Acts 20:17-38

Acts 20

Paul Says Farewell to the Elders of Ephesus

¹⁷ From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the church. ¹⁸ When they came to him, he said to them, “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I set foot in the province of Asia. ¹⁹ I served the Lord with all humility, with tears, and with the trials that came to me due to the plots of the Jews. ²⁰ You know how I did not hesitate to proclaim to you anything that would be beneficial for you or to teach you publicly and from house to house. ²¹ I have solemnly testified to both Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. ^[1]

²² “And you see, now I am going to Jerusalem, compelled by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, ²³ except that the Holy Spirit keeps warning me in town after town that chains and afflictions are waiting for me. ²⁴ However, I consider my life as of no great value to me, so that I may finish my race and the ministry I received from the Lord Jesus—to testify to the gospel of God’s grace.

²⁵ “Now take note of this too. I know that none of you among whom I went around preaching the kingdom of God will ever see my face again. ²⁶ Therefore I solemnly declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of all of you, ²⁷ for I did not hesitate to proclaim to you the whole counsel of God.

²⁸ “Always keep watch over yourselves and over the whole flock in which the Holy Spirit has placed you as overseers, to shepherd the church of God, ^[2] which he purchased with his own blood. ²⁹ I know that after my departure savage wolves, who will not spare the flock, will come in among you. ³⁰ Even from your own group men will rise up, twisting the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. ³¹ Therefore be always on the alert! Remember that for three years, night and day, I never stopped warning each one of you with tears.

³² “And now I entrust you to God and to the word of his grace, which has power to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. ³³ I did not covet anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. ³⁴ You yourselves know that these hands have provided for my needs and for those who were with me. ³⁵ In every way I gave you an example that, by working hard like this, we need to help the weak and to remember the words that the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

³⁶ After Paul said these things, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. ³⁷ They all wept very much, as they threw their arms around Paul’s neck and kissed him. ³⁸ They were most distressed over the statement he made, that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.