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PAUL AT MILETUS

III. QUAR., LESSON VI., AUG. 6, ACTS 20:22-35

Golden Text—”Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the Word of God; and viewing attentively the result of their conduct, imitate their faith.”—Heb. 13:7—Diaglott

We stand in awe before such an example of moral heroism as we find in the Apostle Paul: and the passage chosen for this lesson makes it specially manifest. As we follow him from city to city and mark his faithful labor and care, his patient endurance of persecution, his untiring devotion and zeal for the truth, his patience in instructing and bearing with the weak and ignorant, and all his sufferings for Christ’s sake, and then hear him say, “None of these things move me,” we feel that we are indeed contemplating a sublime character.

To say that Paul was a remarkable man, a wonderful man, a grand man, gives no adequate conception of his character. See how in every city, bonds and afflictions awaited him: mobs and stripes and imprisonment were his constant expectation. Then read his epistles and mark his fervency of spirit, his deep insight into the things of God, his care for the churches and his deep solicitude for their spiritual welfare, his earnest exhortations and his living example. Read till you are filled with the inspiration of his noble example and behold in him a miracle of divine grace.

No ordinary hopes and ambitions could inspire such a life. His eye of faith was fixed on the things as yet not seen. He was

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a man of superior advantages and blessings, as well as of peculiar and almost unprecedented trials. “Like one born before the time” (1 Cor. 15:8), he had seen the Lord in his glory and heard his gracious voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.” It was unto him as Ananias said,—”The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldst know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldst hear the voice of his mouth; for thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard.” (Acts 22:14,15.) In mental vision he had been “caught away to the third heaven” (to the Millennial reign of Christ), and had been granted a glimpse of the glory and blessedness of that reign of righteousness. Again and again he received special, individual encouragement from the Lord. In Corinth the Lord spoke to him by a vision, saying, “Be not afraid, but speak and hold not thy peace; for I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee; for I have much people in this city.” (Acts 18:9,10.) Again, in the midst of fierce persecution “the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul; for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.” (Acts 23:11.) And again, when in imminent danger of shipwreck, the angel of the Lord stood by him, saying, Fear not, Paul, thou must be brought before Caesar: and lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.” (Acts 27:23,24.) And the Lord constantly witnessed with him to the truth of the gospel, by miracles and signs which mightily convinced the people.—Acts 19:11,12; 20:9-12; 28:3-6,8,9.

In view of these things, do we not truly say that Paul was a miracle of grace? He himself said, “I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me” (Phil. 4:13); and that it was the power of Christ that rested on him. (2 Cor. 12:9,10.) The grace given was indeed sufficient for the heavy labors and incessant toil of this beloved witness of the Lord unto us Gentiles. And as we look upon his shining course we see Christ in him; and reason says, If one who thus saw the Lord and heard his gracious voice, and who lived in such close and constant fellowship with him, was so inspired with hope and joy, and so nerved to cheerful endurance of hardship, pain and loss of every earthly treasure, the reward itself must indeed be glorious.

Beloved, let us mark the noble examples of the Lord and of Paul, and let us run with patience the race set before us, looking unto Jesus, as did Paul, for all needed strength and consolation.

With these thoughts, returning to the lesson, we see, in the parting of the beloved Apostle with the elders of the church at Ephesus, who had come to bid him farewell before he set sail for Jerusalem, and to receive his parting counsel, another reminder of his faithfulness and a worthy example for our imitation.

VERSES 25-27. He said to them, “I know that ye shall see my face no more. Wherefore, I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men [He was bearing in mind his personal responsibility as a steward of the Lord and the solemn significance of it as indicated by the Prophet Ezekiel—33:7-9]; for I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.” On the part of Paul there was no compromise of the truth, no mixing of it with human philosophies to make it more palatable to either Jews or Gentiles, or to avoid thus any measure of the otherwise inevitable persecution. The Christian teacher who can truly bear such testimony under such circumstances is indeed a soldier of the cross.

VERSES 28-31. Note his fatherly counsel to these elders to continue to supplement the Apostle’s labors with their own; and with the same zeal and carefulness in which he had set them an example. Note also his faithful warning against false teachers, who would surely develop in their midst; against

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wolves in sheep’s clothing, who would not spare the flock while selfishly seeking their own temporal advantage. The Apostle did not counsel the handling of these wolves very gently, as some teachers of to-day advise. He did not say, you must call them all brethren, and tell them they are probably as near the truth as you are, and that you have a broad charity for all sorts of vain philosophies, etc., etc. No, Paul was not the man for such compromises.—Rom. 16:17,18; 2 Thes. 3:6,14; 2 Cor. 6:14-18; 2 Tim. 2:15-19.

VERSES 32-35 are touching words—the eloquence of noble deeds, the exhortation of a living example, the benedictions of a loving heart, the incense of a devoted and holy life.

VERSES 36-38. Since the fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much, we cannot doubt that all their hearts were refreshed

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and comforted with a blessed sense of divine grace for this and every time of need, though their tears flowed freely at the thought of parting, to meet no more until the blessed day of final recompense.

The golden text is well chosen, though the common translation gives a significance at variance with the teachings of the Lord and the Apostles. (See Matt. 20:25-28; 2 Cor. 1:24; 1 Pet. 5:1-3. The Lord does not raise up rulers from among our brethren in the body of Christ; but he does raise up faithful leaders, to whom earnest heed should be given, and whose faith and example should be imitated.

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— July 1 & 15, 1893 —