What Does Acts 20:24 Mean?
But none of these things weigh with me, nor do I hold my living soul as precious to myself, so that I might finish my race with joy, and the service which I took from the Lord Jesus, to bear witness to the good news of the favor of God.
Key words are shown with the Hebrew or Greek and what each word meant.
Selah Decoded Version The Selah Decoded Version renders what the Hebrew and Greek words meant to the people who first heard them.
King James wording
King James Version
But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.THE KEY
Joy and favor share a Greek word family here: the course is finished with joy, and its message bears witness to God’s favor.
THE MEANING
Your life is not treated as a possession whose safety sets its worth; it is a life received, moving toward the end of its course. Joy belongs within that course, alongside the ministry received from the Lord Jesus: bearing witness to the good news of God’s favor. The verse names a costly refusal to let danger be the final measure of a life, without pretending the danger is unreal.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
It undoes the belief that a life has value only when it is kept safe for oneself; here, a received life has a course and a testimony that may cost it.
THE ROOT
χαρά
chara
GROWS FROM
χαρ-
char-
The Greek word family links joy with favor and the granting of favor.
The Greek word for joy, χαρά (chara), and the word for favor, χάρις (charis), share the χαρ- (char-) word family. This verse places them together: the course is completed with joy, and the testimony carried along it is about God’s favor.
ALSO GROWS
charis: favor; also grace or thanks, depending on context
χάρις
This is the same word family as χαρά (chara, joy), and it names what the gospel testifies about God.
charizomai: to grant freely or show favor
χαρίζομαι
This verb grows from the same favor-family and makes the connection active: favor is something granted, not earned by finishing the course.
THE PATTERN
A life received from God can run its appointed course with joy, even when that course costs self-preservation.
You make me perceive the path of life; before your face is the fullness of joy, and at your right hand are sweetnesses forever.These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be filled.I have strained in the good contest; I have finished my run; I have guarded the trust.THE THREAD
These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be filled.Both verses use χαρά (chara, joy). Acts places that joy beside χάρις (charis, favor), while John describes joy as remaining and becoming full; the shared word opens the course as something carried with a received joy.
Read the SDV Bible.
Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.
The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.
Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us