Acts 20
1 “And after the uproar was ceased, Paul called unto
him the disciples, and
embraced them,
and departed for to go into
and exhorted for called unto him, Authorized Version and Textus Receptus;
took leave of them, and departed for and embraced them, and departed,
Authorized Version. Departed for to go into Macedonia. This was Paul's purpose,
as he had written to the Corinthians (I Corinthians
16:5) from
it wise, not only with a view to his own safety and that of his companions, but also
for the rest and quiet of the
popular storm, and withdraw into quiet waters before any fresh outbreak occurred.
Aquila and Priscilla seem to have left
since the Epistle to the Romans found them again at
if the view mentioned in the note to ch.19:40 is true - that in the riot they had
saved Paul's life at the risk of their own - there were probably the same prudential
motives for their leaving
2 “And when he had gone over those parts, and had
given them much
exhortation, he came
into
When he had gone through (διελθών – dielthon – passing through); see above,
ch. 8:4, 40; 10:38;
13:6;
18:23,
note, etc.; Luke 9:6.
Those
parts; μέρη
– merae
–
parts,
a word especially used of geographical districts: τὰ μέρη τῆς
Γαλιλαίας:
– ta merae taes Galilaias: the parts of
ta merae Turou kai Sidonos - the
parts of
see too here ch.2:10; 19:1).
Achaian - Achaia, as ch.19:21;
18:12,
and elsewhere).
always coupled together (see Tacit., 'Ann..' 1:76). as in Romans 15:26;
I Thessalonians 1:7-8. In the Second Epistle to the Corinthians, written from
is found nowhere else in the New Testament, Achaia being the name of the
Roman province. Bengel and others understand
between
it probable that Paul revisited
Commentary,' etc., think it is synonymous with Achaia. There must, however,
be some reason for this unusual use of
likely as that it was meant to cover wider ground than Achaia would naturally
indicate, namely
3 “And there abode three months. And when the
Jews laid wait for him,
as he was about to
sail into
When
he had spent ... there for there abode,
Authorized Version; a
plot was laid
against him by the Jews for when the Jews laid wait for him, Authorized Version;
for for into, Authorized Version; determined for purposed, Authorized Version.
(ἐγένετο γνώμης – egeneto gnomaes - he came to be of opinion , Received Text).
When he had spent three months. For this use of ποιήσας – poiaesas - spending,
see ch.15:33. See also II Corinthians 11:25, where the Revised Version
varies the rendering, and seems to take ποιεῖν as a verb neuter, as the
Authorized Version does here, the accusative (μῆνας
τρεῖς – maenas treis –
three months) being taken as that of time how long. And a plot, etc. There is no
"and" in the Greek. It is better to take the
Textus Receptus, and to consider ποιήσας –
poiaesas - as a nominative
pendens as ἐπιγνόντες – epignontes – when they knew –
is in ch. 19:34, according to the reading of Meyer, Alford,
etc. A plot was laid
against him by the Jews. It appears from this that Apollos had not succeeded in
subduing the bigoted hatred of the Corinthian Jews. But probably the desperate
measure of a plot against his life (ἐπιβουλής – epiboulaes), as in ch. 9:23-24; v. 19
here, and 23:30) is an indication that many of their number had joined the Church;
and that the unbelieving remnant, being foiled in argument, had recourse to violence.
He determined; literally, according to the Received Text, he was of opinion. But the
Textus Receptus has ἐγένετο γνώμη
– egeneto
gnomae - his opinion was,
the construction of the sentence being changed. The three months were probably
chiefly spent at
though it would seem that he had stayed a longer time in
anticipated. It was during his sojourn at
was written.
4 “And there
accompanied him into Asia Sopater of
Thessalonians,
Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timotheus;
and of
Beraea for
Text and Revised Version; Timothy for Timotheus, Authorized Version. Accompanied;
συνείπετο – suneipeto - peculiar to Luke in the New Testament, but common in medical
writers. As
far as
been thought, with regard to the Macedonians Sopater, Aristarchus, and Secundus, that
they had merely gone as far as their respective cities, Beraea and Thessalonica; it is
therefore added (in most manuscripts, though not in B or the Codex Sinaiticus),
"as far as
though we know Trophimus and Aristarchus did. Sopater may probably be the same
as Sosipater (Romans 16:21), whom Paul calls "his kinsman," though some think
"the son of Pyrrhus" was added to distinguish him from him. The Thessalonian
Aristarchus is doubtless the same as the person named in ch.19:29; 27:2; and so
one would have thought Gaius must be the same as is named with Aristarchus in
ch.19:29, were it not that this Gaius is described as of Derbe, whereas the Gaius
there was a man of
was of the neighboring city of
needful to specify his nationality. Secundus is not mentioned elsewhere. Compare
Tertius and Quartus (Romans 16:22-23), and the common Roman names, Quinctus,
Sextus, Septimus, Octavius, Decimus. Tychicus, of Asia, is mentioned in
Ephesians 6:21; Colossians 4:7; II Timothy 4:12; Titus 3:12; by which we learn
that he continued to be in constant attendance on Paul, and have abundant
confirmation of his being "of
(ch. 21:29), and is named again as a companion of Paul, and presumably "of
(II Timothy 4:20). It is not improbable that some at least of there followers were
chosen by the Churches to carry their alms to
9:12-13; I Corinthians 16:3-4; Romans 15:25-28).
5 “These going before tarried for us at
Authorized Version and Textus Receptus; and were waiting for tarried, Authorized
Version. The narrative is so concise that the exact details are matters of conjecture.
There is consequently much difference of opinion about them. Howson, with
whom Farrar (vol. 2:274) apparently agrees, thinks that the whole party traveled
together by land through Bercea and Thessalonica, to
consisting of Sopater, Aristarchus and Secundus, Gains, Timothy, Tychicus, and
Trophimus, went on at once from Philippi via Neapolis, to
who was now joined by Luke, at
the Feast of the Passover. And this seems quite consistent with Luke's narrative.
But Lewin (vol. it. p. 74) thinks that only Paul (accompanied, as he supposes,
by Luke, Titus, and Jason) went to
from Cenchreae to
from Cenchreae to Neapolis, whence Paul's party went to
to
6 “And we sailed away from
and came unto them to
Tarried for abode, Authorized Version. We; distinctly marking that Luke,
the author of the narrative, whom we left at
again at the same place. Renan (p. 498) well remarks, "At Philippi Paul once
more met the disciple who had guided him for the first time
to
attached him to his company again, and thus secured as his companion in the
voyage the historian who was to write an account of it, with such infinite charm
of manner and such perfect truth." It may be noted that this passage is quite
conclusive against the notion entertained by some, that Timothy was the writer
of the Acts. From Philippi;
i.e. from Neapolis, the
of unleavened bread, which lasted eight days, including the day of eating the
Passover. In five days. An unusually long voyage, owing, doubtless, to unfavorable
winds. On the former occasion when he sailed from
two days (ch. 16:11). Where we tarried seven days. As the last of these seven days
was Sunday - "the first day of the week" - he must have arrived on the preceding
Monday, and left Neapolis on the preceding Thursday. Some, however, reckon
the days differently. It must be remembered that the apostle's movements were
dependent upon the arrival and departure of the merchant ships by which he traveled.
The position of
East and West.
7 “And 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.” We were gathered for the disciples came,
Authorized Version and Textus Receptus; discoursed with for preached unto,
Authorized Version; intending for ready,
Authorized Version; prolonged for
continued, Authorized Version. The first day of the week. This is an important
evidence of the keeping of the Lord's day by the Church as a day for their
Church assemblies (see Luke 24:1, 30, 35; John 20:19, 26; I Corinthians 16:2).
To break bread. This is also an important example of weekly communion as the
practice of the first Christians. Comparing the phrase, "to break bread," with
Luke's account of the institution of the Holy Eucharist (Luke 22:19) and the
passages just quoted in Luke 24, and Paul's language (I Corinthians 10:16; 11:24),
it is impossible not to conclude that the breaking of bread in the celebration of the
Lord's Supper is an essential part of the holy sacrament, which man may not for any
specious reasons omit. Further, this passage seems to indicate that evening
Communion, after the example of the first Lord's Supper, was at this time the
practice of the Church. It was preceded (see v. 11) by the preaching of the Word.
The following description, given by Justin Martyr, in his second Apology to
Antoninus Pius (or Marcus Aurelius), of the Church assemblies in his day, not
a hundred years after this time, is in exact agreement with it: - "On the day which
is called Sunday, all (Christians) who dwell either in town or country come together
to one place. The memoirs of the apostles and the writings of the prophets are read
for a certain time, and then the president of the meeting, when the reader has stopped,
makes a discourse, in which he instructs and exhorts the people to the imitation of the
good deeds of which they have just heard. We then all rise up together, and address
prayers (to God); and, when our prayers are ended, bread and wine and water are
brought, and the president, to the best of his ability, offers up both prayers and
thanksgivings, and the people assent, saving 'Amen.' And then the distribution
of the bread and wine, over which the thanksgivings have been offered, is made
to all present, and all partake of it." He adds that the elements are carried to the
absent by the deacons, and that collections are made for poor widows, and orphans,
and sick, and prisoners. Discoursed (διελέγετο – dielegeto – argued; preached);
ch. 17:17, note.
Prolonged (παρέτεινέν – pareteiven – continued; prolonged).
The word is found only here in the New
Testament, but is of frequent use in
medical writers.
The Lord’s Day Sabbath (v. 7)
This is the first allusion to
distinctively Christian meetings as held on the
first day of the week, the day which
commemorates the resurrection of the
Lord Jesus. The grounds on which it pleased
God to separate a regular,
and a frequently recurring, portion of
time from common worldly labor
may be pointed out. Two things
especially require notice.
1. Such a recurring period of rest is
practically proved to be necessary for
man’s
physical well-being. It is more and more
clearly shown, that the
recovering and restoring power of
nightly sleep is not sufficient, and that
the weekly prolonged rest is essential
to the continued maintenance of the
bodily powers.
2. A man is not chiefly a body. He is a composite being; but
he is, in the
truest conception of him, a soul, having a body for his use. And it is of the
first importance that the soul should
have its due and adequate
opportunities of culture. For the
securing of such opportunities, the tension
of bodily claims must be at times
relieved. The change of the day kept as
the sabbath, from the seventh to the
first of the week, does not seem to
have taken place by any revelation or
any distinct apostolic arrangement. It
came about in the natural course of
events. Probably at first the Jewish
Christian disciples kept the Jewish
sabbath in the usual way, and also had
some special meeting of their own, in
remembrance of the Lord’s
resurrection, on the evening of the
first day of the week. As the gospel won
its way among the Gentiles, the
distinctively Christian meetings would
grow in importance; and when Paul
separated the disciples from the
synagogue, Jewish customs and rules
ceased to have authority over them.
As Judaism faded away, the Christian day
of rest took the place of the
older sabbath; and the Christian forms
of worship superseded the temple
and the synagogue ordinances. We dwell
on two points.
THE OLDER JEWISH SABBATH. What was essential in the original
institution
was the devotement to God of one day in seven. No importance
attached to
its being the first, or fourth, or seventh, as men may arbitrarily
reckon the
days of the week. The division of time into weeks is not a
natural
division, dependent on movements of earth or of moon. It is an
arrangement made
entirely in view of man’s physical and spiritual interests.
And the
change of the precise day teaches us the important lesson that God
cares for
the essence of obedience, for the spirit of service; and while this
finds its
proper expression in minute and careful observance of His
requirements,
God is not limited by the mere formality of His commands,
but
graciously leaves the times, seasons, and modes of our obedience to
our good
will and judgment. Wherever there is the spirit of obedience,
there need
be little fear as to the finding of right modes. All that is essential
in the
Jewish sabbath holy souls jealously preserve in the Christian Sunday.
ONE DAY IN SEVEN TO THE REMEMBRANCE OF THE LORD
JESUS CHRIST. We are
to “keep
the sabbath day holy;” that is, we are to
fill it
fully up with thoughts of God and work for God. But to us God has
been “manifest
in the flesh;” “He was made flesh and dwelt among us.” As
with us here
in our humanity, Jesus was the “Brightness
of the Father’s
glory, and the
express Image of his person.” (Hebrews 1:3)
And so the
keeping the Christian
Sunday holy is filling it fully up with thoughts of
Christ and
work for Him. And that they might be helped to such remembrances,
the early disciples,
every Sunday evening, broke bread together, this being the
appointed
means for recalling to their minds their Lord’s broken body and
shed blood.
For our soul’s life, the Sunday is a day
for communion with
Christ. For the world’s salvation, Sunday is a day for witnessing
of Christ
and working
for Him. We may learn, then, in what lies the very essence of
the rightly
kept Christian sabbath. It must have two things always in it.
Ø Conscious communion with Christ.
Ø Active cooperation with Him in His sublime
purpose to redeem and
save the world.
8 “And there were many lights in the upper chamber,
where they were gathered
together.” We for they,
Authorized Version and Textus Receptus. It is not obvious
why Luke mentions the many
lights. Some say to mark the
solemnity of the first day
of the week (Kuinoel); some, to remove
all possible occasion of scandal as regards
such midnight meetings (Bengel); some,
to explain how the young man's fall was
immediately perceived (Meyer); others,
to account for the young man's drowsiness,
which would be increased by the many
lights, possibly making the room hot (Alford);
for ornament (Olshausen). But possibly
it is the mere mention by an eye-witness of a
fact which struck him. It is obvious
that the room must have been lit for a night
meeting - only perhaps there were more
lights than usual.
9 “And 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.”
The for a, Authorized Version; borne down with for being fallen into a,
Authorized Version; discoursed yet longer for was long preaching,
Authorized Version; being borne down by his
sleep he for he sunk down with
sleep,
and, Authorized Version; story for loft,
Authorized Version. In the window;
or, on the
window-seat. The window was merely the opening in the wall, without
any glass or shutter. Borne
down; καταφερόμενος
– katapheromenos
– sinking –
the proper word in connection with sleep,
either, as here, when sleep is the agent,
or, followed by εἰς
ὕπνον – eis hupnon - falling
into sleep. Yet longer; rather,
as in the Authorized Version, long; i.e. longer than usual, somewhat or very long.
10 “And Paul went down, and fell on him, and
embracing him said, Trouble not
yourselves;
for his life is in him.” Make ye no ado for trouble not yourselves,
Authorized Version. Fell
on him, and
embracing him said;
imitating the action
of Elijah and Elisha (I Kings
17:17-21; II Kings 4:34). Make ye no
ado
(μὴ
θορυβεῖσθε – mae
thorubeisthe – be ye not making a tumult). Θόρυβος
–
Thorubos – Noise; uproar, tumult and θορυβεῖσθαι
–
thorubeisthai - are words
especially used of the lamentations made
for the dead. Thus when Jesus came to
the house of Jairus, He found the
multitude outside the house, θορυβούμενον
–
thoruboumenon - making a
tumult. This is still more clearly brought out in
Mark 5:38-39,
"He beholdeth a tumult (θόρυβον), and many weeping and
wailing
greatly. And... he saith unto them, Why make ye a tumult (θορυβεῖσθε),
and
weep? The child is not dead, but sleepeth." In exactly the same way
Paul
here calms the rising sobs and wailings of the
people standing round the body
of Eutychus, by saying, Μὴ θορυβεῖσθε,
"Do not wail over him as dead, for
his life is in him."
Sleepy Eutychus (vs. 9-10)
Explain precisely what happened. The
window was a lattice opening, and,
for the sake of air to the crowded
room, the lattices were put aside. How
crowded the house was is intimated by
the presence of some people in this
third story. There they would be sure
to feel oppressed by the heat of the
house. Eutychus may have fallen into
the street, but it is more likely that he
fell into the hard paved courtyard. For
a similar fall, see the account of the
death of Ahaziah, King of Israel (II
Kings 1:2, 17). The word that is
translated “young man” implies that
Eutychus was quite a youth, and not
likely to be very directly interested
in Paul’s address. He very probably
was a child of the house where the
meeting was held. While the narrative
does not positively say that Eutychus
was killed by the fall, and indeed
leaves it possible for us to assume
that he was only badly stunned, the
simplest reading of it — without
prejudice in relation to the miraculous —
certainly leaves the impression of a
real death and restoration. We bend
attention to the conduct of Paul in
relation to the matter, and inquire
why he took the trouble thus to recover
the fallen and dead youth.
Dismissing, with a brief mention, the
interest he would feel in such a
calamity affecting the people of the
house, and seeking for explanations
having a more general application, we
notice:
one was to
blame, it was the apostle himself, who had been led on to talk
so long and
keep the meeting to unreasonable hours for young folk. Long
services
make too great a demand on the physical strength of young
people. They
are trying even to the elder Christians, but their awakened
spiritual
interest will enable them to bear such fatigue of body. It was not
wrong for
Eutychus to sleep. He was simply overborne by the heat of the
place and
the lateness of the hour. And still we need to distinguish between
failings,
which come out of human frailties, and sins that come out of
human
willfulness. Too often the young are punished for what is merely
due to the
influence of surrounding circumstances and the undeveloped
bodily
conditions. The relation of public services to the young needs
careful and
judicious treatment.
Ø Services for them are advisable and
necessary.
Ø Their share in the general service of
the Church is important.
Ø Such services may exert a gracious
influence apart from the actual
mental
comprehension of what is said and done.
Ø Such services need not be unduly
limited or too easily altered in
character
for the sake of the young.
Ø Such services should take into due
account, and deal considerately with,
the physical
infirmities of the young. It is possible, by securing variety
in forms of
worship, changing attitudes, and efficient illustration in
preaching, to
successfully resist the infirmities of the children. If we
find our
public services uninteresting, we may question whether we
are not,
like the apostle, ourselves to blame.
MISUNDERSTOOD. Too
easily the company would take up the notion
that this
was a judgment on inattention, and such an idea must be at once
and fully
corrected. In such a case as that of Ananias and Sapphira, no
apostle
would feel impelled to put forth miraculous power; the judgment of
God on sin
must stand. But the case of Eutychus belonged to what may
fairly be
called “accidents.” A conjunction of circumstances brought it
about —
heat, sleepiness, the position in which Eutychus sat, the open
window,
etc.; and this Paul may deal with in a way of miracle, just as
Elijah and
Elisha had done in cases of sudden death from disease (see
I Kings
17:21; II Kings 4:34). It is quite true that Christianity makes
great
demands on self-control and self-denial. It expects the spirit to master
the body;
but it makes its demands of the full-grown “man in Christ;” and,
only in
appropriate measures and degrees, on those who are young in years
and young in
the faith. The restoration of Eutychus may be regarded as a
prominent
and interesting illustration of the “sweet reasonableness” of
Christianity.
11 “When 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.” And when he
was
gone up for when he therefore was come up again, Authorized
Version; the
bread for bread, Authorized
Version and Textus Receptus; had talked with them for
talked, Authorized Version. Had broken
the bread; i.e. the bread already prepared,
and spoken of in v. 7 (where see note),
but which had not yet been broken in
consequence of Paul's long discourse. And
eaten. Γευσάμενος – Geusamenos –
tasting
- does not seem to mean "having eaten of the bread broken," for
the word
is never used of the sacramental eating
of bread. That word is always φάγειν -
phagein – to be eating (I Corinthians
11:20, 24) or ἐσθίειν
– esthiein –
to be eating
(ibid. vs. 26-29).
But γευσάμενος
[γεύσασθαι]–
geusasthai - seems rather to be taken
absolutely, as in ch.10:10,
"having eaten," meaning "having partaken" of the meal,
the agape, which followed the Eucharist. Talked with
them (ὁμιλήσας
–
homilaesas –
conversing).
Of familiar converse (Luke 24:14-15; ch. 24:26).
Compare the use of
ὁμιλία
– homilia
- communications; conversations, translated manners in
I Corinthians
15:33; from whence, of course, comes the word
"homily." (If the
reader is unaware, this section is
considered exposition and the ones added in
outline style are homiletics, or
preaching material. CY – 2018)
Earnestness in Preaching and Hearing (vs.
9-11)
The subject is suggested by the
conversation, or the address, being
lengthened out by the mutual affection
of Paul and his audience. They
were unwilling for him to cease; he was
unwilling to keep back anything
that might be a help and a blessing to
them. That night there were just the
conditions that made “long
preaching” advisable, and prevented its being
thought a weariness. The impulse of the
preacher is such an audience; the
joy of the audience is such a
preacher. Tell of the associations of Paul
with
towards himself the affection of those
whom he served for Christ’s sake. A
feeling of oppression and anxiety at
this time rested on the apostle — he
felt that his missionary labors were
almost done, and this gave a peculiar
urgency and tenderness and pathos to
his preachings. They had the
characteristics of “last utterances” and “farewells.”
IN, AND GLOWING AFFECTION FOR, OUR TEACHERS. So far as
mere truth
is concerned, a stranger with competent knowledge can instruct
us; but
truth, in its personal relations with us, can only be taught by those
who know us;
and our ability to receive such influence depends largely on
our love for
those who give it. Press the importance of settled ministries, of
regular
attendance at the same worship, and of coming into such relations
with our “pastors and teachers” as may bring on us the power of their
personal
characters. Apply the principle, “Faithful are the wounds of a
friend” (Proverbs 27:6);
and our pastors should be felt such friends that
we can
receive both reproof and comfort and instruction from them.
OUR TEACHERS. These
people would not let Paul go; they kept him
talking all
night. He was compelled to respond to such love, and to pour
forth his best
treasures of knowledge and experience for their help. Trust
and love
still make the highest demands on our teachers, demands
sometimes so
great that ministers feel overwhelmed with the tremendous
responsibility.
Nothing draws out the best in a man like trusting him and
loving him.
Money can never buy a man’s best; duty can never compel a
man’s best;
love can always win a man’s best, just as a pure love makes a
man noble,
and a babe’s love calls a mother to sublime self-denials. The
one
condition of receiving the best spiritual blessings from a Christian
teacher is
that you must trust and love him as his disciples did Paul. His
relations
with his disciples are models, and happy are they who can give a
like joy to
their teacher and can win like blessings from him. In conclusion,
deal
practically with those things which constitute fitting preparation of
hearers for receiving
the best spiritual blessings through their teachers.
12 “And they
brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted.”
Lad for young man, Authorized Version. This section tells of a solemn
association with a great and important
occasion. Eutyehus
could scarcely be
without blame.
The people would never forget that it was the
Lord’s Supper, and
that those who
partake in such a service should watch against
human infirmities.
The wonderful
recovery of the lad seemed to shed a new light
on the whole service.
What glorious
power was set forth in that little society!
They were comforted for
Eutychus and
for themselves and for the whole Church. Jesus is life from the dead.
In Labors More Abundant (vs.
1-12)
The rapid succession and the unbroken
continuance of Paul’s labors is
truly marvelous. Rest or recreation
seem to be things unknown to him. The
tension of spirit caused by imminent
and pressing danger seems not to have
produced in him, as it does in most
men, the need of breathing-time to
recover their usual tone. His one idea
of the use of life, and of the various
faculties of mind and body with which
his life was equipped, was
apparently to preach Jesus Christ to
those who knew Him not, and to
confirm and establish those who knew
Him in the faith of the gospel. His
energy never flagged and his courage
never quailed. Most men’s nerves
would have been shaken by the terrible
riot at
“pressed out of measure, above strength” (II Corinthians 1:8) and had
despaired of life. But no sooner was
the uproar ceased than Paul started upon a
new course of labor and danger. He went
back to
before shamefully entreated, stripped,
scourged, cast into a dungeon, and made
fast in the stocks; to the other cities
of
been forced to escape by night for fear
of the violence of the Jews; to
and where the bigotry of the Jews was
ready to commence fresh plots
against his life. And wherever he went,
heart and mind, tongue and pen,
were kept at full stretch in preaching and teaching the things concerning
Jesus Christ. Such activity of mind and body is indeed wonderful. We see
the same untiring spirit, the same
inexhaustible love for souls, in the
midnight preaching at
would have sought repose. Not so Paul.
The comfort and stability of
the Church at
there, were his one consideration, Here
was an opportunity of preaching
Christ to them, of advancing their
spiritual life, of imparting to them more
of the fullness of the blessing of the
gospel of Christ — an opportunity that
might never recur, and so he would make
the most of it. Hence the whole
night given to prayer and preaching and
breaking of bread, to communion
with God and fellowship with His
saints. Such an example ought to be
studied by every minister of the Word
of God, with a view to following the
apostle as he followed Christ.
Indolence, self-indulgence, and indifference
to the growth of the
presence of such abundance of labor.
And every man’s faith must be
strengthened, and his love for Christ
and for souls kindled into a flame, as
he catches the warmth of the glowing
love of this mighty worker in the
Human Life: Lights and Shadows
(vs. 1-12)
In these verses we are reminded of:
this valuable
chronicle given to the unimportant incident of the accident
which befell
Eutychus (vs. 7-12), and only three to Paul’s visit to
apportion
his space, but the fact that he did so reminds us how often most
interesting
and instructive scenes, or even precious and influential periods,
of our life
are left unreported. We should have liked to read a full
description,
in copious detail, of the apostle’s visit to the Churches of
we are not
gratified. Doubtless some of the most heroic deeds have been
wrought in
secret, and no tongue has told the story; doubtless some of the
most saintly
sufferings have been endured unseen by mortal eye, and no
pen has
described the scene.
“If singing breath or echoing chord
To every hidden pang were given,
What endless melodies were poured,
As sad as earth, as sweet as heaven!”
Let it be
enough that one eye sees and one heart enters into our struggles
and our
sorrows, and that “our record is
on high.”
uproar was ceased,
Paul called unto him the disciples, and embraced them”
(v. 1). After
the storm was over, it was an intense relief to pour out their
agitated
hearts in mutual sympathy, congratulation, devotion. We know
(II
Corinthians 2:13) that Paul found no rest in his spirit because he
found not
Titus his brother at
there (ibid. ch. 7:6-7). We read of the friends
who “accompanied
him into
reckoning
was the sympathy and succor which came to the wearied and
buffeted
apostle from true human hearts. Loyal Christian fellowship is one
of those
beneficent gifts from God which we should count among our chief
treasures,
for which we should render heartiest thanksgiving; it is also one
of those
ways in which we can render invaluable service to faithful men,
and thus an
appreciated service to Christ, the Lord.
was about to
return to
to waylay
him. “The
Jews laid wait for him” (v. 3). He could not but
speak as
Christ, by His Spirit, taught him; and his preaching became more
clear and
distinct as to the non-necessity of the Law of Moses; his doctrine
became less
exclusive, more liberal, i.e. increasingly repugnant to the
narrow-minded
Jews; and the fierceness of their hostility found vent in
plots
against his life. Whoso will follow Christ in “bearing witness to the
truth” must be ready to “take up his cross and follow Him”
along the path
of the
persecuted. To be quite true to our convictions, to be fearlessly
faithful to
the Lord who reveals to us His will, is to bear the penalty of the
dislike, the
hatred, the intrigues of men.
schemed, but
God thwarted their schemes; he “turned aside,” and their
murderous
designs were defeated. Christ had more work for him to do, and
the uplifted
hand of the enemy must be arrested.
“Though destruction walk around us,
Though the arrows past us fly,
Angel-guards from thee surround us,
We are safe, if thou art nigh.”
opportunity
at
“ready to depart
on the morrow” (v. 7). In the “multitude
of his thoughts
within him” (Psalm 94:19), or conscious that he was soon to leave and
feeling
that he
might never return to them, disregarding the lateness of the hour and
the
condition of the chamber, he still preached on. He “continued his speech
until midnight.” That which would be unwise as a rule is allowable as an
exception. If “anger hath a privilege,” much more so has zeal. We admire
the man
whose fullness of soul makes him oblivious of all attendant
circumstances.
It is well to have a capacity for devotedness which will
sometimes
lift us far above the level of ordinary moods, and make us forget
everything
but our subject and our cause, or rather everything but the truth
of God and the cause and
The Seven Days’ Halt at the Gateway between
Europe and
(vs. 6-12)
This seven days’ stay at
of special interest about it. The seven
(v. 4) who accompanied Paul into
beside any others possibly with them,
must have been the welcomed
visitors of the disciples at
place where, in the vision of the night
(ch. 16:9), Paul had received
his call into Europe by the man of
many fresh memories would cluster
around the place and the people and
that seven days’ halt! We may, amid the
exceeding brevity of record here,
be nevertheless reminded:
FORGET TO GIVE SOME NEEDFUL INTERVAL OF REPOSE AND
REFRESHMENT. No life is more wearing than that which men live who
think for
nothing, care for nothing, but making wealth. This life often kills
the best
of the heart, the best of the mind, and the best of even the bodily
constitution.
In this sense, men work themselves harder and more
mercilessly
than ever God works them. God never works us
mercilessly.
But in the
hardest work He gives, He mingles much mercy. Yet His work in
a healthy
sense is hard, will match any for hardness, nor probably did the
hardest-worked
slave of self or Satan ever work harder than Paul did. But
now, so far
as we can see, the seven days at
persecution from
without or dissuasion from within, must have been days
of happy
converse and of peaceful rest. How much this party of ten would
have to say
to one another, to hear of the people at
them!
TO THE INTERRUPTION OF APPARENT ACCIDENT, ANYWAY TO
INTERRUPTION WELCOME TO NO ONE. The cause of the
interruption
on this occasion probably infers a very minimum of blame to
Eutychus.
Some one has spoken to this effect — that hours of sleep are
rarely
broken by devotion, often enough for light causes. But it may be
added that
hours of sleep are rarely forfeited, indeed, for hours of
devotion,
but hours of professed devotion are often broken by sleep, or by
what in the
long run is even more disastrous — by sleepiness. But as we
are told
more than once that Eutychus was “overpowered” by sleepiness,
and that
there were even physical reasons separate from his individual self
to increase
the tendency, it is not necessary to fix any blame on him. Nor
on Paul. Who
did not wish him to prolong last words? What a spirit moved
him! What a
message he had, and how much for years to come, for the
souls of not
a few, and for the collected disciples there, might depend on
his not
omitting to say, and to say at leisure, and to say touchingly, the
word given
him! Yes; we would think nothing of the small hours being
reached, and
the many lights in the upper chamber fading before the return
of the sun,
were it the converse of merely human affection that detained us
— men and
women anti families together. The people at
the superior
power and “o’er mastering attraction” of Divine affection and
Divine
discourse.
MOST INOPPORTUNE CALAMITY INTO MERCY’S CHOICE
MEMORIALS. The
calamity no doubt seemed inopportune. The disciples
had already
learned, of their own grateful will, to come together for
religious
exercises on “the first day of the week,” and to “break bread”
together. Paul and probably some of his companions, if not all of
them
(v. 13), had
desired to stay with the believers for the service of praise and
prayer, of
exhortation and of the communion, and perhaps had strained a
point to
stay over that “first day of the week.” And hearts were full that
evening.
There was not any general weariness. And Paul was speaking that
same hour
what the Spirit gave him to speak. Had he spoken less, it would
have been
“the Spirit’s course” that he was restraining, not his own vanity,
not his own
inconsiderateness. The confusion in that natural but solemn
assembly,
the disturbance to thought, and the pain of mind especially to
some, —
these were quite enough to unhinge the occasion. The peaceful
stream of
holy thought and of deep-flowing joy was checked. Yes; but not
long. The
Master is again present, and “by the hands” of Paul works, all
things
considered, a “special miracle.” And the service goes on. Thought
sinks
deeper, faith triumphs more proudly, and in many a glowing heart
great was
the joy. The meeting gathers impulse from its pause, and, a
bright
morning dawning upon it, offered a dim type of the morning,
brightest of
the bright, when the calamity of the present life and the broken
service of
the lower Church, and even the deepest, fullest, purest joy of the
now redeemed
heart shall give way to a safety which no foe can surprise, a
service that
shall ask no rest, and a joy that shall be supreme.
13 “And 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.” But for
and,
Authorized Version; going for went, Authorized
Version; the ship for
ship,
Authorized Version; set sail for and sailed, Authorized
Version; for for
unto,
Authorized Version; intending for minding, Authorized
Version; by land for afoot,
Authorized Version. Assos. A seaport on the coast
of
miles from
not tell us why on this occasion he was
separated from Paul. Had he appointed.
The passive διατεταγμένος
ῆν – diatetagmenos aen – it was having been prescribed –
is here used in an active sense, as in
Died. Sic. (quoted by Kuinoel) and other Greek
writers (see Steph., 'Thesaur.'). But some
consider it as the middle voice (Meyer).
14 “And when he met with us at Assos, we took him
in, and came to Mitylene.”
Met for met with, Authorized
Version. Mitylene. The capital of the
called by Horace "pulchra
Mitylene" ('Epist.,' 1. 11:17). The harbor on the northeastern
coast is described by Strabo as
"spacious and deep, and sheltered by a breakwater"
(13. 2).
15 “And we sailed thence, and came the next day
over against
next
day we arrived at
came
to
and
came, Authorized Version; following for next, Authorized Version; touched
for
arrived, Authorized Version; and the day after for and tarried at Trogyllium;
and
the next day,
Authorized Version and Textus Receptus. Over
against
Their course would lie through the
narrow strait between
the mainland on the east.
touched, or put in (παρεβάλομεν
–
parebalomen – we put in). If the clause in the
Textus Receptus is genuine, they did not
pass the night at
run from thence in the evening to
Trogyllium (Alford), "the rocky extremity of the
ridge of Mycale, on the Ionian coast,
between which and the southern extremity of
place, about twenty-eight miles south of
a Carian city. In Paul's time it was
situated on the southwest coast of the Latmian
gulf, just opposite the mouth of the
Meander on the east. But since his time the
whole
that
is to the west instead of to the east of
(Lewin, vol. it. p. 90; Smith's 'Dict.
of Geog.').
in after times. As regards this visit to
in II Timothy 4:20.
And it is certainly remarkable that so many of the same persons
in connection with the same places are
mentioned in both passages and in the
pastoral Epistles generally. The
identical persons are Paul, Timothy, Luke,
Trophimus, Tychicus, and Apollos (vs. 4-5,
compared with II Timothy 4:11-12, 20);
and the identical places are
But the other circumstances do not agree
well with the events of this journey, but
seem to belong to a later period of
Paul's life (see below, V. 25, note).
The long voyages made in those days in
sailing-vessels of only moderate
speed would afford time for conversation
with Luke and others, for a
narrative of the past labor to be at
least laid up in Luke’s memory, possibly
prepared under the apostle’s direction.
16 “For Paul had determined to sail by
the
time in Asia: for he hasted, if it were possible for him, to be at
the
day of Pentecost.” Past for by, Authorized Version; that he might not have
to
for
because
he would not,
Authorized Version; time for the time, Authorized
Version;
was
hastening for
hasted, Authorized Version. To
spend time; χρονοτριβῆσαι
–
chronotribaesai – to linger, found only here in
the New Testament, but used by
Aristotle and others. It has rather the
sense of wasting
time, spending it needlessly.
The day of Pentecost. The time of year is thus very distinctly marked. Paul was at
Philippi at the time of the Passover,
and hoped to reach
Scenes by the Way (vs. 1-16)
another,” had said the Lord. But not as a hireling who sees the wolf
coming;
rather as a brave warrior who retreats fighting. The brave retreat
may reflect
more honor than the hopeless prolongation of warfare. We
must know
when to give way. There is a “wise passiveness” and a
“masterly
inactivity.” If we can but gain our Christian point, we should
suffer no
scruple of vanity to stand in our way. And how much good may
be done in
this furtive way! The runner drops the seed as he goes. The
greatest
works have been done for God and the world by sufferers and in
the midst
of suffering. In the world the faithful
apostle has tribulation, but
peace in his
heart; and it distils from his lips upon his brethren as he goes.
Perfect ease
is not to be coveted by the true servant of Christ. The pulpit is
not an
easy-chair. Men are goaded to their best by
pain. They are perfected
for teaching
in the school of suffering. Sympathy and love are deepened by
common
experiences. Courage is truly learned; they that kill the body are
not feared,
but only they that injure the soul.
Ø
Exhibited in the feast of love and the
common hearing of the Word. The
one prepares for the other; together they explain each other and
enrich
each other. Here is the first trace of the Sunday observance
in the history
of the Church. Christian associations are engrafted upon old
customs.
Ø
As disturbed by grief, and restored. Eutychus sleeps during
the
preaching, and falls down. He was taken up dead, or “for
dead,” as some
expositors would interpret. Paul falls upon him, like Elisha in
the case of
the Shunammite’s son (II Kings 4:34), and Elijah with the widow’s
son
at Sarepta (I Kings 17:21); so that by vital warmth he may restore
him
to life. This striking coincidence of death in the midst of life,
of life in the
midst of death, must have powerfully reminded the disciples of Him
who is
the Resurrection and the Life, of His promise; and so must have
strengthened faith, and drawn the bonds of love closer together.
“He that
brought him back is here.” Not small was the consolation of the
brethren as
the young man was restored.
Ø The apostle. He is on his last mission journey. He “works while it is
day” (John 9:4), preaching the Word with power; sealing
his
testimony
with miracle, pursuing with constancy the end set before him.
Ø The sleeper. A warning against weakness and idleness. “I say unto all,
Watch!” (Mark 13:37) “The spirit is willing, the flesh is
weak.”
(Matthew
26:41)
Ø The unsleeping Divine watchfulness and providence. We have a God
who helps, and the Lord God who saves from death!
Ø The energy of the apostolic
personality. He goes down in
compassionate
pity, falls upon Eutychus with earnest prayer,
embraces him
with urgent love.
Ø The hush of the Divine presence. “Make no noise!” A lesson here for
the chamber
of the dead. God is here; His “finger touched him and he
slept.” Bow
before His power and decree; collect the heart from
distraction,
in recollection of its consolations. “They are not dead,
but sleep,” may be said of our Christian friends. Amidst such humble
and resigned
silence angels pass through the house, with errands of
ministry.
17 “And from
Called
to him for
called, Authorized Version. The Revised
Version gives the force
of the middle voice μετεκαλέσατο
–
metekalesato – he calls for. The elders of
the
Church; viz. of
episkopous - in v. 28, overseers, or bishops.
The distinctive names and functions
of Church officers were not yet fixed;
and the apostles themselves, aided by
degrees by such as Timothy and Titus,
were what we now call bishops,
exercising oversight over the elders
themselves as well as over the whole flock
(see I Timothy 3:1).
The diocesan episcopate came in gradually as the apostles
died off, and the necessity for a
regular episcopate arose (see ch. 6:1-6; ch.14:23).
18 “And when they were come to him, he said unto
them, Ye know, from the
first
day that I came into
all
seasons,” Ye yourselves for ye, Authorized Version; set foot in for came into,
Authorized Version; was for have been, Authorized Version; all the time for at
all
seasons, Authorized Version.
19 “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:”
Lowliness for humility, Authorized Version; tears for many tears, Authorized
Version and Textus Receptus; with trials for temptations, Authorized
Version;
plots for lying in wait,
Authorized Version. Plots (ἐπιβουλαῖς
- epiboulais);
compare v. 3, and note. There is no
special account of Jewish plots in Luke's
narrative of Paul's sojourn at
we may gather how hostile the
unbelieving Jews were to him.
20 “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,”
How
that I shrank not from declaring unto you anything for and how I kept
back nothing, Authorized Version; profitable for profitable unto you, Authorized
Version; and teaching for
but
have showed you and have taught, Authorized
Version.
I shrank not from declaring, etc. The Revised Version seems to construe the phrase
as if it were Ὡς
ὑπεσταιλάμην
τοῦ μὴ ἀναγγεῖλαι
ὑμῖν οὐδὲν τῶν
συμφερόντων –
Hos hupestailamaen tou mae anaggeilai humin ouden ton
sumpheronton –
How I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable,
which is a very labored
construction, of which the only
advantage is that it
gives exactly the same sense to ὑπεστειλάμην (I shrunk) as it has in v. 27.
But it is much simpler to take οὐδὲν (nothing) here as
governed by ὑπεστειλάμην,
and to take the verb in its very common
sense of "keeping back," or
"dissembling"
(see the very similar passages quoted by
Kuinoel from Demosthenes, Plato, Socrates,
etc., Οὐδὲν
ὑποστειλάμενος,
μηδὲν ὑποστείλαμεμος
κ.τ.λ.), and to take the τοῦ
μὴ
ἀναγγεῖλαι
ὑμῖν καὶ διδάξαι
- tou mae anaggeilai humin kai didaxai – not
held
back
the message expedient for you but have taught it – CY translation best as
I could make out) as expressing what
would have been the effect of such "keeping
back," or "dissembling,"
the μὴ (no)
extending to both infinitives (Meyer), "so as
not to declare and teach," etc. In
v. 27 the verb ὑπεστειλάμην
must be taken in the
equally common sense of "holding back," or "shrinking," under the
influence of fear,
or indolence, or what not. The
difference of rendering is required by the fact that
here you have οὐδὲν
ὑπεστειλάμην (I
kept back nothing), whereas in v. 27 you
have οὐ
ὑπεστειλάμην – ouk
hupesteilamaen – I have not shunned. In
several of
the classical passages quoted above, and
others in Schleusner, ὑποστέλλεσθαι
(holding back – my inept translation –
the idea being opposed to παρρησίαζεσθαι,
or,
μετὰ παρρησίας
διαλεχθῆναι
(once again my limited knowledge – I get the
impression of they being able to freely,
confidently, boldly speak, i.e. God’s
message – CY – 2018) (compare therefore for the sentiment, ch. 2:29;
4:13, 29, 31;
9:27;
13:46; 14:3; 28:31,
etc.; Ephesians
6:19-20).
21 “Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the
Greeks, repentance toward God,
and
faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” To Jews and to Greeks for both to the
Jews,
and also to the Greeks, Authorized Version (see ch.19:10, 17).
Repentance,
etc.
The two cardinal points of gospel
teaching, as they are the two necessary qualities for
every Christian man. "Repentance whereby we forsake sin, and faith whereby we
steadfastly
believe the promises of God." (whether Jew or Gentile (see ch. 2:38;
3:19; 5:31,
etc.; Mark 1:15,
etc.).
Paul at
Surely we have here an excellent summary
of distinctive Christian doctrine.
These two things are the essentials of
Christian truth. Without repentance
there can be no living faith; without
faith there can be no real spiritual life;
with both of these, a man is a
recognized citizen of the
inheritor of eternal life. There must
be:
what
constitutes repentance. Repentance may include, but is not
constituted
by:
Ø
Strong feelings of sorrow and shame in view of past sin. It is possible
and even common to produce very pungent and powerful feelings by
means of energetic oratory; but these, if they are not real,
profound
convictions, will be temporary, if not even momentary; they are not the
essential thing. Repentance will, at some time, include strong feeling of
abhorrence
of sin, but it may not commence with vivid and convulsive
emotions, and is not to be identified with these.
Ø
Change of outward behavior. It is indeed
true that, when really penitent,
the idolater will abandon his idolatry, the thief his dishonesty,
the drunkard
his intemperance, the liar his falsehoods, the truculent man his
violence,
etc.; but it must be remembered that men sometimes change their
habits for
other reasons than those of religious conviction. Amendment in
outward
behavior, valuable and desirable as it is, does not constitute “repentance
unto God;” it has also to be considered that there may be, and
often is, the
truest repentance where there is no alteration of conduct
observable by
man. The essence of repentance is the turning of the heart to God,
and
therefore of the life; it is that “change of mind” which consists
in the soul
turning from forgetfulness of God to thoughtfulness about him,
from
indifference to his claims to earnest consideration of them, from
unwillingness to own his sway to a perfect readiness to yield
everything to
him, from the guilty retention of our powers for ourselves to a
cheerful
surrender of ourselves and our days to the living God, our Father
and our
Redeemer. Thence will follow all the compunction for sin and all
the
change of conduct which the past career of the soul will demand.
Of this
“Greek and Jew” alike have need: the Greek (the Gentile) has need
to
change his thought of God, and the Jew his also; whether from
superstition, or from indifference, or from formality, all have
to come into
a different relation to God — that of humble subjection to his
will and
surrender to his service.
“And faith toward our
Lord Jesus Christ.” The faith of which
Paul testified
to Greek and
Jew was, we are sure, a living power. It was not a mere
passive
assent to a form of sound words. It was more than an intellectual
acceptance
of certain propositions. It was the cordial,
hearty acceptance by
the soul of A DIVINE SAVIOUR AND
LORD; it was the soul in all its need
welcoming a
Redeemer in all His strength to save and bless. It meant that
acceptance
of Jesus Christ in which the soul, conscious of sin and
condemnation,
flees to Him as to the Rock in which it can hide; in which
the heart,
recognizing its rightful Lord, goes to Him in glad self-surrender,
and yields
itself to Him that he may:
Ø guide it in His own paths,
Ø use it for His own glory, and
Ø conduct it to His own kingdom.
22 “And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto
things
that shall befall me there:” Bound
in the spirit. Τῷ πνεύματι – to pneumati –
-
may either mean "in
my spirit" or "by the Spirit," i.e. the Holy Ghost. If
the former, which the most probable
sense (as τὸ Πνεῦμα
τὸ ἅγιον – to Pneuma to
hagion – the
Holy Ghost - follows in the next verse), is taken, the sense will be that
Paul felt himself constrained to go to
was upon him, and he did not feel
himself a free agent to go anywhere else.
If the latter sense be taken, the
meaning will be that the Holy Ghost
was
constraining him
to go to
23 “Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every
city, saying that bonds and
afflictions abide me.” Testifieth unto me for witnesseth, Authorized Version and
Textus Receptus. The
Holy Ghost, speaking by the
prophets in the different Church
assemblies, as the apostle journeyed
from city to city. We have one instance of such
prophesying recorded in ch. 21:10-11.
The instances to which Paul here alluded
were not mentioned in Luke's brief
narrative.
24 “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.” I hold not my life of
any
account, as dear for none of these things
move me, neither count I my life dear,
Authorized Version and Textus Receptus; may accomplish my
course for
might
finish
my course with joy, Authorized Version and Textus Receptus; received for have
received, Authorized Version; from for of, Authorized Version. I hold not my life, etc.
It is inconceivable that Paul should
have uttered, or Luke have reported, such an
unintelligible sentence as that of the
Received Text, when it was perfectly easy to
express the meaning clearly. Neither
does the mention of his life, in the first
instance, tally with that of "bonds
and afflictions." The Textus Receptus,
which has considerable support, seems to
be far preferable. The first clause,
Οὐδενὸς
λόγον ποιοῦμαι
– Oudenos
logon poioumai - means quite
naturally,
I
take no account of anything; I value nothing, neither liberty, nor ease,
nor
comfort. I am ready to suffer the loss
of all things, and I do count them as dung
(Philippians
3:7-9); and then he adds yet further, "Neither do I
count my own
life as precious, so as to accomplish my
course," etc. This metaphor of running
a race is a favorite one with Paul (I Corinthians
9:24; Galatians 5:7;
Philippians
3:13-14; II Timothy 4:7).
To testify the gospel of the grace of God.
An invaluable epitome of the Christian
ministry. The essential feature of the gospel
is its DECLARATION OF GOD’S FREE GRACE to a guilty world, forgiving
sins, and
imputing righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ. The distinctive
work of the
ministry is TO DECLARE THAT GRACE! So
Paul describes his
own ministry, and the record of his
ministry in the Acts and in his Epistles exactly
agrees with this description. In the
spirit of a witness, simply declaring the gospel;
recognizing that “the gospel of the grace of God” is “the power of God” to men’s
salvation.
Paul’s Testimony (vs. 21-24)
“Testifying… repentance toward God, and faith
toward our Lord Jesus
Christ.” “To testify the gospel of the grace
of God.” The main lines of the
apostle’s work are nowhere given more
simply or more clearly than in
these sentences. Dean Plumptre
suggestively says, “These,” viz. repentance
and faith, “under all varieties of
form, formed the substance of the apostle’s
teaching. It is obvious, however, that
out of these might be developed a
whole system of theology; why
repentance was needed, and what it was,
and how it should show itself; what was
involved in the statement that
Jesus was the Christ, and why men
should believe in Him, and what works
were the proper fruit of faith. All
these were questions which had to be
answered before even the most
elementary truths could be rightly
apprehended. Paul’s ministry consisted in this, bearing
witness,
especially as a living example of its
power (I Timothy 1:12-16), of the
good tidings that God was not a harsh
Judge, but a gracious Father, willing
all men to be saved (ibid. ch. 2:4), that was the truth to
the proclamation of
which his life was to be devoted. As the subjects are familiar, only an outline
of treatment is necessary. We take the
latter expression first, as being the more
general one.
message
concerning God. It is:
Ø A corrective message. God is not as men
have thought.
Ø A revealing message, bringing to light
the fact that, by a sublime
act of
self-sacrifice, He has declared Himself to be love, and has
shown His
grace.
Ø A practical message, bearing directly
on our sins, and giving
assurance
of forgiveness.
GRACE UNTO FORGIVENESS.
Without conditions we should set no
value on the
grace, the gift, or the forgiveness. The conditions are
reasonable
and necessary. They are:
Ø Repentance. If we are not troubled about our sin, we shall not care
about
forgiveness.
Ø Faith. If we do not open our hearts to God, He cannot work His
good
work in us.
These are gospel foundations; but how much we have to
build thereon!
The Cheerful Acceptance of a
Hard
Give illustrations showing how severe,
trying, and anxious Paul’s missionary life
had been and was likely to be to the
end, taking as a basis his own account given
in II Corinthians 11:23-28. Additional “hardness”
came out of Paul’s peculiarly
nervous and sensitive temperament. He
felt both joys and sorrows so keenly.
With the apostle’s life compare that of
our Lord Jesus Christ. Both were divided
into two parts:
(1) a working part, in which God was served by active labors;
(2) a suffering part, in which God was served by bearing and
enduring
afflictions, persecutions, and
troubles.
By both doing and bearing God
may still be served; and in both ways God tests
the faithfulness of His people in our
times. Paul was taught “how great things he
must suffer for Christ’s Name’s sake” (ch. 9:16); and in
the passage before us
we see him learning this lesson, and
giving some expression to his feeling in
regard to it. The Spirit said in Paul
that the time was now near when a special
testimony for Christ amid
scenes of suffering would be required of him; and the
apostle received the revelation, not only
calmly, but cheerfully, like the older
apostles, counting it all joy that
he was thought worthy to suffer for his Master’s
sake.
Spirit was
only pleased to give general indications. Complete knowledge
of what is
about to happen can never be good for man,
because:
Ø it takes away the simplicity and
naturalness of his conduct;
Ø it prevents the proper exercise of his
will upon due consideration of
circumstances
that arise;
Ø it stops the process of moral and
spiritual culture; and
Ø it takes from him the call to a living,
daily trust in God.
The feeling
that all is settled and known tends to prevent faith from keeping
up a daily dependence. We cannot too thankfully rejoice that our future is
wholly unknown
to us, and that we are cast entirely upon the promise of
“grace for the
day,” and upon the assurance that the “Lord will provide.”
“I’d rather walk
in the dark with God than go alone in the
light.” We
know nothing.
Nay, we know everything if we know our ever-present Guide!
SUFFERING AS HE HAD BEEN TO GO FORWARD TO WORK.
Recall the
previous scene at (ch. 16.), when the man of
the apostle
to begin missionary labors’ in Europe. He had no doubt then
that he was
following the Divine lead; and he had no more doubt now that
he was
called to
notice of
coming troubles only to warn him and guard him against them;
but we must
understand that God may in this way test faithfulness. A plain
path of duty
may be before us, but we may come to know that suffering
lies that
way; then we are tested whether we will do the duty or shrink
back on
account of the suffering. The apostle clearly knew his duty, so
matters of
personal suffering could be no serious concern to him.
TO SERVE HIM IN WHATSOEVER WAY HE WILLED. Service to
Christ,
under the inspiration of His love, was Paul’s simple and sublime
idea. “To
him to live was Christ.” (Philippians 1:21) The place, or time,
or way of
service it was for his Master to settle; and what had to be borne
in rendering
the service he was willing to let his Master wholly arrange.
He set
before himself this aim, that he “might finish his course with joy.”
(v. 24) “It is required of stewards that they be found
faithful.”
(I
Corinthians 4:2) Apply to some of the suffering
lots now given to
God’s
people. They are spheres of service for Christ, and
they lose
all their “hardness” when they can be thus regarded.
AFFLICTIONS AN EASY THING. So much depends on the spirit in
which our
lot in life is taken up. The apostle is a beautiful example of
cheerfulness and hopefulness. He
will not let circumstances crush him, or
opposition
and adversity overwhelm him. He will not lose heart or hope.
He sings in
his own soul the song with which he has cheered thousands of
the saints
through the long Christian ages. “All things work together for
good to them that love God.” So the trials cannot hurt him. He is more than
conqueror.
He even finds how to look upon a “hard lot” as an opportunity
for rendering
fuller and heartier witness for the Lord whom he serves.
25 “And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom
I have gone preaching
the
Authorized Version; kingdom for
Receptus. I
know that ye all, etc. It is a very
perplexing question whether Paul in
this statement spake with prophetic, and
therefore infallible, foreknowledge, or
whether he merely expressed the strong
present conviction of his own mind,
that he should never return to
as the authenticity of the pastoral
Epistles is in a great measure bound up with it.
For, in the apparent failure of all
hypotheses to bring the writing of them within
the time of Luke's narrative, prior to
Paul's journey to
the theory which places the writing of
them, and the circumstances to which
they allude, to a time subsequent to
Paul's imprisonment at
the supposition that Paul returned to
imprisonment (I Timothy 1:3;
II Timothy
1:15,18; 4:9-14, 19; Titus 1:5),
and consequently that Paul's
anticipation, that he was in
was not realized..
26 “Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood
of
all men.” Testify unto you for take you to record, Authorized
Version. The
solemnity of this address is dependent
upon the speaker's conviction that he
was speaking to his hearers for the last
time. Hence the force of the words,
"this day" (ἐν τῇ σήμερον
ἡμέρᾳ - en tae saemeron haemera – the today day );
"my last opportunity." I
am pure, etc. (compare Ezekiel
3:17-21; 33:2-9;
Hebrews 13:17).
Note the peril of hiding or watering down GOD’S TRUTH!.
27 “For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the
counsel of God.”
Shrank
not from declaring for have not shunned to
declare,
Authorized Version;
(see v. 20, note); the whole for all the, Authorized
Version. Counsel of God.
His revealed will
and purpose concerning man's salvation (ch. 2:23;
ch. 4:28;
God’s Whole Counsel (v. 27)
Paul is stating a fact which:
(1) was to the honor of the Ephesian elders, for they must have
been
receptive and willing hearers if the
apostle found that he might even teach
them the mysteries of the
gospel; and which:
(2) was to the honor of Paul as a teacher, who was so skilful
in dividing
the Word of truth that he could make
the very mysteries plain. Compare his
language in Ephesians 3:4, where he
speaks of their ‘being’ “able to
understand his knowledge, in the mystery of
Christ.” It is right to declare
the whole counsel of God; but it is
wise only to declare it to those who are
prepared to receive it. Compare Peter’s
counsel and reference to Paul in
II Peter 3:15-16. The “whole
counsel of God” may be regarded
as including:
(1) the Divine revelations made in different ages;
(2) in different forms;
(3) to different individuals.
While the
complete circle may be regarded as contained in the Old and
New
Testament Scriptures, we may not absolutely limit Divine revelation
to the
written Word. The Spirit of God
has full and free access to the
minds and hearts of
men, and can reveal His will directly to them if it shall
please Him so to
do. To this circle there is a center,
but the repetition of
this cannot
be the Divine idea of “preaching the gospel.” Every truth
within
the circle
must be held by, and filled with the spirit of, the central truth.
Everything within
the circle is the gospel. Ministers may not, and they need
not, shun to declare to men
the
very “mysteries” of revelation, since by
the
consideration
of such the higher culture of the soul is gained. Infants take
the milk of
first principles; strong men need to feed upon strong meat of
difficult
and ADVANCED TRUTH!
truth may
not be left untouched by any teacher, but its treatment calls for
much care
and wisdom. There are times when we are required to show
how truth
opposes error; but usually it is far better to preach the positive
truth, and
let it by its own force gradually root out and destroy error.
Three points
may here be illustrated.
Ø
Christ’s truth seemed opposed to Judaism.
It was not really opposed to
the system as given by God to Moses. It was the natural
and necessary
outgrowth
and completion of it. (“For verily I say unto you, Till
heaven and
earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass
from the law,
till all be fulfilled.” Matthew 5:18) It was opposed to
the corrupt Judaism of the rabbis — a formal and ceremonial system
out of which all spiritual life had gone.
Ø
Christ’s truth was opposed to paganism,
both in its theories, principles,
and practices.
Ø
Christ’s truth is made to appear opposed
to science, but only by the
undue assumptions and prejudiced bias of some who really
misrepresent
science. (Science and the
Word will never conflict! CY – 2018)
Ø
Christ’s truth is always opposed to worldly maxims, because it demands
the
whole soul for God, while the
world wants the whole soul for self.
Epistles how
directly it bears:
Ø
On individual habits; teaching us how to
possess the vessels of our
bodies in sanctification and honor.
Ø
On family relations; culturing good
fatherhood and motherhood, and
requiring honorable obedience from children, and service from
dependents.
Ø
On social fellowships; binding man to man
in a gracious brotherhood of
common helpfulness.
uttered with
the force of a man’s own experience, persuasion, and
conviction,
the truth gains a new power; but we must also recognize that it
comes under
limitations by getting apprehension and expression only
through
limited minds — limited by capacity and limited by education.
Individuality
is on one side power, but on the other side weakness.
Conclude by
fully unfolding what now may be thought of as included in the
“whole counsel of
God,” especially pointing out that,
while the field of
revelation
is the same that Paul had, the field of speculation has
marvelously
grown and enlarged. But still, what men have
to preach to
their
fellow-men is not their speculation, but GOD’S REVELATION!
28 “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all
the flock, over the
which
the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the
which
He hath purchased with His own blood.” Take heed for take heed
therefore, Authorized Version and Textus Receptus; in for over, Authorized
Version; bishops for overseers, Authorized
Version; purchased for hath
purchased, Authorized Version and Textus Receptus. Take heed, etc.;
προσέχετε
ἑαυτοῖς – prosechete heautois – be ye heeding
to yourselves –
peculiar to Luke (Luke 12:1;
17:3;
21:34).
Now
follows the weighty
charge of this great bishop to the
clergy assembled at his visitation. With the true
feeling of a chief pastor, he thinks of
the whole flock, but deals with them
chiefly through the under-shepherds. If
he can awaken in these individually a
deep concern for the souls committed to
their charge, he will have done the best
that can be done for the flock at large.
The first step to such concern for the flock
is that each be thoroughly alive to the
worth and the wants of his own soul.
"Take heed unto yourselves."
He that is careless about his own salvation will
never be careful
about the souls of others (compare I Timothy
4:16). In the
which the Holy Ghost, etc. Ἐν ῷ - En ho – in which - no doubt, does not strictly
contain the idea of "over
which;" but the idea of authoritative oversight is
contained in the word ἐπίσκοπος – episkopos – bishop;
overseer, and therefore
the rendering of the Authorized
Version is substantially correct. Perhaps the exact
force of the ἐν
ῷ is "among
which," like ἐν ἡμῖν
– en
humin – in us; among us;
(ch.2:29,
and elsewhere). The call and appointment to the
ministry is the special
function of the
Holy Ghost (John 20:22-23; ch. 12:2;
Ordination Service). To feed;
ποιμαίνειν
–
poimainein – to be shepherding, the
proper word for "tending" in
relation to τὸ
ποίμνιον, the flock, as ποιμήν – poimaen - the
pastor, or shepherd,
is for him who so feeds the flock of
Christ (see John 10:11,
16; 21:17;
Hebrews 13:20;
I Peter 5:2-3).
Peter applies the titles of "Shepherd
and Bishop
of
souls" to the Lord Jesus (I Peter 2:25). Paul does not use the metaphor
elsewhere, except indirectly, and in a
different aspect (I Corinthians 9:7).
The Church of God; margin, Church of the Lord. There is, perhaps, no single
passage in Scripture which has caused
more controversy and evoked more
difference of opinion than this. The Textus
Receptus has τοῦ
Θεοῦ - tou Theou –
of
God, but most uncials have τοῦ
Κυρίου – tou Kuriou – of the Lord.
Kuinoel
asserts that the reading τοῦ Κυρίου
rests on the authority, besides that of the
oldest manuscripts, of the old versions,
and of many of the most ancient Fathers,
and says that it is undoubtedly the true
reading. Meyer, too, thinks that the external
evidence for τοῦ
Κυρίου is decisive, and that the internal
evidence from the fact that
ἐκκλησία
τοῦ Κυρίου – ekklaesia tou Kuriou – Church of the Lord
occurs nowhere
else in Paul's writings, is decisive
also. But on the other hand, both the Codex
Vaticanus (B) and the Codex Sinaitieus (א), the two oldest manuscripts, have
Θεοῦ
(Θυ) – Theou (Thu) - God. The Vulgate, too, and the Syriac have it; and
such early Fathers as Ignatius (in his
Epistle to the Ephesians) and Tertullian use
the phrase, "the blood of
God," which seems to have been derived from this
passage. And Alford reasons powerfully in
favor of Θεοῦ, dwelling
upon the
fact that the phrase ἐκκλησία
τοῦ Θεοῦ occurs ten times in Paul's writings,
that of ἐκκλησία
τοῦ Κυρίου not once. The
chief authorities on each side of
the question are:
(1) in favor of τοῦ Κυρίου,
Lachmann, Tischendorf, Bornemann, Lunge,
Olshausen, Davidson, Meyer, Hackett, as
also Grotius, Griesbaeh (doubtfully),
Wetstein, Le Clerc, and others;
(2) in favor of τοῦ Θεοῦ,
Bengel, Mill, Whitby, Wolf, Scholz, Knapp, Alford,
Wordsworth, etc., and the Received Text.
It should be added that the evidence
for τοῦ
Θεοῦ has been much strengthened by the publication
by Tischendorf,
in 1563, of rite Codex Sinaiticus, and
in 1867 of the Codex Vaticanus, from
his own collation. The result is that τοῦ Θεοῦ seems
to be the true reading
(see the first of the two collects for
the Ember weeks in the Book of Common
Prayer. With regard to the difficulty
that this reading seems to imply the
unscriptural phrase, "the blood of God," and to
savor of the Monophysite
heresy, it is obvious to reply that
there is a wide difference between the phrase
as it stands and such a one as the
direct "blood of
God," which
Athanasius and
others objected to. The mental insertion
of "the Lord" or "Christ," as the subject
of the verb "purchased," is very easy, the
transition from God the Father to God
incarnate being one that might be made
almost imperceptibly. Others (including
the Received Text) take the reading of
several good manuscripts, Διὰ
τοῦ αἵματος
τοῦ
ἰδίου – Dia tou haimatos tou idiou, and understand τοῦ
ἰδίου to be an ellipse
for τοῦ
ἰδίου υἱοῦ, the phrase
used in Romans 8:32;
and so render it "which He
purchased by the blood of His own Son." Οἱ ἰδίοι
– Hoi idioi - His
own, is used
without a substantive in John 1:11.
This clause is added to enhance the
preciousness of
the flock, and the responsibility
of those who have the
oversight of it.
Blood Purchased (v. 28)
This figure of speech is directly
connected with a reference to the Church
as a flock; to the officers as overseers,
or shepherds; and to their duty as
feeding the flock. It is important to inquire how far the shepherd and sheep
figure will explain the scriptural
allusions to redemption, or salvation by
blood. The figure as used by
our Lord in John 10. should be compared
with the expression in our text, “which
he hath purchased with his own
blood.” The question which we have to consider is — How does a
shepherd purchase his sheep with his
blood? The answer takes two possible
forms.
SHEEP. This is the
characteristic feature of the good shepherd as opposed
to the hireling.
The good shepherd purchases their safety every day by his
willingness
to shed his blood in their defense. So a mother may be said to
purchase the
health of a sick child by her willingness to give her life for his,
imperiling
her own life by her anxious watching and care.
FIGHTING AND KILLING THE WOLVES. If he kills the wolves he
saves the
sheep, though he may himself die of his wounds; and then he
plainly
purchases the safety of the flock with his blood. These figures may
be applied
to the
work of the Lord Jesus Christ. He imperiled His life for
our defense. He
met our great foe in conflict. He overcame sin and death,
and plucked
death’s sting away. He died indeed in the struggle, but He set
us free; and so He
has purchased us BY HIS OWN BLOOD! He
has won,
by HIS GREAT ACT
OF SELF-SACRIFICE, our love and life forever.
Compare the
figure as employed
by Peter (“Forasmuch as ye know that ye
were not redeemed
with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your
vain conversation
received by tradition from your fathers; But with the
precious blood of
Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot!”
I Peter
1:18-19).
29 “For I know this, that after my departing shall
grievous wolves enter in
among you, not sparing the flock.” I know for, for I know this, Authorized
Version and Textus Receptus; grievous wolves shall for shall grievous wolves,
Authorized Version. After
my departure (ἄφιξιν – aphixin – departure; out of
reach,
not ἀναλύσεως – analuseos - dissolution, as II Timothy 4:6). The word,
which is only found here in the New
Testament, usually means "arrival"
in
classical Greek, but it also means, as
here, "departure." It is
not to be taken in
the sense of "departure from this
life," but refers to that separation, which he
thought was forever, which was about to
take place. Grievous wolves; still
keeping up the metaphor of the flock.
The wolves denote the false teachers,
principally Judaizers. See II Timothy
3:1-12, and 13, "But evil
men and
seducers shall
wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived."
These came from
30 “Also of your own selves shall men arise,
speaking perverse things,
to
draw away disciples after them.” And from among for also of,
Authorized
Version; the disciples for
disciples, Authorized Version. From among
your own
selves; as opposed to the strangers from
II Timothy
4:3, "The time will
come when they will not endure sound doctrine;
but after their
own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching
ears"
(see, as instances, Ibid. ch. 2:17-18; 4:14). Speaking
perverse things.
(Ibid.
ch. 4:4, "They shall turn away their ears from
the truth, and shall be
turned unto
fables." To draw away
the disciples, etc.; i.e. to induce Christians
to leave the
communion and doctrine of the Church, and join their heresy.
The Authorized Version, "to draw away disciples," is
manifestly wrong;
τοὺς
μαθητὰς – tous mathaetas - are Christ's
disciples. For the general statement,
see II Timothy
3:6, "They which
creep into houses, and lead captive silly women;"
and compare Romans
16:17-18, which, according to Renan, was addressed to the
Ephesians. For the rise of false
teachers in
6:20-21; II Timothy 1:15; I John 2:26;
4:1, 3, 5; and through the
whole Epistle;
31 “Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space
of three years
I
ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.”
Wherefore
watch ye for therefore watch, Authorized Version; remembering
for
and
remember, Authorized Version; admonish for warn,
Authorized Version.
By the space of three years (τριετίαν
–
trietian – for three years). The word is only
found here in the New Testament; but it
is used in the Septuagint of Isaiah 15:5
and II Chronicles
31:16, and in classical Greek. We have here one of the few
chronological data in the Acts. Three
years includes the whole of his sojourn
at
he preached in the synagogue; then the
two years which he spent in preaching
in the school of Tyrannus, and which
terminated with the incident of burning
the books of magic (ch. 19:8, 10,
19). Then there was an indefinite time
described in Ibid. v. 22 as "for a while" (αὐτὸς ἐπέσχε
χρόνον), during which
he was busy making plans, probably
writing letters, sending off Timothy and
Erastus to
neighborhood. This may have occupied
three or four months longer, and made
up a term of two years and six, seven,
or eight months, which would quite justify
the term τριετία.
Every one.
Each one separately, not merely the whole flock
together. A
weighty lesson for every one who has the cure of souls (compare
John 10:3).
Night and day. The night is mentioned first, in accordance with
Hebrew usage (Genesis 1:5,
8, 13, etc.; compare the word νυχθήμερον
–
nuchthaemeron – a night and a day in II
Corinthians 11:25) Paul enforces
the word "Watch,"
so appropriate to shepherds who watch over their flocks
by night (Luke 2:8),
by his own example of admonishing by night as well as day.
Paul at
Paul, pursuing his path of self-sacrificing
devotion, going on to he knew
not what dangers ahead, looking a
violent death in the face, was calm,
tranquil, even joyful. But the apostle,
looking forward to a distracted and
injured Church, torn by false doctrine,
laid waste by sinful men, was
grieved at heart, and he uses the
language of solemn adjuration and entreaty.
apprehension
that some ill is about to befall us; therefore with hesitating
step, with
trembling heart.
Ø
It has been that men had an intimation
from God that evil was in store
for them. This was not uncommon in Old Testament times, when the
purpose of God was frequently revealed. It was the case with Paul
now; it
was revealed to him that dark days were ahead in the experience of
the
Church at
Ø
It may be the action of individual
insight. By the use of a keen and
penetrating judgment, a man can often perceive that events are
leading up
to a disaster.
Ø
It may be a simple and sound conclusion
from the common heritage of
man. It is certain that dark shadows must be across the path we tread, and
that we shall be entering them before long.
apprehended:
Ø
Attack from without: “Grievous wolves entering in… not sparing
the
flock” (v. 29).
Ø
Mischief from within: “Of your own selves shall men arise,
etc. (v. 30).
This is what the
]
o
the attacks of infidelity,
o
the invitation to immorality,
Ø
Mischief from without; and:
Ø
the subtler and more perilous dangers:
o
of spiritual decline,
o
of the decay of faith,
o
of injurious doctrines,
o
of the breath of worldliness, within.
solemnly charged
these elders, as those to whose care was committed the
own blood — to do
these three things.
Ø
To keep diligently their own hearts: “Take heed to yourselves”
(see
Proverbs 4:23).
Ø
To watch carefully the spirit and course of their people: “And to all the
flock.”
Ø
To sustain the life of the members by providing spiritual
nourishment:
“Feed
the
Church demands of us, and if we would follow in the footsteps of
the most
devoted of his servants (see v. 31), we must:
o
cultivate a deep sense of our
responsibility;
o
exercise unremitting vigilance over
ourselves and our charge;
o
supply that kind and measure of sacred truth
which is fitted to
strengthen and to purify those whom we undertake to teach.
32 “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.” Now for now brethren, Authorized Version and Textus
Receptus; the inheritance for an inheritance, Authorized Version and Textus
Receptus; that for which, Authorized Version. I commend you to God
(παρατίθεμαι
ὑμᾶς – paratithemai humas – I am committing). A most
beautiful
and significant phrase! The apostle is
leaving for ever the flock which he had fed
with such devoted care and loved with
such a fervent love. He was leaving them
with a strong
impression of the dangers to which they would be exposed.
To whom could he entrust them? to what
loving hands could he consign them?
He gives them to
God, to take watchful custody of them.
He brings them to Him
in the prayer of faith. He commits to
Him the precious deposit (παραθήκη
–
parathaekae – commend; entrust; commit), to be preserved safe unto
the day of
Christ. So the Savior of the world, when dying on the cross,
said,
"Father,
into thy hands I commend my spirit "(Luke 23:46),
and then trustingly
gave up the ghost (see too here, ch.
14:23). No less beautiful are the words which
follow: And to the
word of His grace. He was thinking of the grievous
wolves,
and of their pernicious doctrine; of the deceivers that
should arise, and
their soul-destroying heresies; and so he turns to the one source of safety
"the Word of
God's grace in Jesus Christ." If they are kept in that Word
of truth,
if they nourish their souls with that
sincere milk, they will be safe. The gospel
which he had
preached would be their safety unto
the end. It would build
them up on the one Foundation which
never can be moved; it would preserve
them holy to take possession of the
inheritance of the saints in light. The
inheritance
(τὴν
κληρονομίαν – taen
klaeronomian – the inheritance; the tendancy; enjoyment
of
the allotment); compare Ephesians 1:14, 18; 5:5; and 1:11, ἐκληρώθημεν
–
eklaerothaemen -
the inheritance; the tendancy; enjoyment of the allotment.
In ch. 26:18
it is κλῆρον – klaeron – inheritance;
allotment (as in
Colossians
1:12), and the ἡγιασμένοι
–
haegtiasmenoi - the sanctified are
further
defined by the addition of πίστει τῇ εἰς
ἐμέ - pistei tae eis eme -
by the faith
which is in me (for the use of ἀγιάζεσθαι
– hagiazesthai
– having been hallowed;
sanctified, compare Hebrews
10:10,14; I Corinthians
1:2; 6:11, etc.).
Notice the character of primitive
Christianity as exemplified in the words of
the apostle and in the elders of
1. Simplicity of the faith.
2. Confidence in the final victory of the truth as it is in
Jesus,
notwithstanding the inroads of error.
3. Dependence on the Holy Spirit.
4. Brotherhood; helping the weak and ministering to the needy.
The love
felt towards the apostle an example of
the kind of feeling prevailing at
conventional Church life now seen,
which is content with a very superficial
recognition of brotherly sympathy. The
heroism of Paul was a fruit of the Spirit.
Paul at
Paul had received intimations “in
every city” (v. 23) that “bonds and
afflictions” were in store for him; he looked forward with absolute
certainty to personal suffering of some
kind; but this assurance was so far
from daunting or depressing him that
his spirit rose on strong and eager
wing to the full height of such
apostolic opportunity (Matthew 5:10-12).
The anticipated future, with its bonds
and its sufferings and possibly
death itself, raised the soul of the
man, exalted him; and he stands before us
in the noblest stature to which even he
ever attained. Loftier words never
came from human lips than these (vs.
22-24). His spiritual exaltation
included:
bound in the
spirit,” etc. He felt as one who
already wore the bonds and
was happy in
the bondage. He was already “the prisoner of the Lord,” and
was proud
thus to esteem himself. So far from casting about to see whether
there was
any open door of escape, he gladly went forth to meet the trials
that were in
front.
things move me” (v. 24). He was not affected by considerations which
are
everything to most men; they did not make him wince; he could be
poor or
rich, hungry or full, confined or at liberty, — it mattered not to him
so long as
he was following and serving Christ. And here is the explanation
of his
nobility; it sprang from:
dear unto myself,
so that I might finish,” etc. (v. 24).
“To
testify the
gospel of the
grace of God “ — this was the
commanding, all-controlling,
all-consuming
passion of his soul. It impressed everything else into the
service; it
burnt up everything that stood in the way. It was the dominating
force under
which every other power ranged itself obediently,
Leaving
these converts and, as he surely believed (v. 25), to see their
face no
more, he left them in THE HANDS OF GOD; he trustfully
committed them
to almighty love, to Divine wisdom, to the “faithful
Creator” A blessed thing it is for the departing minister,
for the dying
parent, to leave
his people or his family to the tender care
of Him who
wilt make good
the kindest and fullest of His promises.
sanctified” (v. 32). Paul continually looked forward to the time when
he
and his
converts should meet in the heavenly kingdom; this helped to
sustain him
under persecution and disappointment. He turned from the
shame which
was put upon him by man to the glory which waited to be
revealed,
and his heart was more than satisfied. This should be the result of
our
contemplation of the future; it should lead to inward exaltation. It
should lead
to
Ø
such devotedness to the work we are doing
for our Master that we
shall rise above the fear of man, and even welcome the losses we
endure
for Christ’s sake;
Ø
the devout committing of ourselves and of
our charge to the love and
faithfulness of Him who is unfailingly gracious and true;
Ø
a sustaining, animating hope, in whose
blessed radiance all earthly
experiences are lighted up. But in order to this there is
presupposed in us
what there was in Paul
Ø
an entire surrender of ourselves to the Lord Jesus Christ
Himself.
33 “I have coveted no man's silver, or gold, or
apparel.” Coveted for have coveted,
Authorized Version. Apparel. One of the items of an Oriental's treasure for the purpose
of gifts (II Kings 5:5,
22-23, 26; Genesis 45:22; Matthew
6:19-20). Paul contrasts his
own example in not seeking such gifts
with the conduct of the false apostles who
draw away disciples after them for gain
(I Timothy
6:5-10; Romans 16:17-18;
compare I Corinthians
9.).
34 “Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have
ministered unto my
necessities, and to them that were with me.” Ye for yea ye, Authorized Version
and Textus Receptus; ministered for have ministered, Authorized Version.
These hands (see I Corinthians 4:12, written from
35 “I have shewed you all things, how that so
laboring 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.” In all things I gave
you an example for I have
showed
you all things, Authorized Version; help
for support, Authorized Version;
He
Himself for He, A.V. In all things (πάντα - panta for κατὰ
πάντα – kata panta ,
1.q. πάντως – pantos - );
altogether, in all respects. Gave
you an example. The
common use of ὑποδείκνυμι – hupodeiknumi - is, as rendered in the Authorized
Version, "to show," "to teach," as in ch. 9:16;
Luke 6:47;
and repeatedly in the
Septuagint. But perhaps its force here is equivalent to
the phrase in John 13:15,
ὑπόδειγμα
γὰρ
δωκα ὑμῖν –
hupodigma gar doka humin, "I
have given you an
example
that ye should do as I have done to you," as the Revised Version takes
it.
So laboring; viz. as ye have seen me do. To help the
weak. Meyer, following
Bengel and others, understands this to
mean the weak in faith," like ἀσθενής
–
asthenaes – weak in 1 Corinthians
9:22. They say that Paul's self-denial in refusing
the help he had a right to claim as an
apostle, and supporting himself by his labor,
was a great argument to convince the
weak in faith of his disinterestedness and of
the truth of his gospel, and so he
recommends the elders of the Church to follow
his example. But the word here is ἀσθενούντων
–
asthenounton – one being infirm,
and ἀσθενεῖν
–
asthenein - and ἀσθενεία
– astheneia - rather suggest the idea
of
bodily weakness (Matthew 25:36;
10:8, etc.; Luke 5:15,
etc.), and the words of
the Lord Jesus which follow suggest
almsgiving to the needy. So that it is better
to understand the word of the weakly and
poor, those unable to work for themselves.
Doubtless Paul, out of his scanty
earnings, found something to give to the sick and
needy. The sentiment in our text is thus
exactly analogous to the precept in
Ephesians 4:28, The very word there used, χερσίν – chersin – hands,
recalls
the αἱ χεῖρες αὕται
– hai
cheires autai – the these hands of v. 34. To
remember
the words of the Lord Jesus. This is a solitary instance of a saying of our Lord's,
not recorded in the Gospels, being
referred to in Scripture. There are many
alleged sayings of Christ recorded in
apocryphal Gospels or in the writings of
Fathers as Papias and others (Routh,
'Reliq. Sac.,' 1:9, 10, 12), some of which
may be authentic; but this alone is
warranted by Scripture. How it came to Paul's
knowledge, and that of the Ephesian
elders to whom he seems to have taken for
granted that it was familiar, it is
impossible to say. But it seems likely that, in those
very early days, some of the Lord's
unwritten words may have floated in the
memory of men, and been preserved by
word of mouth. Clement (1 Corinthians 2.)
seems to refer to the saying when he
writes in praise of the former character of the
Corinthians, that they were then ἥδιον διδόντες
η} λομβάνοντες.
But he probably
had it from the Acts of the Apostles, as
had the author of the 'Apostol. Constitut.'
(4. 3, 1). Similar apophthegms are
quoted from heathen writers, as those cited by
Kuinoel: Δωρεῖσθαι
καὶ διδόναι
κρεῖττον η}
λαμβάνειν (Artemidor.,
'Onirocr.,' 4, 3);
Μᾶλλόν
ἐστὶ τοῦ ἐλευθέρου
τὸ διδόναι οι{ς
δεῖ ἠ λαμβάνειν
ὕθεν δεῖ (Arist.,
'Nieom.,' 4, 1), "It is more
becoming to a free man to give to whom he ought to
give, than to receive from whom he ought
to receive."
The Blessedness of Giving (v.
35)
We have no other record of these words
as uttered by Christ. They must
have been treasured in the memory of
the apostles, and have been often
mentioned by them, but never written down.
There must be a great deal of
Christ’s teaching not preserved for us;
but we may be assured that the
unrecorded was like the recorded, and
we may gratefully receive what the
Divine Spirit has been pleased to
preserve for us. (“And there are also
many other things which Jesus did, the which,
if they should be written
every one, I suppose that even the world
itself could not contain the
books that should be written. Amen” (John 21:25) The
truth of this
statement that it is “more
blessed to give than to receive,” is affirmed and
illustrated by:
1. Paul’s own life.
2. Christ’s teaching.
3. Christ’s own life of giving.
4. All human experience.
One of the best things said by the late
George Peabody is this, spoken at a
reunion at his native town: “It
is sometimes hard for one who has devoted
the best part of his life to the
accumulation of money to spend it for others;
but practice it, and keep on practicing it,
and I assure you it comes to be a
pleasure.” It was a saying of Julius Caesar that no music was so
charming
in his ears as the requests of his
friends, and the supplications of those in
want of his assistance. Our Lord did
not say that there was no blessedness
in receiving, only that it is more blessed
to give. We may feel how true are
his words in relation to:
they greatly
increase our love for them by finding it expression.
fetch up the
very best in us if we are to sympathize with sufferers and
sinners. We
want our holiest power.
knowledge
better than by making the effort to impart it to others.
precious to
love, to give our love to another; it is so ennobling and
inspiring
that we give our love to Christ.
most
directly and abundantly fruitful in blessings to ourselves.
Let us bear in mind that the
blessedness of giving we all can win. All of us can
give, and we all can give in the various possible ways of giving
above referred
to. Those even that seem to have nothing
yet can give, if a comprehensive
view of giving be taken. A poor widow
who had only two mites could
give. (Mark 12:41-44) Our Lord Himself, though He had nothing,
could give.
Peter and John could say, “Silver
and gold have we none, but such as we have
we give thee:
In the name of Jesus Christ of
(ch. 3:6) There are better things to give away than
money; and it is in such
things that we find the best
blessedness of giving.
Paul at
vs. 17, 20, 27, 31, 33-35.
It has been truly said that our whole
life is divisible into the past and the
future. The present is a mere point
which separates the two. And there is a
certain time which must come, if it
have not already arrived, when, instead
of finding our satisfaction in looking
forward to the earthly good which we
are to partake of, we shall seek our
comfort and our joy in looking back on
the path we have trodden and the
results we have achieved.
it be for those who will then have no
future for which to hope, and no past
which they can survey with grateful
pleasure. It was well with Paul, for
when he had to turn his eye backward on
a ministry which had been
fulfilled, he could regard it with pure
and devout gratification. That we
may stand in that enviable position in
which he now stood, we must be able
to remember:
“From the first
day that I came in into
seasons, serving
the Lord with all humility of mind”
(vs. 18-19). The
man who
spends his days in spiritual pride, or godless unconcern, or
arrogant
infidelity, will, if not in the later years of this life, from the other
side of the
grave, look back on his earthly course with bitterest shame, with
fearful
pangs of remorse. He who in old age can survey an entire life
yielded,
with a deep sense of dependence and obligation, to the living God
and the
loving Savior will have a cheering ray to light up his shaded path.
Well may
youthful lips take up the strain-
“‘Twill please us to look back to see
That our whole lives were thine.”
minister of
Jesus Christ, he had done his work thoroughly, conscientiously,
faithfully,
as in the eye of Christ Himself.
Ø “I kept back nothing,… I have taught you
publicly, and from
house
to house” (v. 20);
Ø “I have not shunned to declare unto you all
the counsel of God”
(v.
27);
“I
ceased not to warn every one… with tears” (v. 31).
He had
thrown the utmost energy of his soul into his work; he had wrought
good “with both hands earnestly.” Whatever our vocation may be,
it will
be a sorry
thing to have to recall to our memory duties hardly and
punctiliously
discharged, just gone through decently and creditably;
still worse
to have to remember duty left undone or miserably mismanaged.
Pleasant and
gratifying, on the other hand, to feel that we went to our work
with agile
step and eager spirit, went through it with conscientious care, and
threw into
it our utmost strength. Heartiness and zest today mean a harvest
of
refreshing memories for tomorrow.
(Ecclesiastes 9:10-12)
“with many tears
and temptations [trials]” (v. 19). These trials unto tears
were hard to
bear patiently at the hour of endurance, but it was a comfort
and
satisfaction to his spirit afterwards to think that they had never
withdrawn
him from his confidence in Christ or from his post of active
service. The
secure and strong position of manhood is all the more
satisfactory
for the yoke that was borne in youth; the quietude of age is the
more acceptable
and enjoyable for the struggle or burden of middle life; the
rest and
rejoicing of the future will be the sweeter and the keener for the
toils and.
the troubles of this present time. The evils that have been left
behind, when
taken meekly and acquiesced in nobly, materially enhance the
blessedness
of the hour of freedom and felicity.
INCLUDES BENEFICENCE.
(vs. 33-35.) It is not only that
Ø
we should pay the debts which we have
formally and deliberately
incurred; but that
Ø
in a world where we are daily receiving
the benefit of the toils and
sufferings of past ages and of our contemporaries, we are bound,
in all
honesty, to do something in return — something by which our
fellows and,
if possible, the future shall be enriched;
Ø
where self-support is not positively
demanded, it may be wisely
rendered, in order (as with Paul) that there may be no reason for
injurious
suspicion; and
Ø
we should strive to gain enough that we
may spare something for the
strengthless and dependent — so laboring that we “may
support the
weak,” and know the greater
blessedness of giving, according to the Word
of our Lord:
o
“It is more blessed to give than receive.” (v. 35);
o
“Let him that stole steal no more; but rather let him labor,
working with his hands the thing which is good, that he
may have to give to him that needeth.” (Ephesians 4:28);
o
“But to do good and communicate forget not: for with
such sacrifices God is well pleased.” (Hebrews 13:16).
Paul at
We may well be thankful that this one
word of the Lord Jesus, unrecorded
in the “fourfold biography,” has
been preserved to us. It may be said to be
Divine indeed. It gives the heavenly
aspect of human life. It is the exact and
perfect contravention of that which is
low, worldly, evil. It breathes the air
of the upper kingdom. It puts into
language the very spirit of Jesus Christ.
It is the life of the Savior in a
sentence. To receive is
quite on a low level.
Any one and anything can do that; and
the further we go down in the scale,
the more we find recipiency common and
supreme. The selfish man, the
spoiled child, the ravenous animal, —
these are remarkable for receiving.
And although it may be said that there
are truths which only the educated
and inspired mind can receive, that
there are inducements which only noble
souls can receive, yet the act of
receiving is one which is common to lower
natures, and is one which ordinarily
requires only the humbler, if not indeed
the baser, faculties. To give is on the higher level;
Name is
Love; in other words, that which is His distinguishing
characteristic,
underlying, interpenetrating, crowning all others, is His
disposition to
bless, His Divine habit of giving. He
then most truly
expresses
His own nature, reveals His essential spirit, when He is giving
light,
love, truth, joy, life, unto His children.
When we give forth of
ourselves to
others, we are living the life which is intrinsically Divine.
to
enlighten, to comfort, to bestow, to redeem. It was little indeed that He
received; it
was simply everything that He gave to mankind.
stand with
the best and noblest of our race. As the world grows wiser it
has a
diminishing regard for those “great” men who signalized their career
by splendid
surroundings, or by brilliant exploits, or by displays of
muscular or
intellectual strength; it is learning to reserve its admiration and
its honor
for those who generously spent their faculties and
their
possessions on
behalf of others. These are our heroes
and our heroines
now; and
they will be so more and more. If we would take
our place —
though it be
a humble one — with the best and worthiest of our kind, we
must be giving
rather than receiving.
sin has unmade man,
to be coveting, grasping, enjoying. But it is human,
as God first made man, and
as Jesus Christ is renewing him, to think of
others, to
care for others, to strive and suffer for others, to give freely and
self-denyingly
to those who are in need.
becoming selfish, of
making our own poor self the central object of regard,
of depending
on continually fresh supplies for satisfaction; in a word, of
moral and
spiritual degeneracy. But to be giving — to be spending time,
thought,
sympathy, strength, money, on behalf of others, — is to be
sowing in
the soil of our souls the seeds of all that is sweetest and noblest;
is to be building
up in ourselves a character which our Divine Lord will
delight to
look upon. To receive is to be superficially and momentarily
happy; to give is to be inwardly and abidingly blessed. It is far
more
blessed to give
than to receive.
Matthew
25:31-46.)
36 “And when he had thus spoken, he kneeled down,
and prayed with them all.
37 And they all wept sore, and fell on Paul's neck,
and kissed him,
38 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.” The word which
he had spoken for the words which he spake, Authorized Version
behold for see, Authorized Version; brought him on
his way for accompanied him,
A.V. Brought him
on his way; προέπεμπον – proepempon – they
send
forward,
as ch. 15:3; 21:5. So too I
Corinthians 16:6,11; II Corinthians 1:16;
Titus 3:13
III John 1:6. But the rendering accompanied gives the meaning of the
two last passages in the Acts better
than that of the Revised Version. It is
impossible to part with this most
touching narrative, of such exquisite simplicity
and beauty, without a
parting word of admiration and thankfulness to God for
having preserved
to His Church this record of apostolic wisdom and faithfulness
on the one hand,
and of loving devotion of the clergy to their great chief on the other.
As long as the stones of the Church are
bound together by such strong mortar, it can
defy the attacks of its enemies from
without.
Mingled Fidelity and
Tenderness: An Example for Christian Ministers
(vs. 17-36)
Perhaps there is no other place in
which we have so much of the nature of
personal detail respecting Paul from
his own lips. For the most part in his
Epistles, there is a singular
abstinence on his part from personal references.
They seem to abound here. Without
doubting their bare justification, we
desiderate some other and higher
account of them. May not this be found
in a twofold consideration?
(1) that Paul has designedly and probably also of Divine design
treated
typical order of His Church were to
spread throughout a very wide district;
and
(2) that Paul is divinely directed here to leave a forcible and
a touching
example to later generations. He
examples the extent to which the fidelity
and love of apostles, and of all
spiritual successors of apostles, ought to be
on the look out, and the limits within
which also they ought to be
restrained, in respect of those
portions of the Church over which men may
have had the leading oversight. The
modern Church surely cries out for
admonition, in these very senses
supplied by this long passage — whether
on the part of its members or of its
ministers. The most sacred, most
responsible love on earth is too often
regarded as a relationship that may be
lightly entered upon, and is treated as
one that may be, not only lightly
broken, but when broken perfunctorily
forgotten. The study of this passage
must help to inspire very different
views. From this farewell address of
Paul to those whom he had specially
invited to meet him, lest it should be
the last time, the chief impressions
left on us are these.
spoken
personal to himself, and all that is spoken personal to the Ephesian
elders, is
spoken for the honor and glory and prospects of the gospel of
Christ. The “ministry...
of testifying the gospel of the grace of God” is his
steadfast
supreme thought. It appears in and through all.
ITS EXACT OPERATION UPON MEN. If it is his last exposition of the
saving
message of his “ministry,” it shall be thus summarized and thus
repeated: “Repentance
toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus
Christ.” These two articles constitute the Christian magna charta.
They
clear the
past, they give the key for the future and for all its hope and
unfolding
promise. “Repentance toward God” clears the very sky of human
life, and
with a glorious sky indeed over vaults the heart itself. While “faith
toward our Lord
Jesus Christ” will secure all else
that can be wanted till
the time
comes for faith to turn to sight.
SPIRITUAL LOVE. He
is not the man to feel he has done his work, and
may leave
all the rest. He feels he can’t leave all the rest. Care and
anxiety
for the
morrow, not of earthly good and personal gain, possess him, but for
the morrow
of the spiritual career and the very souls of those he had called
and
testified to and led by his example at
and feel
this genuinely present in their spiritual teacher and pastor, is an
influence of
great effect upon them. And there is another way in which it
acts to
great advantage. As time flows on, and the hour of trial and
temptation
and darkness may come, men are wonderfully helped when they
can recall
the voice and look and earnestness of one who “told them of
these things before they came to pass.”
FOR THE “WITNESS” OF THOSE AMONG WHOM HE HAD
LABORED. Pride and
priestly superciliousness never give expression to
this side of
the question. That the priest’s eye is on the people is their
haughty
doctrine, and the so genuinely true other side of the matter, that
the people’s
eyes are on the priest, to which Paul gives here such humble
and kindly
expression, is pushed into coldest shade by them. Without
doubt, we
are justified in thus regarding all that Paul here says of himself
that might
seem to be said in a self-commendatory style; there is in very
truth nothing
of this in his spirit. He does but speak facts, and can say “ye
know” (vs. 18, 34) about them. If the elders of
them, or
know them to be not as Paul says, he has courted contradiction,
not hidden
himself away from it. Of what incalculable consequence
example ever is! Of what thrilling consequence it is in the career
of the
Christian
minister and pastor! What quiet rebuke it is, free from bitterness
of tongue!
What choicest stimulus and suggestion it is, full of life and
movement as
it is! The leading items of conduct and example, in which the
Ephesian
elders had been able to take witness of Paul, are interesting to
follow.
Ø
They had witnessed a long stretch of time
and variety of state and
temper.
Ø
They had witnessed an humility of mind
that bended itself to
circumstances, and endured aright what caused tears not idle and
jeopardy
of life many a time.
Ø
They had witnessed frankness of relations,
plainness of speech,
constancy of ministry, in public and in private.
Ø They had witnessed a
three years’ continued impartial “warning of every
one
night and day with tears.”
Ø
They had not witnessed any
self-seeking, any desire of “silver, or gold,
or
apparel.”
Ø
They had, on the contrary, witnessed their
chief pastor at manual labor,
to supply his own temporal needs and to help his companions. And
in
reminding the Ephesian elders of these things, Paul has enshrined
for all
generations one of the sweetest words of Jesus, unrecorded
elsewhere
“It is more blessed to give than to
receive.” Yes; and whatever might
come to be, there was no
doubt that Paul had, by all these uncontradicted
methods, become
unspeakably endeared to those whom he now addresses.
the
recognized gospel forces. The preacher is not to forget it (vs. 28, 31).
which even
this testimony of Paul to prayer is recorded is worthy of
remark, “And
when he had thus spoken, he kneeled down, and prayed with
them all.” Prayer is the renunciation of self-confidence. Prayer is
the
authorized
summons for higher help. Prayer is the sure signal of the
approach of
strength to weakness, continuance to uncertainty, and power
to prevail
in place of the temptation by which men should fall.
This
tenderness and highly moved state of soul is betokened at every turn.
If Paul
speak of the relations that had subsisted between the Ephesians and
himself (vs.
18-20); if he speak of his own future (vs. 22-25) or allude
to his own
past (vs. 31-35); if he introduce the names of the Lord Jesus
(vs. 24,
35), of the Holy Ghost, and the Church (v. 28), of God (v.32);
— the touch
is of the tenderest, the tone is of the warmest, and
softest, the
suggestion is sure to be of the most solemn and pathetic in
equal
proportions. And in every one of these respects it must be maintained
that Paul is
an example for all Christian teachers and pastors, for all time.
Whatever can
be obtained by human instrumentality out of the mysterious
mass of
humanity will be best obtained thus. No force, no authority, no
policy, will
obtain souls. Nor will care, and love, and tenderness, and
foresight,
and faithful “warning” keep all that they shall seem to obtain.
The “grievous
wolves will enter in;” “men out
of” that very number who
listened and
wept, and were both wept and prayed over, “will arise,
speaking perverse
things,” and, drawn away themselves, “they
will draw
away others after
them.” “Offences will come!” (Matthew
18:7; Luke 17:1)
But it is to
be said that when Paul and the successors of Paul have done and
said what
Paul now did and said, and something in the same manner, the
solemn
damning “woe,” wherever it fall, will not fall on one of them.
They have saved their souls, and they are “pure
from the blood of all men.”
The Charge (vs. 13-38)
The previous section brought before us
Paul’s labors as a missionary
and an evangelist. The present section
sets him before us as the Christian
bishop, delivering his solemn charge to
the presbyters of the Church. The
qualities brought out in the charge are
a transparent integrity of character;
a noble ingenuousness, which enables
him to speak of himself without a
particle of vanity; and a resoluteness of purpose to do what is right, which
no persuasion could weaken and no dangers
turn aside. And then, besides,
there is the most tender care for the
anxious thought for the future of the
Church which he loved, and loved
doubly because he knew that Christ
loved it and had died for it. We see a
prescience and a wisdom which looked at
things as they really were, and
not as he wished them to be; which took
a true measure of cause and
effect; and did all that could be done
to provide an antidote to the coming
evils which he foresaw. Foreseeing the
rise of heresies and false teachers,
and the rapid growth of false doctrine,
which would make havoc among
the flock, he threw the whole vigor of
his intellect, and the whole warmth
of his affection, into the address by which
he hoped to raise up in the
clergy before him an effectual barrier
against the destruction which he
feared. And certainly, if words have
any effect; if the eloquent speech of
one whose life is still more eloquent
than his tongue, can move the hearts
and stir the spirits of other men,
albeit they be men of inferior mold, to
virtue and energy of holy action; if
prayer and blessing, bursting forth from
the full heart of a chosen vessel of
God’s grace, have any influence and
bear any fruit; — it must be that this
eloquent charge, so simple, so
forcible, so pathetic, so plainly
stamped with the image of Paul’s inner
man, wrought powerfully upon the minds
of the Ephesian presbyters. His
words must have brought back the memory
of his self-denying and
superhuman labors; and many a resolution must have sprung up in their
hearts to live for Christ, and to be
steadfast unto death in defense of His
precious truth. And when they rose up from that parting prayer, with
streaming eyes and sobbing voice,
surely they must have gone back to the
oversight of their flocks with a
devotion such as they had never felt before.
So great is the influence of burning
words, glowing with love and enforced
by example, when they proceed from one
whose office and whose
character alike command reverence and
respect. God grant that His Church
may ever be “ordered
and guided by faithful and true pastors, through
Jesus Christ our Lord!”
Paul’s Farewell to the Elders
of
(vs. 17-21.)
Ø
The spirit and conduct
of the preacher himself; for this is inseparable
from the preaching (vs. 18-20). He had lived with his
flock. His life had
been devoted to their service. He had entered the sphere of their
life as the
loving sharer in their joys and sorrows. He had presented to them
a pattern
of humility. He had borne them on his heart. He had been like a
sower
going forth weeping, to bear the precious seed. The life of the
true pastor
is a life of many tears — tears of self-doubt and weakness; tears
of
compassion and sorrow over others, like those of Jeremiah over
prepares for a harvest of joy. Suggestive was the word of Monica,
Augustine’s mother, “The child of so many tears cannot be lost.”
Good is
verbal preaching; better the preaching of the life; and, perhaps,
most
impressive of all, the preaching of suffering and self-sacrifice
for the truth.
Ø
The matter of his
preaching. Repentance: a universal necessity. It
includes knowledge of sin; remorse; desire for salvation.
Repentance has
been described as a ladder of sorrow by which we descend into the
depths
of the heart. Faith: this, on the other hand, the celestial ladder,
by which
we rise to God and to eternity. It includes the knowledge of a Savior;
joy
in
the reception of Him; and firm confidence in His reconciling, sanctifying,
and
blessing grace.
Ø
The self-devotion of the
preacher. (vs. 22-35.) He should be cast in
the heroic mold — that of the hero of the cross. The voice of the
Almighty, “Upward and onward!” sounds in his ears evermore. He
must be
ready at any moment to say “Good-bye” to dearest friends, and
uproot
himself from fondest associations. Past battles have only trained
his faith
and courage for greater struggles. This heroic word:
“Theirs not to make reply; Theirs but to do or die”
— was essentially the motto of the apostle. He must fulfill
himself —
cannot rest till he has striven to the end in the “noble contest,” finished
the
race,
attained the goal. In the heat of coming storm and darkness
kindles
the core of light; the Divine love has given all for him, and for
it he will
give all in return. Extremes meet in this suffering but triumphant
man;
bound by the irresistible command of his Lord, yet free in the joyous
obedience
of love.
Ø
Exhortation to
faithfulness. They are solemnly adjured to this by the
recollection of his own faithfulness to them. He is clear from responsibility
in their regard; for he has not shunned to declare to them
“the whole
counsel of
God.” His ministry has been, not merely general, but particular,
individual — to each man’s heart and conscience. He has discharged
himself of his burden; they must bear their own. To whom much has been
given,
of them much will be required. The duty of the faithful shepherd
comprises two things — the feeding and tendance of the sheep, and
the
defense of the flock against its foes. The great word is “Watch”—
over
self, the spirit, teaching, and conversation; over the flock, —
its Divine
constitution does not exempt it from human weakness; and against
the
wolves, who would glide in, under false clothing, to ravage and
devour.
Ø
Solemn commendatory
prayer. “I commend you to
God” — the best
conclusion of every sermon, of every period of Christian labor.
Prayer is
the expression of evangelical love; it throws the arms of care and
affection
around the flock when one’s own time of personal labor is past. It
is the
expression of lowliness: after all we have done, the issue must be left to
God.
He alone can turn the feeble service into a means of power, He
alone
give the increase to human sowing and watering. It is the expression
of
faith: there need be no fear on the part of the under-shepherd in
leaving the
flock in the hands of the almighty Shepherd Himself. “God
and the Word of
his
grace:” in these lies ENDLESS POWER, God and truth: in
times of
persecution or of unsettled belief, these forces go on
upbuilding,
reclaiming, converting, finishing, and fitting souls for eternal
glory. We
need not be anxious about the “reconstruction of theology;” God is
ever
reconstructing the new out of the old; and fulfilling Himself in many
ways.
Our constructions break; but in Him is the unbroken continuity of life
itself.
Ø
Farewell reminder. Of his own example,
and of all the lessons condensed
into it. He had not been a seeker of personal gain; not of “theirs,
but of
them” (II Corinthians
12:14). A mirror for all pastors. Happy for them
if they can practically prove their disinterestedness by
supporting
themselves independently of the “altar” (I Corinthians
9:13). But this
may not always be desirable. At least they can show that they do not
“preach
to live” so much as “live to preach.” To give is more blessed than
to receive. God is the eternal Giver,
forth-pouring Himself in natural and
spiritual bounty evermore. And the nearer we come to
Him, the
happier we
are. The more we take from God,
the more we have to give; and again, the
more
we give, the more we have. To impart is to obtain release from self,
from self-seeking, from the burden of superfluity. It is to reap
love and.
thanks, provided always that in imparting anything we truly impart
ourselves.
Ø
The parting scene. It is of mingled joy
and sorrow. There is the
bitterness of orphanage and desolation of John 16:16; but the
brightness of the hoped-for reunion. Reproaches of conscience at
missed
opportunities, but yet the sense that “now is the accepted time and the
day
of
salvation.” The pain of disruption; but the consciousness of abiding in
Christ,
and of the final recovery of all we have loved and lost — IN HIM!
Sure Springs of Affection (vs.
37-38)
The great regard of the Ephesian elders
to Paul was genuinely spoken in
their great regret as now manifested. Farewells have a pathos all their own,
and share it with nothing else. They
legitimately exhibit what has been long
years, perhaps, as legitimately concealed.
They are often acts of pardon,
and ought always to be such. They bring out
better qualities than have been
seen before or even suspected of existing.
And sometimes they are the
inauguration of a far higher love than all
that had been, when love of the
personal presence is superseded by the love
of souls. The farewells of an
average human life, could their added
effect be calculated, would in many
instances be found to have constituted
some of its most potent and its
highest influences. Notice some of the
leading causes of the deep affection
recorded in this place.
BEEN ONE IN WHICH THEY HAD RECEIVED THE NEW AND
PRICELESS BLESSING OF HOLY TEACHING.
BACKGROUND OF WHICH HAD BEEN ALWAYS A HOLY LIVING
EXAMPLE.
FROM ALL NARROWNESS OR LIMITEDNESS OF AIM: IT HAD
BEEN STAMPED WITH USEFULNESS. The behavior of the sabbath
and even of
the Lord’s day is far more easily taught than the behavior of all
life’s “common
days,” and to teach this it is abundantly plain Paul did not
disdain.
WHICH WERE MEMORIES OF UNAFFECTED KINDLINESS AND
CONDESCENSION. (I
Thessalonians 2:7-8.)
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