Acts 20:18-28 (NIV)
When they arrived, he said to them: “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia. I served the Lord with great humility and with tears, although I was severely tested by the plots of the Jews. You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.
“And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me–the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.
“Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.”
This is Paul’s final word to the Church in Ephesus, delivered to the people through the elders of the church (and copied down by Luke as it was given). Paul knew in his heart that he would not be coming back that way (verse 25), so it was vital that he communicate clearly all that was on his heart to say.
The core of his message was a defense of his long ministry in Ephesus. He had been with them for a couple of years, through ministry successes as well as ministry trials. He had not failed to teach the people there anything that was part of God’s plan and revelation. He held absolutely nothing back as “secret knowledge” only able to be given to “the elect” or “initiates.” Instead, he used every opportunity to speak clearly, openly, and often publicly about the story of Jesus and the mysteries of the kingdom. Therefore, he was innocent of the blood of the Ephesian people. If they did not believe, it was their own choice. None of them that Paul ever encountered could say that they hadn’t heard the gospel clearly.
Paul indicates here that it was the compelling of the Holy Spirit that was driving him to Jerusalem and urging him to arrive by Pentecost. And that was despite the foreboding he felt, the clear sense that perhaps he would not even survive the journey. Still, if the Lord was commanding him, he would go, and would do so gladly.
Father, this is a challenge to us. How many of us could go to our family members, our friends, our neighbors, our coworkers, and others that we know in our community, let alone the whole community in which we live, and speak the same words? How many of us could say at the end of our time in a town or city, often a much longer time than the couple of years Paul had spent in Ephesus, that every one of them had clearly heard the gospel for our own lips and had been invited to participate in its blessings? I’m afraid not very many of us. I’m afraid not me! Forgive my lack of diligence in this area. Inspire me to be more faithful, more diligent, more obedient to Your command to “Go and make disciples of all nations,” including those who live near me. Amen.
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