He also wishes for his teaching to work itself out in very practical terms, and so he moves from his teaching to the lifestyle which it requires. But what we see here is the heart of the apostle toward these saints, and their deep love and affection for him. Dave, couldnt we say the same thing about the apostle Paul when he was Saul, learned at the feet of Gamaliel? Luke does not have the time to spell out Pauls teaching here, because that is not his point. And thus we see the sense of urgency of Paul with regard to the need to teach these saints. Acts 20:17-38 Paul Speaks to the Ephesian Elders. 457 For example, in Lukes description of Pauls rather lengthy ministry in Corinth, no miracles are mentioned, but the emphasis is on Pauls teaching (see Acts 18:11). Perhaps the biggest omission is Lukes refusal to write anything about Pauls primary purpose for going first to Macedonia and Greece, and then to Jerusalem. This letter was written by Paul to his young fellow-worker Timothy between 63 and 66 AD. It is also a humanistic mindset which equates effectiveness with status (position), influence, education, and intelligence. (Lori Erickson photo) While the list of former residents of Ephesus reads like a Who's Who of the ancient world, there's one name that stands above them all: the Apostle Paul, who made the city his base for more than two years while traveling in Asia Minor on missionary work. The third paragraph (verses 13-17) takes us from Troas down to Miletus, where Paul calls the Ephesian elders and gives them his parting words of exhortation and admonition, described in the last (and major) section (verses 18-38). Luke, Dr. Luke, was there, and he has, as it were, written us a death certificate. Letter of Paul to the Ephesians | Summary, Authorship, & Facts Second, when Paul was about ready to leave from Corinth, he learned of a plot on the part of the Jews, to kill him (Acts 20:3), and so he canceled his boat trip and journey by land back up to Macedonia, and then, after the feast of unleavened bread, across the . In addition to his ministry of evangelism, he taught those who believed, both in public and in private (house to house, verse 20). He knew he had only a little time, but much to say (see verse 7). Why do both Paul and Luke give this miracle second place status? He knew that hardship and persecution awaited him in Jerusalem. Aristarchus and Gaius. Ephesus was founded as an Attic-Ionian colony in the 10th century BC on a hill (now known as the Ayasuluk Hill), three kilometers (1.9 miles) from the centre of ancient Ephesus (as attested by excavations at the Seljuk castle during the 1990s). If Paul was in Ephesus and he wanted to go to Jerusalem, he would have headed in a southerly direction. 463 I understand the expression word of His grace to refer to more than just the Old Testament Scriptures, but to refer to the message of the gospel, to the inspired words of the New Testament prophets, and especially to the inspired Word of God that would be revealed in the New Testament epistles. He was in danger. He was innocent of the blood of all men there because he had not held back from proclaiming the gospel, nor had he failed to teach the saints the whole counsel of God (verses 26-27). Bob is a pastor/teacher and elder at Community Bible Chapel in Richardson, Texas, and has contributed many of his Bible study series for use by the Foundation. But, Timothy's mom and grandmother were faithful Jewish women who taught the Old Testament scriptures to this boy they loved so much ( Acts 16:1; 2 Timothy 1:5 ). Doctrinal balance (no hobby horses)the whole counsel of God, v. 27, Balance in his ministry to the Jews and to the Gentiles, Balance between tenderness (tears) and toughness (admonishing night and day). Saint Timothy | bishop of Ephesus | Britannica Acts 18:19 Audio Crossref Greek Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version They arrived at Ephesus, where Paul left Priscilla and Aquila. 452 A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1930), III, p. 340. Why is so little emphasis put on this miracle? And when he had landed at Caesarea, and gone up, and saluted the church, he went down to Antioch.And after he had spent some time there, he departed, and went over all the country of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening all thedisciples.. He may also have already seen such transformations from shepherds to savage wolves. And it in 1971. Paul the Apostle to Christian churches (exact location uncertain) that were disturbed by a Judaizing faction. and left them there; unless this is to be understood of Cenchrea: this clause is not here read in the Syriac version, but is placed at the end of Acts 18:21, where it reads much better; as that he should leave them at Ephesus, when he departed from thence, than when he first came thither; unless the sense is, that he left them in some part of the city, whilst he went to the Jewish synagogue; since it follows. But before we press on to this next section, let me ask an important question, If taking up a collection (for the poor in Jerusalem) in Macedonia, Achaia, and Greece was so important to Paul, as is evident from his epistles, why does Luke not even bother to mention the collection? In this epistle, he does not seek to address any specific problems in the church, but to declare the whole counsel of God and its practical implications in the lives of those who believe. His ways and His thoughts are always higher than ours. to give time for II Corinthians to do its work (II Cor. The couple Priscilla and Aquila were tentmakers as was Paul. And even when his teaching was interrupted by the death of Eutychus, immediately after his miraculous raising, Paul went back to worship and teaching. Today the Latmian Gulf survives as an inland lake (Lake Bafa), which is connected with the Maeander by an outlet on the north. They wanted moremore from the sheepmore money, more power, more status and honor. When there is danger or demands, he is not present to care for the sheep. Second, I would like to briefly summarize some of the characteristics of Pauls mindset and ministry, which should also characterize us. Christ. Twice Freed Ch.9-15 Reading Questions Flashcards | Quizlet First, I want to call your attention to those Scriptures which pertain to Ephesus after Pauls farewell to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20. (5) Pauls ministry reflected a profound grasp of the relationship between strength and weakness. He taught about Jesus in the synagogue and in a city school. He served the Lord among them, with humility, with great love and concern (tears) and with much opposition from the Jews.461 Paul evangelized, proclaiming the gospel to Jews and Gentiles alike, always calling men to repent of their sins and to have faith in the Lord Jesus as their Savior. 1 And after the uproar had ceased, Paul sent for the disciples and when he had exhorted them and taken his leave of them, he departed to go to Macedonia. The flock were the sheep, and the elders were the shepherds of the flock, who were appointed by the Holy Spirit to protect and to feed the sheep. Copyright The Berean Call 2016. He speaks to them frankly, out of love, as they listen with hearts of love for him, through whose ministry (no doubt) they have come to faith. 9 And there was a certain young man named Eutychus sitting on the window sill, sinking into a deep sleep; and as Paul kept on talking, he was overcome by sleep and fell down from the third floor, and was picked up dead. Paul was in Ephesus when he wrote this epistle to the Corinthians. Click here for copyright permissions. Instead, Paul went north and west, in the opposite direction of Jerusalem. To evangelize your town, does your church go to its largest public and online gathering places or mainly stay inside the church building? Acts 18:19 When they reached Ephesus, Paul parted ways with Priscilla It could be, that would be wonderful.So, I like that, Paul says I will return again unto you if God will, and he sailed from Ephesus. He quietly gathered up his books and left class, as inconspicuously as possible. In Troas and at Miletus, Pauls ministry was one of preaching the Word. That was Pauls priority. Thus he was free to leave, free from the blood of all men. They said that they had no silver and gold, but they did have a healing to give him, along with the gospel. Who had Archippus cried out to for help when the mob was attacking him? The Berean Call is also available in a large-print edition at a nominal cost. All that was profitable, he proclaimed, to the saved and to the unsaved. 17 Now from Miletus he [Paul] sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him.18 And when they came to him, he said to them: "You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, 19 serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through . We are not told, for example, that Paul prayed for Eutychus to be raised from the dead, as, for example, Peter seems to have done in Acts 9:36-42). Who Wrote Ephesians and Why Should We Read It? - Bible Study Tools And when the beggar asked Peter and John for alms, they did not say that they would have to write a check. When Jesus called His disciple to follow Him, He did not tell them to put their money on deposit with Him. 17 And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the church. He wrote II Corinthians during this period after Titus arrived from Corinth. One of the seven churches of Asia to which the Lord gave a word of rebuke and encouragement was the church at Ephesus (Revelation 2:1-7). Everyone was waiting and watching for him to wake up, which he did, of course. The moment we deal with such evil and begin to pride ourselves on this, we are threatened by another evil, as deadly as the first. He worked with his own hands, supporting not only himself but those who traveled with him. He was also free to live or die, based upon his hope of eternal life (see Philippians 1:19-26). The answer to this question is very obvious from Pauls writings. (1) Paul had a strong sense of mission and a clear conception of his calling. 456 There is likewise a great deal of discussion as to whether this breaking of bread is the celebration of a common meal, as a part of the celebration of the Lords table, or whether it was merely the eating of a meal. From some reports of this church later in history, it appears that they took this admonition to heart. Paul is instrumental in the raising of the lad, but it was not his main interest. New Living Translation They stopped first at the port of Ephesus, where Paul left the others behind. Because this was not Pauls priority. There were dangers ahead for the church at Ephesus, and even for these elders themselves. Paul had ministered the word to these men, and now they must pray. I am inclined to entitle the section which describes the death and raising of Eutychus, Eutychus Drops Out of Pauls Class. It is indeed and interesting story, and in time I believe we will see why the story was included in Lukes account. (Jude 24-25). Ephesus was an ancient port city whose well-preserved ruins are in modern-day Turkey. Paul lived with Priscilla and Aquila for approximately 18 months. Who Were Timothy And Titus? | Bible.org Paul knew the fallibility of men, and thus he predicted the downfall of some of these elders, not to mention the rising up of other wolves who would prey upon the flock. His ministry did not require money from others, and so he was free from the time-consuming process of raising funds, and from the temptation to misuse them so as to personally gain from his ministry. How could a true shepherd of the flock become a wolf? We shall thus approach this chapter in the light of what Luke has written, as well as that which he has not written. As you know, this young man was raised to life, and so the story is a happy one in the end. 26 For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. Ephesus | Ancient City, Turkey & Roman Ruins | Britannica The church at Ephesus already had elders, those who may have been appointed by Paul. They ended up in Corinth. Readers ask: Where Did The Apostle Paul Go After Starting The Church In We would certainly wonder how the gospel could be proclaimed so widely and so many come to faith in such a short time, given our culture and mindset. The wolves of whom Paul warned these elders were those who were self-seeking and self-serving, who would prey upon the flock, bringing destruction as they savagely devoured the sheep. Paul purposed to go to Jerusalem and Rome (Acts 19:21-22), and God would get him there, but in ways that even Paul did not comprehend at the time. 18-38, Balance between doctrine and lifestyle, between theory and practice, Balance between edification of the saints and evangelization of the lost. He knew that his strength came from God, ministered through his weakness (see 2 Corinthians 12:1-10) and that from the strength God supplied, he was to serve the weak. It fell under the power of Alyattes, King of Lydia, and his successor, Croesus. 5 But these had gone on ahead and were waiting for us at Troas. Finally, this passage reflects the primary role of the Word of God and the secondary role of money and miracles. Ephesus was a significant center of trade, located near a harbor at the mouth of the Cayster River in western Asia Minor. His ministry came at great cost, not to the sheep, but to himself. The liberal mind would like to deal with the raising of Eutychus from the dead in the same way they explain the raising of Jesus from the deadby insisting that neither died, but that they only swooned, later on to revive. (2) Paul had a strong sense of his priorities. The shocking part of Pauls warning was not that false teachers would arise, and that the flock of God would be attacked from without; the shocking news was that some of those who would prove to be savage wolves were among them. At the end of Pauls exhortation, Paul knelt in prayer with these men. They would suggest that Eutychus was drug off, later to revive and be carried back alive, so that all could be comforted. Who could argue that Paul was not strongly compelled to teach these saints? Ephesus - Wikipedia I would like to begin, however, with some general observations. He urged them to be good shepherds in caring for the members of . 27 For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God. 4 And he was accompanied by Sopater of Berea, the son of Pyrrhus; and by Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia. It is a secular, humanistic, mindset which equates ministry with money. Apollos came, at this time, to Ephesus either directly from Egypt by Aquila or Priscilla from Corinth, or by some route through the intermediate countries. I am frankly tempted to use this account as a proof text for lengthy sermons. Neither did He instruct His disciples to save up their money, so that they would have the means to minister in the future. Tom, he was a very energetic man, I mean, he did all this walkingwell, sometimes he was on a ship, but very seldom.He was walking from town to town, he went over all the country, Galatia and Phrygia, and he didnt have a limo, he didnt have his own jet like some televangelists today. No, God willing, if the Lord wills, if He spares us.The Bible says you dont know what will befall on the morrow, you life is but a vapor. He therefore warns them of these dangers and spells out Gods resources for them. When Gods work is done through weakness, it is God who is given the glory, as it should be (see 1 Corinthians 1:26-31;l 3:18-23). This boy did die, and he was raised from the dead. When the church gathered on the first day of the week455 in order to break bread456 Paul was there. Answer. It was because of Pauls lengthy teaching and because of the many lamps in that room that Eutychus fell asleep and from the window to his death (verses 8-9). Yeah, but he wasnt a Christian yet.Now was this man really a Christian?I think he was, he was a Christian, a follower of the Lord, instructed in the way of the Lord, and he knew the scriptures.Amazing!But there was something he didnt understand, and the same is true of us.And Tom, we dont have much time to go through the scriptures as theres a lot that we are needing for further study for our listeners. The island of Lade, which then stood off the coast to the west of Miletus, has for long been part of the mainland.