Act 20:20 | KingComments | STEP | When the elders have come to him, Paul begins his impressive farewell speech. We can compare this speech with the farewell speeches of Joshua and Samuel ( ; ). It is clear from his speech that he is not calling for submission to his authority or to that of any successor, but that he is asking for following his example. He begins his speech by reminding the elders of their first encounter. He did not come to them with the request to show him the city and to visit all sorts of interesting places. He did not need time to familiarize himself or to explore things or to create a certain atmosphere for his message in a diplomatic way. From the very beginning he dedicated himself to his task. They have seen that. His behavior among them has been transparent, there was no need to wonder what he was doing. He has been “with” them, that is to say, he has been one of them and not a preacher standing above them. The first thing to which he remembers, therefore, is his ministry. Further on Paul gives an overview of his ministry: 1. testifying of repentance and faith ( ), 2. testify of the gospel of the grace of God ( ), 3. preaching the kingdom ( ) and 4. declaring the whole purpose of God ( ). He begins, however, by expressing what is in his mind. It is not only about what someone says, but also about who says it and how he says it. He has done it in humility. In this way he has served the believers. Yet he does not say that with those words. Here he says that he has served the Lord. Serving the believers is in fact serving the Lord and that service will be rewarded by Him as such ( ). He served in humility and not as a celebrated highness who required others to serve him. He is a true follower of his Lord from Whom he has learned this humility ( ). Extra meaning was given to this humility by the tears that appeared while serving. He did not serve coolly, from on high or from a distance. His tears expressed his compassion for the other. He was not ashamed of his tears ( ; ; ). God counts these tears ( ) and He will soon wipe every tear from his eyes ( ). That humility and those tears were not signs of weakness. They were accompanied by trials and attacks on his life from the side of the Jews. If you can resist them, you are not a weakling but a man of courage, strength and determination. He was guided by what was useful to the believers and not by his own preferences. Always he was concerned with the Lord, and since with the Lord the interest of others is always paramount, it was also paramount with Paul. Because he looked for what was useful for others, he did not withhold anything. He proclaimed everything that was entrusted to him for the church. Withholding something would mean that he was unfaithful to his Sender and that he did not share in the feelings of the Lord Jesus for His church. Paul had served the believers both “publicly”, that is in the synagogue and the school of Tyrannus, and in a smaller circle “from house to house”. The first part of that service was to testify of repentance to God with, inextricably linked to it, faith in the Lord Jesus. He gave this testimony, which is the basis of everything, to the Jews and Greeks – the Jews first and foremost. Repentance to God means that one sees oneself in the presence of God and then comes to total self-condemnation. In God’s presence everything is judged as it is in God’s eyes. We no longer apologize and we don’t want to. The result is confession of sins before God through a conscience that feels itself in His presence ( ). We justify God in our condemnation, while at the same time trusting in His grace, for He Who is light is also love. This brings us to faith in the Lord Jesus. Faith in the Lord Jesus means that we trust in His work through which sins have been put away, because He died for our sins. Then He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high ( ). It is about His Person as the object of faith. He is also our righteousness before God. We are made pleasant in Him. If true repentance has taken place in God’s presence and before Him, trust and peace come through faith in the Lord Jesus. Repentance and faith are both necessary and inseparable. Only when both aspects are present, one does become a child of God.

‏ Acts 20:20

Paul’s Service With the Ephesians

When the elders have come to him, Paul begins his impressive farewell speech. We can compare this speech with the farewell speeches of Joshua and Samuel (Jos 23:1-16 ; Jos 24:1-28; 1Sam 12:1-24). It is clear from his speech that he is not calling for submission to his authority or to that of any successor, but that he is asking for following his example.

He begins his speech by reminding the elders of their first encounter. He did not come to them with the request to show him the city and to visit all sorts of interesting places. He did not need time to familiarize himself or to explore things or to create a certain atmosphere for his message in a diplomatic way. From the very beginning he dedicated himself to his task. They have seen that. His behavior among them has been transparent, there was no need to wonder what he was doing. He has been “with” them, that is to say, he has been one of them and not a preacher standing above them.

The first thing to which he remembers, therefore, is his ministry. Further on Paul gives an overview of his ministry:

1. testifying of repentance and faith (Acts 20:21),

2. testify of the gospel of the grace of God (Acts 20:24),

3. preaching the kingdom (Acts 20:25) and

4. declaring the whole purpose of God (Acts 20:27).

He begins, however, by expressing what is in his mind. It is not only about what someone says, but also about who says it and how he says it. He has done it in humility. In this way he has served the believers. Yet he does not say that with those words. Here he says that he has served the Lord. Serving the believers is in fact serving the Lord and that service will be rewarded by Him as such (Mt 25:40).

He served in humility and not as a celebrated highness who required others to serve him. He is a true follower of his Lord from Whom he has learned this humility (Mt 11:29). Extra meaning was given to this humility by the tears that appeared while serving. He did not serve coolly, from on high or from a distance. His tears expressed his compassion for the other. He was not ashamed of his tears (Acts 20:31 ; 37; 2Cor 2:4; Phil 3:18). God counts these tears (Psa 56:8) and He will soon wipe every tear from his eyes (Rev 7:17).

That humility and those tears were not signs of weakness. They were accompanied by trials and attacks on his life from the side of the Jews. If you can resist them, you are not a weakling but a man of courage, strength and determination.

He was guided by what was useful to the believers and not by his own preferences. Always he was concerned with the Lord, and since with the Lord the interest of others is always paramount, it was also paramount with Paul. Because he looked for what was useful for others, he did not withhold anything. He proclaimed everything that was entrusted to him for the church. Withholding something would mean that he was unfaithful to his Sender and that he did not share in the feelings of the Lord Jesus for His church. Paul had served the believers both “publicly”, that is in the synagogue and the school of Tyrannus, and in a smaller circle “from house to house”.

The first part of that service was to testify of repentance to God with, inextricably linked to it, faith in the Lord Jesus. He gave this testimony, which is the basis of everything, to the Jews and Greeks – the Jews first and foremost. Repentance to God means that one sees oneself in the presence of God and then comes to total self-condemnation. In God’s presence everything is judged as it is in God’s eyes. We no longer apologize and we don’t want to.

The result is confession of sins before God through a conscience that feels itself in His presence (Heb 4:12). We justify God in our condemnation, while at the same time trusting in His grace, for He Who is light is also love. This brings us to faith in the Lord Jesus.

Faith in the Lord Jesus means that we trust in His work through which sins have been put away, because He died for our sins. Then He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high (Heb 1:3). It is about His Person as the object of faith. He is also our righteousness before God. We are made pleasant in Him.

If true repentance has taken place in God’s presence and before Him, trust and peace come through faith in the Lord Jesus. Repentance and faith are both necessary and inseparable. Only when both aspects are present, one does become a child of God.