Acts 20:21 Meaning and Explanation
“Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →To Jew and Greek alike Paul testified one message: repentance toward God and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ.
What Does Acts 20:21 Mean?
Here is Paul's whole gospel in one sentence. To synagogue and marketplace he bore the same solemn witness: turn to God in repentance, and trust the Lord Jesus Christ in faith. No hearer received a different gospel, and no hearer was passed over.
Repentance and faith are not two messages for two kinds of people but one motion of the heart — turning from sin is, in the same instant, turning toward Christ. The summons humbles every background equally and welcomes every background equally, "for there is no difference" (Rom 10:12). What Paul preached in Ephesus remains the doorway of the gospel: a changed heart toward God, a resting trust in his Son.
Acts 20:21 in the Original Language
metanoia (μετάνοια), 'repentance' -- a change of mind and heart that turns the whole life around.
Frequently Asked Questions About Acts 20:21
What does Acts 20:21 mean?
To Jew and Greek alike Paul testified one message: repentance toward God and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ.