Background of Paul addressing the elders
This discourse of Paul addressing the Ephesian elders takes place near the end of his third journey. He already spent two years at the hall of Tyrannus in Ephesus. He mentions that in total he poured into the elders for three years (Acts 20:31). This exit message is in the context of the Gospel spreading rapidly and widely.
In Acts 19:10 This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.
In Acts 19:20 The Word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.
Paul was ready to move on from Ephesus. His desire was to go to Jerusalem and then on to Rome. He was visiting the cities of Macedonia in his exit strategy. He stayed in Ephesus a little longer and that is when the riot broke out in Ephesus. When the riot was over Paul called together his disciples, encouraged them and left for Macedonia.
After more than three months in Macedonia and Greece encouraging the believers, Paul had a seven-day meeting with his key leaders in Troas. Before Paul ended up in Miletus, he visited many fields to meet with believers. He was preparing them as his time in the area (his third journey) was coming to an end.
Paul intentionally bypassed Ephesus. The reason he gave was that he was in a hurry. The reason for bypassing Ephesus did not seem to be about the riot, but that the believers would hold on to him and make him late for his plans to reach Jerusalem by Pentecost. While Paul was in Miletus, he sent for the elders of Ephesus to join him where he could give his discourse and prepare them for his departure.
It looks like Paul’s meeting in Troas for seven days was more centered on the Apostolic leaders like Timothy and others who were the sent-out ones. In Ephesus the focus is on elders or pastors. So there seems to be two different kinds of meetings in Acts 20, but the one meeting message that we have recorded in Scripture is his message to the Ephesus elders.
Probably Trophimus the Ephesian (Acts 20:4, 21:29) was at both meetings; Troas and Miletus. He accompanied Paul all the way to Jerusalem, so likely he would have been at the meeting at Troas. It must have been sometime later Paul left Trophimus sick at Miletus, since he specifically is mentioned coming with Paul to Jerusalem (2 Timothy 4:20, Acts 21:29).
Message
Paul’s message to the Ephesian elders is from Acts 20:8-35. So, Paul lets these elders know just how he lived his humility the tears he shed and that testing when he had plots against him from his opponents.
He tells him that he never hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to them. And even though he had the hall of Tyrannus he mentions that when he taught them, he was teaching them house to house. Most of all the references of a church in the New Testament is a reference to house churches so we don't know if he meant house to house like the house they live or does he mean the house church, but he says he taught them publicly house to house. And Paul lets him know he'd been clear with this message both the Jews and to Greeks that everyone must turn to God in repentance and have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
And now he tells them he's compelled by the Holy Spirit to go to Jerusalem, and he doesn't know what's going to happen. The holy spirit's telling them there's prison and hardship. And he's not considering his life the important thing but to finish the race to complete the task that the Lord Jesus gave him. And that task of testifying the good news of God's grace.
He tells them that he never expects to see any of them again. Maybe Paul was thinking that his life end was more imminent than it actually was. After Paul said this he still had many years of ministry ahead of him. He went to Jerusalem and then spent time in the Caesarian prison. He then went to Rome and he spent two years in Roman imprisonment and then he was out and moving around again for his fourth journey that we must understand by looking at 1 &2 Timothy and Titus. So he may have thought that his end was coming quicker than it actually did.
He tells these pastors to keep watch over their flocks that the Holy Spirit has made them overseers of. That there to be shepherds of the Church of God which God bought with his own blood. He warns them of the savage wolves that will come and not spare the flock. And he knows that even those from amongst their own members will distort the truth and draw disciples away from them after themselves.
So in all of this he tells them be on their guard. He says he never stopped warning them for three years night and day with tears. He's never been one to be materialistic he never was coveting silver or gold and they know it and they know his own hands work to supply the needs of him and his companions. And he showed them by example our hard work to help the weak. He reminds them of the words of the Lord Jesus it's more blessed to give than receive.
Results of the message
When Paul finished giving his message, he knelt down with them and prayed. And all of them were weeping as they embraced him, they kissed him. And the thing that grieved him the most was the statement that they would never see his face again. And then they accompany Paul to the ship.
Conclusion
Paul is ready to pass the baton of leadership to the elders of Ephesus. Paul mentioned he had invested three years at Ephesus. That would probably be the longest any of the elders at Ephesus had been believers. Paul was handing off full responsibility to elders with very little experience. He did need to send Tychicus and then Timothy later to help the elders.
2 Timothy 4:12 I sent Tychicus to Ephesus
1 Timothy 1:3, As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s work—which is by faith.
From these passages we can assume that Timothy was not going to be the pastor of a church in Ephesus but to continue to help the elders at Ephesus.
This message is a great insight into Paul's reflection on his ministry and Ephesus and how he says he invested three years in these pastors. And it's also a great example of how we move on in our ministry when we exit and even though there is a lot of emotion and tears. There is a time to move on after we've poured into the leaders to let them carry on the work and to move to new places and new assignments that the Holy Spirit gives us.
Bible study discussion: Acts Chapter 20
• What are 3 lessons in Acts Chapter 20 for leadership development?
• What are 3 lessons in Acts Chapter 20 for exit strategy?
• What are the differences and similarities (Acts 20) in the meetings in Troas and meeting in Miletus?
