Study Guide for Acts 20 - Paul's Farewell to the Ephesian Elders
A. Paul in the region of Macedonia again.
B. Back to Troas and the region of Asia Minor (modern day Turkey).
C. Paul's address to the Ephesian elders.
3. (Acts 20:22-27) Paul reveals his heart and mind to the Ephesian elders.
22 And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by[a] the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, 23 except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me.24 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. 25 And now, behold, I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again. 26 Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all, 27 for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.
4. (Acts 20:28-35) Paul exhorts the Ephesian elders to continue in godly ministry.
28 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,[a] which he obtained with his own blood.[b] 29 I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. 31 Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears. 32 And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.33 I coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel. 34 You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me.35 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.'"
BIBLE.ORG - COLE - ACTS 20:22-27 APPLICATION POINTS
It's easy to begin something new. Maybe it's a new diet or exercise program, a new job, or a new relationship with someone special. There is always a sense of excitement about a new beginning. But life isn't a 50-yard dash; it's a marathon. The trick is not just to begin well, but to finish well. I have known many who have gotten excited about serving the Lord in some way. They started with gusto. But then they got hit with criticism. They found that people didn't respond to their ministry as positively as they had hoped. They got into conflicts with their fellow workers. Perhaps the stress spilled over into their marriages. So after a few years, they left the ministry with a lot of bitterness and cynicism.
None of us want that to happen to us. Paul did not want that to happen to the elders in Ephesus. He wanted them, just as we want for ourselves, to sprint across the finish line, not to drop out of the race. He is sharing from his own life the secrets of a ministry that runs strong until the end of life. In his final letter to Timothy, he declared, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith" (2 Tim. 4:7).
The secret to Paul's strong finish is summed up in verse 24. I have a difficult task today: I want to convince you that verse 24 not only applied to the apostle Paul, but that it applies to each of you that knows Christ as Savior and Lord. Paul did not consider his own life of any account as dear to himself, in order that he might finish his course, the ministry that he received from the Lord Jesus. Paul is saying that to finish the race, he put his ministry above even life itself. In the same way,
To finish the course, you must put the ministry that you received from the Lord above even life itself.
You may be thinking, "That's fine for the apostle Paul or for those who have been called to the ministry or mission field. But, hey, I'm just a layman." Let's begin with a basic biblical truth:
1. To finish the course, you must recognize that God has entrusted a ministry to you.
There is no such thing in the Bible as a Christian without a ministry! We have fallen into a wrong way of thinking, where some who are super-committed go into "the ministry," but everyone else just putters around at serving the Lord in their spare time as volunteers. It is significant that every time in Scripture that the subject of spiritual gifts is mentioned, it uses the word "each" or "every" (Rom. 12:3; 1 Cor. 12:7; Eph. 4:7, 16; 1 Pet. 4:10). As Peter puts it, "As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God." Every Christian has received a gift from God. Every Christian will give an account to God of his stewardship in using that gift for God's purposes, as Jesus taught in the parable of the talents (Matt. 25:14-30).
Thus whether you're a waiter, an accountant, a carpenter, or a housewife, if you're a Christian you must see yourself as being in the ministry, just as I'm in the ministry. I happen to get supported by my ministry and you may not. In that matter, you are more like the apostle Paul than I am! He chose to work in a "secular" job to pay his bills. Ministry is not just a task or sphere of service; it is a mentality or way of thinking that permeates all of life. Seeing yourself in the ministry means that you are available to God 24-7, to use you to help others draw near to God. It may mean serving someone in a practical way by meeting a need. It may mean sharing the gospel with an unbeliever or encouraging a believer by listening to his problems or by sharing relevant Scriptures. You can minister through giving or through prayer.
But whatever form it takes, ministry means not focusing on yourself, but on others by being available to God to work through your life. You won't fulfill the ministry that God has given you if you aren't even aware that you are in the ministry! But, you are! Maybe you're thinking, "I'd like to do that some day, but right now I'm just too busy to serve God." Consider this second point:
2. To finish the course, you must recognize that you are a conscript, not a volunteer.
Paul tells them that he is "bound in spirit," on his way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to him there, except that the Holy Spirit solemnly testified to him in every city that bonds and afflictions awaited him (20:22-23). But this did not deter Paul or make him decide that it was time to move to that nice retirement community on the Aegean Sea, where he could play golf every day.
Why not? Why didn't Paul think, "Bonds and afflictions don't sound like a happy future. I think I'll opt for an easier course." Because Paul didn't see himself as a volunteer for Jesus. He saw himself as a conscript under orders from his commander.
It's difficult to determine whether the phrase "bound in spirit" should be spirit with a small "s" or with a capital "S." Some translations take it one way, and some the other. Some take it that Paul had an inner compulsion to go to Jerusalem, but it was not from the Holy Spirit. It was Paul's own idea. Donald Grey Barnhouse goes so far as to say that Paul was sinning by going there (Acts: An Expositional Commentary [Zondervan], pp. 185-187)!
But since Luke does not give us any hint that Paul was sinning or making a serious blunder here (or in 19:21), and since Paul was a man who walked in close fellowship with Christ, I conclude that it was the Holy Spirit impelling Paul to go to Jerusalem, while at the same time warning him of the hardships that he would encounter there. In other words, Paul saw himself as a conscript who had been drafted into the Lord's army. He was under orders. So he sought to obey what he believed the Holy Spirit was commanding him to do.
All too often, the church conveys the wrong message, that we are looking for volunteers to serve Jesus. The problem with that view is, if you can choose to serve, then you can also choose not to serve or to quit serving if the service isn't to your liking. But conscripts don't have a choice. If you get drafted, you serve in the army because you were chosen to serve. You may not like the food, you may not like your living quarters, and you may not like where the army assigns you to go. But you serve anyway because you are under orders.
That's how Christians ought to see themselves. If Christ bought you with His blood, you belong to Him as His slave. Slaves don't choose to serve. They're under orders. If the service isn't pleasant or fun, they're not free to quit. To finish the course, we need to see ourselves as conscripts, not volunteers.
3. To finish the course, you must sign over your life to Jesus Christ, expecting hardship as you follow Him.
Paul did not consider his own life of any account as dear to himself. If following Christ meant hardship, slander, imprisonment, or death, he had settled the issue long ago. He was willing to die for the Savior who had died for him. When James Calvert went out as a missionary to the cannibals of the Fiji Islands, the captain of the ship sought to turn him back. "You will lose your life and the lives of those with you if you go among such savages," he cried. Calvert replied, "We died before we came here." Those faithful missionaries had signed over their lives to Jesus.
Again, there is the mistaken idea in evangelical circles that there are two options for the Christian life. The most popular option is to sign up to go to church when it's convenient, drop a few bucks in the offering plate now and then, and live for the American dream of accumulating enough money and stuff to live a comfortable life. If you have time, you may decide to volunteer at church, but only if it's convenient. Your priority in life, under this option, is to enjoy yourself, live a good life, and someday to retire and spend the last 15 years of your life driving around America in your motor home, or playing golf in sunny Arizona.
The second option is not so popular. It's only for gung-ho types, who probably signed up for the Green Berets during Vietnam. In this option, you're admittedly something of a fanatic. You give up the American dream and any right to your own will in order to serve Jesus. You live a pared-down lifestyle and give away lots of money to the Lord's work. Or, you may even give up the comforts of America and go live in difficult conditions to reach people for Jesus. As a missionary, nobody expects you to live at the same comfort level as the folks back home do. If you did, your commitment to the cause would be suspect! But the folks back home aren't called to the same level of commitment as you are! You're called to deny yourself because you're on the missionary track of commitment. They have not been called to that.
But look at Mark 8:34-35. Jesus was speaking not only to His disciples, but also to the crowd: "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it." In the context, Jesus wasn't calling people to some super-committed discipleship track. When He called people to radical self-denial, to the point of death (as "taking up your cross" implies), He was calling them to salvation! Every follower of Jesus, not just a few super-committed, is called to this total, all-out, lay-down-your-life kind of commitment! Jesus is pretty graphic about what He will do with those who profess to know Him, but are lukewarm in their commitment: He will vomit them out of His mouth (Rev. 3:16). So if on a scale of 1-10 you'd rate your commitment to Jesus as 5 or 6, you'd better turn up the heat! You need to be totally surrendered to Jesus and His will, even if it means hardship to the point of martyrdom.
The Bible makes it clear that following Jesus will mean hardship at some level. Not everyone will be tortured or martyred, but Paul plainly states, "Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted" (2 Tim. 3:12). As he encouraged the new believers in Galatia, "Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22). He urged the Thessalonians not to be disturbed by their afflictions, because "we have been destined for this. For indeed when we were with you, we kept telling you in advance that we were going to suffer affliction; and so it came to pass, as you know" (1 Thess. 3:3-4).
You may be thinking, "Why would I want to sign over my life to Jesus if it means that I can expect hardship and affliction?" The answer is, because the only other option is to live for yourself and worldly pleasure here and now, and face God's judgment and wrath in hell for eternity! Remember, if you try to save your life by living for yourself, you'll lose it. But if you sign your life over to Jesus and the gospel, you'll save it. Those are the words of Jesus Christ, not of Steve Cole!
Once you entrust your life totally to Christ, you don't need to live in fear of the future, because your future is in His hands. Thankfully, God doesn't let us know the details about what will happen to us in the future. I've often thought that I wouldn't want to know what King Hezekiah knew, that he had 15 more years to live. Think of the anxiety as you faced the final countdown! The Holy Spirit told Paul that bonds and afflictions awaited him, but nothing more. We should live each day all-out for the Lord, knowing that if He brings trials into our lives, He will also give us the grace to endure them. But we must live in light of eternity, not for the fleeting pleasures of this life only. The only way to live in light of eternity is to be totally abandoned to Jesus Christ here and now, trusting in Him in every trial.
Thus, to finish the course, you must recognize that God has entrusted a ministry to you and that you are a conscript, not a volunteer. You must sign over your life to Jesus Christ, expecting hardship as you follow Him.
4. To finish the course, you must keep the finish line in view: faithfulness to the gospel of God's grace.
To finish the course, Paul said that he needed "to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God" (20:24). Not everyone is called to be a preacher or missionary, as Paul was. But with whatever gifts God has entrusted to us, the bottom line is the same: we must be faithful by our lives and words to the gospel of the grace of God. If our lives and words betray the gospel of God's grace, we are in some sense guilty of the blood of those who were tainted by our failure (20:26). If our lives and our words bear witness to the gospel of God's grace, we are innocent of the blood of those who came in contact with our witness.
Paul here is referring to God's words to Ezekiel, that He had appointed him as a watchman over Israel. If the watchman sees the enemy coming and doesn't sound the warning, he is liable for the city's destruction. But if he sounds the warning and the people ignore him, he has delivered himself; their blood is on their own heads (Ezek. 3:17-21; 33:1-9).
I confess that I do not totally understand what the Lord means when he tells Ezekiel that He will require the blood of wicked men from Ezekiel's hand if he doesn't warn them of impending judgment. It must mean a loss of rewards in heaven, because Ezekiel was clearly a saved man who could not be eternally condemned. But whatever it means, it's a scary warning! More than once God has used that warning to give me the courage to confront someone who was in sin. I feel a need to deliver myself before God, whether the person I confront likes me or not.
If you want to be innocent of the blood of all men, keep your eye on the finish line. There you are, standing before the Judge of the whole earth. To hear "well done," your life and, as God gives opportunity, your words, must bear witness to the gospel of God's grace. His gospel of grace is the good news that He will pardon guilty sinners who trust in Christ. But it also includes the bad news that He will eternally damn all who trust in themselves or their own good works, thereby spurning what Christ did on the cross. If people are not convicted about their sin before a holy God, they will not flee to Christ for refuge from God's wrath.
Paul uses the phrase "preaching the kingdom" (20:25) as parallel with "the gospel of the grace of God" (20:24). The kingdom is the realm where Jesus is Lord and King. Our lives and words must bear witness to the lordship of Jesus if we want to hear "well done" when we cross the finish line. So keep your eye on that goal, to bear witness of the gospel of God's grace and of the lordship of Jesus Christ.
5. To finish the course, you must feed on and proclaim the whole purpose of God.
Paul told these men, "For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God" (20:27). That phrase implies that Paul was balanced in teaching the full breadth of God's Word. Heresy is often truth out of balance. Paul didn't ride theological hobbyhorses. He refers to God's purpose in Ephesians 1:11, where he says that we have been "predestined according to His purpose, who works all things after the counsel of His will." We do not proclaim the whole counsel of God if we tiptoe around the doctrine of God's sovereign predestination (see also, Acts 2:23; 4:28; 2 Tim. 1:9). On the other hand, we do not proclaim the whole purpose of God if we fail to teach what Scripture so plainly teaches, that every person is responsible for his sins and that everyone is commanded to repent and to trust in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord (Acts 16:31; 17:30). Both doctrines are true.
As Paul explains in Ephesians 3:1-12, the purpose of God includes the mystery, that the Gentiles are now fellow members of the body of Christ through the gospel. That was a hard teaching for the Jews to swallow, but Paul taught it. Teaching the whole purpose of God means that we don't dodge the hard truths of God's Word. If His Word reproves sin, we reprove sin. If it corrects wrong thinking, we correct wrong thinking.
You may not be gifted to preach and teach God's Word, but you are responsible to grow to understand the whole purpose of God and through whatever gifts He has given you, to impart your understanding to others.
BIBLE.ORG - DEFFINBAUGH
Paul's Final Words to the Ephesian Elders (20:17-38)
General Observations
Our passage is one of the outstanding texts in Acts,460 conveying the impassioned final words of Paul to the leaders of the Ephesian church. We shall not in any way exhaust its study or fathom its depths in this lesson. I would like to begin, however, with some general observations.
Notice, first of all, that Paul's words look backward and forward in time. Paul looks back over the years which he has spend with these men, drawing upon his conduct and teaching and the work of God in their midst. And then Paul looks forward, to his own fate and the dangers which lie ahead, which seem to spell his death, or at least imprisonment, and thus his "farewell" to these leaders. Paul also looks forward to the dangers which lie ahead of this church and to these men in particular. He therefore warns them of these dangers and spells out God's resources for them.
Second, these words of Paul are those of man who has a deep affection for these elders, and they are received by these men with the same love and affection for Paul. These are words that are tearfully delivered and which are tearfully received. Paul can talk to these men as he does because they know him well, just as he knows them intimately. He speaks to them frankly, out of love, as they listen with hearts of love for him, through whose ministry (no doubt) they have come to faith. The message and the man are very much inter-twined. Paul's conduct and his content are inseparable, and thus he moves from his practice to his preaching, back and forth. He also wishes for his teaching to work itself out in very practical terms, and so he moves from his teaching to the lifestyle which it requires.
With these general observations, let us look at each section of Paul's final words, noting some of its particulars, and then I will attempt to draw the material together in such a way as to characterize Paul's ministry, as a pattern for the Ephesian elders and for us.
Paul's Practice in the Past (Verses 18-21)
Paul begins his exhortation by pointing to his practice while with the Ephesians for those nearly three years among them. It is evident that he was not distant from these saints, but that he had an intimate association with them, and that his life had a transparency to it, so that they could know him well. Over this extended period of time they could see Paul's consistency in lifestyle. He was putting on no show for them. He served the Lord among them, with humility, with great love and concern (tears) and with much opposition from the Jews.461 Paul evangelized, proclaiming the gospel to Jews and Gentiles alike, always calling men to repent of their sins and to have faith in the Lord Jesus as their Savior. In addition to his ministry of evangelism, he taught those who believed, both in public and in private (house to house, verse 20). Paul did not hold back (shrink) from telling men what they needed to hear. He did not selectively proclaim what men wanted to hear. All that was profitable, he proclaimed, to the saved and to the unsaved. Opposition neither silenced Paul, nor did it cause him to be selective in what he said, so as to avoid opposition or reaction.
Paul's Practice in the Light of His Future (Verses 22-27)
Paul was pressing on toward Jerusalem, in a hurry to get there as soon as he could (Acts 19:21; 20:16). And yet what lay ahead of him in Jerusalem was far from pleasant. He was "bound in spirit" (verse 22) and informed by the Holy Spirit (verse 23) concerning his future plans. He did not know all the details, but he was informed wherever he went462 that bonds and afflictions (note the plural, "afflictions") awaited him in Jerusalem. Saving his life was not the goal however, but spending his life in fulfilling his calling-the proclamation of the gospel. The warnings of his future bonds and afflictions were but further clarification of what he had been informed at the time of his conversion:
But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name's sake" (Acts 9:15-16).
Paul's goal was to "finish his course," to accomplish that which God had given him to do. So far as Ephesus and Asia were concerned, Paul was content that he had fulfilled his mission there, and thus he could leave, never to return again, if that were the will of God. He was innocent of the blood of all men there because he had not held back from proclaiming the gospel, nor had he failed to teach the saints the whole counsel of God (verses 26-27). He could leave them because he knew his work there was completed. There was still work to be done elsewhere, and thus he must press on, even though suffering awaited him.
The Dangers Ahead for the Ephesian Elders (Verses 28-32)
It was not just Paul who was in for trials and tests. There were dangers ahead for the church at Ephesus, and even for these elders themselves. Paul's words of encouragement must also include words of admonition and warning. These men must be on guard, not just for the flock, but also for themselves. These men were appointed as elders by the Holy Spirit, and as such they were to shepherd the flock of God, among which God had placed them. This flock was threatened by "wolves," and these "shepherds" were to guard the flock and protect them from such individuals, who would seek to do them harm.
Notice the "sheep" symbolism which Paul used here. The flock were the "sheep," and the elders were the "shepherds" of the flock, who were appointed by the Holy Spirit to protect and to feed the sheep. The danger was to come from the "wolves" who would savagely seek to destroy the flock and to devour some of the sheep. If this were not bad enough, some of the wolves were present there with Paul. There would be some of them who would assert themselves and who would seek to create a following of their own. In so doing, they would teach perverse things, things which would appeal to some and which would draw them to these false teachers. These teachers would no longer be shepherds of the flock, feeding, guiding and protecting the flock, but would feed themselves off of the flock, teaching what was perverse to attract and to mislead them. The would not seek to make disciples of our Lord, but to make disciples of their own, much like the Pharisees (Matthew 23:15). The dangers for these men were great, which is why Paul persistently admonished them while he was with them (verse 31). They, like he, must be vigilant, on the alert for such falling away.
The "wolves" of whom Paul warned these elders were those who were self-seeking and self-serving, who would prey upon the flock, bringing destruction as they savagely devoured the sheep. The shocking part of Paul's warning was not that false teachers would arise, and that the flock of God would be attacked from without; the shocking news was that some of those who would prove to be "savage wolves" were among them. Some of these elders would actually cease to be shepherds, who fed the sheep and protected them from danger, and become wolves, preying upon the flock, and speaking perverse things to achieve their destructive ends. They would cease to think and act like shepherds (and especially like the "Good Shepherd"), caring for the flock and laying down their lives to protect the flock.
How could such a terrible thing happen? How could a true shepherd of the flock become a wolf? It seems to me that the Scriptures, both Old Testament and New, provide us with some very direct evidence as to how things go wrong. Ezekiel 34 is a divine rebuke of the "shepherds of Israel," who have forsaken their task and calling as shepherds, and have begun to feed themselves from the flock, rather than feeding the flock. In John chapter 10 our Lord speaks of Himself as the "Good Shepherd" and He contrasts Himself with those who are thieves and robbers, and also with the hirelings, who have no real love nor care for the sheep, and who look out for themselves first.
From these texts and from the context of Paul's words of warning, I think that the first step in the fall from a shepherd to a wolf is that one ceases to think and act like a servant and begins to expect to be served. The "good shepherd" (not our Lord, but the faithful shepherd or elder) is one who gives of his life, who sacrifices personally for the benefit of the sheep. The "wolf" becomes willing to sacrifice the sheep so that he may benefit. He expects to gain from the sheep, even at the expense of the sheep. He may first become a mere "hireling," looking out for himself and not really caring for the sheep. When there is danger or demands, he is not present to care for the sheep. But eventually he becomes the wolf, who actually devours the sheep.
Paul may have had some specific revelation on this matter of the Ephesian elders, but then again he may have merely been convinced of the effects of the fall and of the sinfulness of the heart and of the power of sin through the flesh. He may also have already seen such transformations from shepherds to savage wolves. History has borne out Paul's warnings, time and time again.
No longer would Paul be present with them, to continue to warn them of these dangers, or to point out those who would rise up as devouring wolves. He did not despair, however, for it was no he on whom the church in Ephesus was dependent, but upon the Lord. And so it is that Paul can leave, commending this body of saints to the Lord, and to the "word of His grace."463 It was God, through His Word and through His Spirit, who would build men up, keep them from falling, and bring them into the inheritance which He had promised. Jude, in the same context of false teachers, would give a similar benediction:
Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. (Jude 24-25)
When you look through the New Testament to read the final, parting words of the apostles, you will discover that all of them turn the focus of their readers to the Word of God, not that they have not always done so, but that they do so especially in the light of their absence (see 2 Peter 1; 2 Timothy 3 & 4; 1 John 2:18-29).
Paul's Example and the Shepherd's Spirit (20:33-35)
In addition to the "word of God's grace" and the direct involvement of God in the lives of these elders, they also had the example of Paul to draw upon as an illustration of the kind of motivation and lifestyle which should characterize them-a motivation and lifestyle directly opposite to that of the "savage wolves" mentioned above. The savage wolves prey upon the sheep, while the shepherd cares for the sheep, even a great personal sacrifice. These wolves were savage wolves, with ravenous appetites. They wanted more-more from the sheep-more money, more power, more status and honor. In exchange they "fed" the sheep perverse teaching, which appealed to the lower natures and desires of the sheep. These men facilitated the self-indulgence of the sheep, only to fatten them for the kill, so that they could indulge themselves on the sheep.
Paul, on the other hand, had a ministry which was marked by a servant's spirit. He did not gain from his ministry among them, even though he could legitimately have done so (see 1 Corinthians chapter 9). He worked with his own hands, supporting not only himself but those who traveled with him. His ministry came at great cost, not to the sheep, but to himself. He was free from lust for their money or possessions. His ministry did not require money from others, and so he was free from the time-consuming process of raising funds, and from the temptation to misuse them so as to personally gain from his ministry. His ministry was characterized by giving, not by getting. His strength was not used to prey upon the weak, to take advantage of their weaknesses, but to support the weak. His life was lived on the principle taught by our Lord Himself: "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (verse 35).46
Second, I would like to briefly summarize some of the characteristics of Paul's mindset and ministry, which should also characterize us. I will only briefly summarize the characteristics which I see in Paul's ministry, but hope that these will stimulate further thought and study on your part.
(1) Paul had a strong sense of mission and a clear conception of his calling. Paul had no doubt as to what he was called to do, and he purposed to complete his calling, even if this meant suffering or death.
(2) Paul had a strong sense of his priorities. Because Paul knew what he was called to do, he also had a strong sense of his priorities. First, he served God, and then he served others, and this he did even if it meant losing his own life. Paul's priorities are the exact reverse of our culture. Our generation serves ourselves first, others second, and God hardly at all.
(3) Paul's life and ministry is marked by consistency and stability. He can refer to his conduct among the Ephesians as that which he consistently lived out among them-"how I was with you the whole time" (verse 18; see also 1 Corinthians 4:16-17). He was persistent even in the face of opposition or disagreement. He did not "shrink" from his duty (verse 20, 27). He was consistent in the gospel which he preached, a gospel of repentance and faith (verse 21).
(4) Paul's life and ministry were characterized by balance.
(5) Paul's ministry reflected a profound grasp of the relationship between strength and weakness. He knew that his strength came from God, ministered through his weakness (see 2 Corinthians 12:1-10) and that from the strength God supplied, he was to serve the weak. Unlike the "wolves" who used their strength to prey upon the weak, Paul's strength was employed in serving the weak.
(6) Paul's ministry is characterized by a profound sense of freedom. Paul's ministry was marked by a freedom from guilt. While much of Christian ministry today is motivated by guilt (often guilt imposed by church leadership), Paul was free from a sense of guilt, free because he knew that he had been obedient and had fulfilled his ministry and calling at Ephesus. Thus he was free to leave, free from the blood of all men. He was also free to live or die, based upon his hope of eternal life (see Philippians 1:19-26). Finally, he was free from the bondage of greed, self-seeking, and self-interest, the very things which would be the downfall of some of the Ephesian elders and many others.
(7) Paul's ministry was marked by a profound grasp of the fallibility of men and of the faithfulness of God. Paul knew the fallibility of men, and thus he predicted the downfall of some of these elders, not to mention the rising up of other "wolves" who would prey upon the flock. And yet in spite of Paul's realistic view of man's fallenness, he was convinced of God's faithfulness, and on this he could have absolute confidence. On this basis he could leave Ephesus, commending these saints to God and to the word of His grace.
