Acts 20:35

Acts 20:35. I have showed you all things, how, etc. ‘All things' here signifies ‘in all ways,' by teaching and by life. Not only have I told you in words what is the duty of a Christ-loving man, but I tried to live the life before you which I told you of.

That so labouring ye ought to support the weak. So labouring as I have done, ye ought to help and succour not here the ‘weak in faith,' the anxious, the doubter, the sceptic, but the sick, the feeble, the poor, who are unable to help themselves. It is a beautiful and touching reminder not only to these elders of Ephesus, but to all who say they love the Lord Jesus, to exercise self-denial in various ways, that they may possess some means wherewith to help those poorer, weaker, more helpless than themselves (Ephesians 4:28). It is evident from the quotation of the words of the Master which follow, that this is the meaning of ‘the weak' here.

And to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive. These beautiful words of the Master, Paul quoted as evidently well known, and as quite familiar to his listeners, yet they are not found in the four Gospels in any form. They are evidently a memory, a loved memory, of one of the Master's favourite sayings; and although they enforce with the solemn distinctness of a command of God the duty of liberality and kindness to the poor and helpless, they possess a far deeper meaning, for they assert as an eternal truth, the higher blessedness of giving than receiving. Perhaps the full truth of this Divine saying of the Holy One and Blessed, in all its length and breadth, and depth and height, will never be grasped by any but the redeemed, and not by them till they enter the city of the Lamb. Do they not foreshadow in some way the occupation of the blessed in heaven? Will they not all then be ministering spirits?

The whole question concerning the ‘traditional sayings' of the Lord is discussed at some length in Excursus B., which follows this chapter.