16  Paul’s View  of the Ministry  (Acts 20:17–24)

And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the church. And when they had come to him, he said to them, “You yourselves know, from the first day that I set foot in Asia, how I was with you the whole time, serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials which came upon me through the plots of the Jews; how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly and from house to house, solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. And now, behold, bound in spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit solemnly testifies to me in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions await me. But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, in order that I may finish my course, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God.” (20:17–24)

Expertise is a highly sought after commodity in this complex world. Seminars given by experts in everything from technology to time management to investments to relationships are packed with people, and books on such topics are often best-sellers. Almost anyone who has succeeded at something will find an audience eager to learn how they, too, can succeed.

The advice of experts is also sought in the church, particularly in the area of church growth, where the advice of specialists in cultural analysis and marketing techniques is greatly valued. Some seminaries even have departments of church growth, attempting to impart to prospective pastors those techniques the schools believe will ensure growth.

If the apostle Paul were alive, he would be the most sought after and mimicked church growth expert of them all. After all, it was largely through his ministry that Christianity grew from a small Palestinian sect to an empire-wide phenomenon.

Trying to copy the apostle’s style would be wrongheaded, however, for Paul’s success was not based on his ministry methodology. The apostle’s successful ministry flowed from his devotion to truth, spiritual character, commitment to serving God, and the resultant powerful example his life set for others. There was no credibility gap between the truth he proclaimed and the way he lived.

The New Testament teaches that the heart of leadership is example. Jesus reminded His disciples in John 13:15, “I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you.” Luke described his gospel as the record of “all that Jesus began to do and teach” (Acts 1:1). The writer of Hebrews commanded his readers to “remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith” (Heb. 13:7). Peter exhorted his fellow elders to “be examples to the flock” (1 Pet. 5:3). To the Corinthians Paul wrote, “I exhort you therefore, be imitators of me” (1 Cor. 4:16; cf. 11:1). He instructed the Philippians, “Join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us” (Phil. 3:17; cf. 4:9). He commended the Thessalonians because they “became imitators of us and of the Lord” (1 Thess. 1:6). His advice to Timothy on how to be a leader was to “in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe” (1 Tim. 4:12).

This passage in Acts 20 gives insights into Paul’s view of the ministry. It does not focus on technique but on the godly attitudes he modeled. Paul saw his ministry related to four dimensions: toward God, the church, the lost, and himself. Having the proper perspective in those four areas is foundational to a successful ministry.

The setting in which Paul revealed these principles was his farewell speech to the elders of the Ephesian church. He was on his way to Jerusalem, bringing an offering from the Gentile churches for the needy in the Jerusalem church. By so doing he hoped to ease their physical burden, as well as to cement the spiritual bond between Jews and Gentiles in the church. The ship on which he and his companions were traveling had made a stopover at Miletus, on the coast of Asia Minor thirty miles south of Ephesus. From there, Paul sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the church. He had decided (for reasons of time) not to visit the church at Ephesus (20:16). However his love and concern for that church compelled him to give this final exhortation to its leaders.

These men were especially dear to Paul’s heart. He was their spiritual father and the founder of the local church they served. For three years he had nurtured and taught them, enduring persecution from the Jews and a riot caused by the Gentiles. They had grown to spiritual maturity under Paul’s ministry, and he had released to them the oversight of the Ephesian congregation. The term elders identifies them as pastors, with emphasis on their spiritual maturity, while overseers (v. 28) describes their function. They were spiritually mature individuals who ruled the church. The two terms describe the same man, along with the word “shepherd” (or “pastor,” v. 28), which emphasizes the task of feeding or teaching. All three are used to refer to those in the highest place of spiritual leadership in the church

After they had come to him, Paul began to share what was on his heart. His speech, the only one of his addressed to Christians that Luke records, is filled with Pauline phraseology. He began by saying to them, “You yourselves know, from the first day that I set foot in Asia, how I was with you the whole time.” The Ephesian elders had observed his ministry during his three years in their city. Paul’s appeal to their personal knowledge of him is reminiscent of his words to the Thessalonians:

By reminding the Ephesian elders of their firsthand knowledge of his ministry, Paul was not only establishing himself as an example for them to emulate but also may have been defending himself. False teachers constantly attempted to tear down what he had built up, often by attacking his credibility (cf. 2 Cor. 10:10–12; 11:1ff.; Gal. 1:6–9; 3:1; 5:12; Phil. 3:2). That such enemies of the gospel threatened Ephesus is clear from Paul’s warning in verses 29–31. On the other hand, he may simply have been setting forth his own ministry as an example for the elders to follow.

TOWARD GOD—SERVICE

serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials which came upon me through the plots of the Jews; (20:19)

Paul viewed the ministry primarily as serving the Lord and commonly referred to himself as a “bond-servant of Jesus Christ” (Rom. 1:1; cf. Gal. 1:10; Col. 1:7; 4:7; Titus 1:1). He was the one Paul sought to please, not men. In the midst of a raging storm at sea, he testified of that devotion to serve his Lord by telling the others on board, “This very night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood before me” (Acts 27:23). To the Galatians he wrote, “For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ” (Gal. 1:10). In 1 Thessalonians 2:4 he declared, “Just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men but God, who examines our hearts.” Paul knew well the truth that “the fear of man brings a snare, but he who trusts in the Lord will be exalted” (Prov. 29:25).

Everyone in the ministry is called to serve God rather than men. That applies to all Christians, for everything believers do, first of all, is service to Him (1 Cor. 10:31; Matt. 25:34–40). Serving God defines the motive for doing what is right in His sight above every other consideration. It means a preacher does not serve the will and desires of the congregation or even the leaders of the church, but God. It means an employee does not merely serve an employer, but God (Eph. 6:5–7). As Paul expressed it to the Colossians, “It is the Lord Christ whom you serve” (Col. 3:24).

Serving is from douleuō, the verb form of doulos (“bond-servant; slave”). Paul uses the verb form seventeen times in his epistles, primarily to refer to obedience to the Lord. He considered it a great honor and privilege to serve the King of kings and Lord of lords.

Two attitudes mark a bond-servant of the Lord. First, such service must be rendered in all humility, since a servant is not greater than his master (Matt. 10:24). Despite his position and accomplishments, Paul was a humble man. “What then is Apollos?” he asked the factious Corinthians. “And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one” (1 Cor. 3:5). In 1 Corinthians 15:9 he described himself as” the least of the apostles … not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.” In 2 Corinthians 3:5 he wrote, “Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God.” Though he considered himself “not in the least inferior to the most eminent apostles” (2 Cor. 11:5), in Ephesians 3:8 he referred to himself as “the very least of all saints” and in 1 Timothy 1:15 as the “foremost of all [sinners].”

Ambrose, the fourth-century bishop of Milan, was one of the most noted leaders of the early church. It was under his ministry that Augustine was converted. Ambrose had been the governor of the Roman province that included the city of Milan. When that city’s bishop died, the people met in the cathedral to elect a new bishop. As governor, Ambrose got up to speak a few words to the crowd. Suddenly someone cried out, “Ambrose for bishop!” Others in the crowd echoed his shout. To his surprise and dismay (though he had been a Christian for a long time, he was not ordained and hadn’t even been baptized yet), Ambrose was elected bishop. He fled and tried unsuccessfully to hide but was finally persuaded that his appointment was God’s will. His first act as bishop was to give away his wealth to the poor.

Called to become a preacher of the gospel, Scottish Reformer John Knox

Second, serving the Lord involves a willingness to endure suffering, since suffering is the lot of any servant. The Lord Jesus Christ was the foremost example of a suffering servant. Such passages as Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53 depict His suffering in graphic detail. Peter wrote in 1 Peter 2:21, “Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps.” Just as Christ suffered, so also “all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Tim. 3:12), because “through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22).

Paul lists two areas from which suffering comes. The apostle’s reference to serving the Lord with tears speaks of internal suffering. Paul’s zeal for the Lord caused him to be grieved and pained when God was dishonored by unbelievers and believers. Those who share Paul’s passion will share his tears.

Three things in particular moved Paul to tears. First, he grieved over the state of the lost. In Romans 9:2–3 he writes, “I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh.”

Second, he cried over weak, struggling, sinning Christians. To such believers at Corinth he wrote, “Out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears” (2 Cor. 2:4).

Finally, the sinister threat posed by false teachers caused Paul to say to the Ephesian elders, “Therefore [because of the false teachers mentioned in vv. 29–30] be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears” (v. 31). To the Philippians he wrote, “For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ” (Phil. 3:18).

But the tears of a servant of God are not in vain. The psalmist wrote in Psalm 126:6, “He who goes to and fro weeping, carrying his bag of seed, shall indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.” To those with caring, compassionate hearts, who faithfully spread the precious seed of the Word, God promises a rich spiritual harvest.

Not all suffering is internal. Paul also faced the external trials which came upon him through the plots of the Jews. He faced the hostility and opposition of his countrymen throughout his ministry (2 Cor. 11:24, 26). Acts 9:20 notes that “immediately [following his conversion] he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, ‘He is the Son of God.’” It did not take long for opposition to develop; verse 23 of that same chapter notes that “the Jews plotted together to do away with him.” On Cyprus, Paul faced opposition from “a Jewish false prophet whose name was Bar-Jesus” (Acts 13:6). At Pisidian Antioch, “when the Jews saw the crowds [assembled to hear Paul speak], they were filled with jealousy, and began contradicting the things spoken by Paul, and were blaspheming” (Acts 13:45). At Iconium (14:2), Lystra (14:19), Thessalonica (17:5ff.), Berea (17:13), Corinth (18:6, 12–13), and Ephesus (19:9) the sad story of Jewish hostility was repeated. The beginning of Paul’s present journey to Jerusalem had witnessed a Jewish plot to take his life (20:3), and when he arrived there he would face still more Jewish opposition (21:27ff., 23:12ff.). Truly did the Lord’s words to Ananias about Paul come true: “I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake” (Acts 9:16).

Some judge the success of a servant of God by how large or widespread his ministry is, how many degrees he has, or how much publicity he receives. But the true measure of a servant of God is whether he focuses solely on pleasing God, which gives him the willingness to serve with humility and suffer opposition from those hostile to the truth.

TOWARD THE CHURCH—TEACHING

how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly and from house to house, (20:20)

Paul saw clearly that his obligation toward the church was to teach. As he wrote in Ephesians 4:12, the primary task of leaders in the church is “the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ”—a goal that can only be accomplished through the consistent, thorough teaching of God’s Word. Therefore Paul reminds the Ephesian leaders that he did not shrink from declaring to them anything that was profitable. Shrink from is from hupostellō, which also appears in verse 27 and means “to draw back” or “to withhold.” Paul held back nothing of the wise counsel and holy, sovereign purpose of God; he withheld no doctrine, exhortation, or admonition that was profitable.

Well does Proverbs 29:25 warn, “The fear of man brings a snare.” But Paul had no such fears—even when confronting another apostle. In Galatians 2:11–21 he recounted the story of his dramatic public rebuke of Peter:

Paul’s zeal for the purity of the gospel allowed him to play no favorites. He would boldly confront anyone—even the respected leader of the twelve, or his close friend Barnabas—who compromised biblical truth. Unlike many today, Paul could declare, “Am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ” (Gal. 1:10). When he commanded Timothy to “preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction” (2 Tim. 4:2), the apostle was himself an example of one who had done just that. He had to speak his convictions regarding the truth, as he said in 2 Corinthians 4:13, “I believed, therefore I spoke.”

That a man of God must boldly proclaim the truth is not just a New Testament idea. David wrote:

Ezekiel 33:7–9 contains a sobering warning of the consequences of failing to declare God’s truth:

Those who shrink from proclaiming God’s truth are subject to God’s chastening.

Second Timothy 3:16 defines what is profitable: “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness.” “Teaching” involves communicating the principles of God’s Word; “reproof” refers to applying Scripture to produce conviction of sin; “correction” gives repentant sinners the biblical direction to turn from sin and follow Christ; and “training in righteousness” moves believers along the path toward Christlikeness. Thus armed with the Scriptures, “the man of God [will] be adequate, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:17).

There were two outlets for Paul’s teaching. He taught publicly.Acts 19:8 records that when he came to Ephesus, he taught in the synagogue for three months. After being forced to leave there, he taught in a rented hall for two more years (19:10). But not only did he publicly proclaim the Word, he also taught privately from house to house. He took the truths he publicly proclaimed and applied them to individuals’ and families’ daily concerns.

Whether in public or in private, the servant of Jesus Christ does not fail to declare the profitable truths of God’s Word. And in the preparation and the proclamation, he handles the Scripture as a “workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15).

TOWARD THE LOST—EVANGELISM

solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. (20:21)

No view of the ministry is complete that fails to have a proper perspective on reaching the lost. Paul saw himself as an evangelist, having a mandate to reach sinners with the truth of the gospel. To the Romans he wrote:

First Corinthians 9:19–23 reveals Paul’s passionate desire to fulfill that mandate:

So intense was Paul’s concern for the lost that he cried out, “Woe is me if I do not preach the gospel” (1 Cor. 9:16). He even made the shocking statement that, if possible, he would be willing to give up his own salvation to see unredeemed Jews saved (Rom. 9:3).

Paul’s intense zeal for proclaiming the gospel compelled him to make his presentation of it thorough and complete. Testifying is from diamarturomai, a compound word made up of a verb intensified by the addition of a preposition. Paul’s gospel presentations were never shallow or partial but detailed and comprehensive (cf. vv. 20, 27). As the apostle to the Gentiles (Rom. 11:13; cf. 1 Tim. 2:7), he evangelized both Jews and Greeks.

A biblically sound gospel presentation must contain two components. First, it must include repentance toward God. Metanoia (repentance) is a rich and important New Testament word, meaning “to change one’s mind or purpose.” It describes a change of mind that results in a change of behavior; it is the conscious act of a sinner turning from his sins to God. Nineteenth-century theologian Heinrich Heppe defined repentance as “a gracious power, bestowed only on the elect, by which they lay aside the life of sin and busy themselves with righteousness” (Reformed Dogmatics [reprint; Grand Rapids: Baker, 1978], 571). Remorse, such as that expressed by Judas (Matt. 27:3) or Saul (1 Sam. 15:24–25), must not be confused with repentance. Repentance involves sorrow for the act of sin, remorse sorrow for its consequences. A repentant person is sorry he sinned, whereas a remorseful person is sorry he got caught.

Repentance involves the entire person, intellect, emotion, and will. In Acts 2:36, Peter concluded his sermon on the Day of Pentecost by boldly declaring, “Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified.” He had clearly and powerfully presented his hearers with the facts of the gospel. Verse 37 describes the emotional aspect of repentance: “When they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brethren, what shall we do?’” But true repentance also involves an act of the will: “So then, those who had received his word were baptized” (v. 41). By publicly identifying themselves with Jesus Christ through baptism, these new believers made a decisive break with their past.

The New Testament knows nothing of a gospel that lacks a call to repentance. John the Baptist insisted that his hearers “bring forth fruits in keeping with repentance” (Luke 3:8). The Lord Jesus Christ also called people to repent (Matt. 4:17); in fact, He described His ministry as one of calling sinners to repentance (Luke 5:32). Paul’s message to both Jews and Gentiles was “that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance” (Acts 26:20). The words of the Lord Jesus Christ that “repentance for forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem” (Luke 24:47; cf. Acts 17:30), mark repentance as central to the gospel message. (For a detailed discussion of repentance see my books The Gospel According to Jesus (rev. ed.) [Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994], and Faith Works [Dallas: Word, 1993].)

The gospel message also includes faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Sinners must not only turn away from sin but turn toward God (cf. 1 Thess. 1:9). Saving faith, like repentance, has an intellectual, emotional, and volitional aspect. Theologians use three Latin words, notitia, assensus, and fiducia, to describe those aspects. Notitia (knowledge) is the intellectual aspect, assensus (assent) the emotional, and fiducia (trust) the volitional aspect of saving faith. Saving faith thus involves the total person trusting wholly in the Lord Jesus Christ alone for salvation. (For further instruction on saving faith, see my book Faith Works [Dallas: Word, 1993], 37–54.)

Paul saw himself not only as a servant, feeding the household of God, but as a herald, announcing to lost sinners the good news of salvation. Those two essential aspects of ministry must be the concern of all believers.

TOWARD HIMSELF—SACRIFICE

And now, behold, bound in spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit solemnly testifies to me in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions await me. But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, in order that I may finish my course, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God. (20:22–24)

As an excellent servant of Jesus Christ, Paul had a single-minded devotion to his one life’s purpose. He described himself as bound in spirit by his strong compulsion to fulfill his ministry. Deo (bound) is commonly used to refer to physical binding with chains or ropes (cf. Matt. 14:3; 21:2; 27:2; Acts 9:2; 12:6; 21:11). It is used figuratively to speak of the powerful tie of the marriage bond (Rom. 7:2; 1 Cor. 7:27, 39). Paul’s sense of duty and responsibility to his Master drove him on his way to Jerusalem, not knowing specifically what would happen to him once he arrived there. He did know, however, that the Holy Spirit solemnly testified to him in every city he visited that bonds and afflictions awaited him (cf. Rom. 15:31). It was revealed to Paul that he faced persecution in Jerusalem, though what that specifically would entail had not yet been disclosed. That would later be made clear to him by the prophet Agabus when he arrived in Palestine (21:10–11).

Paul’s response to the situation reveals his sacrificial spirit: I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, he told them, in order that I may finish my course, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God. Only one thing mattered to Paul: to finish the work God had given him to do. What happened to him was of no consequence (cf. 21:13) when compared to the unique nature of his calling from Christ Himself—on which all the accusations against him hinged.

It must be noted that the message the apostle preached and all preachers echo is called the gospel of the grace of God. The clear emphasis is on grace, the unmerited favor of God by which He forgives undeserving sinners the totality of their sins and freely, mercifully gives them the complete righteousness of Jesus Christ.

Paul successfully fulfilled his ministry to the very end of his life. As his death drew near, he wrote triumphantly to Timothy, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim. 4:7). And after he paid the ultimate price for his devoted, loyal service to Jesus Christ, he no doubt heard from his beloved Master the words “Well done, good and faithful slave … enter into the joy of your master” (Matt. 25:21).

It should be the goal of all Christians to complete successfully the ministry God has given them. To do so requires that they maintain a proper perspective of their ministry as it relates to God, believers, unbelievers, and themselves. To do less is unworthy of the Lord who graciously called them into His service.