Acts 20: 13-38
13 We went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we were going to take Paul aboard. He had made this arrangement because he was going there on foot. 14 When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene. 15 The next day we set sail from there and arrived off Chios. The day after that we crossed over to Samos, and on the following day arrived at Miletus. 16 Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost.
17 From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. 18 When they arrived, he said to them: “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia. 19 I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents. 20 You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. 21 I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.
22 “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. 23 I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. 24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.
25 “Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. 26 Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you. 27 For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. 28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. 29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.
32 “Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 33 I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. 34 You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. 35 In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”
36 When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. 37 They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. 38 What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.
Where Exhortation and Example Meet
Paul was hurrying to Jerusalem hoping to be there for Pentecost. Enroute, his ship stopped at Miletus, the southernmost of the Greek cities on the coast of Asia Minor. He summoned the elders of the Ephesian Church to meet with him in Miletus. They responded positively despite the thirty-mile journey of two days.
Upon their arrival at Miletus, the apostle delivered a personal and affectionate address (Verses 18-35). Paul was utterly transparent in this farewell conversation. His address had three themes:
Paul’s Past Ministry (Verses 18-21). Notice Paul appeals to their memory of his three-year stay in Ephesus. He expressed satisfaction in knowing that he had done the will of God.
- He served with “great humility” (18)
- His ministry was marked with self-sacrifice
- He preached the Word both publicly and house to house (20)
- His ministry embraced both Jews and Greeks (21)
Paul’s Plan for the Future. Paul was divinely compelled to go to Jerusalem, though he was warned by the Holy Spirit of prison and hardship. He may have been troubled by uncertainty, but Paul’s concern was to finish the race (24). Poignantly, he tells them they will see his face no more (25).
Paul’s Charge to The Elders (Verses 28-35). The care of the Ephesian Church was no longer Paul’s, but that of the Elders. He warned them of dangers from within the church and also without. Paul was under no illusions. He knew some people (“savage wolves”) would try to destroy the work of the Spirit (Verses 29, 30) and scatter the flock. Paul urged the elders to examine their own lives and faithfully care for their flock of believers.
Only as leaders remain faithful can they expect faithfulness in their congregation.
Finally, Paul commends the elders “to God and the word of his grace” to be built up (verse 32), so that they may defend and tend the flock. The measure of one is the key to the other. More than ever, Christian elders need to recognize the weight of their responsibility and privilege in the service of the Lord and the shepherding of the Church.
In Verses 36-38 we see a moving scene. When Paul finished speaking to the elders and knelt in prayer with them, they bade him an affectionate but sorrowful farewell. Then the elders escorted Paul to the quayside: the place of many farewells.
Questions
- How is Paul like Jesus in heading for Jerusalem despite the knowledge that a dark future awaits him there?
- Paul did not shrink from presenting the full Gospel. Are we faithful today to do the same in our witness for Jesus
- Can we think of a contemporary example of distorting the truth?
- How do we express gratitude and affection to those who serve and shepherd us in ministry?
Bio
Rev Dr. T.V Thomas, originally from Malaysia, has completed 50 years of ministry with the C&MA in 2024. He is based in Regina with his wife, Mary, and continues a robust itinerant ministry of preaching, teaching and networking across North America and the globe. He serves as Chairman of the FullSpectrum Network and Lausanne’s Global Diaspora Network (Email: tvthomasglobal@gmail.com).
Luke and Acts taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®
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