Paul's words that he is "innocent of the blood of all" because throughout his ministry he proclaimed God's will to everyone recall words spoken by God to one of the great...
Paul's words that he is "innocent of the blood of all" because throughout his ministry he proclaimed God's will to everyone recall words spoken by God to one of Israel's great prophets, Ezekiel, whose meaning came down to this: the prophet's task is to bear witness to what God has revealed to him.
The reaction of those to whom he testifies to what they have heard is not his concern. If a person does not listen to the witness's words, that will be his sin and his responsibility, and the witness, having done his work, will not bear responsibility for the one who did not listen to his words.
But if the witness keeps silent, hides his testimony, and the one whom he should have rebuked sins while the prophet is silent, then the prophet will be responsible for the sinner's sin to the same extent as the one who sinned. The principle, as we can see, is simple: a silent witness who refuses to testify becomes an accomplice in another's sin.
Paul evidently holds the same position: he always remained a faithful witness of Christ and the Kingdom, never hid his testimony from anyone, and now the one who did not consider it necessary to listen to his words will answer himself for the consequences of his choice. But in Paul's case, of course, the matter is further complicated by a new measure of responsibility both for the testimony and for its rejection.
Of course, the ancient prophets too testified about things spiritually vital. If, for example, they rebuked individual people or whole nations for violating the commandments, the matter often really concerned life and death, the path of righteousness leading to life and the path of sin leading to death.
But here the matter was still a choice within the present, untransformed order of things. Paul, however, testifies about Christ and the Kingdom, placing the hearer in a situation of absolute choice, a choice between final salvation and final destruction.
Without question, the responsibility of the witness in such a situation is immeasurably higher. But the hearer's responsibility for the choice he has made is also much more serious. And, understanding this, the apostle sums up his ministry: he pushed no one away, hid nothing from anyone, and did everything he could. The rest depends only on the listeners themselves.
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20:17 Sending to Ephesus, he called the elders of the Church - These are called bishops in the Act 20:28 (rendered overseers in our translation). Perhaps elders and bishops were then the same; or no otherwise different than are the rector of a parish and his curates.
20:18 Ye know - Happy is he who can thus appeal to the conscience of his hearers.
20:19 Serving - See the picture of a faithful servant! The Lord - Whose the church is, with all humility, and with tears, andtrials - These are the concomicants of it. The service itself is described more particularly in the following verse. This humility he recommends to the Ephesians themselves, Eph 4:2.His tears are mentioned again, Act 20:31, as also Co2 2:4; Php 3:18. These passages laid together supply us with thegenuine character of St. Paul. Holy tears, from those who seldom weep on account of natural occurrences, are no mean specimen of the efficacy and proof of the truth of Christianity. Yet joy is well consistent therewith, Act 20:24. The same person may be sorrowful, yet always rejoicing.
20:20 I have preached - Publicly; and taught - From house to house.Else he had not been pure from their blood. For even an apostle could not discharge his duty by public preaching only. How much less can an ordinary pastor!
20:21 Repentance toward God - The very first motion of the soul toward God is a kind of repentance.
20:22 Bound by the Spirit - Strongly impelled by him.
20:23 Save that - Only this I know in general; the Holy Ghost witnesseth - By other persons. Such was God's good pleasure to reveal these things to him, not immediately, but by the ministry of others.
20:24 Nor do I count my life precious - It adds great force to this and all the other passages of Scripture, in which the apostles express their contempt of the world, that they were not uttered by persons like Seneca and Antoninus, who talked elegantly of despising the world in the full affluence of all its enjoyments; but by men who daily underwent the greatest calamities, and exposed their lives in proof of their assertions.
20:25 Ye shall see my face no more - He wisely inserts this, that what follows might make the deeper impression.
20:27 For I have not shunned - Otherwise if any had perished, their blood would have been on his head.
20:28 Take heed therefore - I now devolve my care upon you; first to yourselves; then to the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers - For no man, or number of men upon earth, can constitute an overseer, bishop, or any other Christian minister.To do this is the peculiar work of the Holy Ghost: to feed the Church of God - That is, the believing, loving, holy children of God; which he hath purchased - How precious is it then in his sight! with his own blood - For it is the blood of the only begotten Son of God, Jo1 1:7.
20:29 Grievous wolves - From without, namely, false apostles.They had, not yet broke in on the Church at Ephesus.
20:30 Yea, from among yourselves men will arise - Such were the Nicolaitans, of whom Christ complains, Rev 2:6; to draw away disciples - From the purity of the Gospel and the unity of the body.
20:31 I ceased not to warn every one night and day - This was watching indeed! Who copies after this example?
20:32 The word of his grace - It is the grand channel of it, to believers as well as unbelievers. Who is able to build you up - To confirm and increase your faith, love, holiness. God can thus build us up, without any instrument. But he does build us up by them. O beware of dreaming that you have less need of human teachers after you know Christ than before! And to give you an inheritance - Of eternal glory, among them that are sanctified - And so made meet for it. A large number of these Paul doubtless knew, and remembered before God.
20:33 I have coveted - Here the apostle begins the other branch of his farewell discourse, like old Samuel, Act 12:3, taking his leave of the children of Israel.
20:34 These hands - Callous, as you see, with labour. Who is he that envies such a bishop or archbishop as this?
20:35 I have showed you - Bishops, by my example, all things - And this among the rest; that thus labouring - So far as the labours of your office allow you time; ye ought to help the weak - Those who are disabled by sickness, or any bodily infirmity, from maintaining themselves by their own labour. And to remember - Effectually, so as to follow it; the word which he himselfsaid - Without doubt his disciples remembered many of his words which are not recorded. It is happier to give - To imitate God, and have him, as it were, indebted to us.
20:37 They all wept - Of old, men, yea, the best and bravest of men, were easily melted into tears; a thousand instances of which might be produced from profane as well as sacred writers.But now, notwithstanding the effeminacy which almost universally prevails, we leave those tears to women and children.
20:38 Sorrowing most for that word which he spake, that they should see his face no more - What sorrow will be in the great day, when God shall speak that word to all who are found on the left hand, that they shall see his face no more!