A Goodly Heritage

161 Keep me safe, O God: for in you I have put my faith. 2 O my soul, you have said to the Lord, You are my Lord: I have no good but you. 3 As for the saints who are in the earth, they are the noble in whom is all my delight. 4 Their sorrows will be increased who go after another god: I will not take drink offerings from their hands, or take their names on my lips. 5 The Lord is my heritage and the wine of my cup; you are the supporter of my right. 6 Fair are the places marked out for me; I have a noble heritage. 7 I will give praise to the Lord who has been my guide; knowledge comes to me from my thoughts in the night.

8 I have put the Lord before me at all times; because he is at my right hand, I will not be moved. 9 Because of this my heart is glad, and my glory is full of joy: while my flesh takes its rest in hope. 10 For you will not let my soul be prisoned in the underworld; you will not let your loved one see the place of death. 11 You will make clear to me the way of life; where you are joy is complete; in your right hand there are pleasures for ever and ever.

A Prayer for Protection against Oppressors

171 Let my cause come to your ears, O Lord, give attention to my cry; give ear to my prayer which goes not out from false lips. 2 Be my judge; for your eyes see what is right. 3 You have put my heart to the test, searching me in the night; you have put me to the test and seen no evil purpose in me; I will keep my mouth from sin. 4 As for the works of men, by the word of your lips I have kept myself from the ways of the violent. 5 I have kept my feet in your ways, my steps have not been turned away. 6 My cry has gone up to you, for you will give me an answer, O God: let your ear be turned to me, and give attention to my words. 7 Make clear the wonder of your mercy, O saviour of those who put their faith in your right hand, from those who come out against them.

8 Keep me as the light of your eyes, covering me with the shade of your wings, 9 From the evil-doers who are violent to me, and from those who are round me, desiring my death. 10 They are shut up in their fat: with their mouths they say words of pride. 11 They have made a circle round our steps: their eyes are fixed on us, forcing us down to the earth; 12 Like a lion desiring its food, and like a young lion waiting in secret places. 13 Up! Lord, come out against him, make him low, with your sword be my saviour from the evil-doer. 14 With your hand, O Lord, from men, even men of the world, whose heritage is in this life, and whom you make full with your secret wealth: they are full of children; after their death their offspring take the rest of their goods. 15 As for me, I will see your face in righteousness: when I am awake it will be joy enough for me to see your form.

Paul's Journey to Macedonia and Greece

201 And after the noise had come to an end, Paul, having sent for the disciples and given them comfort, went away from them to Macedonia. 2 And when he had gone through those parts and given them much teaching, he came into Greece. 3 And when he had been there three months, because the Jews had made a secret design against him when he was about to take ship for Syria, he made a decision to go back through Macedonia. 4 And Sopater of Beroea, the son of Pyrrhus, and Aristarchus and Secundus of Thessalonica, and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia, went with him as far as Asia. 5 But these had gone before, and were waiting for us at Troas. 6 And we went away from Philippi by ship after the days of unleavened bread, and came to them at Troas in five days; and we were there for seven days.

Paul's Farewell Visit at Troas

7 And on the first day of the week, when we had come together for the holy meal, Paul gave them a talk, for it was his purpose to go away on the day after; and he went on talking till after the middle of the night. 8 And there were a number of lights in the room where we had come together. 9 And a certain young man named Eutychus, who was seated in the window, went into a deep sleep; and while Paul went on talking, being overcome by sleep, he had a fall from the third floor, and was taken up dead. 10 And Paul went down and, falling on him, took him in his arms and said, Do not be troubled, for his life is in him. 11 And when he had gone up, and had taken the broken bread, he went on talking to them for a long time, even till dawn, and then he went away. 12 And they took the boy in, living, and were greatly comforted.

The Voyage from Troas to Miletus

13 But we, going before him by ship, went to Assos with the purpose of taking Paul in there: for so he had given orders, because he himself was coming by land. 14 And when he came up with us at Assos, we took him in the ship and went on to Mitylene. 15 And going from there by sea, we came on the day after opposite Chios, and touching at Samos on the day after that, we came on the third day to Miletus. 16 For Paul's purpose was to go past Ephesus, so that he might not be kept in Asia; for he was going quickly, in order, if possible, to be at Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost.

Matthew Henry's Commentary on Acts 20:1-16

Commentary on Acts 20:1-6

(Read Acts 20:1-6)

Tumults or opposition may constrain a Christian to remove from his station or alter his purpose, but his work and his pleasure will be the same, wherever he goes. Paul thought it worth while to bestow five days in going to Troas, though it was but for seven days' stay there; but he knew, and so should we, how to redeem even journeying time, and to make it turn to some good account.

Commentary on Acts 20:7-12

(Read Acts 20:7-12)

Though the disciples read, and meditated, and prayed, and sung apart, and thereby kept up communion with God, yet they came together to worship God, and so kept up their communion with one another. They came together on the first day of the week, the Lord's day. It is to be religiously observed by all disciples of Christ. In the breaking of the bread, not only the breaking of Christ's body for us, to be a sacrifice for our sins, is remembered, but the breaking of Christ's body to us, to be food and a feast for our souls, is signified. In the early times it was the custom to receive the Lord's supper every Lord's day, thus celebrating the memorial of Christ's death. In this assembly Paul preached. The preaching of the gospel ought to go with the sacraments. They were willing to hear, he saw they were so, and continued his speech till midnight. Sleeping when hearing the word, is an evil thing, a sign of low esteem of the word of God. We must do what we can to prevent being sleepy; not put ourselves to sleep, but get our hearts affected with the word we hear, so as to drive sleep far away. Infirmity requires tenderness; but contempt requires severity. It interrupted the apostle's preaching; but was made to confirm his preaching. Eutychus was brought to life again. And as they knew not when they should have Paul's company again, they made the best use of it they could, and reckoned a night's sleep well lost for that purpose. How seldom are hours of repose broken for the purposes of devotion! but how often for mere amusement or sinful revelry! So hard is it for spiritual life to thrive in the heart of man! so naturally do carnal practices flourish there!

Commentary on Acts 20:13-16

(Read Acts 20:13-16)

Paul hastened to Jerusalem, but tried to do good by the way, when going from place to place, as every good man should do. In doing God's work, our own wills and those of our friends must often be crossed; we must not spend time with them when duty calls us another way.