Commentary by Ron Beckham

Verse 1. "After the uproar had ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, and when he had exhorted them and taken his leave of them, he left to go to Macedonia."

There had been a near RIOT in the city of Ephesus, in Asia Minor (present day Turkey), and as usual, Paul was right at the center of its cause. Men had been taken prisoner (Gaius and Aristarchus – Acts 19:29), and they had been in real danger of being killed. The "uproar had (now) ceased" and Paul understood that, after three years and 3 months, it was the Lord’s time for him to leave Ephesus.

Demetrius the Silversmith (Acts 19:23 & forward) was the real cause of the "uproar" in Ephesus, and he may well have felt he won some kind of "victory" in relation to Paul’s departure. Can you imagine the wonder of Paul the Apostle in our midst? Someday we may understand that many of our "victories" in life were not victorious at all. Demetrius sought a secure economic future for himself and others of his trade. This sounds commendable but it was not, for that which of true value now left their midst, and what they gained had mere transitory value, at best.

Verse 2. "When he had gone through those districts and had given them much exhortation, he came to Greece."

The loss of Ephesus in the departure of Paul was the gain of "those (other) districts" for they received the words of Paul the Apostle (which was really the exhortation of the Holy Spirit of God). The word "exhortation" here is interesting. In English, the word typically means "language intended to incite and encourage", and can carry the idea of giving "warnings" (Webster’s New Collegiate). We might think this would be negative in nature, because most don’t like to be told they are doing something wrong, but it’s not that way.

In Greek, the word was more like "entreat", for Paul was actually urging them in relation to future conduct – he was encouraging them. He wasn’t criticizing them for something they had done, but instead he looked to their future, warning them of pitfalls and helping them to understand what they should do. This done, he left Asia Minor and sailed back to Greece.

Verse 3. "And there he spent three months, and when a plot was formed against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia."

I continue to be impressed with the DECISIVENESS of Paul. He KNEW he was in the ministry that was because of God’s will, and when a door closed, he simply bounced off the problem (like a pinball) and ricocheted somewhere else. Many of us are less sure than Paul. His energy is impressive, also. He spent 3-months in one place, and when he saw the plot against him form (he was very experienced in all of this), he left.

Note that he "was about to set sail for Syria," but then "he decided to return through Macedonia." How interesting. This verse not only shows his decisiveness but also his trust in the Spirit of God. Paul didn’t make these decisions based on whim – Instead, everything he did was in response to the leading of God. Many of us would have ended up in Syria, but he felt the "nudge" of the Spirit, and instead headed for Macedonia.

Verse 4. "And he was accompanied by Sopater of Berea, the son of Pyrrhus, and by Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians, and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia."

The word for "accompanied" is interesting here. Other words could have been used, but this one was commonly selected by medical writers of the day. This book was certainly written by Dr. Luke. A lot of Paul’s letters and other places in the Book of Acts, contain references to people with the same names as those in this verse, but the with exception of Timothy who accompanied Paul often, it is uncertain who these men are.

How very ORDINARY to recite names in this manner. Dr. Luke casually notes Paul "was accompanied by Sopater" and the rest, and it sounds like a modern day letter, in which we report the names at a family picnic. This is a good reminder that these are PEOPLE, just like everybody else who has ever lived. We don’t precisely know who they are, but God does, and they are recorded in the heart of God, just as you are, and so am I. God knows everything about you and loves you with total love.

Verse 5. "But these had gone on ahead and were waiting for us at Troas."

I kept a "journal" for a number of years, which was essentially a record of events, as recorded by an observer, and these written words in Acts sound a lot like a journal – only this one was written by Dr. Luke, medical doctor, author, and companion of Paul the Apostle. It may also have been partly the journal of Paul, which was "finished" by Luke. Here, it is shown that some of Paul’s friends (called "disciples" in verse 1) had "gone on ahead" to Troas, and were waiting for Paul when he arrived.

Verse 6.  “But we sailed away from Philippi after the Days of Unleavened Bread, and in five days joined them at Troas, where we stayed seven days.”

Philippi was a city in Macedonia, named for King Philip of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great.  The place was mentioned previously in relation to an earlier missionary journey of Paul (Acts 16:6).  Paul and the others celebrated the Passover (Feast of Unleavened Bread) in Philippi and then sailed into the Aegean Sea from Neapolis, which was the port of the city of Philippi.  Troas was on the coast of the Roman province of Asia, and the place is now a part of present day Turkey.  Paul and his companions stayed for a week in Troas.

Verse 7.  “Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight.”

The “first day of the week” is Sunday, and this is one of the verses which lends credence to the belief that the early church had taken Sunday as a special day of worship.  This clearly set them apart from the Jews, who celebrated the “Sabbath” (from Friday evening to Saturday evening).  Both days are important – The Sabbath speaks of God’s rest, and Sunday commemorates the resurrection of our Lord.

This verse also shows Paul to have been a man who, when given a chance to speak, went on for a long time.  They “came together to break bread”, which is to say they celebrated “communion” (the Lord’s Supper) together.  This was not a wafer and a sip of juice as is common today, but instead it was a full, heavy meal, complete with lamb, wine and bread.  Paul began speaking at the meal, which likely began in the early evening, and he was still talking to the crowd at midnight.

Verse 8.  “There were many lamps in the upper room where they were gathered together.”

There were “many lamps” in the upper room where Paul spoke, which indicated the place was very well lit.  It also would have made the room quite warm.  Many bodies were pressed into the place and all those oil lamps added to the heat, which surrounded listeners and speaker alike.

Paul loved his “work”, by the way.  He had been the enemy of God in his early life, though he had previously thought of himself as a deeply “religious” man.  His actions led to the death and imprisonment of a number of early Jewish Christians (Acts 8:1, 3 – the Saul of those verses is “our” Paul).  He had long since been changed by the Lord Jesus Christ and he would now take any opportunity to tell of the One who had given so much grace to him.

Verse 9.  “And in a window sat a certain young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep.  He was overcome by sleep; and as Paul continued speaking, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead.”

I like Eutychus, because I don’t think I could listen to someone speak for six or seven hours, either; though for the Apostle Paul, I would make an exception.  The heat of the room and the heavy dinner (verse 8), was just too much for this young man, and he began to fall into a deep sleep.  The windows might well have been shuttered, but the shutters would have been wide open to let out the heat caused by all the people pressed into the place and the many oil lamps (verse 8).  Out he went and down to his death.

Those listening to Paul rushed down the stairs immediately after the boy fell, and they picked him up dead from the paving stones.  If you think he was not really gone, note that the word in Greek is “nekros”, which truly meant “dead” in that language.  It was used in two ways in the New Testament: either for an actual dead body or as a statement about the spiritual condition of a person who did not know Christ.  The boy was certainly not rendered “unsaved” by the fall.  Rather, it killed him, and his lifeless, broken body was lying in the street.

Verse 10.  “But Paul went down, fell on him, and embracing him said, ‘Do not trouble yourselves, for his life is in him.’”

There is LIFE in Christ for you and for me.  Hundreds of years before Jesus Christ was born, the prophet Isaiah said of Him, “by His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).  Paul, who had been a persecutor of those in the Church, had his life literally turned around by the salvation which is in Christ Jesus.  He believed in the Lord, like few in this life ever do.  You can be assured he was praying fervently as he flung himself on the boy named Eutychus (verse 9).

John the Apostle understood prayer very well.  He said, “this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.  And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him” (1 John 5:14-15).  Paul understood this also, and as he ran down those stairs, the Lord was “touching” his heart with the concept:, “Pray for the boy and he will be raised to life.”  Paul did pray, and the quite dead Eutychus, became very much alive.

Verse 11.  “And when he had gone back up, and had broken the bread and eaten, he talked to them for a long while, until daybreak, and so departed.”

Paul and the people of Troas had a lot to talk about, because a young man of their group, named Eutychus, had been violently killed just a few hours before, and was now alive again.  This miracle of God was done through the Apostle Paul, who had received the word of the Lord in his “heart” that Eutyuchus would be restored, and he responded to that promise.  He flung himself on the boy, who was instantly given life.

Note that Paul had talked from dinner the preceding day, until midnight, when Eutychus fell and died (verses 7-9).  Now Paul talked even more, until the sun came up.  God, we ask from You, that You will give us, Your church, the passion, love and servant-heart of Paul, that we might speak of our Lord and never tire in Your service.  In Jesus Name.  Amen.

Verse 12.  “And they took away the boy alive, and were greatly comforted.”

“The boy” (Eutychus) had been killed by a fall from a third story window to the street, and now he was ALIVE.  Sometime during the night he had been brought back to the upper room on the third floor of the household in which Paul had been speaking.  What joy they were feeling; what comfort!  Note that someone who is in Christ, might SEEM lost to us for a time, but they will be restored to us and we shall see them face-to-face, never to be separated again.

Verse 13.  But we, going ahead to the ship, set sail for Assos, intending from there to take Paul on board, for thus he had arranged it, intending himself to go by land.”

The “we” of this verse, included Dr. Luke, the author of the Book of Acts, and the other companions of the Apostle Paul on this missionary journey.  Paul himself did not go with them.  He had planned in advance to walk to Assos by land, which was only a distance of about 20-miles.  The others would go to Assos by ship and meet him there.  Paul needed time alone to think and pray, for the Holy Spirit was speaking to his “heart”, and Paul must hear the Lord.

Verse 14.  “And when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and came to Mitylene.”

The ship did not stay long at Assos, but simply stopped for provisions, and a few passengers may have disembarked.  Certainly at least one man came aboard – the Apostle Paul.  He had walked overland from Troas to Assos, a distance of about 20-miles.  He might have “hitched a ride” on some kind of conveyance, but it was more likely he walked; for he needed to spend time with the Lord.

Mitylene (“Mytilene “ is probably a better spelling) was their next stop.  Mitylene was the port and chief city on the island of Lesbos, in the Aegean Sea.

Verse 15.  “And sailing from there, we arrived the following day opposite Chios; and the next day following we came to Miletus.”

These verses have, for me, the wonderful “freshness” of a first hand account.  This is very much like a “journal” or diary, recording events, people and places encountered on the way.  Chios, an island in the Mediterranean Sea, was their next stop; a place they reached in one day.  They were “opposite” Chios, which suggests they did not go onto the land, but instead just dropped anchor for the night, in the shelter of the island.

Miletus was a city of Ionia, a place which had been in existence for hundreds of years, and previously the place had been a great naval power.  Miletus was 36-miles south of Ephesus.  Each one of these places amounted to quick “stopovers” for the ships that frequented those waters.

Verse 16.  “For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus in order that he might not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hurrying to be in Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost.”

It was not Paul’s way to pass by a place like Ephesus (a key city of the Roman province of Asia), for he would have wanted to give a word of encouragement to the believers in that place.  The people knew him, for he stayed there more than two years, and he loved them all.  But he was in a hurry.  The Holy Spirit was communicating to Paul’s “heart” that it was time for him to be in Jerusalem.  He was to be there in time for the Feast of Pentecost, if such a thing was possible.

Verse 17.  “And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the church.”

Paul couldn’t resist, for he loved the believers in Ephesus far too much to just pass them by.  The Holy Spirit was prompting him to leave for Jerusalem and get there in time for the Feast of Pentecost, and he would, if it was possible to do so.  But just for a moment, he thought!  He knew he would never be there again, and he just had to see them face to face, one more time.  “Perhaps I can give them something MORE of the good things of God,” he must have thought.  So he sent word to the elders of the Ephesian church to meet him in at an arranged place in the port city of Miletus.

Verse 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,”

The elders of Ephesus left immediately at the call of Paul the Apostle, and came to him at the city of Miletus.  We know from past Scriptures about these people, that not all of them were poor.  Some of them would have had chariots at their disposal, and no doubt they came by the quickest possible means.  Certainly, by horseback, they would have reached him in less than a day.  On foot, the journey could have been made in two days.  In any event, they got to him in time – just before his ship was to sail.

And now he reminds them of events that occurred during his visit to them, when he stayed and taught in Ephesus, for a total time of two years and three months.  There were many places he could have stayed, during his journey that took him through the province of Asia, but the great bulk of time was spent with them in Ephesus.  Through good times and bad, he was with them, and he patiently taught them the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Verse 19.  “serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials which came upon me through the plots of the Jews;”

George Mueller, that great man of God, said, “to learn strong faith is to endure great trials.”  Paul the Apostle certainly endured many trials, and he also greatly loved the people he served.  By "humility", he meant that he did not seek his own, for his life was spent in concern for others.  He also had encountered God like few of us ever will in this life, and in seeing the glory of God, he understood his own deficiencies.  He saw himself and was not impressed.  He had become a humble man.

There’s so much trouble in life – isn’t it amazing that people add to the problems of others by plotting against them?  These were “trials” that were very difficult for Paul to endure, for his cause and his love were genuine.  Those who attacked him were not true, and they had no love for those they “served.”  He cried before the Lord to deliver the people of Ephesus, and he cried with those people out of his love for them, which came from God.

Verse 20.  “how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly and from house to house,”

There’s a strong temptation to state things “nicely” to people, and the danger of doing so, is that much may be lost in the translation from “straightforward” to “nice”.  Paul told the people of Ephesus EVERYTHING they needed to know about the Scriptures and about God.  He was very direct about their need for repentance and that they must receive the Lord Jesus Christ. 

He spoke publicly, hiding nothing.  This was no “private” gospel, whispered only to “initiates” in the faith.  He spoke openly about the need of EVERY man and woman to receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.  The Ephesians were surrounded by so-called “mystery” religions, in which the priests would say one thing publicly, but something quite different behind closed doors.  The Ephesians appreciated that Paul was not like what they had encountered previously in the various religions of that area. 

Verse 21.  “solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.”

When a Jewish person of the time utilized some form of the idiomatic phrase “Jews and Greeks”, he was using words that meant:  “Everybody!”  Every one of us who has ever lived has had an ache inside and a need for 1) Repentance, and 2) the Lord Jesus Christ.  But how, you might ask, did or does someone repent and receive the Lord Jesus who never even heard His name?

Most would agree that Abraham was a man of great faith in God.  In fact, he is called in Scripture, “the father of all who believe” (Romans 4:11).  Abraham, in his life on earth, did not hear the name “Jesus Christ” and yet Scripture speaks of our Lord in this way:  “There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12).  Abraham did not know as much as we know, but he trusted in God implicitly and when he did wrong, he repented of what he had done.  When Jesus died on the cross for the sins of this world, He made provision for Abraham and everyone else who trusts in the Lord, including you and me.

Verse 22.  “And now, behold, bound in spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there,”

To be “bound in spirit” (to be “led by the Spirit”) is indeed an interesting and wonderful experience.  God’s Spirit is given to all who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and to receive Him is to never be the same.  Of Him, Jesus said, “He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you” (John 15:26).  Much is to be revealed to the one that is in Christ, and it could never be revealed to us in any other way.

An instance of the “leading of the Holy Spirit” is seen in this verse.  It was shown to Paul that he was to depart for Jerusalem by the quickest possible means, and yet, much of what would occur there was not yet revealed to him.  Off he went, “bound in the Spirit,” to what he did not fully know.  Previously (before his salvation), he had run his life by his own desires, but now he responded to God.  And so should we follow our Lord.

Verse 23.  “except that the Holy Spirit solemnly testifies to me in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions await me.”

What would the HUMAN response to “bonds and afflictions await me” be?  Why, if danger is clearly ahead of us, we will try to go another way!  If we know the bridge is washed out, we’ll take another road, and try to cross the “river” by a “bridge” that is intact.  And yet, Paul had chosen another approach to life altogether.

None of us would reasonably want “bonds and afflictions”, or as it is in another translation, “chains and tribulations.”  Certainly not you and me, and the Apostle Paul did not desire them either.  But he wanted the will of God, more than the comfort of this world.  Paul would later say, “of myself I will not boast, except in my infirmities” (2 Corinthians 12:5).  He acted in such a manner “for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10) – In Him.

Verse 24.  “But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, in order 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.”

You might enjoy it that you once “hit a home run” or “scored a goal.”  Someone special might have said “yes” to you.  Or, your most compelling memory might be of a time when someone did you great harm.  Paul knew that terrible things were about to happen to him (and they did), and yet he could say, “I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself”.  He was trusting in the Lord and following HIM – even into great difficulties.  He found trouble – but the Lord was with him!

Paul talked about his (God’s) “ministry” and in many places he had much to say about “joy”, and yet he was about to go to jail.  From a human perspective, his ministry (and his joy) would seem to be gone for good.  Not so.  The point of his ministry was to “to testify of the… grace of God,” and the capstone of his assigned work on earth, was to be found within the “bonds and afflictions” (verse 23) that he would soon encounter.

Verse 25.  “And now, behold, I know that all of you, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, will see my face no more.”

How could Paul “know” that he would see the faces of those Ephesian believers no more?  This verse has to be compared with verse 22, where we see Paul did not know for sure what was going to happen.  The difference is, the revelation to him by the Holy Spirit of God.  He knew in the Lord that he would be gone from Ephesus for good.  Some say he actually DID go back to Ephesus later, but there is no real evidence for that.

The Holy Spirit of God is very real in the life of a believer in Christ.  There is a growing sensitivity to the “leading of the Spirit” for those that trust in our Lord, but such revelations are selective in nature.  Three times we were to go for six months without family income, and each time the Spirit alerted us in advance (and each time He brought us through).  But the DETAILS of those times were left for us to discover as we encountered them.

Verse 26.  “Therefore I testify to you this day, that I am innocent of the blood of all men."

In Chapter 19, we encountered a first-hand report of Paul’s two years and three months in the city of  Ephesus.  Indeed, he was “innocent of the blood of all men”, but there were those who thought he was guilty of a great deal.  Many of the tradesmen of Ephesus had started a near riot, Accusing Paul and his companions of stifling trade, by teaching idols “are not gods” (which of course, they’re not).

The phrase “innocent of the blood of all men” is interesting in the light of Acts 8:1, 3 – Paul had been an instigator at the murder of Stephen, a wonderful Christian man, and a deacon of the Church.  Paul also was directly responsible for the imprisonment of many women and men of the time.  And yet, he was truly “innocent” and it is important to see and understand the grace of God in this light .  We are declared “innocent” through the blood of Jesus Christ.  The Lord Himself was condemned in our place that we might be forgiven.

Verse 27.  “For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God.”

A key reason for the “innocence” of Paul (see the preceding verse) in relation to the Ephesians is found in this verse.  He faithfully told them everything the Holy Spirit had indicated he should say.  He performed the “whole purpose of God” in their lives.  He help back nothing, giving them EVERYTHING the Lord had for them.  Never once did he roll over in the morning and ignore the call of God for that day – He went and spoke as led by the Holy Spirit of God.

It is important to understand that everything we know and all that we are, is the gift of God.  Whatever we have to offer, it is because the Lord has been preparing us to enter His service in ways we did not expect.  If you are in Christ, you are gifted by the Holy Spirit of God.  He does this for you, but also for the purposes of God in the lives of other people.

Verse 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.”

Dr. Luke has recorded Paul’s last words to the elders of the Ephesian church(es), as seen in these verses.  Paul led thousands to Christ, and since his time, literally millions have come to the Lord through his words.  He loved those he served so much, they were like his “flock”, his beloved children.  What would you tell your children, if you knew you would never see them again?  Paul’s words to them are just that intense.

His statements to them include:  Watch yourselves, which is much like 2 Corinthians 13:5, where he said, “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith.”  He also reminded them that, if we are “overseers” in the body of Christ, it’s not because we’re so good looking – it’s because we have been appointed by the Holy Spirit of God.  We’re to “shepherd” those in our care and remember that these are people who have been “purchased” (redeemed) by the precious blood of Christ.

Verse 29.  “I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock;”

When the “savage wolves” did come in among the Ephesians, they were not what anybody expected.  Jesus taught us in Matthew 7:15, that the false prophets come in “sheep’s clothing.”  They appear to be one thing, but they actually are something else.  Such people are among us today and they often look and sound quite good.  But their real nature is revealed in this verse, where it says, “not sparing the flock.”  Such men have no love for the people they are supposed to serve.

Verse 30.  “and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.”

In the last Book of the Bible, we can see the effect of what these men had on the Ephesian church.  It was an insidious surprise for them.  The Ephesian church became a vital, active group of people, and at first glance, they must have seemed to be the ideal for other churches of that time.  They worked hard, labored constantly, were patient, and did not tolerate those who were evil.  They tested the false apostles who came to them and proved them to be liars (Revelation 2:2).  They were outwardly faithful in God’s service (Revelation 2:3).

Here’s what the men who spoke the “perverse things” of this verse were all about:  They got the Ephesian churches into PROGRAMS.  The Christians there were about as busy with church activities as you could imagine, but Jesus observed, “You have left your first love” (Revelation 2:4).  The false leaders drew the people away from the love of the Lord and toward themselves, in the form of busy programs that missed the point in every way.  To get everything else right but not have love, is to be wrong in - everything!

Verse 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.”

Paul the Apostle understood that the enemy comes into churches and attempts to subvert the people from within.  He knew about it in advance of its occurrence and warned the Ephesians often about this danger, during his time with them.  In the future, the Christians of Ephesus would respond to his concerns with busy activity, and they lost their way.  To find the Lord is to receive His love, and we see in Revelation 2:4, they eventually “left (their) first love.”  Activity can be good but love is better.

Notice Paul’s tears.  Similarly, “Jesus wept” at the tears of those who had loved Lazarus (John 11:35).  The caring heart of Paul, reflects the love of our Lord, and every good thing we have and are, is based in love.  So should we care for our Lord and for one another.  As Bill George has pointed out, our Lord left us only one command, summed up in the Greek word “agape” (John 13:34-35), which translates into English as selfless love.

Verse 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.”

Paul had introduced the Ephesian people to the love of God which is in Christ Jesus.  He had told them of the grace of God, which they received with enthusiasm.  They were like a building, built in Christ and established in Him, and they were given a true and lasting inheritance in God, through Christ our Lord.  Paul had truly commended these people to God.  He did not draw them to himself, but instead acted on behalf of Him who died for you and me.

And now he was to leave them.  If you knew it was time for you to leave this earth, what would you want for your loved ones?  Money, position, power, health, success? – such things are temporary, for you and for them.  All we have that lasts is the grace of God, given us in Jesus Christ.  When we are sanctified (set apart) in Him, we have an inheritance which lasts – forever.  Give HIM to those you love.

Verse 33.  “I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or clothes.”

To “covet” (epithumeo) is to fix your desire on someone or something that is not yours; to lust after that which is not lawful for you.  Paul experienced that problem, as reflected in Romans 7:7 and forward.  He had wanted to be a “good” man, but then he ran into the tenth commandment (“Thou shalt not covet” – Exodus 20:17), and discovered he was a sinner like everybody else. He was shocked at who and what he was, and then he came to the Lord and was delivered – “The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2).

We can see the nature of his deliverance in 1 Corinthians 10:13 – “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”  Paul could now ENDURE (resist) temptation, through the power of God, and he was able to honestly tell the Ephesians, “I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or clothes”.  And so can God do this in your life and mine.

Verse 34.  “You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my own needs and to the men who were with me.”

Paul WORKED for a living.  He was a tentmaker (God gave him that trade), and he not only supported his own needs, but also contributed to the support of others.  I have a job as the human resources guy in a factory, from 7 am until the early afternoon, each weekday.  I get a little tired, as we all do, but then, as is true with many others, there is ministry in the afternoons, evenings, and on weekends.  The ministry is a blessing from God, whether we are called Paul, Billy Graham, or just plain you and me.  And so are our jobs.

I meet with a group of pastors from different churches.  We share our needs, comfort one another, and pray for the well being of each one.  The other day, one of them referred to me as “bi-vocational” (because of my job in the mornings), a term I had not thought about before.  Actually, all the so-called “laity” in Christ are “bi-vocational”, because all are gifted by God and all are in His ministry.  As a tentmaker, Paul led many to Christ, and you remain in your life-situation for God’s purposes; not your own.

Verse 35.  “In every thing 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.’”

A consistent theme in Scripture for God’s people, is that we are to help the “weak” (the poor, the widows, orphans, and the “stranger” in our midst).  We see this clearly in James 1:27, where we are taught:  “This is pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father, to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”  Part of the reason we are given whatever income we have, is to help others, as led by the Holy Spirit of God.

The quote of the words of our Lord Jesus (“It is more blessed to give than to receive,”) is not found elsewhere in Scripture.  Actually, Jesus said and did a lot of wonderful things that are not recorded in the Bible.  John the Apostle commented on this in John 20:30-31 – “Many other signs therefore Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.”  One of the things Jesus said that was not written elsewhere, is right here in this verse.

Verse 36.  “And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all.”

One of the great keys to life, after we have received Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, is the gift of prayer.  To pray is literally to have an audience with the King – anytime we want.  We are like the little farmer who can enter into the presence of his Sovereign in the middle of the night if he wants to, and the shout will not be “Off with his head,” but instead, Let him in!”  And our King does hear our prayers. 

Paul knew this better than we do, and as he was departing the Ephesian people, he could give them no better legacies than 1) his love, and 2) the wonder of prayer.  To pray is to ask God, and He is delighted with our prayers.  Prayer is applied faith.  We ask because we know He hears, He loves us, and He will answer.  Sometimes, my prayers have received “Not yet,” in response, and literally decades passed before the answer came.  But it did come, and in ways better than any I considered.  He loves you, and He does answer prayer.

Verse 37.  “And they began to weep aloud and embraced Paul, and repeatedly kissed him,”

Love begets love, and the care that Paul had for these Ephesian people was contagious.  He loved them openly, asking nothing in return, during the more than three years he was with them.  And here he was, expressing that love once again, as he left them for good.  Paul knew that he was about to enter prison and to suffer many indignities, and yet, his concern was for these people that he loved.  Our suffering, not unlike personal comfort, only lasts for a time.  Paul recalled the words of our Lord Jesus (verse 35), and indeed he lived those words in the lives of the ones he served:  ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’

It’s so sad that men (and sometimes women) often refuse to cry.  My mother was concerned that her sister cried so much after the death of her husband, and said of herself, “I was taught that, as the oldest girl it was unladylike to cry.”  Our Lord loves the honest tears of His people, and He shall “wipe away every tear” from the eyes and heart of those He loves (Revelation 7:17).    Matthew Henry observed that both Christ and Paul prayed “with strong cries and tears,” urging us to be both “fervent and importunate” in our prayers and in our love.

Verse 38.  “grieving especially over the word which he had spoken, that they should see his face no more.  And they were accompanying him to the ship.”

Sometimes God just REVEALS something to you and to me.  Paul knew, because the Holy Spirit had revealed it to him, that he would see the Ephesians people (in this life) no more.  The Ephesians now knew it also, because Paul had told them what the Spirit had shown him.  We learn from the context of these verses, that we should give to one another unreservedly, as Paul gave himself to the Ephesians, and as Jesus Christ gave Himself for all.  The love expressed in these verses is the result of God’s love, expressed through His people.

We also learn that the Holy Spirit will personally touch God’s people with understanding.  Paul KNEW that he would be imprisoned in Jerusalem and that he would not be allowed to return to the Ephesians.  We also see that the Ephesians trusted in Paul, and we should be willing to learn to trust one another.  Paul put it this way: “Do not quench the Spirit; do not despise prophetic utterances; but examine everything carefully” (1 Thessalonians 5:19-21).  They loved Paul, they believed him and grieved for him, and now they went with him to his ship.

Ron Beckham, Pastor
Friday Study Ministries
www.fridaystudy.org
Ron@fridaystudy.org