Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him. And when they came to him, he said to them: “You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews; how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. And now, behold, I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again. Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears. 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. I coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel. You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me. In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. And there was much weeping on the part of all; they embraced Paul and kissed him, being sorrowful most of all because of the word he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. And they accompanied him to the ship.
elders - "These leaders of the group were recognized by all, since the church knew whom to send." (Ryrie)
"Margin, 'overseers', the title which, as time went on, became confined to the office which corresponds with the modern episcopate. Throughout the New Testament, however, the terms 'presbyter', 'bishop', as here (vv. 17, 28), denote two aspects of the same office, the former pointing to the minister's weight of years and standing (elder), and the latter to his work of supervision (overseer)." (Walker)
I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom - "In Verse 24 of our passage the apostle makes it clear that the particular ministry he had received of the Lord Jesus was 'to testify the gospel of the grace of God.' This was his special ministry. But this does not mean that he would not confirm what Peter and the twelve had taught about the Messiahship of Christ. Could anyone suppose that those who persisted in denying that the crucified Jesus was the true Messiah could possibly trust Him as their personal Savior? Assuredly not! And thus it was that Paul sought first to convince the Jews everywhere that 'Jesus is the Christ.' So it is that in the passage before us he declares that he had testified to both Jews and Greeks, 'repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ' (Ver. 21). Now it is quite true that as repentance was the message of John the Baptist, Christ and the twelve, so grace is the message for today. But this does not mean that repentance has no place today. Repentance is not penitance; much less is it penance. It is rather a change of mind and attitude. Grace had been Paul's special message up to this time yet repentance was a part of that message, as was also faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ. As to his preaching 'the kingdom of God' (Ver. 25) he still speaks of 'inheriting' the kingdom of God in Eph 5:5 and of his 'fellow workers unto the kingdom of God' in Col 4:11, both of which passages were written considerably after the close of Acts. It must be remembered that this term, unlike 'the kingdom of heaven' (found only in Matthew), is a very broad one. We find it used in both the opening and closing verses of the Acts and in each case the context must be kept in view. When our Lord, before His ascension, taught the eleven 'the things pertaining to the kingdom of God'' (Acts 1:3) He dealt with the earthly establishment of that kingdom, which the apostles hoped for and which Peter was soon to offer to Israel (Acts 3:19-21). But when Paul, in bondage in Rome, preached the kingdom of God (Acts 28:31) he would, of course, tell what had become of the offer of its establishment on earth, and explain how this was now being held in abeyance (Cf. Rom 11:25-27). Above all let us observe carefully that 'the ministry' which Paul had 'received of the Lord Jesus,' was the proclamation of 'the gospel of the grace of God' (Ver. 24). It was by preaching this message that he hoped to finish the course which he had begun so long ago." (Stam)
constrained by the Spirit - "Paul was being led by the Holy Spirit to go to Jerusalem, knowing that capture awaited him there (v.23). Those who later tried to disuade him (Acts 21:4) did so because they knew through the Spirit what was ahead for him." (Ryrie)
"That is 'bound in my spirit', so as to be unable to act otherwise. Some understand it to mean 'bound as a prisoner in the spirit, though not yet in body with chains'. It may, however, be taken to mean 'constrained by the Holy Spirit' (cf. Acts 20:23). The divine Spirit acts on the human spirit, and so the two main interpretations are not far removed from each other. (Cf. Rom 15:30-31)." (Walker)
"This term is an idiom meaning to feel one's self responsible. The 'spirit' here, as we have shown, is his own, not the Holy Spirit, which is distinguished from Paul's spirit in the next verse by the addition of the word 'Holy' and (in the original) by the familiar repetition of the definite article: 'the Spirit, the Holy.'" (Stam) [interesting that the ESV capitalizes the letter "s" in spirit]
from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things - "In the case of the Ephesian church, whose elders Paul was now addressing, we are given ample confirmation of the truth of his warning. It was not long before Hymenaeus and Alexander ha 'made shipwreck' of the faith and had become blasphemers (1 Tim 1:19,20). And this Hymeanaeus, along with another, Philetus, succeeded in 'overthrowing the faith of some' (2 Tim 2:17,18). Indeed, in his last letter the apostle had to write to Timothy: 'This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me' (2 Tim 1:15)." (Stam)
now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace - "There is no thought of apostolic succession. The apostle does not commit them to Timothy but 'to God and the word of His grace.' ... The word of His grace' was, of course, the particular message which Paul had been commissioned to proclaim. It was the message for the dispensation now dawning, and it was this message that God would use to establish them in the faith, especially as its glories were further reviewed to Paul and through him in his epistles. How similar is this benediction to that found in a letter the apostle had so recently written: 'Now to Him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began' (Rom 16:25)." (Stam)
those who are sanctified - "positionally" (Ryrie)
remember the words of the Lord Jesus - "This saying is not recorded in the Gospels." (Ryrie)
elders - "These leaders of the group were recognized by all, since the church knew whom to send." (Ryrie)
"Margin, 'overseers', the title which, as time went on, became confined to the office which corresponds with the modern episcopate. Throughout the New Testament, however, the terms 'presbyter', 'bishop', as here (vv. 17, 28), denote two aspects of the same office, the former pointing to the minister's weight of years and standing (elder), and the latter to his work of supervision (overseer)." (Walker)
I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom - "In Verse 24 of our passage the apostle makes it clear that the particular ministry he had received of the Lord Jesus was 'to testify the gospel of the grace of God.' This was his special ministry. But this does not mean that he would not confirm what Peter and the twelve had taught about the Messiahship of Christ. Could anyone suppose that those who persisted in denying that the crucified Jesus was the true Messiah could possibly trust Him as their personal Savior? Assuredly not! And thus it was that Paul sought first to convince the Jews everywhere that 'Jesus is the Christ.' So it is that in the passage before us he declares that he had testified to both Jews and Greeks, 'repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ' (Ver. 21). Now it is quite true that as repentance was the message of John the Baptist, Christ and the twelve, so grace is the message for today. But this does not mean that repentance has no place today. Repentance is not penitance; much less is it penance. It is rather a change of mind and attitude. Grace had been Paul's special message up to this time yet repentance was a part of that message, as was also faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ. As to his preaching 'the kingdom of God' (Ver. 25) he still speaks of 'inheriting' the kingdom of God in Eph 5:5 and of his 'fellow workers unto the kingdom of God' in Col 4:11, both of which passages were written considerably after the close of Acts. It must be remembered that this term, unlike 'the kingdom of heaven' (found only in Matthew), is a very broad one. We find it used in both the opening and closing verses of the Acts and in each case the context must be kept in view. When our Lord, before His ascension, taught the eleven 'the things pertaining to the kingdom of God'' (Acts 1:3) He dealt with the earthly establishment of that kingdom, which the apostles hoped for and which Peter was soon to offer to Israel (Acts 3:19-21). But when Paul, in bondage in Rome, preached the kingdom of God (Acts 28:31) he would, of course, tell what had become of the offer of its establishment on earth, and explain how this was now being held in abeyance (Cf. Rom 11:25-27). Above all let us observe carefully that 'the ministry' which Paul had 'received of the Lord Jesus,' was the proclamation of 'the gospel of the grace of God' (Ver. 24). It was by preaching this message that he hoped to finish the course which he had begun so long ago." (Stam)
constrained by the Spirit - "Paul was being led by the Holy Spirit to go to Jerusalem, knowing that capture awaited him there (v.23). Those who later tried to disuade him (Acts 21:4) did so because they knew through the Spirit what was ahead for him." (Ryrie)
"That is 'bound in my spirit', so as to be unable to act otherwise. Some understand it to mean 'bound as a prisoner in the spirit, though not yet in body with chains'. It may, however, be taken to mean 'constrained by the Holy Spirit' (cf. Acts 20:23). The divine Spirit acts on the human spirit, and so the two main interpretations are not far removed from each other. (Cf. Rom 15:30-31)." (Walker)
"This term is an idiom meaning to feel one's self responsible. The 'spirit' here, as we have shown, is his own, not the Holy Spirit, which is distinguished from Paul's spirit in the next verse by the addition of the word 'Holy' and (in the original) by the familiar repetition of the definite article: 'the Spirit, the Holy.'" (Stam) [interesting that the ESV capitalizes the letter "s" in spirit]
from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things - "In the case of the Ephesian church, whose elders Paul was now addressing, we are given ample confirmation of the truth of his warning. It was not long before Hymenaeus and Alexander ha 'made shipwreck' of the faith and had become blasphemers (1 Tim 1:19,20). And this Hymeanaeus, along with another, Philetus, succeeded in 'overthrowing the faith of some' (2 Tim 2:17,18). Indeed, in his last letter the apostle had to write to Timothy: 'This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me' (2 Tim 1:15)." (Stam)
now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace - "There is no thought of apostolic succession. The apostle does not commit them to Timothy but 'to God and the word of His grace.' ... The word of His grace' was, of course, the particular message which Paul had been commissioned to proclaim. It was the message for the dispensation now dawning, and it was this message that God would use to establish them in the faith, especially as its glories were further reviewed to Paul and through him in his epistles. How similar is this benediction to that found in a letter the apostle had so recently written: 'Now to Him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began' (Rom 16:25)." (Stam)
those who are sanctified - "positionally" (Ryrie)
remember the words of the Lord Jesus - "This saying is not recorded in the Gospels." (Ryrie)
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