Acts 20:17

ἀπὸ δὲ τῆς Μιλήτου, and from Miletus. At Miletus the Apostle and his party must have tarried more than one day. It would take quite that time to send his messenger and summon those whom he wished to see. If they came to him on the next day, that would be consumed in their conference and leavetaking, and the voyage could hardly be begun again till the third day at the earliest.

μετεκαλέσατο, he summoned to him. This verb, found in N.T. only in the Acts (Acts 7:14; Acts 10:32; Acts 24:25), is used of very earnest or authoritative invitation.

τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους τῆς ἐκκλησίας, the elders of the Church. These might be called ‘presbyters.’ In Acts 20:28 however they are named ἐπίσκοποι, i.e. ‘bishops.’ It is well established that the titles πρεσβύτερος and ἐπίσκοπος were in the early ages of the Church synonymous.

It is curious to notice in connexion with the history of these words that in the recently discovered ‘Teaching of the Twelve Apostles’ there is no mention anywhere made of πρεσβύτεροι.