Acts 20:13-17 13But going ahead to the ship, we set sail for Assos, from there intending to take Paul aboard, for so he had arranged, intending himself to travel by land. 14And when he met us in Assos, taking him on board, we went to Mitylene. 15And sailing from there we came the following day opposite Chios; the next day we touched at Samos; and the following day, we went to Miletus. 16For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he might not have to spend time in Asia, for he was hurrying to be in Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost. 17Now from Miletus, sending to Ephesus, he called to himself the elders of the church.
These verses give a brief overview of the travels of Paul and his companions. The group went two routes. Luke and the others went by sea to Assos, while Paul went by land. The distance from Troas to Assos was about twenty miles, which could be done in a long day. The reason Paul wanted to walk is unknown. Sometimes walking clears the mind and refreshes the body. After spending all night teaching, he may have needed a time of refreshing and not in a rocking boat. In some crowded cities, sometimes it is just as quick to walk as it is to take a vehicle. Paul met Luke and the others in Mitylene on the island of Lesbos. Then they island hopped to Chios, the birthplace of the famous Greek poet Homer. The next island was Samos, known as the birthplace of the mathematician Pythagoras. Their journey moved on to Miletus, which lies at the mouth of the River Maeander on the Asian mainland. This significant city is south of Ephesus, which meant the group was bypassing visiting the church there.
Paul considered that it would delay his trip to Jerusalem if he went personally to Ephesus. His big goal was to get the collected offering to Jerusalem by the day of Pentecost, which would have been now about six weeks away. Getting from Greece and Asia Minor to Jerusalem was a major trip. Undoubtebly, there would be various delays due to visiting with other believers along the route. Why he did not take the time to go to Ephesus himself is not completely explained since he sent for the Ephesian elders in the next passage. Ephesus was thirty miles from Miletus, so several days were involved in this delay in the trip. Paul could have stopped in Ephesus on his trip, but the ship may have ported in Miletus, so he would have had to make alternative plans. Ephesus was also a dangerous city for him now, and going back could have caused him and the others many problems. Whatever the case, someone moved quickly to collect all the leaders in Ephesus and get them to Miletus to see Paul. These verses show the significant respect people had for Paul and his place as the key leader. The early churches recognized him as the crucial connection with believers in other places.