The Nugget:
Acts 20:20 And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house to house,
Acts 20:21 Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
My Comment:
Paul tells us how he conducted his ministry. He did not hold back from them the truth. We need pastors and Sunday school teachers and all Christians to follow Paul’s example. Many times over the years I’ve encountered the attitude, don’t teach doctrine. Don’t teach apologetics. Keep it simple. The end result is that even people who believe they are saved have some very mistaken understandings about what the Bible teaches. I just heard on the radio (I tuned in to Pastor Emory Moss, of Strictly Biblical Ministries, radio program Bible Talk) moments ago that 25% of Christians who identify themselves as Evangelical and born again say they believe everyone is going to heaven. Such persons need to read what Jesus said about that in Matthew 7:14 where Jesus plainly said “few there be that find it.” Paul conducted his ministry in public and from house to house. One time a Jehovah’s Witness told me that I must not have the truth because if I truly believed that I did, I would be going house to house like he did. I said, sometime in the summer I would like to invite you to accompany me as I do my outreach, and if you are willing, I’ll accompany you. He never accepted the challenge. I decided not to let him in on any of the strategies I used, for I did not want to help advance his mistaken message. But in fact, since I was a teacher in the neighborhood school, and I lived in the neighborhood, more people knew me than knew him. It turns out that his future wife was a student in my English class at the time who sat in the very front row! Furthermore, the people that knew me welcomed me to visit them, so I had an open door. In fact, a number of the people that knew me would chide me because I did not come around to their home more often. I did not push the Bible on them. Some of them asked me to come to their homes and explain and teach the Bible, and answer their questions. Even some Roman Catholic parents were eager to have me share about the Bible, because they saw the impact the Bible had upon their own children in my classes in public school. It was at this time when I had a small part in reaching out to one of my students at Cass Technical High School in my English 6 Early American Literature course, now Pastor Emory Moss. I’m sure Paul did a better job than I did. In simple terms, Paul’s message was repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. That message is still valid, and much needed, today.
For those who desire to DIG DEEPER into this subject:
(1) Consult the cross references given in Nelson’s Cross Reference Guide to the Bible on page 1257 for Acts 20:20-21.
(2) Consult the cross references given in The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge on page 1277 or in Logos 5 Bible software for Acts 20:20-21.
(3) Lacking access to those two resources, consult the cross references for this passage as I have developed them as given below:
Acts 20:20. I kept back. Gr. hupostellō (S#5288g). ver. 27g (shunned), 31. Ac 5:2. Nu 22:18. Dt 1:18. 4:5. Jsh 11:15. 1 S 3:18. 2 S 7:17. Jb *6:10. 27:11. Ps 40:9, 10. Je *26:2. *42:4. Ezk 33:7-9. Ro +*15:19. 1 C +*15:3. Ga 2:12g (withdrew). Col 1:28. 2 T *4:2. He 10:38g (draw back), 39. profitable. Gr. sumpherō (S#4851g, He 12:10). 1 C 7:35. 10:33. 12:7. 14:6. Ph 3:1. 2 T **3:16, 17. have shewed you. ver. 35. Jb 26:3. Je 42:21. 2 C *2:17. and have taught. ver. 31. Ac 2:46. 5:42. 19:10. 1 S *12:23. Je 1:17. 17:16. Mt *28:20. Mk 4:34. Ro 12:7. 2 T *4:2. publickly. Gr. dēmosia (S#1219g). Ac 5:18. 16:37. 26:22. house to house. Ac 2:46. 5:42. 1 C 16:19. 1 Th 2:11. 1 T %5:13.
Acts 20:21. Testifying. ver. 23, 24, 26. Ac 2:40. 8:25. *18:5. 28:23. 2 K 17:13. Ne 13:15. Ps 81:8. Pr 14:25. Am 3:13. Lk +16:28. 1 C 1:6. 2:1. *15:15. Ga *5:3. Ep 4:17. 1 J **5:11-13. both. Ac 19:10. to the Jews. Ac 18:4. 19:17. Ro 1:14. 2:9. 1 C 1:22. and also. Mk *16:15, 16. Lk *24:47. to the Greeks. Ac 14:1. Jn 12:20. repentance. Ac *+2:38. +*3:19. 11:18. *17:30. 19:4. 26:20. Ps 22:27. Ezk *18:27, 30-32. Mt 3:2. 4:17. 9:13. 21:31, 32. Mk *1:14, 15. 2:17. 6:12. Lk 5:32. +**13:3, 5. 15:7, 10. +*24:47. Ro *2:4. 2 C **7:9, 10. Ep *2:1-10. *4:17-24. 1 Th *1:9. 2 T +*2:25, 26. He 6:1. faith. Ac *+10:43. +*13:38, 39. **16:31. 24:24. 26:18. Jn **3:15-18, 36. **20:31. Ro **1:16. **3:22-26. **4:24. *5:1. 8:12, 37. **10:9. Ga *2:16, 20. 3:22. Ep 1:13-19. 2:8. 3:12, 17. 4:5, 13. 6:16, 23. Col 1:4. 2:5. 1 T 3:13. Phm 5. He +*6:9n. 11:1. Ja 2:1. 1 J **3:22, 23. **5:1, 5, 11-13. our Lord. Ac +11:17. 15:26. Lk *23:42.
acts 20.20-21 and how i kept back nothing that was profitable
unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly,
from house to house, vs 21 testifying both to the jews, and also
to the greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our lord
Jesus Christ.
the best commentary on the bible is the bible itself. there are
alot encouraging cross refers to these 2 vs in acts. some of my
favorites.
1. acts 20.19 serving the Lord with all humilty of mind, and with
many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait
of the jews:
2. dt 4.5 behold, i have taught you statues and judgments, even as the
lord my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither
ye go to possess it.
3.psm 40. 9 i have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo,
i have not refrained my lips, o Lord, thou knowest.
4. psm 40.10 i have not hid thy righteousness within my heart: i have declared
thy faithfulness and thy salvation: i have not concealed thy lovingkindness and
thy truth from the great congregation.
5. 1 cor 15.3 For i delivered unto you first of all that which i also received, how that
christ died for our sins according to the scriptures.
6. 2 tim 4.2 preach the word: be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke,
exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
7. acts 28.23 and when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into
his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of god,persuading them
concerning jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophet, from morning
till evening.
8. rom 1.14 i am debtor and both to the greeks, and to the barbarians; both to the wise,
and to the unwise.
9. acts 2.38 then peter said unto them, repent, and be baptized every one of you in the
name of jesus christ, for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the holy
spirit.
10. ac 3.19 repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out,
when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
11. ac 13.38-39 be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through
this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: vs 39 and by him all that
believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the
law of moses.