Acts 20 - You Can't Give Away What You Don't Have!
Through Macedonia and Greece
20 When the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples and, after encouraging them, said goodbye and set out for Macedonia. 2 He traveled through that area, speaking many words of encouragement to the people, and finally arrived in Greece, 3 where he stayed three months. Because some Jews had plotted against him just as he was about to sail for Syria, he decided to go back through Macedonia. 4 He was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy also, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia. 5 These men went on ahead and waited for us at Troas. 6 But we sailed from Philippi after the Festival of Unleavened Bread, and five days later joined the others at Troas, where we stayed seven days.
One thing we see Paul doing quite frequently is "encouraging" the flock. Encouragement is a huge gift which is so important to the body of Christ. Everybody needs encouragement. Literally the word means "en" "courage", or to give courage from within. The opposite of encouragement is discouragement. There is plenty of that to go around, and the devil loves to discourage us. A discouraged Christian is often an ineffective Christian?
Who do you know who needs encouragement? Could you reach out to them with an encouraging word? Do you need encouragement? Make sure and surround yourself with those who encourage you. We all need it more often than we think.
We see various names of people mentioned here that we know little to nothing about. I.e. Sopater, Pyrrhus, Aristarchus, Secundus, Gaius, Tychius, and Trophimus. Not exactly household names.
These traveling companions of Paul were probably representatives from other churches who had sent money with Paul to Jerusalem. They were also present as ambassadors from the churches Paul has founded among the Gentiles, and were there to vouch for Paul’s good stewardship in regard to the collection destined for Jerusalem. - Guzik
Eutychus Raised From the Dead at Troas
7 On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight. 8 There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting. 9 Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead. 10 Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “He’s alive!” 11 Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left. 12 The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted.
The first day of the week was Sunday, the day when they usually met as a community. This is possibly the start of worship happening on Sunday, which we call "resurrection day". They came together to break bread. This could be sharing a meal together but often also signified partaking of the Lord's Supper together.
Apparently like many pastors, Paul spoke a little long teaching into the midnight hour. A young man fell from a window after sinking into a deep sleep. After falling three stories he was found to be dead. Paul threw his body around him and raised him from the dead. Jesus had told the disciples they would do greater things than he did. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead was at work through Paul raising this young man from the dead.
It is comforting for any preacher to think that people might fall asleep during the preaching of even the Apostle Paul. Yet, Paul taught for many hours and after a long day of work for most of his audience. There is also some evidence that Eutychus fought the sleep the best he could: “The tenses of the Greek verbs portray poor Eutychus as being gradually overcome despite his struggle to remain awake.” (Hughes)
Yet in the end, sleep got the best of him: “The word translated ‘sleep’ is the word from which we derive our English word hypnosis.” (Hughes)
Paul’s Farewell to the Ephesian Elders
13 We went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we were going to take Paul aboard. He had made this arrangement because he was going there on foot. 14 When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene. 15 The next day we set sail from there and arrived off Chios. The day after that we crossed over to Samos, and on the following day arrived at Miletus. 16 Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost.
The "we" here includes Luke which shows he was the writer of Acts. Paul sailed past Ephesus, the biggest early church, probably because he trusted it was in good hands with Timothy. Paul wanted to reach Jerusalem by Pentecost, which reminds us that this was still an important festival for the early church. The Day of Pentecost in a New Testament sense, started 50 days after Jesus' resurrection. We now know it as the "Birthday of the Church", where the Holy Spirit came down and filled every believer gathered there that day.
17 From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. 18 When they arrived, he said to them: “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia. 19 I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents. 20 You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. 21 I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.
Elders were the spiritual leaders in each of the early churches. The Greek word is "presbuteros", which means "presbyter" or "elder". This Greek Word is virtually synonymous in use with the word "episcopos", which mean "overseer" or "bishop".
Paul reminds them of what he had taught them. He had not shrunk from testifying about the truth and how BOTH the Greek and Jews needed repent and turn to Jesus.
From house to house: This implies that the Ephesian church, lacking any central building, was organized logically in house-churches. Probably, each elder had charge over a particular house-church. These were much more like house-church pastors than what we think of today as a board of elders who presided over one large congregation. - Guzik
22 “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. 23 I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. 24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.
Paul teaches us about the Holy Spirit more than any other apostle, or writer in the New Testament. In this instance Paul was compelled by the Spirit. Paul was sensitive to the Holy Spirit's leading and often made drastic changes in his missionary journeys because of the Spirit's prompting. Learning to listen to and discern the promptings of the Holy Spirit is an essential part of being a disciple of Christ.
In this case the Holy Spirit also warned him that there would be many hardships ahead of him. I imagine Paul to be a very focused and goal centered guy. He kept his head to the ground. He had an "audience of One". Paul had one mission in life to preach the gospel of Jesus to as many people as humanly possible before the Lord called him home. Since he was only one man he could not be in two places at one time, but Paul was extremely driven to complete the calling God had given him.
What is your single most important purpose in your life? Do you goals reflect that? How often do you review your purpose and goals and plans to actuate your goals and plans?
25 “Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. 26 Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you. 27 For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. 28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God,[a] which he bought with his own blood.[b] 29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.
These are most likely Paul's last words to the Ephesian elders. Remember Paul spent three years in Ephesus, so he was probably very close to these men. He had entrusted the flock at Ephesus to them. Note he also tells them to "keep watch over themselves". In order to be a good shepherd, you need to be a good sheep. You can't lead other Christians, if you are not being fed. "You can't give away what you don't have."
Note too the role of the Holy Spirit in making them "overseers". Just like Paul was called to be an apostle, these men were equally called to be shepherds over the flock God had entrusted to them. Paul gave everything to these men while he was with them, as evidenced by his tears. He warned them that there would be wolves in sheep's clothing that would try to worm their way into the church. This would come even from within. Importantly this would come by someone distorting the truth. This is why doctrine is so important, and why no one should be an elder in the church without proving their faithfulness and solid teaching based on God's Word.
32 “Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 33 I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. 34 You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. 35 In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”
On a practical note Paul reminded them that though they might not receive an earthly inheritance, they were receiving an eternal inheritance that would never fade away. Paul worked as a "tentmaker" so as not to put any financial burden on any of the churches he served. In this way they could use the money to help those in financial need. Paul shows us that it was never about money for him, nor should it be for us.
36 When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. 37 They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. 38 What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.
Once again we see the deep and intimate relationship Paul had with these elders. Paul was not all about doctrine, he was an emotional guy. He knew he would never see these guys again and it made him extremely sad.
The relationship we build when we do God's work together are deeper than any relationships we will ever have in the world. In thirty years of ministry I have made countless friends with those I did ministry with. I remember all the good times and even the bad times where we endured together for the sake of Jesus. Every one of them played a role in shaping me ,and I hope I pray I played a role in shaping them. I am very proud to say many of the guys I worked with became pastors. There is no greater joy than watching God call someone, build them up in the church, and then ordain them to be a shepherd over God's flock!
Take a moment and pray for all the shepherds and elders in the body of Christ. Pray they may lead others faithfully and honor God's Word and Jesus in their teaching, preaching, and their way of life!
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