April 29, 2022 – Friday
Acts 20:21 NIV – New International Version
21 I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.
Acts 20:21 KJV – King James Version
21 Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
Acts 20:21 NET – New English Translation
21 testifying to both Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus.
Acts 20:21 NASB – New American Standard Bible
21 solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Acts 20:21 NRSV – New Revised Standard Version
21 as I testified to both Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus.
Acts 20:21 TLV – Tree of Life Version
21 testifying to both Jewish and Greek people repentance to God and trust in our Lord Yeshua.
Comment.
Before I explain why there are five different versions of the same verse above, let’s look at the context first. Once again it is the Apostle Paul speaking. He is speaking in Miletus to the elders of the church in Ephesus who have traveled 20-40 miles (estimates vary) to hear Paul before he departs for Jerusalem.
In speaking to the elders Paul is doing his best to reinforce what he has taught and shared with them over the past two and a half to three years. Thus, we have these two verses, the latter our verse of the day, 20 You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. 21 I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus. In verse 21 Paul is summarizing what salvation is all about: repentance / turning from sin and believing in Jesus, that He died on the cross for all mankind’s sins and rose of the third day.
There are five versions of this above and they all say the same thing, summarizing the good news of Jesus in one short sentence. Shortened further it might simply read: Repent and believe in Jesus. That is what he taught, preached, testified about, declared. In a letter to the Corinthians (likely written while he was in Ephesus) he wrote in 1 Corinthians 2:2, For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. For Paul this was a statement of his faith, “Knowing Christ and Christ Crucified.”
Bottom Line: Do we know Jesus, the Son of God? Do we know Jesus crucified, who loves us so much He died on the cross to pay the price for our sins?
Prayer: Heavenly Father, Because of You I can know Your Son and what He did for me and everyone else on the cross. I am eternally grateful. – In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
RileyD, nwJ
Riley D. Driver – Pastor
Calvary Chapel of Dayton
in Beavercreek