Acts 20:1-6 meaning

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Paul returns to Macedonia, then Greece, to encourage the believers there. When he decides to sail home to Antioch, he learns of a plot against him. Rather than sail from Greece, he goes back north to Macedonia. He and eight co-ministers cross over the Aegean Sea from Macedonia to Asia Minor.

In Acts 20:1-6, Paul begins his return journey to Israel after spending years preaching the gospel abroad in Asia Minor and Greece. The chapter begins by mentioning an uproar that had just occurred in Ephesus.

We learned of the uproar in Acts 19, which is set in Ephesus. There, during his third missionary journey, the Apostle Paul enjoyed the opportunity to teach in the city of Ephesus for over two years. God worked many miracles of healing and casting out demons through Paul. Many magicians burned their spell-books after believing in Jesus. Eventually, Paul decided to visit the churches he planted in Macedonia and Greece during his second missionary journey.

Before he could leave town, however, a persecution against him began. The smiths and craftsmen in Ephesus were angry that the new believers in Jesus are no longer buying pagan statuettes of Artemis. Paul’s gospel had diminished the smiths’ profits. Ephesians were turning away from idols. So, the smiths started a riot.

After capturing two of Paul’s friends in the Ephesian theater, the smiths were rebuked by a city clerk to let them go. He told them if they had any criminal charges against Paul’s friends, they could take them to court. Otherwise, argued the city clerk, the riot needed to stop, or else Rome will come and occupy the city to keep the peace.

Acts 20 begins with the conclusion of the riot in Ephesus which began in Acts 19:

After the uproar had ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, and when he had exhorted them and taken his leave of them, he left to go to Macedonia (v. 1).

The uproar refers to the riot instigated by Demetrius and other craftsmen (Acts 19:23-28). It ceased when the city clerk arrived and reminded the Ephesians that Rome would come down hard on Ephesus if the riot was not broken up then and there.

Paul had already decided to leave Ephesus after living and teaching there for two to three years (Acts 20:31). He gathers the church of Ephesian believers—he sent for the disciples—and speaks with them before leaving the city. He is not driven out of town nor does he have to sneak away in the middle of the night by secret as he has previously had to do in cities where tensions against him ran hot (Acts 9:23-24, 13:50, 17:10).

Here, Paul has the time to formally say goodbye and give a parting speech. He exhorted the disciples of Ephesus, probably encouraging them to persist in the faith and be brave in the face of adversity. After he had taken his leave of them and said goodbye, he left Ephesus and sailed northwest across the Aegean Sea, to go to Macedonia. Macedonia in the first century refers to a region now included in modern-day northern Greece. Paul started churches in the Macedonian cities of Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea.

When he had gone through those districts and had given them much exhortation, he came to Greece (v. 2).

As far as we know, Paul had not been able to return to the churches in those districts of Macedonia since he first planted them (Acts 16:40, 17:10-11). He had been driven out of town by hostile Jewish opponents in both Thessalonica and Berea, leading to his retreat far south to Athens in the entirely separate province of Achaia.

But now Paul is able to go through the cities where he had once been persecuted and spend time enough to give the believers much exhortation. The word exhortation is a translation of the Greek word “parakaleō” which can mean “encourage,” “comfort,” “instruct.” It is a derivation of the same word Jesus used to describe the Holy Spirit, Parakletos, translated as “Helper” (John 14:16). Parakletos can also be translated “Comforter, Advocate, Counselor.”

In all of Paul’s visits to the churches he has planted, he uses his time in exhortation: to teach, encourage, and inspire the believers to keep the faith and run the race (Acts 14:21-22, 15:5, 41, 18:23, 1 Corinthians 9:24, Hebrews 12:1-2).

After his time among the Macedonian churches, he came to Greece (v. 2). Here, Greece is another name referring to Achaia (1 Thessalonians 1:8), in contrast to Macedonia to the north. In modern times (2025), Greece refers to a larger region encompassing both ancient Achaia and much of Macedonia. While during Paul’s lifetime the cities of Philippi and Thessalonica were part of Macedonia, in modern times both cities are within the borders of Greece.

The only church in Greece that the book of Acts specifically mentions is Corinth, the capital of Achaia during the first century. However, Paul hints at a plurality of churches in Achaia in his second letter to the Corinthians, addressing his letter to both the Corinthian church as well as “the saints who are throughout Achaia” (2 Corinthians 1:1). In Athens, some few believed in the gospel and may have formed a small church there as well.

In Greece, probably Corinth specifically, Paul is able to settle down for a decent amount of time. However, as was typical, a plot formed against him:

And there he spent three months, and when a plot was formed against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia (v. 3).

After three months of teaching and exhorting the Corinthian believers, and probably also preaching the gospel to unbelievers, he is abruptly driven out of town. He hears of a plot that was formed against him by the Jews. The Jews here refers to unbelieving Jews who are hostile to the gospel.

Paul has clashed with Gentile opponents on multiple occasions (Acts 14:5, 19, 16:19, 22), such as the riot of Greek craftsmen in Acts 19. But more often than not his primary persecution is spearheaded by the Jews (Acts 9:24). Many of the Jews in each town he preaches believe in the gospel, but those who don’t believe apparently see the gospel and the name of Jesus as a threat, much the same way as Paul once saw Jesus as a threat before Jesus appeared to him on the road to Damascus (Acts 8:1-3, 9:1-6).

Here in Corinth, the Jews dislike Paul’s presence in the city. He had spent a year and a half in Corinth on an earlier mission trip, so the Jews who were forming this plot to get rid of him were probably well acquainted with him and his message. The fact that Paul was able to spend three months in Greece is impressive, but his time runs short.

Since Paul goes to such great lengths to elude this plot, it seems likely that this plot intended to put him to death. To escape the Jews who wished him harm, Paul not only leaves the city but changes his travel plans entirely. Luke, the author of Acts, reports that Paul learned about the plot just as he was about to set sail for Syria (v. 3).

His intent was to sail for Syria, probably to Antioch where his home church was (Acts 18:22). This timing of the plot and his upcoming departure could mean that Paul’s persecutors intended to ambush him on his way to the dock to board his ship. It does not appear that Paul’s enemies intended to waylay him in the city of Corinth, but at the port where he meant to disembark for Syria.

To avoid this attack, Paul decided to return through Macedonia (v. 3). Macedonia was to the north of Greece/Achaia. If Paul was sneaking out of Corinth, he probably went by foot, at least to a different port city, like Athens, but it is possible he walked all the way into Macedonia and avoided sailing for a time.

Luke lists the posse of fellow believers who accompanied Paul on his trip to Macedonia:

And he was accompanied by Sopater of Berea, the son of Pyrrhus, and by Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians, and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia (v. 4).

Sopater of Berea, the son of Pyrrhus is mentioned only here, though it is possible that Sopater is also referenced at the end of the letter to the Romans, where he is called Sosipater, a variation of Sopater, in which he too sends his greetings to the church in Rome (Romans 16:21). Sopater may have been one of the noble-minded Bereans in Acts 17:10-12 who was a diligent student of the scriptures and believed in the gospel when Paul first preached in Berea.

Two of Paul’s traveling companions are of the Thessalonians, from Thessalonica, Macedonia: Aristarchus and Secundus.

Aristarchus was a loyal friend and co-minister of Paul’s, mentioned multiple times throughout the New Testament. He was taken hostage by the rioting Ephesians in the theater of Ephesus (Acts 19:29). Despite this perilous experience, Aristarchus continued to live out his faith obediently to God. As a Thessalonian, he was well acquainted with persecution from enemies of the gospel (Acts 17:4-8, 1 Thessalonians 2:14). Aristarchus will eventually travel with Paul to Rome (Acts 27:2), and is named in two letters which Paul wrote during his house arrest there. Paul describes Aristarchus as his “fellow prisoner,” and Aristarchus sends his greetings to the recipients of both letters (Philemon 1:24, Colossians 4:10).

Secundus is not mentioned outside of this passage. His name means “the second.”

Gaius of Derbe may have been one of the “many disciples” who believed in Jesus during Paul’s first mission trip to Galatia, where the city of Derbe is located (Acts 14:20-21).

Timothy was from Derbe’s neighboring town, Lystra (Acts 16:1). As a child, Timothy was taught the Old Testament by his Jewish mother Eunice and grandmother Lois (2 Timothy 1:5, 3:15). Eunice, Lois, and Timothy seem to have become believers in Jesus during Paul and Barnabas’s ministry in Lystra. Timothy had a good reputation among the believers in Lystra and the nearby city of Iconium (Acts 16:2).

He joined Paul on his second missionary journey into Macedonia. He remained in Berea for a time after Paul was driven out of town (Acts 17:14). While Paul was in Athens, Timothy visited Thessalonica to strengthen the new believers there (1 Thessalonians 3:2-3). After reuniting with Paul in Corinth, Timothy returned to Thessalonica at least once to deliver Paul’s first letter to the young church of the Thessalonians (1 Thessalonians 3:6).

Timothy has apparently been with Paul during part or all of this third missionary journey, and was sent ahead to Macedonia from Ephesus (Acts 19:22). He was Paul’s representative to churches on multiple occasions (1 Corinthians 4:17, Philippians 2:19-22). Timothy is also named as a co-author in the following letters of Paul: 2 Corinthians, Philippians, Colossians, 1and 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon. This is the last mention of Timothy in the book of Acts.

At some point, Timothy was imprisoned, but was eventually freed (Hebrews 13:23). Timothy was someone Paul considered to be his “true child in the faith,” who would also eventually become the pastor of the church in Ephesus (1 Timothy 1:2-3). Toward the end of his life, Paul would write two letters to Timothy of counsel and exhortation (1 Timothy, 2 Timothy).

The final two men mentioned in Paul’s crew are Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia. Trophimus is later identified as being from Ephesus, the capital of the province of Asia (the western area of modern Turkey) (Acts 21:29). Tychicus may have been from Ephesus as well, or Colossae, or from any of the other cities in the Roman province of Asia (modern day Turkey) where churches were founded (Revelation 2:1, 8, 12, 18, 3:1, 14).

Tychicus is mentioned many times in Paul’s letters as someone reliable, helpful, and uplifting. He acted as Paul’s courier for several of the epistles. In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul sends Tychicus—whom he calls a “beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord”—to update the Ephesians on Paul’s condition and ministry as a Roman prisoner, and to “comfort your hearts” (Ephesians 6:21-22, 2 Timothy 4:12). In his letter to the Colossians, Paul again calls Tychicus “beloved,” “faithful,” and a “fellow bond-servant in the Lord,” sending him to similarly update the Colossians on Paul’s circumstances and encourage them (Colossians 4:7-8).

It appears that in the same journey to update the Colossians Tychicus accompanied the runaway slave Onesimus back to Colossae, carrying Paul’s letter to Onesimus’s employer, Philemon, a fellow believer, urging Philemon to free Onesimus, who had become a believer in Jesus (Colossians 4:9, Philemon 1:10-19). Tychicus was still assisting Paul at the time the letter to Titus was written (Titus 3:12).

Trophimus is referenced only three times in the New Testament, but he plays a pivotal role in Paul’s near future. Trophimus will accompany Paul as far as Jerusalem. While in Israel’s capital, he will be seen walking about the city with Paul, and enemies of Paul will make a false accusation that Paul brought Trophimus, a Gentile, into the inner court of the Temple, which was forbidden (Acts 21:29).

This will lead to Paul’s arrest and imprisonment, which will last for years and will be the focus of the final seven chapters of Acts. Finally, Trophimus is mentioned as being left behind in Miletus because he was too sick to travel (2 Timothy 4:20).

It is evident that this team of men were devoted to Christ and to helping Paul’s ministry. They spent years learning from Paul, helping him, traveling on his behalf, teaching the gospel in many of the churches planted by him, and delivering and/or assisting in writing some of Paul’s letters which we still read to this day.

Whether by ship or by walking, Paul eventually made it to Philippi. Here, Luke identifies himself again as joining the narrative of Acts. He uses the first-person plural pronouns us and We in verses 5 & 6. He is now a part of Paul’s company again. Luke describes a brief separation in Paul’s companions:

But these had gone on ahead and were waiting for us at Troas (v 6).

The team who accompanied Paul out of Greece appears to have gone with him all the way to Philippi, Macedonia, but then for some reason had gone on ahead of Paul and Luke and made the journey by boat across the Aegean Sea, where they landed in Troas, in the province of Asia in Asia Minor/Anatolia (modern-day Turkey). Paul may have wanted to spend a little extra time in Philippi before leaving. He may have stayed in Lydia’s house (Acts 16:14-15, 40).

The fact that he and Luke do not go to Troas until after the days of Unleavened Bread (v. 5) may indicate that Paul wanted to celebrate the Passover with his fellow Jewish believers in Philippi, rather than travel during the holy day (the Passover occurs during the feast of Unleavened Bread). All the while Paul’s main group of companions were waiting for Paul and Luke at Troas.

Luke describes when and how he and Paul eventually joined the other companions in Troas:

We sailed from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and came to them at Troas within five days; and there we stayed seven days (v. 5).

It was after Paul observed the days of Unleavened Bread (perhaps with other Jewish believers in Philippi) that he and Luke boarded a ship and sailed from Philippi. Their journey across the Aegean Sea took within or roughly five days. They may have stopped on the isle of Samothrace halfway across the sea, as Paul did on his first voyage from Troas to Philippi (Acts 16:11). Then Paul and Luke came to the other companions who waited in Troas. In Troas, they stayed seven days before traveling onward. Luke will relay a notable event which took place during those seven days in Troas in the following section.