A STUDY GUIDE ACTS 20:17-38
1. A Study Guide
a) A study guide of Acts of the Apostles. It is intended to be expository — to explain and bring out the meaning of the original text. You may use this for your personal bible study or even group bible study.
2. Acts 20:17-38
a) The verses record Paul’s farewell speech to the Ephesian elders.
#1) Acts 20:17-21
17 From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the church. 18 And when they had come to him, he said to them,
“You yourselves know, from the first day that I set foot in Asia, how I was with you the whole time, 19 serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials which came upon me through the plots of the Jews; 20 how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly and from house to house, 21 solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
i) Called for the elders at Ephesus. After sailing past Ephesus, because he was in a hurry to get on with his journey (Acts 20:16), Paul apparently found himself delayed a few days at Miletus. So he took the opportunity to send for the elders of the church at Ephesus (about 50 km north) so that he could speak to them. He'd not seen them for nearly a year, having left Ephesus the previous Pentecost (1 Corinthians 16:8).
ii) Paul’s work in Ephesus. Paul makes the following points about his work in Ephesus (Acts 20:17-21):
@1. He was loyal to the church in Ephesus; he stayed there for the whole time that he was in Asia.
@2. He served the Lord humbly, and willingly suffered many trials and cares for the sake of the gospel.
@3. He declared the whole gospel without fear of its opponents.
@4. He taught in public speeches and debates, but also in private house meetings; being more concerned with the size of the opportunity than the size of the audience.
@5. He taught both Jews and Gentiles without any favoritism.
@6. He did not teach "faith alone" but taught the necessity of other things that accompany faith, such as repentance.
#2) Acts 20:22-24
22 And now, behold, bound by the Spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, 23 except that the Holy Spirit solemnly testifies to me in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions await me. 24 But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God.
i) Compelled in spirit. There is disagreement as to whether Paul means his own spirit or the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, rather than compelling Paul to go to Jerusalem, has been warning Paul, through prophets "in every city", that capture and prison awaited him in Jerusalem (Acts 20:23). This message through the Spirit would be repeated in Tyre (Acts 21:3-4), and Caesarea (Acts 21:10-14). Therefore the compulsion was in Paul’s own spirit. He deeply felt an obligation to go to Jerusalem, to complete his mission. Perhaps he even thought it appropriate that he should suffer the very persecution which he had once inflicted on the disciples of Christ in that city.
ii) Paul isn't moved. When Paul says, “None of these things move me”, he doesn't mean that he is deaf to the warnings and unconcerned about them. Rather, he means that he will not be moved from his determination, or stop short of fulfilling his duty to Jesus, even though completing that duty may lose him his freedom and perhaps even his life.
#3) Acts 20:25-27
25 “And now, behold, I know that all of you, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, will no longer see my face. 26 Therefore, I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. 27 For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God.
i) The blood of all men. Paul is using a figure of speech here. He means, “If you lose your life it won't be my fault” and of course he is talking about eternal life and eternal death.
ii) The whole counsel of God. The term “counsel” here means not merely advice, but will. Paul had told them all the will of God. He had preached the gospel fully. Even when it brought opposition and suffering to him, he would boldly and bravely teach the whole truth about Jesus.
#4) Acts 20:28
28 Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.
i) Take heed to yourselves. There comes a time when disciples must stop relying on others to take responsibility for them, and instead take responsibility for themselves. Having done that, they can then take responsibility for others.
ii) Purchased the church of God. Paul tells these elders to "shepherd the church of God which he purchased with his own blood" (Acts 20:28). It was the local congregation at Ephesus of which they were the shepherds. Therefore the church which God purchased with his own blood is the church seen in each locality, not an invisible church.
#5) Acts 20:29-31
29 I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. 31 Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears.
i) Wolves will enter in. Here Paul gives the main reason for his exhortation that these elders should oversee and shepherd the church. While Paul was at or near Ephesus, he could protect the church from the destroyers. But now he is departing and others must be the watchers and protectors. Paul knew that even some of the guardians would prove to be false, and would split the church with heresy. This knowledge brought him to tears, and caused him to continually admonish the church to build its defenses.
#6) Acts 20:32-35
32 And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 33 I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or clothes. 34 You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my own needs and to the men who were with me. 35 In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
i) No one’s silver or gold. Paul here expresses the values that drove his work. He was interested not in earthly money, but in an eternal inheritance among the saints. He worked to make money only so that he and his companions could work to make saints. He lived by the principle that it is more blessed to give than to receive.
ii) The words of the Lord Jesus. Paul attributes to Jesus the saying, “It is more blessed to give than to receive”. We don't find this saying in the gospels. Either Jesus said it to Paul, or Paul knew someone who had heard Jesus say it. Not everything Jesus said was written down, so we do not suppose that this quote indicates a lost record of Jesus’s sayings.
#7) Acts 20:36-38
36 When he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. 37 And they began to weep aloud and embraced Paul, and repeatedly kissed him, 38 grieving especially over the word which he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. And they were accompanying him to the ship.
i) They all wept much. Christians have painful and sorrowful times such as this. We see here the expression of a great love that had grown between Paul and these men. They had always had the hope that Paul would return to them another time, but now they realize that they will never see him again in this world.
a) A study guide of Acts of the Apostles. It is intended to be expository — to explain and bring out the meaning of the original text. You may use this for your personal bible study or even group bible study.
2. Acts 20:17-38
a) The verses record Paul’s farewell speech to the Ephesian elders.
17 From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the church. 18 And when they had come to him, he said to them,
“You yourselves know, from the first day that I set foot in Asia, how I was with you the whole time, 19 serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials which came upon me through the plots of the Jews; 20 how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly and from house to house, 21 solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
i) Called for the elders at Ephesus. After sailing past Ephesus, because he was in a hurry to get on with his journey (Acts 20:16), Paul apparently found himself delayed a few days at Miletus. So he took the opportunity to send for the elders of the church at Ephesus (about 50 km north) so that he could speak to them. He'd not seen them for nearly a year, having left Ephesus the previous Pentecost (1 Corinthians 16:8).
ii) Paul’s work in Ephesus. Paul makes the following points about his work in Ephesus (Acts 20:17-21):@1. He was loyal to the church in Ephesus; he stayed there for the whole time that he was in Asia.
@2. He served the Lord humbly, and willingly suffered many trials and cares for the sake of the gospel.
@3. He declared the whole gospel without fear of its opponents.
@4. He taught in public speeches and debates, but also in private house meetings; being more concerned with the size of the opportunity than the size of the audience.
@5. He taught both Jews and Gentiles without any favoritism.
@6. He did not teach "faith alone" but taught the necessity of other things that accompany faith, such as repentance.
#2) Acts 20:22-2422 And now, behold, bound by the Spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, 23 except that the Holy Spirit solemnly testifies to me in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions await me. 24 But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God.
i) Compelled in spirit. There is disagreement as to whether Paul means his own spirit or the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, rather than compelling Paul to go to Jerusalem, has been warning Paul, through prophets "in every city", that capture and prison awaited him in Jerusalem (Acts 20:23). This message through the Spirit would be repeated in Tyre (Acts 21:3-4), and Caesarea (Acts 21:10-14). Therefore the compulsion was in Paul’s own spirit. He deeply felt an obligation to go to Jerusalem, to complete his mission. Perhaps he even thought it appropriate that he should suffer the very persecution which he had once inflicted on the disciples of Christ in that city.
ii) Paul isn't moved. When Paul says, “None of these things move me”, he doesn't mean that he is deaf to the warnings and unconcerned about them. Rather, he means that he will not be moved from his determination, or stop short of fulfilling his duty to Jesus, even though completing that duty may lose him his freedom and perhaps even his life.
#3) Acts 20:25-27
25 “And now, behold, I know that all of you, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, will no longer see my face. 26 Therefore, I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. 27 For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God.
i) The blood of all men. Paul is using a figure of speech here. He means, “If you lose your life it won't be my fault” and of course he is talking about eternal life and eternal death.
ii) The whole counsel of God. The term “counsel” here means not merely advice, but will. Paul had told them all the will of God. He had preached the gospel fully. Even when it brought opposition and suffering to him, he would boldly and bravely teach the whole truth about Jesus.
#4) Acts 20:28
28 Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.
i) Take heed to yourselves. There comes a time when disciples must stop relying on others to take responsibility for them, and instead take responsibility for themselves. Having done that, they can then take responsibility for others.
ii) Purchased the church of God. Paul tells these elders to "shepherd the church of God which he purchased with his own blood" (Acts 20:28). It was the local congregation at Ephesus of which they were the shepherds. Therefore the church which God purchased with his own blood is the church seen in each locality, not an invisible church.
#5) Acts 20:29-31
29 I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. 31 Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears.
i) Wolves will enter in. Here Paul gives the main reason for his exhortation that these elders should oversee and shepherd the church. While Paul was at or near Ephesus, he could protect the church from the destroyers. But now he is departing and others must be the watchers and protectors. Paul knew that even some of the guardians would prove to be false, and would split the church with heresy. This knowledge brought him to tears, and caused him to continually admonish the church to build its defenses.
#6) Acts 20:32-35
32 And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 33 I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or clothes. 34 You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my own needs and to the men who were with me. 35 In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
i) No one’s silver or gold. Paul here expresses the values that drove his work. He was interested not in earthly money, but in an eternal inheritance among the saints. He worked to make money only so that he and his companions could work to make saints. He lived by the principle that it is more blessed to give than to receive.
ii) The words of the Lord Jesus. Paul attributes to Jesus the saying, “It is more blessed to give than to receive”. We don't find this saying in the gospels. Either Jesus said it to Paul, or Paul knew someone who had heard Jesus say it. Not everything Jesus said was written down, so we do not suppose that this quote indicates a lost record of Jesus’s sayings.
#7) Acts 20:36-38
36 When he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. 37 And they began to weep aloud and embraced Paul, and repeatedly kissed him, 38 grieving especially over the word which he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. And they were accompanying him to the ship.
i) They all wept much. Christians have painful and sorrowful times such as this. We see here the expression of a great love that had grown between Paul and these men. They had always had the hope that Paul would return to them another time, but now they realize that they will never see him again in this world.
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