Acts 20:17-27

Acts 20:17-27

From Miletus Paul had the presbyters

of the Church at Ephesus summoned. 

When they came to him, he addressed them,

“You know how I lived among you

the whole time from the day I first came to the province of Asia.

I served the Lord with all humility

and with the tears and trials that came to me

because of the plots of the Jews,

and I did not at all shrink from telling you

what was for your benefit,

or from teaching you in public or in your homes.

I earnestly bore witness for both Jews and Greeks

to repentance before God and to faith in our Lord Jesus.

But now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem.

What will happen to me there I do not know,

except that in one city after another

the Holy Spirit has been warning me

that imprisonment and hardships await me.

Yet I consider life of no importance to me,

if only I may finish my course

and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus,

to bear witness to the Gospel of God's grace.

“But now I know that none of you

to whom I preached the kingdom during my travels

will ever see my face again.

And so I solemnly declare to you this day

that I am not responsible for the blood of any of you,

for I did not shrink from proclaiming to you the entire plan of God.”

Opening Prayer: Lord God, help me to fight the good fight and finish the race! I pray today for the grace of final perseverance. Enlighten my mind to know where I can do good today and be an agent of your merciful love.

Encountering the Word of God

1. Paul’s Farewell Address: In the First Reading, Paul’s Third Missionary Journey is coming to an end. He wanted to make it back to Jerusalem for the day of Pentecost (in A.D. 58). Paul came to the port city of Miletus (in Asia Minor) and called the presbyters of the Church of Ephesus to come to him. It is likely that Paul wanted to avoid getting swamped in Ephesus by the people and didn’t want to risk causing another riot by the silversmiths who made idols to the goddess Artemis (see Acts 19:23-40). In Miletus, Paul gave a solemn farewell address. “His itinerant evangelization and church-founding activity in Acts is drawing to a close, and this farewell address provides a fitting conclusion” (Kurz, Acts of the Apostles, 309). Paul directed his address to the presbyters (elders: priests) who would succeed him in his leadership role and pastor the Church in Ephesus. “Paul reminds them of his own conduct among them, presenting himself as an example of Christian life and leadership. He declares that he has fulfilled his obligations and asserts his innocence of any wrongdoing toward them. Then he intimates that his death is near and prepares them for the future by warning about crises that they will need to face after his departure, especially threats from false teachers. Paul gives a final blessing and prays with them. Finally, he expresses his affection for them with a tearful good-bye. Paul’s farewell speech illustrates his spiritual closeness to the churches he founded and to the leaders he commissioned to carry on his work” (Kurz, Acts of the Apostles, 309).

2. Farewell Addresses in the Bible: Paul’s farewell address to the presbyters (elders) of the Church in Ephesus recalls how Moses, before his death, summoned the elders of Israel for a farewell address and solemn warning (Deuteronomy 31:28). It also recalls how Jesus, at the Last Supper, gave his farewell address (John 13-17) to the apostles. “Paul’s speech marks the transition from the apostles, the first-generation leaders of the Church who were directly appointed by Jesus, to their successors, the bishops” (Kurz, Acts of the Apostles, 310). There are many more examples of farewell addresses in the Bible. Important figures and leaders like Jacob (Genesis 49), Joshua (Joshua 23-24), Samuel (1 Samuel 12), David (1 Chronicles 28-29), and Mattathias (1 Maccabees 2:49-70), all gave farewell addresses in which they expressed their love for followers, recalled important life lessons, and ensured a smooth transition to new leadership. Such biblical examples help us appreciate elements of Paul’s farewell address. “Like Paul, the prophet Samuel insisted that he did not use his authority to enrich himself at the expense of his people (1 Samuel 12:3-5). As Paul instructed his successors in their responsibilities, so too Mattathias selected two of his sons, Simeon and Judas Maccabeus, for special tasks after his death (1 Maccabees 2:65-66). Paul’s exhortation to the elders recalls Moses’ exhortation to Joshua (Deuteronomy 31:7-8) and David’s exhortation to his son Solomon (1 Chronicles 28:20). In each case, farewell speeches demonstrate God’s care for his people in providing them with leadership in every generation. Leaders are entrusted with the solemn task of faithfully shepherding God’s people and handing on what they themselves have been taught” (Kurz, Acts of the Apostles, 311).

3. Mission Accomplished: In Miletus, Paul recalled how he taught the same message to both Jewish and Gentile audiences: the proper response to the proclamation of the Gospel is repentance before God and faith in our Lord Jesus (Acts 20:21). His message was the same as the Lord Jesus: “Repent, and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15). Believing in the Gospel entails union with Jesus in his suffering. Paul believed that imprisonment and eventually death would prevent him from returning to Ephesus. He declared to the presbyters: “None of you … will ever see my face again” (Acts 20:25). He emphasized that he had fulfilled his obligations to them and had proclaimed the entire plan of God to them. By saying that he was not responsible for their blood, Paul placed himself in the role of a prophet who acts as a sentinel or watchman (see Ezekiel 3:17-18). He faithfully transmitted God’s Word to the people of Ephesus, and it is up to them to respond to it.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, I have heard your Word of Life today. Move my heart with your grace to respond with faithful love and serve my brothers and sisters. Correct me when I err, bring me to repentance when I sin, and encourage me to persevere in good works.

Living the Word of God: Can I recall the “farewell addresses” or last words of friends or family? What impact have they had on my life? What do I want to communicate to others before I pass? What do I need to improve so as to leave a good example like Paul?