Acts 20:19

Acts 20:19 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews:
• New International Version (NIV)I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents.
• English Standard Version (ESV)serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews;
• New King James Version (NKJV)serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears and trials which happened to me by the plotting of the Jews;

Context of Acts 20:19

17When we were in Miletus, Paul sent someone to Ephesus with a message. This message was for the leaders of the believers in Ephesus. Paul asked them to come to Miletus to meet him there. 18When they arrived, Paul said to them, ‘You yourselves know about everything that I did here in Asia. You saw how I lived from the first day that I arrived in this region. I was with you for the whole time. I did not say that I was an important man. Instead, I worked as a servant of the Lord Jesus. I often was sad because of trouble that came to me. Some Jewish people spoke against my message. They wanted to hurt me. 20But I have not been afraid to teach God's message. I have taught you everything that would help you. I have done this outside for everyone to hear. I have also taught you in your own homes. 21I have taught the same things both to Jewish people and to Gentiles. I have said clearly to them all, “You must stop doing wrong things. Change the way that you live and turn to God. Believe in our Lord Jesus.”

Acts 20:19 word by word

δουλεύων τῷ κυρίῳ μετὰ πάσης ταπεινοφροσύνης καὶ δακρύων καὶ πειρασμῶν τῶν συμβάντων μοι ἐν ταῖς ἐπιβουλαῖς τῶν Ἰουδαίων·Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Servingδουλεύωdouleuō · be a slaveG1398
• the Lordκύριοςkurios · lord: GodG2962
• withμετάmeta · with/afterG3326
• allπᾶςpas · allG3956
• humility of mindταπεινοφροσύνηtapeinophrosunē · humilityG5012
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• with manyπολύςpolus polos · muchG4183
• tearsδάκρυ, δάκρυονdakru dakruon · teardropG1144
• temptationsπειρασμόςpeirasmos · temptation/testing: testingG3986
• which befellσυμβαίνωsumbainō · to happenG4819
• meἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• byἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• the lying in waitἐπιβουλήepiboulē · plotG1917
• of the JewsἸουδαῖοςIoudaios · JewG2453

Cross-references for Acts 20:19

• Acts 27:23Last night one of God's angels spoke to me. I am a servant of God and I belong to him. He sent his angel to come to me.
• John 12:26Anyone who wants to be my servant must follow me. Then he will be with me, where I am. My Father will praise anyone who is my servant.
• Romans 1:1This letter is from me, Paul. I am a servant of Christ Jesus. God chose me to be his apostle. He sent me to tell his good news to people.
• Romans 12:11Do not be lazy, but always work hard. Serve the Lord well because you enjoy it.
• Galatians 1:10When I say these things, I am not trying to please people. No, it is God that I want to please. If I only wanted to make people happy, then I would not be a servant of Christ.
• Ephesians 6:7Be happy to obey your human masters. Remember that you are serving the Lord himself, not just other people.
• Colossians 3:24You know that you will receive the good things that the Lord has promised to his people. He will give you what is right for you. The Lord Jesus Christ is the master that you serve.
• 1 Thessalonians 1:9Those people themselves speak about how you accepted us. They tell us how you stopped worshipping false gods. They know that you now serve the true God who always lives.
• 2 Peter 1:1This letter is from me, Simon Peter. I am Jesus Christ's servant and his apostle. I am writing to you people who believe in Jesus Christ, as we do. That is a valuable gift that God has given to us all. He has done this because Jesus is completely good and right. Jesus is the one who saves us. He is the God that we serve.
• Revelation 7:15Because of that, they are now standing in front of God's throne. They serve God in his house all the time, day and night. And God will keep them safe because he is with them.
• 1 Corinthians 15:9Among all the apostles, I am the least important. I caused so much trouble for God's church that people should not really call me an apostle.
• 2 Corinthians 3:5We know that we cannot do this work by ourselves. We never think that. But God makes us able to do it.
• 2 Corinthians 7:5When we arrived in Macedonia, our bodies did not rest at all. We had many kinds of trouble. All round us, people quarrelled with us. Inside us, we were afraid.
• 2 Corinthians 12:7Yes, God did show me many things that were very special. But he did not want me to be proud because of that. So he gave me a pain in my body, like a sharp thorn. Satan uses that pain to give me much trouble. It is like Satan's angel that he sends to hurt me. That certainly stops me from being proud of myself!
• Galatians 4:13You must remember that I first came to you because I was ill. That was when I first told God's good news to you.
• Acts 20:31So be very careful! For three years I taught you, in the day and in the night. I warned you to be careful, so that I even cried about it.

Commentaries on Acts 20:19

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 19Serving the Lord with all humility, etc. - This relates not only to his zealous and faithful performance of his apostolic functions, but also to his private walk as a Christian; and shows with what carefulness this apostle himself was obliged to walk, in order to have his calling and election, as a Christian, ratified and made firm.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 19Serving the Lord - In the discharge of the appropriate duties of his apostolic office, and in private life. To discharge aright our duties in any vocation is serving the Lord. Religion is often represented in the Bible as a service rendered to the Lord. With all humility - Without arrogance, pride, or a spirit of dictation; without a desire to “lord it over God‘s heritage”; without being elated with the authority of the apostolic office, the variety of…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. 1919. Serving the Lord--Jesus. with all humility ... and many tears and temptations--Self-exaltation was unknown to him, and ease of mind: He "sowed in tears," from anxieties both on account of the converts from whom he "travailed in birth," and of the Jews, whose bitter hostility was perpetually plotting against him, interrupting his work and endangering his life.Read the comment

Topics related to Acts 20:19

• Ephesus
• Miletus
• Minister, Christian
• Paul
• Weeping
• Zeal, Religious

In the dictionaries

• Appoint
• Bind
• Bishop
• Counsel
• Count
• Course
• Determine
• Draw
• Elder
• Embrace

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