The Book of Acts

Farewell Ephesians
(Acts 20:13-38)

The first few verses give a breathless account of Paul's voyage from Troas (where he addressed the local church) to Miletus (where he bade farewell to the Ephesian elders). He mentions four ports at which they stopped: Assos, Mitylene, Kios and Samos. Paul however walked the first leg of the journey, from Troas to Assos, between 20 and 30 miles. He evidently felt the need to be alone, away from even his closest friends. The swiftness of the account reflects his own eagerness to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost.

Paul's farewell speech to the Ephesian elders
Having reached Miletus, he sent for the elders of the church at Ephesus. When they arrived about three days later he spoke to them in the frank and candid speech which Luke here summarises for us. Luke was himself present and doubtless jotted down the gist of what was said. Broadly speaking it falls into four sections:

• In verses 17 to 21 he reminds them of his faithful service in the past.
• In verses 22 to 24 he states his determination in the present.
• In verses 25 to 31 he warns them of the evil times which lay ahead and advises them accordingly.
• And in verses 32 to 35 he commits them to God and shows them from his own example how they should conduct themselves.
  
  

Past and present
He begins by reminding them how he had served the Lord with humility and tears, although severely tested by Jewish plots to capture or kill him. He had taught them both publicly and from house to house, declaring to both Jews and Greeks their need to repent towards God and to place their faith in the Lord Jesus.

It is his present intention to go to Jerusalem, undeterred in his resolve by prophetic warnings of prison and hardship if he pursues this course. He feels compelled by the Spirit to act in this way. His own fate is not important to him; the only thing that matters is to finish the race and to complete the task which the Lord Jesus has given him. Using the same words he declares triumphantly in 2 Timothy 4:7: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." He speaks of the Christian race in other passages as well: 1 Corinthians 9:24 where he advises us to run in such a way as to get the prize, and Hebrews 12:1 where we are told to run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Other passages speak of the Christian walk! The important thing is to complete the task which the Lord has given each one of us.

Warnings of the future
He solemnly declares that he is innocent of the blood of all men because he has not hesitated to proclaim the whole counsel of God. These words recall his words of exclamation to the Jews at Corinth: "Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent!" (18:6). The same idea may be found in Ezekiel 33 where the prophet is held accountable for the blood of the wicked if he does not warn them of the consequences of their evil ways, but is guiltless if he does so warn them. Paul was guiltless in this respect since he had made every effort to warn his countrymen.

Christians also need to be warned of the evil days to come. The apostle looks into the future and is appalled at what he sees. "After I leave," he says, "savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them" (vs. 29,30). All this began to be fulfilled in the apostle's lifetime (1 John 2:18,19; Revelation 2:2), and became infinitely worse later on. His words, however, are prophetic of the last days when the church will be corrupted from within and the truth distorted out of all recognition.

Pertinent instruction
His advice is: Be on your guard! "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" (v.28). If Christ is God (as of course He is), then it is with God's blood that we are bought. But elsewhere the New Testament avoids speaking of God's blood or God's death, since God the Father cannot die or shed blood. It is preferable therefore to translate this clause: which He bought with the blood of his Own. This is how it is translated by F.F. Bruce and J.R.W. Stott on the strength of the papyri (contemporary business letters and correspondence) where the word idios is used as a term of endearment.

The advice to keep watch reflects the repeated warnings of our Lord:

• Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. Matthew 24:42
• Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour. Matthew 25:13
• Blessed are those servants whom the Lord shall find watching when he comes. Luke 12:37

The same advice is given by the apostles:

• Watch and be sober (1 Thessalonians 5:6)
• Be sober, be watchful: your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 4:8)
• If you do not watch, I will come as a thief (Revelation 3:3)
• Blessed is he who stays awake! ( Revelation 16:15)

It is easy to be caught off our guard when we are not watching and to fall headlong into the trap which the devil has prepared! Eutychus (see our previous article) was lucky-the meaning of his name-but it will not always be so.

Concluding words
In conclusion, the apostle reminds them again of his own behaviour by way of example. He had not coveted anyone's silver or gold or clothing. With his own hands he had supplied the needs both of himself and his companions. In everything he did, he says, he showed them by hard work of this kind how we must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus Himself: "It is more blessed to give than to receive." These precise words are not recorded in the Gospels, but our Lord said and did infinitely more than is actually written down for our instruction, as John reminds us (John 21:25). The apostle Paul tells us to follow his example. He is not boasting, but telling the sober truth. His wonderful life is given as an example for us to follow, but for most of us he has set too high a standard!