Day 48 - Acts 20-21

Paul's farewell speech to the Ephesian elders is remarkable in many ways. Paul was able to say with confidence that he was innocent of their blood (20:26), meaning that he had fulfilled his responsibility with regard to their spiritual well-being. He could say this because he "did not shrink from declaring to [them] anything that was profitable" (20:20), he "did not shrink from declaring to [them] the whole counsel of God" (20:27), and "that for three years [he] did not cease night or day to admonish everyone with tears" (20:31). There was helpfulness, completeness and passion in his ministry. Even in his final words to these people we find him more passionate about the ministry of the gospel than he was about his own life (20:24). We find him teaching the elders how to continue the ministry (20:28), and warning them of the false teachers that would come (20:29-30). What a model that is for us today!

Paul's resolve continues to be demonstrated into the next chapter as he was determined to go to Jerusalem even if it meant his own death for the cause of Christ (21:13). After giving his report to James and the elders at Jerusalem, his path to his own death begins. Even after observing a ritual of purification, some Jews that were angry with Paul accuse him of things that were simply not true. Ultimately, Paul gets arrested because others were trying to beat him up and even kill him. The amazing thing about all of this is that God used this "travesty" to do several wonderful things. First, it gave Paul the chance to have interaction with certain individuals that he never would have had an audience with had he not been a prisoner (we will read about some of these in the upcoming chapters). Second, it "slowed" Paul down enough to write the prison epistles (Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon - some of the best loved of Paul's epistles). Third, it wound up sending him to Rome, where Paul had the opportunity to lead some of Caesar's household to Christ (cf.Phil. 4:22). This just shows how the sovereignty of God works to bring the best good out of all circumstances.