Paul's Farewell Message to the Ephesian Elders

And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church. And 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, Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews: And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house to house, Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there: Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. abide me...: Or, waite for me But 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. And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more. Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. Take 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. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears. 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. I have coveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel. Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me. I 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. And when he had thus spoken, he kneeled down, and prayed with them all. And they all wept sore, and fell on Paul's neck, and kissed him, Sorrowing most of all for the words which he spake, that they should see his face no more. And they accompanied him unto the ship. - Acts 20:17-38

    Sometimes God places a man in a field of service for life to preach the gospel and rule the church of God in a given place permanently. The man who is truly the servant of God will be faithful in the place of his calling. He cannot be driven away by hardships, trials, or opposition, and he cannot be drawn away by the allurements of personal gain, worldly comfort, or greater recognition. Preachers who use churches as stepping-stones on the road to ministerial success are not God's servants. They are hirelings who sell their services to the highest bidder.

    However, the Lord sometimes sends a man to a place to do a specific work. When his work has been accomplished, the Lord sends him to another place to accomplish other things. Faithful men move from place to place to preach the gospel as they are led by the Spirit of God. Their place of service is not determined by anything except their desire to serve the interests of Christ's kingdom according to the will of God. Every preacher who is sent by God is a spokesman for God, and is to be received and honoured as such (1 Thess. 5:12-13; Heb. 13:7,17). However, he is only a temporary spokesman, a voice crying in the wilderness (John 1:23). No matter how useful, influential, or beneficial a man's ministry is in a given place, it is only temporary. It will come to an end, either by death or by the direction of God the Holy Spirit. Yet the cause of Christ, the church of God and the gospel of God's free grace in Christ continue. Thus it becomes the duty of God's servants to prepare the people they serve for a continued, uninterrupted, vibrant ministry when they are removed.

    That is what Paul is doing in Acts 20:17-38. He had faithfully preached the gospel of Christ at Ephesus for three years. The Lord had greatly blessed his labours to the conversion of many. But the time had come for him to move elsewhere. His work at Ephesus was done. The Spirit of God led him to Jerusalem. Paul was leaving behind a large congregation, one that required the labours of several preachers (elders) to oversee it. Probably, the church at Ephesus met in several congregations throughout the city, with each one having its own pastor/teacher. The apostle Paul called for all the elders at Ephesus to meet him at Miletus, where he gave them the solemn farewell message contained in these verses.

    1. Paul was an exemplary gospel preacher (20:17-27)

    Here he sets himself before the elders at Ephesus as an example of what every gospel preacher ought to be, both in life and in doctrine. He did not speak with arrogance, but with honest confidence (2 Tim. 4:6-8). He had conscientiously done what God sent him to do. He had been an example to these men of what he expected from them, and they all knew it. They knew him to be a gracious, sober-minded, faithful man. He was not a self-seeking, self-promoting, self serving religious charlatan (1Cor. 4: 1-5). Both the tenor of his life and the doctrine of his lips demonstrated his devotion to the gospel and the glory of Christ (Phil. 4:9).

    Firstly, in his daily life, as in the pulpit, Paul was the savant of the Lord Jesus Christ (20:18-19). He made no pretence of perfection, but he did live blamelessly before men, as one whose manner of life was above reproach. That simply means that in the tenor of his life Paul was evidently a man consecrated to Christ. That is what God requires of every gospel preacher (1 Tim. 3:2-7). Paul served the Lord with humility, knowing his own insufficiency in the flesh (2 Cor. 2:16) and the sufficiency of God's grace (2 Cor. 3:5; 12:9). He served the people of God with sincerity and great concern. He was faithful to God and to men in the midst of many trials and temptations (2 Cor. 4:7-14). He was consistent in his devotion to Christ, not spasmodic. For three years the men to whom he was speaking had watched him day and night. They found him to be steadfast, never wavering. In the pulpit and out, he was the servant of God. He was not pretentious and hypocritical. He was a preacher whose doctrine was demonstrated in a life of devotion.

    Secondly, Paul's preaching, like his life, exemplified what the servant of God must be and do (20:20-27). He came to Ephesus to preach the gospel of Christ to the people of that city; and he had been faithful to his calling.

    His message was constant. In public and in private, he preached Jesus Christ crucified, teaching 'repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ' (20:20-21). Paul never deviated from the message God sent him to preach (1 Cor. 2:1-2; 9:16).

    His motive was pure (20:22-25). Knowing by divine revelation the troubles that awaited him, Paul would not be deterred from the work to which he was called (21:4,11). Read verse 24, and pray for the grace and commitment to the gospel that Paul demonstrated!

    His hands were clean (20:26-27). As God's appointed watch man he had faithfully proclaimed the word of life and grace God gave him (Ezek. 3:15-21; 33:1-16). No one perished because Paul kept back the Word of God! Two things must characterize every gospel preacher:

    1. He must live by the gospel. The man who preaches the gospel must live by gospel principles as one who is dedicated to the glory of God.

    2. He must preach the gospel. He must, with honesty, plainness and boldness, preach the gospel to all who will hear him, never hedging, never trimming his message.

    2. Paul lays a great burden of responsibility upon all who are ordained by God to preach the gospel (20:28-31)

    This charge is specifically addressed to pastors, but its implications extend to all who are in positions of leadership in local churches (elders, teachers, deacons, missionaries and evangelists).

    It is the responsibility of every pastor to bean overseer, a spiritual shepherd and ruler in the church of God (20:28). The church belongs to Christ. He bought it with his precious, sin-atoning blood. It does not belong to the pastor or the people. It belongs to Christ, and must ever be regarded as his peculiar possession. Pastors are under shepherds to Christ, placed in the church by the gifts and graces of God (Eph. 4:8-16). God raises up chosen men, gives them the gifts necessary for the work he has for them to do and places them where he wants them in his vineyard (Jer. 3:15). Yet the work of the gospel ministry is a laborious responsibility that demands that the preacher be diligent in prayer, study and preaching and watchful over his own soul (1 Tim.4: 12-16; 2 Tim. 4:1-5). As Christ's under-shepherd, it is the pastor's responsibility to watch over, protect, feed and rule the church of God. He must watch over men's souls, protect them from danger, feed them with knowledge and understanding by the gospel and rule the house of God by the preaching of the gospel and personal example (Heb. 13:7,17; 1 Peter 5:1-3).

    The pastor's work is necessary because the people of God in this world, like sheep in the wilderness, face many dangers (20:29-31). Many wolves rise up within the walls of professed Christianity that would devour the flock (free-willism, legalism, ritualism, etc.). It is the pastor's responsibility, by sound instruction in gospel doctrine, to protect Christ's sheep from the wolves of false religion.

    3. Only God himself can preserve his church in the gospel (20:32-38)

    Paul knew that. Though he had faithfully laboured among the Ephesians, preaching the gospel for three years to them, though he left the church in the hands of capable men, he knew that only God himself and the gospel of his grace could effectually preserve the church in the faith of Christ. So he commended the church to God and to the word of his grace. He told them to look to God and to the word of his grace (his gospel) for direction (20:32). He taught them to measure all who claimed to be gospel preachers by his own example of faithfulness and generosity (20:33-35). As he left Ephesus, he prayed with his brethren and for them (20:36-38; Eph. 1:15-23; 3:14-21).