NOTES for Деян 20:28-38
Paul’s words most closely resemble the last words of a father to his children. He is leaving and will no longer be able personally, with his own hand, his tears, and his labor, to protect them from evil. For the last time he reminds them of everything that was most important to him. He tells them what will happen and how, and what dangers await them. The only parting instruction he gives as he leaves is “Keep watch.” This is what is hardest in everyday life: to keep watch, to remain vigilant, not to let blows get through, not to admit evil into oneself, and to remember what one has learned, experienced, and accepted forever. When parents let their children begin an independent life, it is never easy for them to accept that the children will now do everything themselves: make their own choices, live on their own, and believe for themselves. Paul, like a father to the Ephesian community, utters one of the wisest prayers any mentor can offer: “And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.” He lets them go despite the fact that they are his children, that he raised them, and that he sees all the obstacles that will arise on their way. But he also knows that sooner or later a day comes when each person must make the choice once again for himself and walk his own path to God.