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We must defer consideration of the phrase "the kingdom of God" until we reach the
end of the Acts. It is obvious, however, from the passage quoted above, taken in
conjunction with verses 19-21, that the preaching of "the kingdom of God" included
"repentance" and "faith".
With the words "ye all shall see my face no more", the Apostle reaches the particular
part of his address that was personal both to himself and to the Ephesian Church. This is
evident in verse 38 where we read: "Sorrowing most of all for the words which he spake,
that they should see his face no more." Because of certain obscure references in the
Epistles to Timothy, it has been assumed by some that Paul did in fact see the Ephesian
Church again. In I Tim. 1: 3 we read: "As I besought thee to abide still in Ephesus,
when I went into Macedonia." These words have been construed into meaning that Paul
himself had been in Ephesus. The passage is an example of an "interrupted structure" in
a sentence, a feature that finds many illustrations in the Apostle's vivid writing. As
examples that are fairly obvious to the English reader we may quote Gal. 2: 4 and 2: 6.
The words kathos paraklesa ("As I besought") are without an apodosis.* (* - The apodosis
is the concluding clause of a sentence, usually conditional, e.g., "If thine enemy hunger, feed him".). The
thought seems to be: "As I besought thee then, so I beseech thee now." Paul does not
say that he "left Titus" at Crete. There is no evidence that Paul visited Ephesus again.
The passage is explained sufficiently if we understand that on some particular occasion,
when sailing by Asia, Paul made this request to Timothy.
Again, in I Tim. 3: 14, the Apostle writes: "These things write I unto thee, hoping
to come unto thee shortly."
Inasmuch as Paul sailed by Ephesus, and arranged to meet the elders of that church at
Miletus on one occasion, there is every probability that he would make the same
arrangement when he wished to see Timothy. Moreover, it is suggestive that, whereas
the Apostle, writing from prison, expresses a confident hope that he would revisit the
Philippian Church (Phil. 1: 25; 2: 24), and in the epistle to Philemon he asks him to
prepare him a lodging (Philemon 22), there is no such suggestion in the epistle to the
Ephesians, or in regard to the neighbouring church at Colosse, though he writes in
Col. 2: 1: "For them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh."
We have no need, therefore, to defend the Apostle in any way. We believe that his words
were true to fact, and that the Ephesian Church saw his face no more.
It is clear from Scripture that the Apostle realized, as perhaps few have done since, the
solemn responsibility that attached to his position as minister. In Acts 18: 6 we read:
"And when the Jews opposed themselves and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and
said unto them, Your blood be on your own heads: I am clean: from henceforth I will go
unto the Gentiles."
The Apostle, whose knowledge of the O.T. is apparent from his writings, had
evidently pondered the solemn words of Ezekiel and had taken them to heart. In
chapter 33: we read: