From Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called to himself the elders of the assembly.
Parallel translations
- KJV And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church.
- BSB From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church.
- NKJV From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the church.
- NASB From Miletus he sent word to Ephesus and called to himself the elders of the church.
- 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.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
From Miletus Paul summons the Ephesian elders to meet him. He arranges a final, heartfelt farewell to the church's leaders.
Overview
Unable to visit Ephesus himself, Paul calls its elders to come to him at Miletus for what becomes one of Scripture's most moving pastoral addresses. The term "elders" (presbyteroi), used interchangeably with "overseers" in verse 28, illustrates the leadership structure of the early church. Paul's care for these shepherds reflects Christ's care for His flock through faithful undershepherds.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- Acts 11:30which they also did, sending it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.
- 1 Tim 5:17Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and in teaching.
- Titus 1:5I left you in Crete for this reason, that you would set in order the things that were lacking, and appoint elders in every city, as I directed you;
- Acts 14:23When they had appointed elders for them in every assembly, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they had believed.
- Acts 20:28Take heed, therefore, to yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the assembly of the Lord and God which he purchased with his own blood.
- Jas 5:14Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the assembly, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord,
- Acts 15:23They wrote these things by their hand: “The apostles, the elders, and the brothers, to the brothers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: greetings.
- 1 Pet 5:1Therefore I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and who will also share in the glory that will be revealed.
- 3 Jn 1:1The elder to Gaius the beloved, whom I love in truth.
- Acts 16:4As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered the decrees to them to keep which had been ordained by the apostles and elders who were at Jerusalem.
- 2 Jn 1:1The elder, to the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in truth; and not I only, but also all those who know the truth;
- Acts 15:6The apostles and the elders were gathered together to see about this matter.
- Acts 15:4When they had come to Jerusalem, they were received by the assembly and the apostles and the elders, and they reported all things that God had done with them.
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Christ at the center
Acts is the risen Christ continuing his work by the Spirit through the church, as the apostles preach that there is salvation in no other name under heaven.
How Acts 20:17 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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