Miletus
From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the church. 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, serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears and trials” (Acts 20:17-19).
Paul’s meeting with the Ephesian elders on his journey to Jerusalem gives us a great insight into the characteristics of faithful service to God. Paul was about to enter into a phase of his ministry which would be the culmination of the Lord’s words in Acts 9:15-16: “He is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.” Paul knew he had to return in faith to Jerusalem. It was the path that would lead to Rome. The Holy Spirit had foretold that imprisonment and suffering lay before him. But Paul was prepared to risk his life fulfilling the ministry he had received from his Saviour. He wasn’t going to finish it in fear, but in joyful faith. At Miletus he took the opportunity to exhort the Ephesian elders to care spiritually for the flock of God at Ephesus. He did this by giving them the example of his own service.
Paul was marked in this service by consistency (“from the first day”) and humility (“serving the Lord with all humility”) in the face of considerable opposition (“many tears and trials”). He had “kept nothing back” (v. 20), but faithfully, extensively and systematically taught the people of God publicly and in their homes. At the same time he was preaching the Gospel to all men, appealing for “repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ”. This testimony of his compassion in the Gospel and declaration of the whole counsel of God had been completed in Ephesus in terms of his physical presence. And he spoke directly to the elders about their responsibility to care spiritually for themselves so that they could shepherd all the flock under the direction of the Holy Spirit. He impresses upon them what God had impressed indelibly upon his own heart: the preciousness of the Church and the cost of her redemption, the blood of Christ, the Son of God. He was once a savage wolf but became a tender – and like David – a fearless shepherd. Paul saw the dangers to the flock because he had once been a danger to it. And with a shepherd’s heart he strove to prepare them for external and internal attacks upon their faith and confidence in Christ. Paul commends them to God and to the word of His grace. He had left them an example of a selfless life which sought no material gain. He had willingly worked in a practical way to provide for himself and his fellow workers, so fulfilling the law of Christ – love. Finally, he turns their hearts to the Lord Jesus and kneels down to lift them up before the Throne of God.
At Miletus, through his servant Paul, the Lord Jesus encourages us to serve Him with full hearts, faithfully, humbly, compassionately, and consistently. He teaches us to ensure we live close to the Saviour so that we can care for each other and share the Gospel. We are to be aware of, and prepared for, attacks on our faith. We need to be confident in the God of all grace and led by the light of the word of His grace; praying without ceasing; walking in faith the pathway He lays out before us. Miletus is an object lesson in faithful service to God that we should not ignore.
