Just Like Ephesus (Acts of the Apostles) (Christ Church)

INTRODUCTION

So Paul is resolved to go to Jerusalem, and apparently a sense of destiny rests upon him. He is repeatedly warned what will happen if he does, and Luke records the warnings carefully. This is not to make us think that Paul was disobeying the Spirit. The prophecies did not say, “You must not go,” but rather, “This is what will happen if you go.” This warning happens in “every city” (Acts 20:22-23). It happened in Tyre (Acts 21:4). Agabus also warns him (Acts 21:11). Nevertheless, Paul is resolved to do what he must do. He may even have the long game of appealing to Caesar in mind.

THE TEXT

“And it came to pass, that after we were gotten from them, and had launched, we came with a straight course unto Coos, and the day following unto Rhodes, and from thence unto Patara . . .” (Acts 21:1–16).

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

We begin with another accounting of their travel itinerary. Having left Miletus, they came to Coos, and then to Rhodes, and then Patara. Coos and Rhodes were small islands off the coast of Asia, and Patara was a seaport in Asia (v. 1). They found a ship going to Phoenica, the east coast of the Mediterranean (v. 2). They passed Cyprus on the left, sailed to Syria, but landed at Tyre, where the ship unloaded (v. 3). They found some Christians there, they remained for a week (v. 4). In the Spirit, these believers warned Paul against Jerusalem (v. 5). After a week, these folks—wives, children and all—accompanied Paul’s group down to the shore, knelt there and prayed (v. 5). After the farewells, they got on the ship, and the believers returned home (v. 6). They came to Ptolemais, a city in Phoenicia, greeted the Christians there, and remained for a day (v. 7). The next day Paul’s band left for Caesarea, and 30 miles away (v. 8).

They came to the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven men appointed in Acts 6, and they stayed with him (v.8). Philip had four virgin daughters, all of them gifted with prophesy (v. 9). They were there quite a few days, and a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea (v. 10). He was the one who had prophesied the famine in Acts 11:28 (v. 10). When he arrived, he took Paul’s belt and bound his own hands and feet, prophesying in the Spirit that Paul would be so bound by the Jerusalem Jews and handed over to the Gentiles (v. 11). Hearing this, Paul’s band and the house of Philip urged not to go to Jerusalem (v. 12). Paul replied that their weeping was breaking his heart. For the sake of the Lord Jesus, he was ready to be bound and to die at Jerusalem (v. 13). Paul remained unmoved, and so everyone resigned themselves to the will of God (v. 14). So then they all packed up, and headed to Jerusalem (v. 15). Some of the disciples from Caesarea came with them, bringing with them an elderly Christian from Cyprus, a man named Mnason, and they were going to stay with him in Jerusalem (v. 16).

PROPHECY AND SCRIPTURE

The believers in the book of Acts had their Old Testaments, a few scattered epistles, and perhaps a gospel or two, but they did not have a complete New Testament. This gap was filled by the extant gift of prophecy, which appears in “every city.” We are told that Philip had four daughters who were prophetesses, but we don’t have any of their prophecies recorded. Why do I bring this up?

In debates with our charismatic brothers, who believe that the gift of prophecy is still operative today, I have often asked why nobody is taking notes. Why are the words of prophecy not recorded, typeset, printed and bound? Why are they not printed as the sequel to the Holy Bible? When I ask this question, it is usually not long before Philip’s daughters come up. They were prophetesses, and none of their prophecies are in the Bible. So we therefore know that not all prophecies need to be in the Scriptures.

This is certainly true, but that is not the issue. The issue has to do with who makes that decision. It is the Word of God, and He can dispense with it if He chooses. Say that Philip’s house burned down, and all the prophecies with it. But if we are in possession of words that we believe to be inspired by God Himself, do we have the authority to toss them? No. We must treat them as the Word of God.

FAREWELLS A DESIGN FEATURE

One of the themes emphasized by Luke is the element of bittersweet farewells. Paul bids farewell at Ephesus (Acts 18:21), promising to return if he can. There is an implied farewell at Troas, where he preaches all night (Acts 20:11). He gives an emotional farewell to the elders of Ephesus (20:25), saying he will not see them again. He bids farewell to the disciples at Tyre, kneeling down with them on the beach (Acts 21:5-6). And a hard farewell is implied at Caesarea (Acts 21:10-14).

The point here is that the Great Commission cannot be fulfilled without farewells. The church cannot grow together without also, in another sense, be growing apart. All our church plants here on the Palouse mean that you don’t see some of your friends nearly as often as you used to. Worshiping in three services means the same thing. When a church grows to a certain size, coming in a different door can amount to the same thing. Churches grow, and they call a pastor, but he comes away from a church, a church that was dear to him. We could try to fix this problem by ceasing to be vibrant, but after enough time, we would realize that ceasing to be vibrant means ceasing to be dear to one another. In any growing Christian movement, the bittersweet is baked in.

READY TO DIE

What does it mean to witness? What does it mean to testify? It means far more than having a set of Christian talking points, and being willing to recite them. Paul says here that he is willing for both imprisonment and death. This is not for any wrongdoing (1 Pet. 4:15), but for the sake of the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 21:13).

And this is the pattern that the Lord Jesus Himself established for those who would follow Him.

“And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23).

“And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (Revelation 19:10).

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INTRODUCTION

The great apostle had invested much of himself in the course of his ministry at Ephesus. It was one of his most successful ventures, and he had poured himself into it. He was about to let go, departing from them, commending them to God forever. This in-person farewell happened in the mid-50’s, and he wrote the book of Ephesians to them in the early 60’s. They stayed on his mind, in other words.

THE TEXT

“And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church. And when they were come to him, he said unto them, Ye know, from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons, Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews: And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you . . .” (Acts 20:17–38).

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

Paul summoned the Ephesian elders to come see him at Miletus (v. 17). When they came, he said, you know how I have lived in your presence from day one (v. 18). Through tears, temptations, and Jewish plots, he had served the Lord in true humility (v. 19). He held nothing back in his teaching, whether in homes or publicly (v. 20). The content of his message, to both Jews and Greeks, was repentance toward God and faith toward Christ (v. 21). And now, constrained in spirit, he was traveled to the unknown future at Jerusalem (v. 22). Unknown, that is, apart from the Spirit’s testimony that it would include bonds and affliction (v. 23). But he was unmoved, and just wanted to finish his race with joy, and his ministry that was testifying to the grace of God in the gospel (v. 24). He knows that these men would not see him again, men among whom he has preached the kingdom (v. 25). He calls them all to witness that he free was from blood guilt (v. 26). For he did not hold back from them the whole counsel of God (v. 27). He called upon these bishops to heed to themselves and tend the flock, which God had purchased with His own blood (v. 28). And why? He knows that grievous wolves will attack the flock savagely (v. 29). Even some of their own number would, for the sake of a following, lead people off into perversion (v. 30). So watch, and remember, Paul says, how he had warned them night and day with tears (v. 31). He then commended them to God and to His grace, which is able to build them up, and grant them an inheritance (v. 32). Paul had coveted nothing that belonged to anybody (v. 33). He pointed to his hands, reminding them that he had supported himself and his companions (v. 34). This was probably tentmaking again. He lived out what he taught—workers should support the weak (v. 35). He quoted Jesus on the blessing of giving over receiving (v. 35). And so saying, he knelt and prayed with them all (v. 36). And so they all wept, embraced Paul, kissing him, most grieved over the fact that he said they would not see each other again (vv. 37-38). And they then went to the ship (v. 38).

REPENTANCE AND FAITH

Paul states the message in an interesting fashion here (v. 21). He says that repentance is towards God, who is the source of the divine laws that we have sinned by breaking. And faith is toward Christ, who is our appointed Savior, able to deliver us completely.

FREE FROM BLOODGUILT

The principle that Paul appeals to here is laid out clearly by the prophet Ezekiel.

“Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul” (Ezekiel 3:17–19).

On this subject, Paul defends himself in two different ways. First, he reminds them that when it came to teaching, he was not guilty of any sin of omission. In other words, he did not leave anything out (vv. 20, 27). If it was in the text, he taught it, even it was something of a jagged pill. Secondly, he lived and worked in such a way that he did not contradict his message through any sin in his lifestyle (vv. 18-19, 33-34). He did not covet. He did not sponge off others. They saw clearly how he was a man who was “all in.”

QUOTING JESUS

We see something curious in Paul’s citation of something the Lord said. This is known as an agrapha, a saying attributed to Christ, but with that saying not found in any of the gospels. That said, the Lord did say, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” This fits and is fully consistent (Luke 6:38; Matt. 5:42).

CHURCH POLITY

In verse 17, he summons the elders of the church at Ephesus (presbyteroi). In the course of his discussion with them (v. 28), he calls them overseers or bishops (episkopoi). This demonstrates clearly that in the first century, these terms referred to the same office. The same thing happens in Titus, where Paul says to ordain certain kind of men as elders (presbyteroi) in every city (v. 5), and the reason give is that a bishop (episkopoi) must be blameless (v. 7). Note also Phil. 1:1.

WITH HIS OWN BLOOD

Paul uses shorthand here—God purchased the church with His own blood, even though God doesn’t have blood. He is of course referring to the Incarnation of the Son, through whom the blood which purchased us was shed.

Some elders will let their position go to their head, and they will start thinking of the flock as somehow theirs. And if it is theirs, they can start distinguishing themselves from others (and from Paul), in order to make their portion of the flock more obviously theirs. In order to pull this off, however, they have to begin saying perverse things (v. 30).

The antidote is to remember that the church is not just “a church.” It is God’s own possession, bought with the blood of His own Son.

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