Acts

Paul's farewell sermon, 20:13-38

After a long stay in Ephesus, Paul is forced on the road again. He revisits Macedonia and Greece, and while heading toward Jerusalem he gathers the Ephesian elders and delivers a farewell sermon. This sermon could be delivered to any of Paul's mission churches, and in a sense, this is how it functions in Acts. Paul's pastoral ministry is coming to an end, dark clouds gather before him, and so soon his mission churches will no longer have him to lean on. To this end, Paul sets out to "review the character of his main missionary work, to forewarn of future dangers and to draw appropriate lessons for his churches", James Dunn.

v13-17. Luke records the journey of the missionary band from Troas to Miletus as they pushed toward Palestine, hoping to get to Jerusalem by Pentecost. Their ship spends some days at Miletus and so Paul is able to summon the Ephesian elders for a final briefing.

v18-21. First, Paul speaks of his ministry with the Ephesians - he served them through much hardship. Luke gives us some idea of the difficulties the disciples experienced in Ephesus due to the activities of the provincial Jewish community. Despite the difficulties, Paul exercised a full teaching and preaching ministry with them, teaching all that was "helpful". As is typical of Paul's ministry, his focus was on the gospel, proclaimed to both Jew and Gentile, along with the obligatory call for "repentance" and "faith".

v22-24. Second, Paul goes on to speak of his plan is to hand over the funds raised from the collection for the Jewish believers in Jerusalem. He has received numerous warnings of the danger associated with his planned visit to Jerusalem. His prayer is that he might be "delivered from them that are disobedient in Judea", Rom.15:31, although sadly this prayer is not answered. Yet, in the face of this danger, he presses forward so that "Christ may be magnified in my flesh", Phil.1:20. He wants his life to testify to the gospel. Note Paul's short-hand description of the gospel, "the gospel of God's grace." For Paul, the gospel concerns God's life-giving favor freely bestowed on all who repent and believe.

v25-27. Paul does not expect to be with the Ephesian elders again, given that his ministry focus is now toward Rome. None-the-less, he is confident he has declared "the whole counsel of God" to them, making God's plan plain to them.

v28. Third, Paul gives the elders a solemn charge. The Ephesian elders are to care for, to shepherd, the community gathered by Christ's sacrifice. This is their responsibility as gifted believers.

v29-31. Paul warns the elders of the prophesied division and dissension that will face the church in coming days. In the Pastoral epistles we read of the growing opposition to Paul's teaching on the free grace of God accessed by faith in the faithfulness of Christ, and this apart from the law.

v32. Paul may no longer be able to minister to the Ephesians, but they still have the gospel to rest on, a message which both redeems and sanctifies.

v33-35. Reminding them of his own example, Paul encourages the elders to see their ministry in terms other than exercised for monetary gain. None of the gospels quote these "words" from "the Lord", although the sentiment is certainly there, Lk.6:38, 11:9f, Jn.13:34.

v36-38. The elders bid Paul a sorrowful farewell since this may be their last meeting with him.

Like most ministers, I have had to deliver a number of farewell sermons. I know real men don't cry, but its very hard saying good-by without a tear or two. It's all really a bit unnatural because in leaving a church we have to make a clean break so that we don't get in the way of the new minister and yet it is in the Christian fellowship where we grow abiding friendships. Anyway, in our passage today we have a three point sermon for the conclusion of a minister's term of service.

The first point, v18-21, focuses on what has past. There is a wonderful opportunity here for the minister to get into a bit of pay-back. He can damn all those who have opposed his ministry, resisted his Spirit inspired innovations!!!. Yet, for Paul the value of his ministry lay in preaching a "profitable" ("helpful") word, and calling on all to repent and believe.

The second point, v22-27, focuses on the future. A minister on the move will often speak about being "compelled by the Spirit" - "the Lord has called me to minister in the Greek Isles." Many a lay person has wondered why the Lord didn't call him earlier! Paul did feel a compelling, but it was to the "task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace", "preaching the kingdom", of proclaiming "the whole counsel of God."

The third point, v28-35, focuses on the now. Any minister worth his salt will want his programmes immortalized, and to this end will ask his congregation to assist the new minister in the business of adjusting to the church's long-held traditions!! For Paul, the business of the now is the business of the Word. In the face of un-truth and partial-truth we are to "commit" ourselves "to the Word of His grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance."

Life is filled with change and a church fellowship reflects this reality. Yet, some things never change. Let us hold onto that which changes not, and so to this end "I commend you to God and the message of his grace."

Paul's ministry was a ministry of the Word of God, and this is where he wanted the Ephesian elders to focus their attention. Identify this focus in the passage and apply it to the life of your church.