The apostles of the church were dedicated to the gospel and to the church to the point of death. Of Jesus’ twelve apostles, all were martyred except John the Beloved but he did die in imprisoned exile. The apostle Paul also faced a martyr's death from beheading. Luke’s account of Jesus’ life and ministry was followed with a second volume we now call the Acts of the Apostles [ΠΡΑΞΕΙΣ ΑΠΟΣΤΟΛΩΝ]. Chapters 19 to 28 recount Paul’s journey to Jerusalem where he would be arrested and sent to Rome for trial. “Now after these events Paul resolved in the Spirit to pass through Macedonia and Achaea and to Jerusalem, saying’ After I have been there, I must also see Rome.’” [Acts 19:21] Many of the great epistles of the New Testament were penned by Paul during his Roman imprisonment. Thus, Luke shares with us Paul’s farewell address to the elders of the church in Ephesus, a congregation where the apostle spent nearly three years in discipleship and teaching [Acts 19]. His journey through Macedonia eventually to Miletus bypassed Ephesus but Paul desired one last word with the elders of the great churches in Ephesus. The encouragement from Paul to the elders is an important instruction for the church and her leadership today. Let’s dig into Acts 20:17-38 to hear the passion of Paul for the beloved elders of Christ’s Church in Ephesus.
