17 “And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called to him the elders of the church. And when they were come to him, he said unto them,
“Ye yourselves know, from the first day that I set foot in Asia, after what manner I was with you all the time, serving the Lord with all lowliness of mind, and with tears, and with trials which befell me by the plots of the Jews: 20 how that I shrank not from declaring unto you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly, and from house to house, 21 testifying both to Jews and to Greeks repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. 22 And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there: 23 save that the Holy Ghost testifieth unto me in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. 24 But I hold not my life of any account, as dear unto myself, so that I may accomplish my course, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify the Gospel of the grace of God. 25 And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, shall see my face no more. 26 Wherefore I testify unto you this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. 27 For I shrank not from declaring unto you the whole counsel of God. 28 Take heed unto yourselves, and to all the flock, in the which the Holy Ghost hath made you bishops, to feed the church of God, which He purchased with His own blood. 29 I know that after my departing grievous wolves shall enter in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. 30 Wherefore watch ye, remembering that by the space of three years I ceased not to admonish every one night and day with tears. 31 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 them that are sanctified. 32 I coveted no man’s silver, or gold, or apparel. 33 Ye yourselves know that these hands ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me. 34 In all things I gave you an example, how that so laboring ye ought to help the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He Himself said, It is more blessed to give than to receive. 35 “And when he had thus spoken, he kneeled down, and prayed with them all. 36 And they all wept sore, and fell on Paul’s neck, and kissed him, 37 sorrowing most of all for the word which he had spoken, that they should behold his face no more. And they brought him on his way unto the ship.”
Questions.
1. Give an account of the night meeting at Troas.
2. How did it happen that a night meeting was held at that time?
3. State the course of the journey from that point onward.
4. From what place did Paul send for the elders of the church at Ephesus to come to him?
5. When they had come to him, of what did he remind them? Verse 18.
6. What could he say of his service to the Lord? Verse 19.
7. How faithful had he been in the ministry? Where had he taught and whom? Verse 20.
8. What had been the burden of his testimony to them? Verse 21.
9. What did he say of his present condition and his journey? Of what was he ignorant? Verse 22.
10. Of what thing was he nevertheless sure? What assurance had he of this? Verse 23?
11. How did this prospect affect him? How did he hold his life? What was the sole object of his life? Verse 24.
12. What did he say as to their meeting again? Verse 25.
13. From what did he say he was clear? Verse 26.
14. How was this? Verse 27.
15. In view of all this, what exhortation did the apostle give? What other title did he give to the church? What relation did he say the elders sustained to it? Who had placed them in that position? What were they to do? How did he indicate the value of the church? Verse 28.
16. What made this exhortation so necessary? Verse 29.
17. What gave special point to the exhortation, “Take heed unto yourselves”? Verse 30.
18. What admonition does the apostle therefore repeat? What did he call upon the elders to remember? Verse 31.
19. In conclusion to what did he commend them? What is the Word able to do? Verse 32.
20. What did Paul say of his own unselfishness? Verse 33.
21. How disinterestedly had he labored? Verse 34.
22. What had he thereby showed them? What words of the Lord Jesus are to be remembered? Verse 35.
23. When Paul had thus spoken, what did he do? Verse 36.
24. How were they all affected? Verse 37.
25. What indicates the great affection the brethren had for Paul, and their appreciation of his labors? What last act of kindness did they do? Verse 38.
Notes and Questions.
1. Nothing more sublime and touching can be found than this account and the words of the apostle as he talked, with the certainty of persecution before him. The instruction is most valuable, and so concise that not a single word can be passed lightly over. Special thought and study should be given to it, so that every sentence may be fixed in the mind exactly as the apostle spoke it.
2. Compare verse 19 with the Revised Version, and note how the word “temptations” is used in its original signification of “trials.”
4. What is the church of God called? What are the elders or overseers to do for it? What is one who feeds a flock? What is an overseer? Has it any such meaning as taskmaster or ruler? Compare 1 Peter 5:1–5.
