Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Acts 20:17

"And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called to him the elders of the church." — Acts 20:17 (ASV)

At Miletus the coastal boat docked for a number of days to load and unload cargo. So Paul took the opportunity of sending for the elders of the Ephesian church to join him at Miletus. The road back to Ephesus around the gulf was considerably longer than the thirty miles directly between Ephesus and Miletus. It would have taken some time to engage a messenger to summon the elders, who could hardly have made the return trip as quickly as a single runner. Doubtless, therefore, elders arrived at Miletus, at the earliest, on the third day of Paul’s stay there.