Acts 20 21

Acts 20:21 kjv

Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

Acts 20:21 nkjv

testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

Acts 20:21 niv

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 esv

testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Acts 20:21 nlt

I have had one message for Jews and Greeks alike ? the necessity of repenting from sin and turning to God, and of having faith in our Lord Jesus.

Acts 20 verses

Acts 20 21 Meaning

Acts 20:21 succinctly summarizes the essential message Paul consistently preached to all people, regardless of their background. It highlights the twin, inseparable requirements for salvation and entry into God's kingdom: a turning away from sin and self (repentance toward God) and a trusting reliance upon Jesus Christ for salvation (faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ). This message applies universally, reaching both those steeped in the Old Covenant Law and those from pagan backgrounds.

Acts 20 21 Context

Acts chapter 20 records Paul's farewell address to the elders of the church in Ephesus, delivered in Miletus. Paul is on his final journey to Jerusalem, knowing that severe trials and potential death await him. In this speech, he provides an account of his three years of ministry among them (Acts 20:18-20), characterized by humility, perseverance through suffering, and diligent proclamation of the whole counsel of God. Verse 21 encapsulates the very essence of his unwavering and public message during that time. Historically, this setting reflects Paul’s consistent missionary strategy of reaching both Jewish communities (often in synagogues) and Gentile populations (in public places), highlighting the universal scope of the Gospel he proclaimed.

Acts 20 21 Word analysis

• Testifying (διαμαρτυρόμενος, diamartyromenos): A strong word, meaning "to bear witness solemnly," "to testify emphatically," or "to impress upon someone with urgency." It suggests a persistent, comprehensive, and authoritative declaration, not merely a casual mention. Paul’s preaching was a matter of utmost importance, delivered with deep conviction and passion. It was a formal deposition of truth, often with life-or-death implications for the hearer.
• Both to Jews (Ἰουδαίοις τε, Ioudaiois te): Refers to the descendants of Abraham, those under the Mosaic Law. Paul always prioritized ministering to his kinsmen, typically beginning his evangelism in the local synagogue. For them, repentance involved turning from reliance on the Law or ethnic heritage for salvation and acknowledging Jesus as the promised Messiah.
• And to Greeks (καὶ Ἕλλησιν, kai Hellēsin): Used here to refer to Gentiles or non-Jews. These would be people from various pagan backgrounds, accustomed to polytheism and idol worship. For them, repentance primarily meant turning away from idols and false gods to the one true God.
• Of repentance (μετανοίας, metanoias): From meta (after, changing) and noeo (to perceive, to think), literally "a change of mind." This signifies a fundamental change of disposition, attitude, and purpose concerning sin and God. It's not just regret, but a decisive turning from sin to God, accompanied by a genuine desire for righteousness and obedience. It's an inner transformation that leads to outward action (bearing fruit of repentance).
• Toward God (εἰς θεόν, eis Theon): This specifies the direction of repentance. It's not just a turning from sin but a turning to the living God, recognizing His rightful authority, holiness, and demand for submission. This implies acknowledging God as sovereign, holy, and the object of our lives.
• And of faith (καὶ πίστεως, kai pisteōs): Faith (pistis) implies belief, trust, conviction, and reliance. It's not mere intellectual assent to facts but a wholehearted, active trust and dependence upon someone or something. It involves personal commitment and surrender.
• Toward our Lord (εἰς τὸν Κύριον, eis ton Kyrion): Designates the specific object of saving faith. "Lord" (Kyrios) here denotes divine authority, ownership, and supremacy. This is a confession of Jesus’ deity and His right to rule.
• Jesus (Ἰησοῦν, Iesoun): The human name of the Messiah, emphasizing His humanity and historical reality.
• Christ (Χριστόν, Christon): The Greek equivalent of the Hebrew "Messiah," meaning "Anointed One." This emphasizes Jesus' role as the divinely appointed Savior, King, and High Priest.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "Testifying both to Jews and to Greeks": Highlights the universal scope and uncompromising nature of the Gospel message. Paul held nothing back, preaching to every group regardless of their preconceptions or cultural norms, showing the impartiality of God’s grace.
• "Of repentance toward God": This emphasizes a spiritual reorientation away from self, sin, and false gods, turning back to acknowledge and obey the one true God. It's the foundational human response to divine revelation, recognizing one's own sinfulness and God's holiness.
• "And of faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ": This specifies the distinct and necessary object of saving faith in the New Covenant. It means placing one's complete trust and reliance upon the Person and finished work of Jesus Christ – His life, atoning death, and resurrection – as the sole means of reconciliation with God and salvation. It points to Christ as both Lord (authority) and Christ (Messiah, Anointed Savior). These two (repentance and faith) are not sequential steps, but two sides of the same coin, inseparable aspects of true conversion.

Acts 20 21 Bonus section

The distinction between "repentance toward God" and "faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ" highlights that repentance recognizes who God is (the one to whom we return in holiness and submission), while faith focuses on what Christ has done (the means by which we are reconciled to God). Paul’s steadfast preaching of this two-fold message to both Jews and Greeks underscores the breaking down of traditional barriers and the universal applicability of the Gospel, showing that God's plan of salvation transcends all social, cultural, and ethnic distinctions. The earnestness indicated by diamartyromenos ("testifying solemnly") suggests the immense importance Paul placed on the message itself, emphasizing its absolute necessity for human salvation, reflecting a deep spiritual urgency on his part. This verse can also be seen as an outline of an ongoing Christian life, continually repenting of sin and walking by faith in Christ.

Acts 20 21 Commentary

Acts 20:21 presents the immutable core of Paul's evangelistic message, defining Christian conversion in two non-negotiable terms: repentance and faith. These are not separate experiences but distinct, co-occurring facets of one turning. "Repentance toward God" signifies a reorientation of one's entire life—a conscious, decisive turning away from sin, self-reliance, and every form of idolatry, and toward God in submission and renewed relationship. This reorientation recognizes God’s rightful claim over our lives and our fallen state apart from Him. Concurrently, "faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ" emphasizes the necessary direction of this trust: not a vague spiritual belief, but specific reliance on the divine Person and redemptive work of Jesus the Messiah. This means trusting in His crucifixion for atonement and His resurrection for new life. For Jews, this entailed recognizing Jesus as their Messiah and turning from reliance on the Law; for Gentiles, it meant abandoning pagan gods and practices to embrace the living God revealed in Christ. Paul consistently presented this message because it alone reconciles humanity to God, universally accessible and absolutely essential.