New International Version
Acts 20:17
17From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church.
Acts 20:17 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him.
- New King James Version (NKJV)From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the church.
- New Living Translation (NLT)But when we landed at Miletus, he sent a message to the elders of the church at Ephesus, asking them to come and meet him.
Context of Acts 20:17
15The next day we set sail from there and arrived off Chios. The day after that we crossed over to Samos, and on the following day arrived at Miletus. 16Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost. From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. 18When they arrived, he said to them: “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia. 19I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents.
Read all of Acts 20Acts 20:17 word by word
Ἀπὸ δὲ τῆς Μιλήτου πέμψας εἰς Ἔφεσον μετεκαλέσατο τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους τῆς ἐκκλησίας.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Andδέde · thenG1161
- fromἀπόapo · away fromG575
- MiletusΜίλητοςMilētos · MiletusG3399
- he sentπέμπωpempō · to sendG3992
- toεἰςeis · towardG1519
- EphesusἜφεσοςEphesos · EphesusG2181
- and calledμετακαλέωmetakaleō · to summonG3333
- the eldersπρεσβύτεροςpresbuteros · elder (leader)G4245
- of the churchἐκκλησίαekklēsia · assemblyG1577
Cross-references for Acts 20:17
- Acts 20:28Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.
- Acts 11:30This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.
- Acts 14:23Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.
- Acts 15:4When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them.
- Acts 16:4As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey.
- 1 Timothy 5:17The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching.
- James 5:14Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord.
- 1 Peter 5:1To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed:
- 2 John 1:1The elder, To the lady chosen by God and to her children, whom I love in the truth—and not I only, but also all who know the truth—
- 3 John 1:1The elder, To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth.
Commentaries on Acts 20:17
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17He sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the Church - These are called , bishops, Acts 20:28. By the , presbyters or elders, here, we are to understand all that were in authority in the Church, whether they were , bishops or overseers, or seniors in years, knowledge, and experience. The , or elders, were probably the first order in the Church; an order which was not so properly constituted, but which rose out of the state of things. From these…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17He sent to Ephesus - Perhaps a distance of twenty or thirty miles. The elders of the church - Who had been appointed while he was there to take charge of the church. See the notes on Acts 15:2.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. 17Miletus was a major sea port on the western coast of Asia Minor at the opening of the Meander River. Paul met briefly with the elders of the church of Ephesus there on his way to Jerusalem.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1717. from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church--As he was now some forty miles south of Ephesus, we might think that more time would be lost by sending thus far for the elders to come to him, than by going at once to Ephesus itself, when so near it. But if unfavorable winds and stormy weather had overtaken them, his object could not have been attained, and perhaps he was unwilling to run the risk of detention at Ephesus by the…Read the comment
Topics related to Acts 20:17
In the dictionaries
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
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