Paul’s Farewell to the Ephesian Elders - Part Two

 Meditations on The Acts of the Apostles

April 15, 2021

Paul’s Farewell to the Ephesian Elders

Part Two

When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.

Acts 20:36-38

Read: Acts 20:28-38       

The verses quoted above are a compelling vision of the Godly love for one another that Jesus prayed for the church in John 17. However, the love so deeply held among the disciples in Ephesus was almost totally lost. The next hear of the church in Ephesus is when Jesus rebukes them:

““But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches.” (Revelation 2:4-5 NLT)

When I was serving as a pastor, I had one of the men make a lampstand with an electric bulb. We placed it in the chancel area and it burned 24/7. It served as a reminder to me, and the church, of God’s promised anointing, and that if Jesus does not find us faithful he will remove his anointing from the church. (One Sunday morning as I entered the sanctuary, I immediately noticed the lampstand was not burning. A cold chill went up my spine. An investigation quickly determined a power surge and tripped a breaker. Power was restored and the lampstand burned brightly. Whew!)

My Takeaway: At the risk of being redundant, I again note how Paul modeled what it looks like to have our lives hidden in Christ and where we live, move and have our being in Him. Seeking the life in Christ as my way of life is a 24/7 endeavor and requires constant vigilance so that I can strip off every weight that slows me down, especially the sin that so easily trips me up. Then I can run with endurance the race God has set before me as I fix my eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of my faith. (See Hebrews 12:1-2) Will you join me?

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2021 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.