- Covered In His Dust
- Posts
- Acts Chapter 20
"When disciples followed a rabbi, they followed him closely so they would never be out of his sight, never be someplace where they couldn’t hear him speak. They followed him so closely that his sandals often kicked up dust."
May you be covered in His dust.
If this is your first time receiving Covered in His Dust, WELCOME. I’d love to hear where you’re reading from. Just reply and let me know.
Before you dive into my notes, I encourage you to read Chapter 20 first.
Yes, I include all the scripture below, but there’s something about sitting with the whole chapter first — giving yourself room to be curious.
What doesn’t make sense?
What catches you off guard?
Who’s that?
Those questions will make the notes hit deeper.
Good morning Saints! ☀️
I usually send these notes out on Saturday night, and they were ready to go—but my email service had some technical hiccups over the weekend, so I had to wait. But here they are now!
Before we jump into Acts 20, here’s where we left off:
Paul had been pouring into the believers in Ephesus for two years. The gospel was shaking the city. And after all that time, the city finally snapped. A riot broke out. It could’ve ended badly.
But the crowd wasn’t in charge — God was.
Now he’s back on the road, heading toward Macedonia and Greece. His eyes are set on Jerusalem. And after that? Rome.
He just escaped a storm and is heading straight into a hurricane.
And he has no idea.
Let’s get into it.
After the uproar ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, and after encouraging them, he said farewell and departed for Macedonia. When he had gone through those regions and had given them much encouragement, he came to Greece.
Paul worked his way north through Macedonia, visiting Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea. These weren’t quick stops. These were churches he knew well—brothers and sisters who had stood firm through persecution.
In Philippi, he had seen Lydia believe, a slave girl set free, and a jailer saved after an earthquake shook the prison doors open (Acts 16).
In Thessalonica, some believed, but others drove him out after only three Sabbaths (Acts 17:1-9).
And in Berea, they received the gospel with eagerness, searching the Scriptures daily, and many believed (Acts 17:10-12).
Paul encouraged them, strengthened them, and gathered the offerings they had prepared for the struggling believers in Jerusalem (1 Corinthians 16:1-3; 2 Corinthians 8–9; Romans 15:25–26).
Then, when the time was right, he continued south into Greece, heading to Corinth.
Paul preached the gospel, planted churches, raised up leaders, and then came back to build them up all over again.
That’s not just a missionary.
That’s a shepherd.
There he spent three months, and when a plot was made against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia.
That one verse carries a lot more weight than it seems.
Paul had planned to sail straight from Corinth (in Greece) to Syria — most likely to Caesarea, then on to Jerusalem. But a plot to kill him changed everything.
To us, a death threat would stop everything. For Paul, it was just another Tuesday.
He had already been beaten, stoned, chased out of cities, lowered in baskets, shipwrecked, mocked, imprisoned—and he just kept going.
So when he hears about a plot on his life? He doesn’t panic. He doesn’t rage. He just adjusts the plan and keeps moving.
Sopater the Berean, son of Pyrrhus, accompanied him; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and the Asians, Tychicus and Trophimus.
This isn’t just a random list of traveling companions.
This is a team, and it tells us something deeper about Paul and what’s happening behind the scenes.
These men likely represent the churches where Paul had just taken up offerings. They’re not just companions — they’re probably carrying the offerings with Paul to Jerusalem.
This is exactly what Paul described when he wrote to the churches:
1 Corinthians 16:3-4 — Paul says he will send representatives with the offering.
2 Corinthians 8:19-21 — Paul talks about sending brothers to carry the gift to avoid accusations.
So this team is likely there for accountability, integrity, and witness. Paul wasn’t walking around with a bag of money alone.
These men represent churches Paul loves.
Sopater from Berea
Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica
Gaius from Derbe
Timothy from Lystra (near Derbe)
Tychicus and Trophimus from Asia (likely Ephesus or nearby)
This is basically a missionary family coming together to deliver the offering to Jerusalem.
One last detail: Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica
Secundus means “second.” In the Roman world, slaves were often named like this, Primus, Secundus, Tertius. First, second, third.
Thessalonica was a Roman colony, so names like this were normal. Luke doesn’t tell us Secundus was a slave, but knowing the culture, I wouldn’t be surprised. Many scholars believe he was.
Why does this matter?
Secundus isn’t just along for the ride. He’s standing shoulder to shoulder with men like Aristarchus and Timothy. In Christ, there’s no “slave” or “free” — and this scene is quietly proving it.
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
These went on ahead and were waiting for us at Troas, but we sailed away from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and in five days we came to them at Troas, where we stayed for seven days.
Paul sends the team ahead to Troas. Why? Probably to prepare for what’s coming — a full week with the believers and late-night teaching.
He stays behind in Philippi, maybe to celebrate the feast, maybe just to give the church a little more time. Then he moves. Quietly. Intentionally. One step closer to Jerusalem.
Then Luke says, “we sailed away from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread.” That’s Passover season.
So Paul is being intentional with timing and movement. He doesn’t rush. He honors the feast. And when it’s time, he and Luke sail to Troas — and the team is already there, waiting.
They spend seven days together. That’s not random either. Seven days gave them time to break bread with the church, teach, and be strengthened before the next leg of the journey.
Notice in verse 6 — “but we sailed away from Philippi...”
That little “we” tells us Luke is back.
Luke, the physician and author of Acts, had stayed behind in Philippi, likely to strengthen the believers. But now he’s back. He rejoins Paul and the team right here.
Anytime you see the “we” sections in Acts, it means Luke is with them. He’s not just telling the story — he’s part of it.
On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight.
The first day of the week was the day after the Sabbath — Sunday.
So why Sunday? Because that’s the day Jesus rose. And the early church never got over it. They started gathering, breaking bread, and worshiping on Sundays — not because anyone told them to — but because their Savior walked out of the grave on that day.
But Paul wasn’t legalistic about it. In Romans 14, he reminds believers not to fight over which day is better.
One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.
The point isn’t the calendar. It’s the heart. Whatever day you gather, do it unto the Lord.
“and he prolonged his speech until midnight.”
Keep in mind — this was probably a normal workday. Sunday wasn’t a day off back then. These believers likely worked all day, showed up tired, and still stayed until midnight. Why? Because Paul was leaving. And they were hungry for the Word.
There were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered. And a young man named Eutychus, sitting at the window, sank into a deep sleep as Paul talked still longer. And being overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead.
But Paul went down and bent over him, and taking him in his arms, said, “Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him.”
My wife and I always read the chapter together before I start researching and watching sermons. She said, “I’m not sure he was dead.” And that’s fair. But we have to keep in mind who was there — and who wrote Acts.
Luke says he was dead.
And Luke was a doctor.
That’s good enough for me.
Side note: can you guess what the boy’s name means? It means “fortunate” or “lucky.”
Yea. I know. Ironic.
And when Paul had gone up and had broken bread and eaten, he conversed with them a long while, until daybreak, and so departed. And they took the youth away alive, and were not a little comforted.
Let’s slow down and review the timeline.
It’s Sunday evening — after what was probably a full workday for the believers.
The church comes together to break bread and hear Paul teach.
Paul knows he’s leaving the next day — so he doesn’t hold back. He teaches until midnight.
Eutychus, sitting by the window, eventually drifts into a deep sleep. Paul keeps going.
Eutychus falls — and Luke says — he was “taken up dead.”
Paul rushes down, embraces him, and says, “His life is in him.” Just like that, the boy is restored.
Then what? Do they call it a night? Not even close.
Paul goes back upstairs, they eat, and he keeps teaching. All the way until daybreak.
Then he leaves.
They carry Eutychus home alive — and are deeply comforted.
But going ahead to the ship, we set sail for Assos, intending to take Paul aboard there, for so he had arranged, intending himself to go by land.
After teaching all night, Paul doesn’t hop on the boat like the rest of the team. He walks.
Twenty miles.
Alone.
On purpose.
And when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and went to Mitylene.
And sailing from there we came the following day opposite Chios; the next day we touched at Samos; and the day after that we went to Miletus.
For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he might not have to spend time in Asia, for he was hastening to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost.
Paul walks to Assos alone, then meets back up with the team and boards the ship. From there, it's port after port — Mitylene, Chios, Samos, Miletus.
Each stop brings him one step closer to Jerusalem.
But he skips Ephesus? 🤔
That wasn’t a small decision. He had spent two years there — teaching, shepherding, pouring himself out. But he knows if he stops, it’ll be hard to leave. So he sails right past.
He’s trying to get to Jerusalem by Pentecost — not for the celebration, but for the sake of the gospel.
He’s a man on mission.
He wants to:
Deliver the offering from the Gentile churches to the struggling believers in Jerusalem (Romans 15:25–26).
Be among the crowds gathering for Pentecost — a perfect time to testify about Jesus to Jews from every nation.
Obey what the Spirit is pressing on him — to go to Jerusalem, even though he knows what’s waiting for him.
He’s not chasing comfort. He’s not sightseeing. He’s not coasting. He’s moving with urgency. The Holy Spirit is pulling him forward.
And in the very next section, Paul says it plainly:
“And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me.”
Paul knows what’s ahead:
He’s about to suffer.
His time in freedom is running out.
This calling is costly — and urgent.
But he keeps moving. Because the mission matters more than his comfort. And the gospel is worth it.
Ahh, the Book of Acts is SO rich! We’ll finish up Chapter 20 next week.
I love you,
George
Uncovering Scripture
PS: If a friend shared this Bible study with you and you’d like to receive it straight to your inbox, just click HERE to subscribe—it’s free and always will be!
George Sisneros is a full-time missionary in Guatemala and the founder of Ordinary Missionaries and the El Rosario Christian Academy for Boys.
He’s been married to his wife, Vonda, for 26 years. He’s a father to nine children, five adopted.
In 2024, George and his wife expanded to Cuba, joining forces with nine pastors committed to transforming lives through the gospel.