“And now I know that none of you to whom I have preached the Kingdom will ever see me again.
Parallel translations
- WEB “Now, behold, I know that you all, among whom I went about preaching God’s Kingdom, will see my face no more.
- KJV And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more.
- BSB Now I know that none of you among whom I have preached the kingdom will see my face again.
- NKJV “And indeed, now I know that you all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, will see my face no more.
- NASB “And now behold, I know that all of you, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, will no longer see my face.
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
Paul tells the elders they will see his face no more, after his years of preaching God's Kingdom among them. He gives a solemn farewell.
Overview
Convinced he will not return, Paul makes this a final parting from the Ephesian church he loved. His preaching is summarized as proclaiming "God's Kingdom," the reign of God established through Christ. The certainty of parting heightens the weight of his charge and reminds believers that gospel relationships, though tender, are held under God's sovereign plan.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- Acts 28:31preaching God’s Kingdom, and teaching the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness, without hindrance.
- Acts 20:38sorrowing most of all because of the word which he had spoken, that they should see his face no more. And they accompanied him to the ship.
- Matt 4:23Jesus went about in all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the Good News of the Kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness among the people.
- Matt 10:7As you go, preach, saying, ‘The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!’
- Luke 16:16The law and the prophets were until John. From that time the Good News of God’s Kingdom is preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it.
- Luke 9:60But Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead, but you go and announce God’s Kingdom.”
- Matt 13:19When anyone hears the word of the Kingdom, and doesn’t understand it, the evil one comes, and snatches away that which has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown by the roadside.
- Col 2:1For I desire to have you know how greatly I struggle for you, and for those at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh;
- Matt 13:52He said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been made a disciple in the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who is a householder, who brings out of his treasure new and old things.”
- Rom 15:23but now, no longer having any place in these regions, and having these many years a longing to come to you,
- Matt 4:17From that time, Jesus began to preach, and to say, “Repent! For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”
- Gal 1:22I was still unknown by face to the assemblies of Judea which were in Christ,
- Acts 8:12But when they believed Philip preaching good news concerning God’s Kingdom and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 20:25 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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