You Will Not See My Face Again: Acts 20:17-38

From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church.

Miletus—a port city south of Ephesus. Paul was hurrying to Jerusalem. He couldn't stop in Ephesus—too much history there, too many people to see, too much time required. So he summoned the elders to him.

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.

Paul began with his track record. You know. They had watched him for three years. Nothing hidden, nothing secret.

I served the Lord with great humility and with tears, and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of the Jewish opponents.

Great humility—not self-promotion. Tears—the cost was emotional. Severe testing—plots against his life. Ministry wasn't glamorous.

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.

Everything helpful—taught. Nothing profitable—withheld. Public teaching. House to house. Complete instruction.

I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.

The message summarized. Repentance toward God. Faith in Jesus. For everyone—Jews and Greeks. The gospel in a sentence.

And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there.

Compelled—the Spirit driving him forward. Jerusalem—the destination. Not knowing—the future uncertain. But going anyway.

I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me.

Prison and hardships—the consistent warning. Every city, the same message. Trouble ahead.

However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God's grace.

Life worth nothing—not suicidal but prioritized. The race to finish. The task to complete. The testimony to give. Grace worth more than comfort.

Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again.

The goodbye. None of you will see me again. He knew. They knew. This was farewell.

Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of all of you.

Innocent of blood—the image from Ezekiel's watchman. If the watchman warns and people ignore, their blood is on themselves. Paul had warned.

For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.

The whole counsel. Nothing omitted. Nothing soft-pedaled. Complete truth delivered.

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.

The charge to elders. Watch yourselves first. Then the flock. The Holy Spirit appointed them. Shepherds of God's church. Bought with blood—the price of purchase.

I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock.

Wolves coming. After Paul left. Savage, not sparing. False teachers, church destroyers.

Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.

Even from within. The threat internal as well as external. Truth distorted. Disciples drawn away. The warning specific and sobering.

So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning everyone night and day with tears.

Be on guard. Remember my example. Three years. Night and day. With tears. The intensity of pastoral care modeled.

Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

The commendation. To God—the ultimate keeper. To the word of his grace—the ongoing teacher. Building up. Inheritance. Sanctification.

I have not coveted anyone's silver or gold or clothing.

No financial motive. No greed. Nothing taken.

You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions.

His hands—tent-making hands. Self-support. Modeling labor.

In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: It is more blessed to give than to receive.

The dominical saying—words of Jesus not in the Gospels. More blessed to give. The principle Paul embodied.

When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed.

They knelt together. Prayer on the shore. The final moment before parting.

They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him.

Weeping. Embracing. Kissing. The emotion of farewell. These men loved their apostle.

What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again.

Never see his face again—the unbearable truth. Grief overwhelming.

Then they accompanied him to the ship.

They walked him to the ship. The last steps together. The ship waiting to take him away.

The farewell at Miletus. Tears on a shore. A shepherd leaving his flock. Warnings given. Love expressed. And Paul sailed toward prison, toward Rome, toward his own death—and toward the crown.