Acts 20:21

Acts 20:21 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
• New International Version (NIV)I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.
• English Standard Version (ESV)testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
• New King James Version (NKJV)testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

Context of Acts 20:21

19I served the Lord with great humility and with tears, especially in the trials that came upon me through the plots of the Jews. 20I did not shrink back from declaring anything that was helpful to you as I taught you publicly and from house to house, testifying to Jews and Greeks alike about repentance to God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. 22And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. 23I only know that in town after town the Holy Spirit warns me that chains and afflictions await me.

Acts 20:21 word by word

διαμαρτυρόμενος Ἰουδαίοις τε καὶ Ἕλλησιν τὴν εἰς θεὸν μετάνοιαν καὶ πίστιν εἰς τὸν κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν.¶Read the interlinear

• testifyingδιαμαρτύρομαιdiamarturomai · to testify solemnlyG1263
• to JewsἸουδαῖοςIoudaios · JewG2453
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• GreeksἝλλην=ἝλληνHellēn · Greek, GentileG1672
• alikeτεte · and/bothG5037
• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• about repentanceμετάνοιαmetanoia · repentanceG3341
• toεἰςeis · towardG1519
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• faithπίστιςpistis · faithG4102
• ourἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• Lordκύριοςkurios · lord: GodG2962
• JesusἸησοῦςIēsous · JesusG2424
• ChristΧριστόςChristos · ChristG5547

Cross-references for Acts 20:21

• Acts 20:24But I consider my life of no value to me, if only I may finish my course and complete the ministry I have received from the Lord Jesus—the ministry of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.
• Acts 2:40With many other words he testified, and he urged them, “Be saved from this corrupt generation.”
• Acts 8:25And after Peter and John had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many of the Samaritan villages.
• Acts 18:5And when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself fully to the word, testifying to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ.
• Acts 28:23So they set a day to meet with Paul, and many people came to the place he was staying. He expounded to them from morning to evening, testifying about the kingdom of God and persuading them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and the Prophets.
• 1 John 5:11And this is that testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
• Acts 18:4Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks alike.
• Acts 19:17This became known to all the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, and fear came over all of them. So the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor.
• Romans 1:14I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish.
• 1 Corinthians 1:22Jews demand signs and Greeks search for wisdom,
• Acts 2:38Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
• Acts 3:19Repent, then, and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped away,
• Acts 11:18When they heard this, they had no further objections, and they glorified God, saying, “So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life.”
• Acts 17:30Although God overlooked the ignorance of earlier times, He now commands all people everywhere to repent.
• Acts 26:20First to those in Damascus and Jerusalem, then to everyone in the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I declared that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds worthy of their repentance.
• Ezekiel 18:30Therefore, O house of Israel, I will judge you, each according to his ways, declares the Lord GOD. Repent and turn from all your transgressions, so that your iniquity will not become your downfall.

Commentaries on Acts 20:21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21Testify both to - Jews and - Greeks - He always began with the Jews; and, in this case, he had preached to them alone for three months, Acts 19:8-10, and only left their synagogues when he found, through their obstinacy, he could do them no good. Repentance toward God, etc. - As all had sinned against God, so all should humble themselves before him against whom they have sinned; but humiliation is no atonement for sin; therefore repentance is…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21Testifying - Bearing witness to the necessity of repentance toward God. Or teaching them the nature of repentance, and exhorting them to repent and believe. Perhaps the word “testifying” includes both ideas of giving evidence, and of urging with great earnestness and affection that repentance and faith were necessary. See 1 Timothy 5:21; 2 Timothy 2:14; where the word used here, and here translated “testify,” is there translated correctly, “charge,” in…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 17-27Verses 17-27 The elders knew that Paul was no designing, self-seeking man. Those who would in any office serve the Lord acceptably, and profitably to others, must do it with humility. He was a plain preacher, one that spoke his message so as to be understood. He was a powerful preacher; he preached the gospel as a testimony to them if they received it; but as a testimony against them if they rejected it. He was a profitable preacher; one that aimed to…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 18-38Paul’s message to the elders (leaders) of the church in Ephesus describes his life and work among them. He also calls these leaders to show the same kind of commitment as they continue the ministry. In this message, Paul points to his own life as an example. He shows his honesty and care for people (20:18–21, 26, 31). He also speaks about what will happen in the future (20:22–23, 25, 29–30). He warns them about false teachers (people who teach wrong ideas…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2121. Testifying both to Jews and ... Greeks--laboring under a common malady, and recoverable only by a common treatment. repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ--(See on Ac 5:31). Repentance, as distinguished from faith, is that state of the "honest and good heart" which arises from a discovery of one's contrariety to the righteous demands of the divine law. This is said to be "toward God," because seeing Him to be the party…Read the comment

Topics related to Acts 20:21

• Ephesus
• Faith
• Jesus Continued
• Miletus
• Minister, Christian
• Paul
• Repentance
• Salvation
• Zeal, Religious

In the dictionaries

• Christ
• God
• Jesus
• Christ, Messiah
• Jesus, Jesus Christ, Christ Jesus
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Jesus Christ
• Appoint
• Bind
• Bishop

Commentaries on Acts 20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings