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

17From Miletus he sent a message to Ephesus, telling the elders of the church to come to him. 18When they arrived, he said to them, “You yourselves know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I set foot in the province of Asia, serving the Lord with all humility and with tears, and with the trials that happened to me because of the plots of the Jews. 20You know that I did not hold back from proclaiming to you anything that would be helpful, and from teaching you publicly and from house to house, 21testifying to both Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God and faith 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 27:23For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve came to me
• John 12:26If anyone wants to serve me, he must follow me, and where I am, my servant will be too. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.
• Romans 1:1From Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God.
• Romans 12:11Do not lag in zeal, be enthusiastic in spirit, serve the Lord.
• Galatians 1:10Am I now trying to gain the approval of people, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a slave of Christ!
• Ephesians 6:7Obey with enthusiasm, as though serving the Lord and not people,
• Colossians 3:24because you know that you will receive your inheritance from the Lord as the reward. Serve the Lord Christ.
• 1 Thessalonians 1:9For people everywhere report how you welcomed us and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God
• 2 Peter 1:1From Simeon Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ, have been granted a faith just as precious as ours.
• Revelation 7:15For this reason they are before the throne of God, and they serve him day and night in his temple, and the one seated on the throne will shelter them.
• 1 Corinthians 15:9For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
• 2 Corinthians 3:5Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as if it were coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God,
• 2 Corinthians 7:5For even when we came into Macedonia, our body had no rest at all, but we were troubled in every way – struggles from the outside, fears from within.
• 2 Corinthians 12:7even because of the extraordinary character of the revelations. Therefore, so that I would not become arrogant, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to trouble me – so that I would not become arrogant.
• Galatians 4:13But you know it was because of a physical illness that I first proclaimed the gospel to you,
• Acts 20:31Therefore be alert, remembering that night and day for three years I did not stop warning each one of you with tears.

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