How long did Paul stay in Ephesus during his third missionary journey?

• A. About six months
• B. About one year
• C. About five years
• D. About three years

Answer: (D)

Three years is the best answer because Paul himself describes a lengthy stay with the Ephesian church during that third journey. In Acts 20:31 he tells the Ephesian elders that he spent three years with them, “watching over” and warning them night and day with tears. Earlier in Acts 19:10 Luke notes a significant period of ministry in Ephesus—about two years—during which the whole province of Asia heard the word. The two-year figure highlights the main block of teaching in the hall of Tyrannus, but Paul’s own recounting in Acts 20:31 points to a slightly longer span when you include the broader period he was connected with the Ephesian church on that journey. Taken together, these passages support roughly three years in Ephesus during the third missionary journey.