And after the uproar was ceased, Paul called to him the disciples, and embraced them, and departed for to go into Macedonia.
after.
Acts 19:23-41 And the same time there arose no small stir about that way…
embraced.
Acts 20:10,37 And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him…
Acts 21:5,6 And when we had accomplished those days, we departed and went our way; and they all brought us on our way, with wives and children, till we were out of the city: and we kneeled down on the shore, and prayed…
Genesis 48:10 Now the eyes of Israel were dim for age, so that he could not see. And he brought them near unto him; and he kissed them, and embraced them.
to go.
Acts 19:21 After these things were ended, Paul purposed in the spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, I must also see Rome.
1 Corinthians 16:5 Now I will come unto you, when I shall pass through Macedonia: for I do pass through Macedonia.
2 Corinthians 7:5 For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears.
Paul sent for the disciples
Paul's action of sending for the disciples demonstrates his role as a leader and shepherd to the early Christian community. The term "disciples" refers to the followers of Jesus who were being taught and mentored by Paul. This reflects the early church's structure, where apostles and leaders provided guidance and instruction to new believers. It also shows Paul's concern for their well-being and spiritual growth, especially after the recent turmoil.
And after encouraging them
Encouragement was a vital part of Paul's ministry, as seen throughout his epistles. The Greek word used here, "parakaleo," can mean to exhort, comfort, or strengthen. Paul often encouraged believers to remain steadfast in their faith amidst persecution and trials. This encouragement would have been crucial for the disciples in Ephesus, who faced opposition from both religious and economic forces.
he said goodbye to them
Paul's farewell indicates a transition in his missionary journey. His goodbyes were often emotional, as seen in Acts 20:37-38, where he later bids farewell to the Ephesian elders with tears. This reflects the deep bonds formed within the early Christian communities and the personal sacrifices made by Paul and others in spreading the Gospel.
and left for Macedonia
Macedonia was a significant region in Paul's missionary work, including cities like Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea. His journey to Macedonia was part of his broader mission to strengthen existing churches and spread the Gospel further. This movement also aligns with the strategic approach Paul took in his missions, focusing on key urban centers to maximize the reach of his ministry. The journey to Macedonia is a continuation of the fulfillment of the Great Commission, as Paul sought to make disciples of all nations.
The riots in Ephesus (Acts 19:23-41) finally died down, showing God’s protection over His servant.
• God used city officials to calm the crowd, just as He later used Roman soldiers to spare Paul in Jerusalem (Acts 21:31-32).
• Moments of turmoil never last forever; Psalm 46:1 reminds us, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble.”
• Paul waited until the danger passed, echoing Jesus’ counsel to move on when persecuted (Matthew 10:23).
As soon as safety returned, Paul gathered the local believers.
• Shepherding first: like Acts 14:21-22, he consistently strengthened disciples before moving on.
• A personal touch—mirroring 1 Thessalonians 2:11-12 where he “exhorted, encouraged, and charged” each one as a father.
• His focus on the church body underscores Hebrews 10:24-25: we meet together to spur one another toward love and good deeds.
“Encouraging” captures Paul’s comfort and exhortation.
• Barnabas once did this for him (Acts 9:27); Paul now passes that blessing along.
• Acts 15:32 shows Silas and Judas doing the same—encouragement is a shared ministry.
• Daily encouragement guards hearts against sin’s deceit (Hebrews 3:13) and builds unity (1 Thessalonians 5:11).
Farewells in Christ are heartfelt but hopeful.
• Later in the same chapter, elders would “weep loudly” over Paul’s departure (Acts 20:37-38), yet rejoice in eternal fellowship.
• His good-bye echoes 2 Corinthians 13:11, “Finally, brothers, rejoice… be encouraged, be of one mind.”
• Parting words often include blessing—compare Jacob blessing his sons (Genesis 49) or Jesus blessing His disciples before ascending (Luke 24:50-51).
Paul resumes the mission first revealed in the Macedonian vision (Acts 16:9-10).
• He travels the same region where the gospel had already born fruit in Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea.
• 2 Corinthians 2:12-13 hints at his eagerness to meet Titus there, tying personal relationships to ministry plans.
• This journey would stretch “from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum” (Romans 15:19), fulfilling Christ’s command to take the gospel outward (Acts 1:8).
Acts 20:1 shows Paul’s pattern: wait for God’s timing, gather the believers, pour in encouragement, entrust them to the Lord, and keep pressing forward with the gospel. Conflict may pause the work, but it never cancels it; God turns riots into fresh opportunities, disciples into encouragers, and departures into new beginnings for the spread of Christ’s unchanging truth.
XX.(1) Paul called unto him the disciples, and embraced them . . .--The latter verb implies a farewell salutation.
Departed for to go into Macedonia.--We are able from the Epistles to the Corinthians to fill up the gap left in the narrative of the Acts. Having sent Timotheus and Erastus to see after the discipline of the Church of Corinth (Acts 19:17), the Apostle was cheered by the coming of Stephanas and his two companions (1Corinthians 16:17), and apparently wrote by them what is now the First Epistle to the Corinthians. A previous Epistle had been sent, probably by Timothy, to which he refers in 1Corinthians 4:17. When he wrote that Epistle he intended to press on quickly and complete in person the work which it was to begin (1Corinthians 4:18-19). He was led, however, to change his purpose, and to take the land journey through Macedonia instead of going by sea to Corinth (2Corinthians 1:16-17), and so from Corinth to Macedonia, as he had at first intended. He was anxious to know the effect of his letter before he took any further action, and Titus, who probably accompanied the bearers of that letter, was charged to hasten back to Troas with his report. On coming to Troas, however, he did not find him, and after waiting for some time in vain (2Corinthians 2:12), the anxiety told upon his health. He despaired of life and felt as if the sentence of death was passed on him (2Corinthians 1:8; 2Corinthians 4:10-11). The mysterious thorn in the flesh "buffeted" him with more severity than ever (2Corinthians 12:7). He pressed on, however, to Macedonia (2Corinthians 2:13), probably to Philippi, as being the first of the churches he had planted, where he would find loving friends and the "beloved physician," whose services he now needed more than ever. There, or elsewhere in Macedonia, Titus joined him, and brought tidings that partly cheered him, partly roused his indignation. There had been repentance and reformation where he most wished to see them, on the one hand (2Corinthians 6:6-12); on the other, his enemies said bitter things of him, sneered at his bodily infirmities (2Corinthians 10:10), and compared, to his disparagement, the credentials which Apollos had presented (2Corinthians 3:1) with his lack of them. The result was that Titus was sent back with the Second Epistle to the Corinthians, accompanied by some other disciple (probably St. Luke, but see Notes on 2Corinthians 8:18-19), the Apostle resolving to wait till they had brought matters into better order and had collected what had been laid up in store for the Church of Jerusalem, so that it might be ready for him on his arrival (2Corinthians 9:5). At or about this time also, to judge from the numerous parallelisms of thought and language between it and the Epistles to the Corinthians on the one hand, and that to the Romans on the other, we must place the date of the Epistle to the Galatians. (See Introduction to that Epistle.) Probably after Titus and Luke had left, and before Timotheus had returned--when he was alone, with no one to share the labour of writing, or to give help and counsel--tidings came that the Judaising teachers had been there also, and had been only too successful. How the tidings reached him we do not know, but if the purple-seller of Thyatira was still at Philippi, she might naturally be in receipt of communications from that city, and it was near enough to Galatia to know what was passing there. . . .
Verse 1. - Having sent for... and exhorted for called unto him, A.V. and T.R.; took leave of them, and departed for and embraced them, and departed, A.V. Departed for to go into Macedonia. This was St. Paul's purpose, as he had written to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 16:5) from Ephesus. He judged it wise, not only with a view to his own safety and that of his companions, but also for the rest and quiet of the Ephesian Church, to take advantage of the lull in the popular storm, and withdraw into quiet waters before any fresh outbreak occurred. Aquila and Priscilla seem to have left Ephesus about the same time, or soon after, since the Epistle to the Romans found them again at Rome (Romans 16:3, 4); and, if the view mentioned in the note to Acts 19:40 is true - that in the riot they had saved St. Paul's life at the risk of their own - there were probably the same prudential motives for their leaving Ephesus as there were in the case of the apostle.