Question 1

What does Acts 20:14 mean?

Accepted Answer

Acts 20:14 describes how Paul met up with his companions at Assos, and after they took him on board, they all traveled together to the city of Mitylene. The verse simply records a travel detail as Paul continued his journey. In context, Luke is narrating the travels of Paul and his group during Paul’s third missionary journey. Paul had chosen to travel by land to Assos while his companions went by ship, and they reunited at Assos before sailing together to Mitylene. This verse helps track Paul’s route and shows the careful planning involved in his travels.

Question 2

The Greek behind Acts 20:14

Accepted Answer

The word συνέβαλεν (synebalen, "met") is used here for Paul meeting his companions, which often carries the sense of coming together or joining up, emphasizing the intentional reunion. The word ἀναλαβόντες (analabontes, "took in") means to take someone on board, especially onto a ship, highlighting that Paul was welcomed onto the vessel for the next leg of the journey. Μυτιλήνη (Mitylene) is the name of the city they traveled to, located on the island of Lesbos, which situates the journey geographically for the reader.

Question 3

Why Acts 20:14 matters

Accepted Answer

This verse clarifies the logistics of Paul’s journey, showing that he sometimes traveled separately from his companions, which may have been for practical or personal reasons. It connects to the wider narrative by marking the route and timing of Paul’s travels, which becomes important as the story leads up to his eventual arrival in Jerusalem. The verse demonstrates the detailed and orderly nature of Luke’s account, giving credibility and a sense of real-world movement to the events described in Acts.

Acts 20:14 (KJV)