3rd Missionary Trip - Lorin

Just as in 2 Tim. 4:7, Paul views his life in terms of running a race in the Olympic games. And the essence
of that race is completing his divinely given τὴν διακονίαν, as he also expressed in Rom. 15:31; 2 Cor. 8:4;
9:1, 12, 13. Although Luke has made no direct mention of the relief offering in Acts, this was an important part
of what Paul considered as τὴν διακονίαν, but not the sum total of ministry which was much broader. In the last
phrase, διαμαρτύρασθαι τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τῆς χάριτος τοῦ θεοῦ, he defines the heart of his τὴν διακονίαν: to give
witness to the Gospel of the grace of God. His language here unquestionably affirms the Gospel as concrete actions
expressing the grace of God to others, not just talking about God’s grace. This was the essence of the relief offering
being delivered to Jerusalem. As he affirmed at the beginning of his speech to these leaders, his witness
centered on repentance and faith which Paul knew was validated by concrete ministry actions to others (v. 21).
God’s grace is not some etherial force working in the abstract! Rather, it is the life changing presence of God in
favorable actions toward us which produce favorable actions by us toward others. This is the Gospel that Paul
preached and lived.
Speech: Reflection on the Present Occasion, vv. 25-27.
25 And now I know that none of you, among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom, will ever see my
face again. 26 Therefore I declare to you this day that I am not responsible for the blood of any of you, 27 for I did
not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God.
25 Καὶ νῦν ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ οἶδα ὅτι οὐκέτι ὄψεσθε τὸ πρόσωπόν μου ὑμεῖς πάντες ἐν οἷς διῆλθον κηρύσσων
τὴν βασιλείαν. 26 διότι μαρτύρομαι ὑμῖν ἐν τῇ σήμερον ἡμέρᾳ ὅτι καθαρός εἰμι ἀπὸ τοῦ αἵματος πάντων·
27 οὐ γὰρ ὑπεστειλάμην τοῦ μὴ ἀναγγεῖλαι πᾶσαν τὴν βουλὴν τοῦ θεοῦ ὑμῖν.
Now Paul turns to the present situation of this meeting with the sad words: Καὶ νῦν ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ οἶδα ὅτι
οὐκέτι ὄψεσθε τὸ πρόσωπόν μου ὑμεῖς πάντες ἐν οἷς διῆλθον κηρύσσων τὴν βασιλείαν, And now I know that none
of you, among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom, will ever see my face again. Quite interestingly, this
statement of Paul in Acts is taken by some modern commentators to deny Paul’s release from imprisonment in
Rome later on (cf. Phil. 1:25) and a resumption of ministry that would include another trip to Ephesus during that
brief period of ministry in the early 60s. 244 Somehow the honesty of Luke’s reporting of Paul’s speech accurately,
coupled with Paul not knowing that he indeed would see this people again even though he didn’t think so at this
point, eludes these commentators. This in spite of Paul just having said that he didn’t know precisely what was
going to happen to him in Jerusalem. The unfolding of God’s will always moves in surprising directions that are
never anticipated. This has been Paul’s experience continuously for the quarter of a century of ministry when he
speaks to these leaders at Miletus.
But Luke’s use of ἐγὼ οἶδα ὅτι, I know that, rather ἐγὼ γινώσκω ὅτι signals something important as it parallels
the μὴ εἰδώς, not knowing, in v. 22b. Paul is speaking of ‘head knowledge’ here in terms of being confident
about either knowing or not knowing. The limiting factor of his not knowing about what would happen in Jerusalem
was qualified by the repeated witness of the Holy Spirit about broad contours of events ahead. Such had not
happened regarding the possibility of him seeing these brothers again. All of the available signals of the moment
suggested that this would be the last time he would see them.
Paul includes not just the Ephesians but others in his ministry with ἐν οἷς διῆλθον κηρύσσων τὴν βασιλείαν,
among whom I have gone about proclaiming the Kingdom. One very important insight here is how Paul defines his
ministry here in connection to the previous depictions, διαμαρτύρασθαι τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τῆς χάριτος τοῦ θεοῦ, to
bear witness of the Gospel of the grace of God (v. 24b); διαμαρτυρόμενος Ἰουδαίοις τε καὶ Ἕλλησιν τὴν εἰς θεὸν
μετάνοιαν καὶ πίστιν εἰς τὸν κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν, testifying both to Jews and Greeks repentance to God and faith in
our Lord Jesus (v. 21); τοῦ...ἀναγγεῖλαι ὑμῖν καὶ διδάξαι ὑμᾶς, to proclaim to you and to teach you (v. 20b); δουλεύων
τῷ κυρίῳ, serving the Lord (v. 19a). If we seriously want to know Paul’s theology of ministry in this speech, then
the inner connectedness of all these expression must be put on the table. With careful examination, a central
picture emerges rather clearly. Ministry is communicating the salvational message of God in both word and deed
that underscores absolute commitment to the complete authority of God over our life through Christ Jesus. This
commitment will be lived out in service to others, or else it is not real. Paul’s entire Christian life exhibits what he
244 “Whether οὐκέτι is translated no longer or no more it seems clear (cf. v. 38) that Paul is predicting that personal contact is
at an end. It is impossible to draw inferences (but see Harnack, The Acts of the Apostles 293f.) from this for the date of Acts; we do not
know whether Paul was released from a first imprisonment in Rome and returned to the East. Cf. Phil. 1:25, where Paul himself uses
οἶδα in forecasting release. But Luke could hardly have written this verse (and v. 38) if he had known that Paul returned to Asia. So also
Haenchen (566).” [C. K. Barrett, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles, International Critical Commentary
(Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 2004), 972.]
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