PAUL'S VISITS TO MACEDONIA AND GREECE AND SEVEN DAYS IN TROAS (20:1-6). It is indicative of Luke's concentration on the new direction in which events have turned, and his purpose in writing what follows, that he ignores many things of which we would wish to have been apprised. We are reminded again... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And after the uproar ceased, Paul having sent for the disciples and exhorted them, took leave of them, and departed to go into Macedonia.' Once the uproar had ceased and everything had quietened down Paul sent for the disciples in Ephesus and exhorted them, encouraging them in the faith. Then he t... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And when he had gone through those parts, and had given them much exhortation, he came into Greece.' Paul now visits the churches in Macedonia, exhorting and encouraging the churches at Philippi, Thessalonica and Berea, among others, for we know that more churches have been established through the... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And when he had spent three months there, and a plot was laid against him by Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he determined to return through Macedonia.' The three months of continual ministry in Corinth having come to an end Paul now determined to set sail directly for Syria on a ‘pilg... [ Continue Reading ]
THE JOURNEY TO JERUSALEM (20:3-21:16). As we read this section of Acts some of it may seem a little pointless and repetitive. But we must recognise in it what Luke is doing. One purpose that he has in mind is to depict Paul's journey as a slow, inexorable progress with the final goal in mind. He wa... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And there accompanied him as far as Asia, Sopater of Beroea, the son of Pyrrhus; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and of Asia, Tychicus and Trophimus.' With him on his journey Paul had a number of people from the different churches. These would c... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But these had gone before, and were waiting for us at Troas.' These (apart possibly from Sopater) had been sent ahead and were waiting at Troas, quite probably having with them some of the Collection monies.... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, and came to them to Troas in five days, where we tarried seven days.' Having taken another opportunity to visit Philippi, where he seemingly again met up with Luke (the ‘we' passages recommence), and observed the Passover (which m... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And on the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul discoursed with them, intending to depart on the morrow, and prolonged his speech until midnight.' When the first day of the week arrived the church in Troas met together to break bread. This presumably included... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SIGN OF THE RAISING OF EUTYCHUS: PAUL HURRIES ON (20:7-16). At this point in the account we are informed of a remarkable confirmation of God's presence with Paul in the raising from the dead of a young man. The significance of this story is threefold. Firstly it provides comfort and consolation... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And there were many lights in the upper chamber where we were gathered together. And there sat in the window a certain young man named Eutychus, borne down with deep sleep, and as Paul discoursed yet longer, being borne down by his sleep he fell down from the third story, and was taken up dead.' Bu... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, “Make no fuss, for his life is in him.' But Paul in the quiet confidence of faith went down and stretched himself out on the young man, embracing him, and then declared that the young man was alive. He may have been ‘taken up dead' but n... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And when he was gone up, and had broken the bread, and eaten, and had talked with them a long while, even till break of day, so he departed.' Then Paul returned quietly to the upper room where they continued their fellowship meal and he continued to talk with them until morning. The miracle had gi... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And they brought the lad alive, and were not a little comforted.' And they brought the young man up with them, a living witness to God's power to raise the dead, and received great comfort from what had happened. With a God like this working through Paul what was there for them or him to fear? The... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But we going before to the ship set sail for Assos, there intending to take in Paul, for so he had appointed, intending himself to go by land. And when he met us at Assos, we took him in, and came to Mitylene.' It would appear at this point that Paul wanted to be on his own, for he left Luke and th... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And sailing from there, we came the following day over against Chios; and the next day we touched at Samos; and the day after we came to Miletus. For Paul had determined to sail past Ephesus, that he might not have to spend time in Asia, for he was hastening, if it were possible for him, to be at J... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called to him the elders of the church.' Arriving in Miletus Paul then sent messengers to Ephesus to request the elders of the church there to meet him at Miletus, which would involve them in a journey of about thirty miles, so that he could give them his fi... [ Continue Reading ]
PAUL'S ADDRESS TO THE ELDERS OF THE EPHESIAN CHURCH (20:17-38).... [ Continue Reading ]
PAUL DESCRIBES THE PERSONAL PATTERN AND FULL DEPTHS OF HIS MINISTRY TO THE EPHESIANS (18-21). We may ask, why did Paul spend so much time in this speech talking about himself? Some have suggested that he was necessarily combating criticism. But a careful consideration of the speech opens us up to an... [ Continue Reading ]
HE DESCRIBES WHAT HAS CAUSED HIM TO WANT TO SPEAK TO THEM AND THE FATE THAT AWAITS HIM (22-24). “And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will befall me there, save that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions await... [ Continue Reading ]
“And now, behold, I know that you all, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, will see my face no more.” He had proclaimed to them the Kingly Rule of God, both as a present reality and as a future hope. But in view of his future plans which will take him far away he is aware that this is th... [ Continue Reading ]
HE CONFIRMS THAT HE HAS FAITHFULLY PROCLAIMED THE KINGLY RULE OF GOD TO THEM AND HAS TAUGHT THEM ‘THE WHOLE COUNSEL OF GOD, SO THAT THEY ARE FULLY KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT HIS WAYS AND SAVING PURPOSES (20:25-27).... [ Continue Reading ]
“For which reason I testify to you this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. For I shrank not from declaring to you the whole counsel (or ‘will') of God.” And this is why he wants them to know that he has fully discharged his responsibility. That he is pure from the blood of all men. That... [ Continue Reading ]
“Take heed to yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you bishops (overseers), to feed the church of the Lord which he purchased with his own blood.” He makes clear to them their prime future responsibility: o He warns them first to watch for themselves. Only by careful... [ Continue Reading ]
“I know that after my departing grievous wolves will enter in among you, not sparing the flock, and from among your own selves will men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.” He warns that the attacks will come from without and within. Wolves will find their way in... [ Continue Reading ]
“For which reason watch you, remembering that by the space of three years I ceased not to admonish every one night and day with tears.” He reminds them how while he was with them over the ‘three year' period he had not ceased, often with tears, to admonish them night and day so as to lead them into... [ Continue Reading ]
“And now I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” But Paul knows the place of safety and security. It is to be found in God Himself, and in the full teaching concerning His grace (compare... [ Continue Reading ]
“I coveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel. You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities, and to those who were with me.” ‘I coveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel.' How could he even wish to when he was a recipient of Christ's inheritance? But he wants them to recog... [ Continue Reading ]
“In all things I gave you an example, that so labouring you ought to help the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, which he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive'.” And now he wants them to take what he has done as an example that they too might labour without char... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And when he had thus spoken, he kneeled down and prayed with them all.' Once he had finished speaking Paul then kneeled down and prayed with them all. His action was such as to emphasise how deeply he felt, for it was quite a regular practise to pray standing (Luke 18:11). But he wanted them to be... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And they all wept grievously, and fell on Paul's neck and kissed him, sorrowing most of all for the word which he had spoken, that they would behold his face no more. And they brought him on his way to the ship.' And they all responded in like kind. They wept grievously, they hugged him, they kiss... [ Continue Reading ]