The Whole Counsel of God’s Wrath and Grace

Acts 20:17-38

The Ephesian Elders Exhorted

17 From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the church. 18 And when they had come to him, he said to them: "You know, from the first day that I came to Asia, in what manner I always lived among you, 19 serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears and trials which happened to me by the plotting of the Jews; 20 how I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house, 21 testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. 22 And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, 23 except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me. 24 But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

25 "And indeed, now I know that you all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, will see my face no more. 26 Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. 27 For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God. 28 Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. 29 For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. 31 Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.

32 "So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 33 I have coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel. 34 Yes, you yourselves know that these hands have provided for my necessities, and for those who were with me. 35 I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"

36 And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. 37 Then they all wept freely, and fell on Paul's neck and kissed him, 38 sorrowing most of all for the words which he spoke, that they would see his face no more. And they accompanied him to the ship.

Paul called the elders in Ephesus to come to him at Miletus and exhorted them in the faith and in faithfulness to the gospel in face of opposition from without and from within the assembly of Christ.  He spoke openly and with a shepherd’s heart to them that they might do the same according to his example (1 Corinthians 11:1) of imitating Christ.  He had demonstrated transparency in living before them as he served the Lord humbly and with tears for them and their wellbeing in the midst of his own trials and theirs.  No matter the opposition of the Jews who rejected him and sought to kill him as they did the Lord Jesus Christ, Paul stayed the course to proclaim the truth to them in the assembly and in their homes.  He testified to the gospel of God’s grace by proclaiming repentance toward God and faith toward his and their Lord Jesus Christ.  He did not compromise the gospel which addressed their sin that earns God’s wrath and His love which stepped in to take that punishment of death upon His only Son as Abraham was ready to do (Genesis 22:2, 8, 12, 14-15, Hebrews 11:17-19) in faith and obedience to God’s Word.  Paul spoke these last words of encouragement and warning to shepherd their flock as he had done to them and others in the face of ungodly opposition close at hand from those tares in the church as well as the more obvious hateful ones driven by jealousy and fanatically false religious attacks.  Paul knew he faced possible death in his suffering on the way to Jerusalem but spoke with reassurance in His Master’s watchcare over him in the coming fray along the way.  He counted all things as loss (Philippians 3:8-9) to gain Christ and others gain Him as well by laying down his own life for them for the gospel’s sake.  Yes, he ran the race before them to show the way of faithful participation in the pursuit of Jesus Christ for the glory of God.  He did these things to bear witness of the grace of God in His gospel message to all of the hope for reconciliation with Him in Christ.  He invited them to run with him to the end to feel the pleasure of God when they run this race as Eric Liddel had later testified and taught as well by following this example.  Paul knew that he had no regrets because he did not hold back from declaring the whole counsel of God to them, good and bad, comforting and convicting.  He did not preach a Jesus of love only, but also of wrath and judgment on sin that we all face from birth due to our inherited and ongoing rebellion to the word and will of God.  He therefore called the Ephesian elders to shepherd their flocks faithfully according to his example by staying innocent of the blood of others (Ezekiel 3:17-19, Acts 18:6) in likewise conveying the full gospel of wrath and grace to the flock which is the whole counsel of God.  Jesus bought them all who are the universal and unseen church with His sacrifice of life which is in the blood (Leviticus 17:11, John 6:53).  He then warned them about the inner an outer threats to this gospel and each of them because they are Christ’s (Revelation 12:17) in the crosshairs of the adversary roaring about to devour them (1 Peter 5:8) and stop their testimony to the whole gospel truth of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8-11).  Paul then left off by encouraging them to meet urgent needs of the weak to demonstrate the love of Christ as he gave them example to give rather than seek to get from others in sacrificial living, not as the false “full gospel” of today which puts the emphasis on self over sacrifice.  He ended this long soliloquy with ardent prayer together with the fellow elders and servants of the Lord.  May we follow faithfully in their footsteps as we declare the whole counsel of the full gospel of wrath  and grace met together in mercy (Psalm 85:9-10, Isaiah 32:17).  Amen.