Testifying to the gospel of grace (Acts 20:17-38)

[Stephan Choe]

January 22, 2024

Paul's farewell address in Miletus

Acts 20:17-38

Key verse 24: "But I do not count my life precious, if only I finish my course and carry out the ministry I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God."

Paul preached intensively for two years in the school of Tyrannus in Ephesus, so that all who lived in the province of Asia Minor heard the gospel and became disciples of Jesus (19:9-10). After Demetrius' rebellion, Paul took leave of them and came to Miletus via Macedonia, Greece, Macedonia, Philippi and Troas. The ship docked in the port of Miletus for several days to unload and load its cargo. As Miletus is only 64 km south of the city of Ephesus, Paul took the opportunity to say goodbye to the elders of Ephesus in Miletus. Paul would have liked to visit Ephesus, where he had preached for two years and raised up many disciples. But he wanted to hurry in order to be in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost. That is why he does not visit Ephesus, but has the elders of the church in Ephesus come to him in Miletus and gives a farewell address, which is found in the 20th chapter of the Acts of the Apostles. Today we want to get to know the content of his farewell address.

These elters preach God's word and guard the church against disorder and false teachers (Acts 20:28). These verses show us the responsibility of the elders. Elders today can mean preachers and elders of the church.

I. Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock (17-31)

Paul reminds the elders of how he served the Lord and taught in Ephesus, saying, "How I served the Lord in all humility and with tears and with temptations, which happened to me because of the persecutions of the Jews" (19).

Paul confesses that he first and foremost served the Lord in all humility and with tears.

Paul says in verse 28:

"Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood."

Paul says to the elders that God, the Holy Spirit, has appointed them overseers of the church to feed the flock. It was not the church or the apostles who appointed these men as overseers. Although people are involved, the Holy Spirit makes the appointment.

He then calls the duty of the elders: "To take care of themselves and the whole flock and protect the church."

The opposite would be to neglect the flock, to be inattentive or preoccupied with other things, so that elders do not perceive the problems and dangers facing the flock.

To fulfill this task, elders must first watch over their own spiritual condition.

If an elder cannot protect his own soul, he cannot protect the spiritual life of others. Therefore, elders must do whatever is necessary to maintain their daily walk with God. They must pray faithfully and read the Scriptures daily to hear God's voice and discern God's will.

Elders must also guard against being seduced by the pleasures and cares of this world.

They must guard against bitterness of heart, discouragement, spiritual laziness and unbelief. They must keep their minds and hearts firmly focused on Jesus Christ.

Secondly, the elders have the task of shepherding the whole flock, the church.

Paul describes the local church as a flock of sheep that the elders are to protect. The image of the shepherd illustrates very well that the church needs guidance and protection. In order to fulfill this task well, the shepherds, the elders, require a good relationship with the sheep. Because sheep are defenceless, an unguarded flock is in danger.

Shepherding the flock means that the elders must keep an eye on the church. They must be vigilant and attentive. They must be concerned at all times for the spiritual welfare of the flock so that the sheep find good pasture and fresh water, that is, receive God's Word and the power of the Holy Spirit. They must also always be on their guard against dangers that come from both outside and inside.

To this end, the elders should deploy the gifted workers with gifts and talents in the various ministries. Nevertheless, they must bear responsibility for the whole flock with all its people, programs, and problems.

The elders must protect the congregation with their lives. To this end, they are to lead, feed and guard the sheep.

The shepherding work of elders involves authority and leadership with self-sacrifice, tenderness, wisdom, loving care and constant vigilance. Their work requires long hours and full attention. A shepherd must always be with the sheep, like a shepherd in the time of Jesus.

The flock is of great value to the elders. The reason is that the church does not belong to elders, nor to apostles, nor to any man, but to God. God sacrificed his Son and called his flock into being. The price one is willing to pay for the flock shows its value. For the church, God gave his only Son as the sacrifice that bears sin.

And God is the one who cares for them, sustains them and provides for them.

What an honor it is to lead the church of God! It is a very serious problem when an elder is inattentive to the needs of God's church, and yet this is a common problem worldwide. One of the reasons elders neglect the church and many men have no desire to be elders is because they do not understand the value of the church and do not appreciate the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul now encourages the elders to protect the church from ravening wolves (29-31). Raging wolves are false teachers. Wild wolves will come. There is no doubt about that.

Paul says in verse 30 that false teachers "will arise from among yourselves, teaching perverse things, to seize the disciples."

These people will come from their own ranks and will take the hearts of many disciples. That is very painful.

For three years, Paul proclaimed the gospel in Ephesus and defended it against the false teachers. Paul's presence was like a fortress against the "savage wolves". His departure is now a critical moment for the church in Ephesus. Now that he is gone, the elders of Ephesus are to take on the task of protecting the flock of God.

That is why Paul says to them: "Therefore be vigilant" (31a).

The reason for vigilance is that action must be taken immediately. The command "Be on the alert" means to act immediately. A good shepherd knows when to fight and against whom to fight. To be aware of danger and not act is to be a lazy, cowardly shepherd.

II. I commit you to God and to the word of his grace (32)

Paul knows that the elders themselves needed to replenish the power of God's grace again and again. That is why he says in verse 32:

"And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, who is mighty to build you up and give you the inheritance with all who are sanctified."

The elders heard "the word of his grace" through Paul's preaching. They are to draw strength from this word of grace and fulfill their task.

They should rest in the message of the gospel and continue to draw from its richness and depth. It is crucial for the good direction of the elders' work that they are sufficiently filled with the grace of God. They can then face difficulties, failures, and problems with confidence in the living God.

Someone has described "forgiveness" as the central point of the gospel. But I would call "grace" the central point of the gospel, because grace means both forgiveness and God's blessing as God's child.

The Christian life is the life of faith in God and his grace. Many people struggle against self-sufficiency and unbelief. We cannot stand against the dark power with our own strength. But with faith in God and his grace, we can conquer far.

That is why church leaders should draw strength, comfort, and wisdom from faith in God and his grace and lead the church.

III Church leaders should work diligently and help the needy (33-35)

A. Church leaders are not to love money (33-34)

Paul says in verses 33-34: "I have coveted no one's silver or gold or clothing. For you yourselves know that these hands have ministered to me for a living, for myself and those who were with me."

It is said that three great temptations for preachers are money, power, and sex.

Paul is free from power because he has become a persecuted man. He is unmarried and is free from sex. He is also free from money addiction by working for a living. He does not want any wrong behavior of his to become a hindrance to the gospel. He has no desire for the money of others.

He also wants to encourage all Christians to work for their own sustenance and to help others.

Church leaders must not be dependent on money, but on God alone. Of course, they may receive support from the church. They can then carry out their task as preachers properly.

B. Elders (church leaders) should help those in need

Christians, especially Christian leaders, must show the love of Christ by sharing their resources with those in need. This is why Paul says in verse 35:

"I have shown you in everything that one must work in this way and take care of the weak, remembering the word of the Lord Jesus, who himself said: It is more blessed to give than to receive."

The elders are to help those who lack their basic needs. It requires a sacrifice to help someone in need. Paul encourages with the word, "It is more blessed to give than to receive."

We must believe and practice this word.

IV. Farewell prayer (36-38)

After Paul has finished speaking, he kneels down and prays with everyone, all of them weeping loudly and kissing Paul. They are saddened by Paul's word that they will no longer see his face. And they accompany him onto the ship.

This is a beautiful, moving farewell.