Day 126: OT Acts C19-20; Paul’s Farewell Address; More Blessed to Give than Receive!

Now… Paul… came to Euphesus… and found certain disciples…

Paul: “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?”

Disciples: “We have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

Paul: “How then were you baptized?”

Disciples: “With John’s baptism.”

Paul: “John baptized the people with a baptism of repentance, telling them to believe in him who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus.”

On hearing this they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus; and when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they began to speak in tongues and to prophesy. There were about twelve men in all.

Now this went on for two years, so that all who lived in the province of Asia, both Jews and Gentiles, heard the word of the Lord. And God worked more than the usual miracles by the hand of Paul; so that even hankerchiefs and aprons were carried from his body to the sick. And the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out.

 

Paul’s address to the Ephesians:

“You know in what manner I have lived with you all the time since the first day that I came into the province of Asia, serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and in trials that befell me because of the plots of the Jews; how I have kept back nothing that was for your good, but have declared it to you and taught you in public and from house to house, urging Jews and Gentiles to turn to God in repentance and to believe in our Lord Jesus Christ. And now behold, I am going to Jerusalem, compelled by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there; except that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me, saying that imprisonment and persecution are awaiting me. But I fear none of these, nor do I count my life more precious than myself, if only I may accomplish my course and the ministry that I have received from the Lord Jesus, to bear witness to the gospel of the grace of Jesus Christ.”

Paul asks them to remember his teaching:

“And now, behold, I know that you all among whom I went about preaching the kingdom of God, will see my face no longer. Therefore O call you to witness this day that I am innocent of the blood of all; for I have not shrunk from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. Take heed to yourselves and to the whole flock in which the Holy Spirit has placed you as bishops, to rule the Church of God, which he has purchased with his own blood. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will get in among you, and will not spare the flock. And from among your own selves men will rise speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. Watch, therefore, and remember that for three years night and day I did not cease with tears to admonish every one of you.

Paul’s farewell:

“And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, who is able to build up and to give the inheritance among all the sanctified. I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. You yourselves know that these hands of mine have provided for my needs and those of my companions. In all things I have shown you that by so toiling you ought to help the weak and remember the word of the Lord Jesus, that he himself said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

Amen! Al-le-lu-ia!

Day 126: Reading The Bible with a TROML Perspective;  Paul’s Farewell Address to the Ephesians; More Blessed to Give than Receive!

Read and inspired by the New Testament, The Acts of The Apostles Chapters 19-20.

Bible Notes:

Saint Luke, the author of the third Gospel, wrote also this history of the primitive Church. Opening with the story of the Ascension and Pentecost, this book records the important events of the early Church: the mass conversions after Pentecost; the persecution by Herod; the conversion of Saint Paul; his three missionary journeys; his arrest and final trip to Rome

Acts Chapter 19:  Paul comes to Ephesus; Paul remains at Ephesus for two years; False exorcists; They burn their books publicly; Paul plans to continue his journey; Silversmiths at Ephesus fear Paul’s doctrine; A riotous assembly; The town clerk restores order.

Now it was while Apollos was in Corinth that Paul… Came to Euphesus… and found certain disciples…

Paul: “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?”

Disciples: “We have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

Paul: “How then were you baptized?”

Disciples: “With John’s baptism.”

Paul: “John baptized the people with a baptism of repentance, telling them to believe in him who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus.”

On hearing this they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus; and when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they began to speak in tongues and to prophesy. There were about twelve men in all.

Now this went on for two years, so that all who lived in the province of Asia, both Jews and Gentiles, heard the word of the Lord. And God worked more than the usual miracles by the hand of Paul; so that even hankerchiefs and aprons were carried from his body to the sick. And the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out.

But certain of the itinerant Jews, exorcists, also attempted to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits in them, saying, “I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.” …But the evil spirit answered and said to them, “Jesus I acknowledge, and Paul I know, but who are you?

…and the name of the Lord Jesus came to be held in high honor…

And many who practiced magical arts collected their books and burnt them publicly; and they reckoned up the prices of them, and found the sum to be fifty thousand pieces of silver. Thus mightily did the word of the Lord spread and prevail.

After all this, Paul resolved in the Spirit to pass through Macedonia and Achaia and to go to Jerusalem, saying “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.”

For a silversmith named Demetrius, by making silver shrines of Diana, brought no small gain to the craftsman… “Men, you know that our wealth comes from this trade”… this man Paul has persuaded and turned away numbers of people, saying, “Gods made by human hands are not gods at all.”

“Great is Diana of the Ephesians.”

“Men of Ephesus, what man indeed is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is a worshipper of the great Diana and of Jupiter’s offspring?

Acts Chapter 20:  Journey through Macedonia and Greece; Paul restores life to a boy at Troas; Leaving Troas; Paul’s address to the Ephesians; Paul asks them to remember his teaching; His farewell; Paul’s departure.

And a young man named Eutychus, who was sitting at the window, was overcome by drowsiness and, as Paul addressed them at great length, he fell fast asleep and fell down from the third story to the ground and was picked up dead. Paul went down and laid himself upon him, and embracing him, said, “Do not be alarmed, life is still in him.”

Paul’s address to the Ephesians:

“You know in what manner I have lived with you all the time since the first day that I came into the province of Asia, serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and in trials that befell me because of the plots of the Jews; how I have kept back nothing that was for your good, but have declared it to you and taught you in public and from house to house, urging Jews and Gentiles to turn to God in repentance and to believe in our Lord Jesus Christ. And now behold, I am going to Jerusalem, compelled by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there; except that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me, saying that imprisonment and persecution are awaiting me. But I fear none of these, nor do I count my life more precious than myself, if only I may accomplish my course and the ministry that I have received from the Lord Jesus, to bear witness to the gospel of the grace of Jesus Christ.”

Paul asks them to remember his teaching:

“and now, behold, I know that you all among whom I went about preaching the kingdom of God, will see my face no longer. Therefore O call you to witness this day that I am innocent of the blood of all; for I have not shrunk from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. Take heed to yourselves and to the whole flock in which the Holy Spirit has placed you as bishops, to rule the Church of God, which he has purchased with his own blood. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will get in among you, and will not spare the flock. And from among your own selves men will rise speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. Watch, therefore, and remember that for three years night and day I did not cease with tears to admonish every one of you.

Paul’s farewell:

“And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, who is able to build up and to give the inheritance among all the sanctified. I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. You yourselves know that these hands of mine have provided for my needs and those of my companions. In all things I have shown you that by so toiling you ought to help the weak and remember the word of the Lord Jesus, that he himself said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

And there was much grieving among them all… being grieved most of all at his saying that they would no longer see his face.

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