Acts 20:27

Acts 20:27 Meaning and Explanation

For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.

King James Version (KJV)

Read this verse in context with translation switching:

Read Full Chapter →

His innocence rests on this: he did not shrink from declaring to them the whole counsel of God.

What Does Acts 20:27 Mean?

Here is why no one's blood is on Paul's hands (v. 26): he declared God's counsel whole — the entire saving purpose and plan, its comforts and its commands, its warnings and its promises. The verb translated "shunned" is the same one rendered "kept back" in v. 20: he never once drew back from any part of it.

God's counsel is a whole, and a half-taught gospel forms half-taught disciples. Paul trusted his hearers with everything — judgment and mercy, the cross and the crown — and that completeness is still the church's curriculum. Those who receive the whole counsel of God are furnished for the whole of life (2 Tim 3:16-17).

Acts 20:27 in the Original Language

boule (βουλή), 'counsel' -- purpose, plan; the whole of what God has willed and made known.

Frequently Asked Questions About Acts 20:27

What does Acts 20:27 mean?

His innocence rests on this: he did not shrink from declaring to them the whole counsel of God.

Keep Studying Acts 20

Read the whole chapter in KJV, ASV, or WEB, or go deeper with the chapter study guide and key themes.