God Speaks
When the uproar was over, Paul sent for the believers and encouraged them. Then he said good-bye and left for Macedonia. 2 While there, he encouraged the believers in all the towns he passed through. Then he traveled down to Greece, 3 where he stayed for three months. He was preparing to sail back to Syria when he discovered a plot by some Jews against his life, so he decided to return through Macedonia.
4 Several men were traveling with him. They were Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea; Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica; Gaius from Derbe; Timothy; and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia. 5 They went on ahead and waited for us at Troas. 6 After the Passover ended, we boarded a ship at Philippi in Macedonia and five days later joined them in Troas, where we stayed a week.
7 On the first day of the week, we gathered with the local believers to share in the Lord’s Supper. Paul was preaching to them, and since he was leaving the next day, he kept talking until midnight. 8 The upstairs room where we met was lighted with many flickering lamps. 9 As Paul spoke on and on, a young man named Eutychus, sitting on the windowsill, became very drowsy. Finally, he fell sound asleep and dropped three stories to his death below. 10 Paul went down, bent over him, and took him into his arms. “Don’t worry,” he said, “he’s alive!” 11 Then they all went back upstairs, shared in the Lord’s Supper, and ate together. Paul continued talking to them until dawn, and then he left. 12 Meanwhile, the young man was taken home alive and well, and everyone was greatly relieved.
13 Paul went by land to Assos, where he had arranged for us to join him, while we traveled by ship. 14 He joined us there, and we sailed together to Mitylene. 15 The next day we sailed past the island of Kios. The following day we crossed to the island of Samos, and a day later we arrived at Miletus.
16 Paul had decided to sail on past Ephesus, for he didn’t want to spend any more time in the province of Asia. He was hurrying to get to Jerusalem, if possible, in time for the Festival of Pentecost. 17 But when we landed at Miletus, he sent a message to the elders of the church at Ephesus, asking them to come and meet him.
18 When they arrived he declared, “You know that from the day I set foot in the province of Asia until now 19 I have done the Lord’s work humbly and with many tears. I have endured the trials that came to me from the plots of the Jews. 20 I never shrank back from telling you what you needed to hear, either publicly or in your homes. 21 I have had one message for Jews and Greeks alike—the necessity of repenting from sin and turning to God, and of having faith in our Lord Jesus.
22 “And now I am bound by the Spirit to go to Jerusalem. I don’t know what awaits me, 23 except that the Holy Spirit tells me in city after city that jail and suffering lie ahead. 24 But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.
25 “And now I know that none of you to whom I have preached the Kingdom will ever see me again. 26 I declare today that I have been faithful. If anyone suffers eternal death, it’s not my fault, 27 for I didn’t shrink from declaring all that God wants you to know.
28 “So guard yourselves and God’s people. Feed and shepherd God’s flock—his church, purchased with his own blood—over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as leaders. 29 I know that false teachers, like vicious wolves, will come in among you after I leave, not sparing the flock. 30 Even some men from your own group will rise up and distort the truth in order to draw a following. 31 Watch out! Remember the three years I was with you—my constant watch and care over you night and day, and my many tears for you.
32 “And now I entrust you to God and the message of his grace that is able to build you up and give you an inheritance with all those he has set apart for himself.
33 “I have never coveted anyone’s silver or gold or fine clothes. 34 You know that these hands of mine have worked to supply my own needs and even the needs of those who were with me. 35 And I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
36 When he had finished speaking, he knelt and prayed with them. 37 They all cried as they embraced and kissed him good-bye. 38 They were sad most of all because he had said that they would never see him again. Then they escorted him down to the ship.
Source: New Living Translation: BibleGateway.com
We Respond
Reflection: Paul spoke words of encouragement to believers wherever he went. The people of Philippi had such a hunger for the word of God that they were willing to stay up all night listening to Paul expound on it. Paul stopped preaching long enough to resurrect a young man who had fallen asleep and tumbled from a third story window, causing his death. Paul served the LORD with all humility and tears in the midst of trials, declaring what is profitable and teaching repentance toward God and faith in Jesus Christ. He was constrained by the Holy Spirit to testify to the gospel of the grace of God, proclaiming the whole counsel of God. He was alert to the needs of those around him as well as to those who seek to destroy the flock. Paul thanked the LORD God, that His word of grace is able to build people up and give them an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. He taught the people by example not to covet the possessions of others but to work hard to meet the needs of the weak and needy among them. Paul wasn’t shy about showing how much he (and God) cared about the people to whom and with whom he ministered.
Prayer: Dear God who equipped and guided the Apostle Paul, please use Christian leaders (especially pastors, missionaries, and educators) and those they are training to speak words of encouragement to believers wherever they go. May people have such a hunger for the word of God that they are willing to stay up all night listening to it being expounded. May You bring back to life those who have “fallen asleep” as You see fit. May those You send out serve the LORD with all humility and tears in the midst of trials. May they declare what is profitable and teach repentance toward God and faith in Jesus Christ. May we all be constrained by the Holy Spirit to testify to the gospel of the grace of God, proclaiming the whole counsel of God. May we be alert to the needs of those around us and to those who seek to destroy the flock. Thank You LORD God, that You and Your word of grace are able to build Your people up and give us an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. May we, Your people, not covet the possessions of others but work hard to meet the needs of the weak and needy among us. May we not be shy about showing how much we care about each other. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
- I will encourage a believer that is going through a tough time.
- I will pray for God to fill my Christian friends and me with such a hunger for the Word of God that we willingly stay up all night to hear it preached.
- I will prepare my heart and life so that if God wants to use me to perform a miracle, like raising the dead, that nothing in my life would interfere.
- I will watch out for and speak up against any person or teaching that would seek to “destroy the flock,” especially the children.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.