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Other notes

For Act 20:29-31

²⁹For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.

³⁰Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.

³¹Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.

Setting out for Jerusalem, Paul understands that his earthly path is drawing to a close. And that is what will happen: from Jerusalem he will go to Rome no longer as a free man, but as a prisoner sent for trial before the emperor, which Paul will demand as a Roman citizen. And now the apostle sums up his ministry. This summary includes two sides. One is connected with faithfulness to what he has constantly instructed and taught all those whom God sent across his path. Paul says about himself that he has never betrayed the truth revealed to him and has always borne witness to it in all the fullness available to him. The second side is connected with his own life.

The apostle says that those present have nothing for which to reproach him: he has never violated the Torah in anything, no matter which of the people he met was involved. In this sense, according to Paul's own words, he is clean, and judging by the fact that no objections followed, that is how it really was. Of course, the connection between a person's preaching and his life has always been recognized: by definition, a teacher had to correspond to what he teaches.

"They say and do not do" is, in this sense, a completely devastating characterization: it can describe only a false teacher. But when the issue concerns a Christian, this connection becomes a necessary condition for a person's remaining in the Kingdom. Knowledge alone is not enough here, nor is even understanding what one has learned and thought through. For life in the Kingdom, awareness of oneself and of one's understanding is necessary, the awareness that makes it possible not only to understand everything, but also to change one's life in accordance with what one has understood and learned.

As long as knowledge, and even understanding of what one has learned, does not change the quality of a person's spiritual life, it is still too early to speak of awareness, and therefore too early to speak of spiritual wholeness. The Kingdom requires exactly this wholeness; otherwise one cannot live in it. And Paul shows such wholeness. He speaks of himself not only as a witness, but also as an inhabitant of the Kingdom, calling as witnesses those who saw his apostolic ministry. And they agree with the apostle, because they truly heard Paul with their own ears and saw his life with their own eyes.

For Act 20:28-36

²⁸Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

²⁹For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.

³⁰Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.

³¹Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.

³²And 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.

³³I have coveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel.

³⁴Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me.

³⁵I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.

³⁶And when he had thus spoken, he kneeled down, and prayed with them all.

Paul bids farewell to the elders of the church in Ephesus, which he himself founded and where he spent three years... Read more

Paul bids farewell to the elders of the church in Ephesus, which he himself founded and where he spent three years (see Acts 20:31). With all the selfless “immodesty” characteristic of him, he lists the deeds by which he served God. He warns the elders against following false teachers and dividing the Church (see Acts 20:29-31). Before the Cross, Christ asked the Father to preserve the Church in unity. Paul speaks of happiness and blessedness. Christ called His disciples to perfect joy. This is how the Lord summed up His life. And the example of the Apostle Paul shows that we can do the same.

For Act 20:17-38

¹⁷And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church.

¹⁸And when they were come to him, he said unto them, Ye know, from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons,

¹⁹Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews:

²⁰And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house to house,

²¹Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

²²And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there:

²³Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me.

²⁴But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

²⁵And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more.

²⁶Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men.

²⁷For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.

²⁸Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

²⁹For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.

³⁰Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.

³¹Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.

³²And 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.

³³I have coveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel.

³⁴Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me.

³⁵I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.

³⁶And when he had thus spoken, he kneeled down, and prayed with them all.

³⁷And they all wept sore, and fell on Paul's neck, and kissed him,

³⁸Sorrowing most of all for the words which he spake, that they should see his face no more. And they accompanied him unto the ship.

The speech Paul addressed to the brethren before leaving for Jerusalem recalls Christ’s farewell words at the Last... Read more

The speech Paul addressed to the brethren before leaving for Jerusalem recalls Christ’s farewell words at the Last Supper, and this cannot surprise us, for Paul himself asked Christians: “...imitate me, as I imitate Christ” (1 Cor. 4:16). This is not imitation in the bad sense of the word, for Paul does not mimic the Teacher’s appearance and manner, as the many false christs and false prophets do; rather, he consciously carries out the task entrusted to him, measuring his words and actions against Christ.

Facing the trials ahead, Paul takes stock of his ministry. We know that it is not finished and that Paul still has much to do, but at this moment, as at any moment, he is ready to answer for what he has or has not managed to accomplish.

Having warned the brethren he is leaving about the dangers, Paul entrusts them not to the authoritative leadership of any apostle or other experienced church person, but to God and the word of His grace. Paul does not replace God and His will with human undertakings: however well designed and necessary they may be, they will not help without Him.

For Act 20:1-38

¹And after the uproar was ceased, Paul called unto him the disciples, and embraced them, and departed for to go into Macedonia.

²And when he had gone over those parts, and had given them much exhortation, he came into Greece,

³And there abode three months. And when the Jews laid wait for him, as he was about to sail into Syria, he purposed to return through Macedonia.

⁴And there accompanied him into Asia Sopater of Berea; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timotheus; and of Asia, Tychicus and Trophimus.

⁵These going before tarried for us at Troas.

⁶And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, and came unto them to Troas in five days; where we abode seven days.

⁷And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.

⁸And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together.

⁹And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead.

¹⁰And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him.

¹¹When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed.

¹²And they brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted.

¹³And we went before to ship, and sailed unto Assos, there intending to take in Paul: for so had he appointed, minding himself to go afoot.

¹⁴And when he met with us at Assos, we took him in, and came to Mitylene.

¹⁵And we sailed thence, and came the next day over against Chios; and the next day we arrived at Samos, and tarried at Trogyllium; and the next day we came to Miletus.

¹⁶For Paul had determined to sail by Ephesus, because he would not spend the time in Asia: for he hasted, if it were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost.