought good news from Corinth
2 Corinthians
7:6 Nevertheless God, that comforteth
those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus;
2 Corinthians
7:7 And not by his coming only, but by
the consolation wherewith he was comforted in you, when he told us your earnest
desire, your mourning, your fervent mind toward me; so that I rejoiced the
more.
2 Corinthians
7:13 Therefore we were comforted in
your comfort: yea, and exceedingly the more joyed we for the joy of Titus,
because his spirit was refreshed by you all.
E. Paul went to
Troas, where he had set up a rendezvous
of his friends
1. Sopater of
Berea
2.From
Thesolonica
a, Aristarchus
b. Secundus
3. From Derbe
a. Gaius
b. Timotheus
4. From Asia
a. Tychicus
b. Trophimus.
5. Luke sailed
from Phillipi to meet Paul in Troas - Paul left him there in chapter 16
III. Lord's Supper and Paul Preaches at Troas - (Acts
20:7-8)
A. They were
gathered together in an upper chamber of a home
B. They came
together to break bread - Paul taught the Corinthians
1 Corinthians
10:16 The cup of blessing which we
bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we
break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?
C. Paul preaches
a long sermon
IV. Eutychus .Falls
Three Stories (Acts 20:9-12)
A. A yong man
fell asleep
B. Fell from the
third loft
C. Taken for
dead
D. Paul falls on
him - like Elisha and Eljah
2 Kings
4:34 And he went up, and lay upon the
child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his
hands upon his hands: and he stretched himself upon the child; and the flesh of
the child waxed warm.
1 Kings
17:21 And he stretched himself upon the
child three times, and cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, I pray
thee, let this child’s soul come into him again. {stretched: Heb. measured}
{into…: Heb. into his inward parts}
E. Paul then
broke bread and preached until morning
F. They were comforted because Eutychus was
alive
3870 parakalew parakaleo par-ak-al-eh’-o
G. Paul takes
off on foot to Assos
V. Paul's Journey To The Seaport Next To Ephesis (Acts
20:14-16)
A. At Assos Paul
went on board ship with Luke and his friends
B. Paul takes
the best route one would take to Jerusalem
1. His ship
passed by Chios
2. And Samos
3. They stayed
awhile at Trogyllium, the seaport next
to Samos
4. The next day
they came to Miletus, the seaport next
to Ephesus
a. Paul didn't
want to stay in Asia Minor
b. He wanted to
go to Jerusalem for Pentecost
c. It had been
4-5 years since he had been to Jerusalem (chapter 18)
VI. Paul Calls For The Elders Of Ephesis To Meet Him at
Melitas(Acts 20:17)
VII. Paul Speaks To The Elders Of Ephesis (Acts 20:18-38)
A. Paul's Service to the Lord in Asia (Acts 20:18-19)
1. He served in
all seasons
2. He served
with humility
3. He served
with many tears
4. He served
with temptations - The Jews laying wait for him
5. As Paul later
wrote to the Philippian church:
Philippians
4:9 Those things, which ye have both
learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace
shall be with you.
B. Paul's Passion To Teach Christ (Acts 20:20-21)
1. Paul held
nothing profitable back to them
2. Showed and taught them
a. Publicly
b. From house to
house
312 anaggellw anaggello an-ang-el’-lo
from 303 and the base of 32; TDNT-1:61,10;
v
AV-tell 6, show 6, declare 3, rehearse
1, speak 1, report 1; 18
1) to announce, make known
2) to report, bring back tidings,
rehearse
1321 didaskw didasko did-as’-ko
a prolonged (causative) form of a
primary verb dao (to learn); TDNT-2:135,161;
AV-teach 93, taught + 2258 4; 97
1) to teach
1a) to hold discourse with others in
order to instruct them, deliver didactic discourses
1b) to be a teacher
1c) to discharge the office of a
teacher, conduct one’s self as a teacher
2) to teach one
2a) to impart instruction
2b) instill doctrine into one
2c) the thing taught or enjoined
2d) to explain or expound a thing
2f) to teach one something
3. Who Paul
taught
a. To the Jews
b. To the
Gentiles
4. What Paul
taught
a. Repentance
toward God
b. Faith toward
Chrst
5. Jesus was
called didaskalos come from God
John 3:2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said
unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher
come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be
with him.
6. Jesus was
called didaskalos who taught eternal life
Matthew
19:16 And, behold, one came and said
unto him, Good Master, what
good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
C. Paul's Willingness to suffer for Christ (Acts 20:22-24)
1. Paul goes to
Jerusalem bound in the spirit
{Bound in the spirit}
(dedemenov tw pneumati). Perfect passive participle of dew, to bind, with the locative case. "Bound in my
spirit" he means, as in
Acts 19:21 After these things were ended, Paul purposed
in the spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to
Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, I must also see Rome.
from a high
sense of duty. The mention of "the Holy Spirit" specifically in verse
23 seems to be in
contrast to his own spirit here. His own spirit was under the control of the
Holy Spiritand the sense does not differ greatly.
Romans 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our
spirit, that we are the children of God:
2. But none of
these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself
a. So that I
might finish my course with joy
b. So that I may
finish my course with the ministry
1. Which I have
received of the Lord Jesus
2. To testify
the gospel of the grace of God.
D. Paul's purity from the blood of all men (Acts 20:25-27)
1. Because he
preached unto them the Kingdom of God
{I am pure from the blood of all men} (kayarov eimi apo tou aimatov pantwn). Paul was
sensitive on this point as in:
Acts 18:6 And when they opposed themselves, and
blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and
said unto them, Your blood be upon
your own heads; I am clean: from
henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles.
2. Because he
did not hold back the council of God
E. Paul's warning of strife to come (Acts 20:28-31)
1. Mind
compassionately the work to which they were called.
2. The Holy Ghost
has made you overseers of the flock
3. Feed the
flock - be a shepherd - as Jesus said:
John 21:16 He saith to him again the second time,
Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?
He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him,
Feed my sheep.
4. Wolves will
come amoung you to divide
a. From among
the flock
b. From among
the elders
5 Watch and
remember - 3 years night and day with tears Paul tended the flock since he
planted the church.
F. Paul Commends
them to God (Acts 20:32)
3908 paratiyhmi paratithemi par-at-ith’-ay-mee
from 3844 and 5087; TDNT-8:162,1176; v
AV-set before 9, commit 3, commend 3,
put forth 2, commit the keeping of 1, allege 1; 19
1) to place beside or near or set before
1a) food, i.e. food placed on a table
1b) to set before (one) in teaching
1c) to set forth (from one’s self), to
explain
2) to place down (from one’s self or for
one’s self) with any one
2a) to deposit
2b) to intrust, commit to one’s charge
1. Paul also
commended his disciple Timothy
1 Timothy
1:18 This charge I commit unto thee,
son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou
by them mightest war a good warfare;
2 Timothy
2:2 And the things that thou hast heard
of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be
able to teach others also. {among: or, by}
2. Paul
commended the Ephesian Elders
a. To God
b. To Word of
His Grace
3. It will build
you up
4. Give you your
inheritance
G. Paul reminds them to give (Acts 20:33-35)
1. Paul never
aimed at worldly wealth
2.Paul's own
hands had labored for his and others needs
3. They should
so labor
a. To give to
the weak
b. Remember it
is better to give than receive
H. Paul's Farewell (Acts 20:36-38)
1. Paul kneeled
down and prayed
2. They all said
their sorrowful goodbyes
3. Sorrowful
because they would see him nomore
4. They saw him
to the ship
2 Timothy
2:2 And the things that thou hast heard
of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be
able to teach others also.