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John Piper · Citado em PreceptAustin
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Piper asked to actually preach this text! Now begin to incorporate this valuable discipline into your Bible reading. Beware of the danger of a "through the Bible in a year" reading program -- it is tempting to "just get through" the daily reading, but come to the end of the day and not even remember what you have read. That's "passive" reading. Interrogation of the text is "active" reading--your Teacher God's Spirit will richly reward you for your "labor of love!") SOME 5W/H QUESTIONS When? Third Missionary Journey. Here are the Acts passages that mark the beginning of each of Paul's 3 missionary journeys... Paul's 1st Missionary Journey (Acts 13:4) (Refer to Map 1) Paul's 2nd Missionary Journey synopsis (Acts 15:35) (Refer to Map 2) Paul's 3rd Missionary Journey Goto (Acts 18:23-21:16) (Circa 52-57AD) (Refer to Map 3) Who? Who are the participants in this scene? Paul, his companions (Acts 20:4), Luke (Acts 20:6 = "we") and the elders of the church at Ephesus (capital of the Roman province of Asia Minor, site of worship of Artemis). Where? From Miletus: (See Map for location on Southwestern coast of Modern day Turkey.) (Diagram of Ancient Miletus - note the protected harbors) Approximately how far did the elders have to travel from Ephesus to meet Paul (see mileage scale in lower left hand corner of Map)? Related Resources: Background discussion of Travel in Biblical Times; Multiple photos of archaeological remains in Miletus - see index in left column Why? Why does Paul call the elders from Ephesus? In context (Acts 20:17-38) these are Paul's final instructions (cp Acts 20:38) Why did Paul not go directly to Ephesus? (Acts 20:16). What? What does Paul do in Acts 20:17? What are the specific instructions he gives the elders? What are the warnings? etc. (cp Acts 20:28-32) How? How long (approximately and assuming they were traveling by foot) would it take for the elders to come from Ephesus (Clue: One could travel about 30 miles/day by foot). From the Map of Miletus, it is apparent that Ephesus is about 30 miles from Miletus. Whoever Paul sent to call the elders would have taken one full day and to return with the elders would take another day. Thus the elders would have arrived on the third day. How do Paul and the elders feel? How do they express their emotions? (Acts 20:37, 38) Called to (summoned) (3333)(metakaleo from metá = denoting change of place or condition + kaléo = to call) means to call from one place to another. In the middle voice (reflexive) the idea is Paul summoned the elders to himself. (All uses in the NT = Acts 7:14; 10:32; 20:17; 24:25, Septuagint (Lxx) Uses = Hosea 11:1, 2). Summon probably conveys Paul's sense better than called, because to summon someone implies the exercise of authority and the sense of a demand, not just a suggestion. Elders ("presbyters" = NAB, "spiritual leaders" = GWT) (4245)(presbuteros the comparative form of présbus = an old man or an ambassador) (Click Vine's discussion) referred to men who were older or more senior with no negative connotations but rather a sense of venerability. Presbuteros is transliterated into English as “presbyter” (a leader in one of the Jewish communities--especially a member of the Sanhedrin--or of the early Christian churches) and from which the word “priest” (from Late Latin presbyter) was derived. The secular practice was for older men with seniority to serve as ambassadors to other states and as advisors within the Greek political community or in the management of public affairs. So these were men of "ripe age" and experience to whom was committed the direction and government of individual churches. It should be emphasized that in the context of its Biblical use the concept of elder had less to do with age per se than with the quality of one's spiritual character (reputation is what others think about you but character is what those most intimately associated know is really true about you) and possession of the ability to teach. Simply being older, including even being older in the faith, does not by itself qualify a man for leadership in the church. Compare...Acts 14:23+ And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed. Presbuteros - 66x in 66v -Matt 15:2; 16:21; 21:23; 26:3, 47, 57; 27:1, 3, 12, 20, 41; 28:12; Mark 7:3, 5; 8:31; 11:27; 14:43, 53; 15:1; Luke 7:3; 9:22; 15:25; 20:1; 22:52; John 8:9; Acts 2:17; 4:5, 8, 23; 6:12; 11:30; 14:23; 15:2, 4, 6, 22f; 16:4; 20:17; 21:18; 23:14; 24:1; 25:15; 1 Tim 5:1f, 17, 19; Titus 1:5; Heb 11:2; Jas 5:14; 1 Pet 5:1, 5; 2 John 1:1; 3 John 1:1; Rev 4:4, 10; 5:5f, 8, 11, 14; 7:11, 13; 11:16; 14:3; 19:4 Presbuteros meaning church elders is discussed initially in Acts, refined in the "pastoral epistles" (especially 1Timothy and Titus), and briefly mentioned in James and 1 Peter. In first Timothy Paul says Let the elders (presbuteros) who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching... Do not receive an accusation against an elder (presbuteros) except on the basis of two or three witnesses. (1Ti 5:17,19) In the book of Acts, Luke has several references to elders in the sense of spiritually mature leaders in the church. In a very instructive passage we read And when we had come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly. And now the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present. (Acts 21:17-18) John
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Piper comments "Any constellation of goals that you choose to live for will leave a craving vacuum in your soul if GOD is not the pole star in that constellation guiding and shaping all your choices. God was the lodestar of Paul's life, and the glory of God was the light of that immense and blazing star, and all the other aims of his life were like moons whose only light and attraction were the light they reflected of that star. (A Cause to Live For - Desiring God) Chuck Smith comments on not considering his life of any account as dear... Very few can make the statement that Paul made, for most of us do count our lives dear to ourselves. We want to hang on to life as long as possible. We exercise, take pills, so as to prolong our life. We even spend thousands of dollars a day to put our loved ones on life support systems so that we can keep them technically alive, long after they have really died, because we count life so dear.... Why is it that we count our lives dear? Because we have no concept of how wonderful heaven is. This is reflected in our attitude toward a Christian who has died, especially if it is a young person or a child. We somehow feel that they were cheated for they died before they had a chance to really experience life. Yes, they have missed out on so much grief, pain, sorrow, trials, pressure, fear, anxiety. There they are in the total bliss of heaven, where there are no tears, sorrow or pain, enjoying the eternal pleasures, poor souls. Think of all they have missed. (Chuck Smith - Sermon Notes) ONE LIFE TO LIFE ONE RACE TO RUN So that in this context expresses purpose. Paul is giving us the purpose why his physical life did not matter. He now presents the primary motive of his life, his main objective! What mattered was that he might carry out the task God had given him, no matter what the cost! I may finish (teleioo) my course (dromos - a "racecourse" designed by God Himself and uniquely marked out for Paul) - Note the personal possessive pronoun "my" indicating it was the course he possessed because it was the course or race God had ordained for him to run in and to finish (cf "I received it from the Lord Jesus"). Every runner has a unique "lane." Paul’s dromos was Paul’s and not Peter's or Apollos’. Your race is not identical to anyone else’s race. God marks it out specifically for you (cf Heb 12:1+ "the race that is set before you.") Paul did not choose it but was gifted this race by the Lord. This teaches the important principle that ministry for the Lord is not something we choose or achieve, but something He gives us! One other point is that a race is not a cakewalk but involves a litte "holy sweat," pain, hurdles, and discipline (1Co 9:28+). I may finish expresses Paul's earnest desire to bring this race to its intended end, to fully accomplish the work the Lord had given him (cf Jesus Jn 4:34+ with Jn 17:4+ using teleioo for accomplish in both verses) and to finish it WELL rather than just finishing, so that he might not just hear "Done!" but "WELL done!" (Mt 25:23+) Beloved, it is not how we start but how we finish. Paul would have shouted "Amen" to Puritan Richard Baxter who said “He that would die WELL must learn to live WELL; and he that would live WELL must oft think of dying WELL.” 🙏 THOUGHT - God grant by His Spirit and His Word that each of us reading Acts might be able to sincerely say "The only thing that matters is crossing the finish line of the race God assigned to me, fully faithful, completely spent, with nothing held back, all for His glory, and all possible through His Son. Amen.” And the ministry (diakonia) which I received from the Lord Jesus - Note that the word Paul uses for ministry (diakonia) carried the nuances of waiting on tables, doing menial tasks, and serving others at personal cost. Ministry (diakonia) from the Lord placed Paul under the weight of A holy obligation, making him accountable not to men but to Christ Himself—the One before Whom he longed to be found faithful as a trustworthy (pistos) steward (oikonomos) (1Co 4:1-2+) I received from the Lord Jesus means Paul accepted what was handed to him. To reiterate a point discussed earlier, I received implies that his ministry was not self-chosen, but sovereignly placed into his hands (cf. Gal 1:15–16+). His ministry was not self-made, not a ministry he built (e.g., because of his reputation! Woe!) His ministry was not self-directed. In other words, Paul did not set the agenda but accepted Christ's agenda (cf Acts 16:7-9,10+) Since his ministry was a gift it became a stewardship. The phrase from the Lord Jesus emphasiies the authority of the ministry rested in Christ’s Lordship, Who called (Acts 9:1-5,6+), Who assigned (Acts 26:16, 17,18+), Who empowered (Col 1:29+, 1Co 15:10+), and Who would one day evaluate and reward (2Co 5:9,10+). To testify solemnly (diamarturomai) of the Gospel (euaggelion) of the grace (charis) of God - Paul's charge from the Lord Jesus is not simply to "share" the Gospel (it is of course that) but even more to testify solemnly (diamarturomai) which means to bear witness emphatically, to testify with deep seriousness, to declare with authority, to warn earnestly, to affirm truth under divine obligation and to give a solemn, Spirit-emboldened witness (cf Acts 4:31+). In short diamarturomai is courtroom language, as if Paul was sworn in as a witness for Christ and is under divine compulsion to speak the truth boldly, clearly, and urgently. This verb also implies that silence would be sin (not "golden"), because the One who commissioned Paul (and us) expects faithful proclamation. In 1 Cor 9:16+ Paul wrote "if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel." 🙏 THOUGHT - Beloved, to testify solemnly is not optional—it is the sacred charge laid upon every believer, for hell is real and its unspeakable torments unending. To shrink back from boldly declaring the truth is not merely unfortunate; it is a tragic withholding of the ONLY message that can rescue eternal souls from eternal punishment. Let me ask you gently, but honestly: Have you solemnly spoken the Gospel with anyone this week? This month? This year? Ever? Beloved, this is our calling—our God-given responsibility—for hell is long and silence is tragic. Of all the things we can do on earth but cannot do in heaven, one stands supremely above the rest: we cannot evangelize the lost in heaven, for there will be no lost there. The opportunity to speak Christ to perishing souls exists only now, in this brief earthly moment (Jas 4:14+). Therefore, let us not waste the privilege but proclaim the Gospel while we have breath, for eternity hangs in the balance. May the Spirit of the Living God grant each of us holy boldness to "Conduct ourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity, letting our speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that we will know how we should respond to each person. In the Name above all names. Amen (Col 4:5-6+) To “testify solemnly of the Gospel of the grace of God” means to declare with holy urgency and divine authority the life-transforming truth that salvation is entirely the gift of God’s grace through the finished work of Christ. I may finish (5048)(teleioo related to teleios from telos = an end, a purpose, an aim, a goal, consummate soundness, idea of being whole) means to accomplish or bring to an end or to the intended goal (telos), the goal of which in the case of Paul and all believers is Christ-likeness. And fittingly, in Hebrews 12:2+, Jesus is designated as "the Author and Perfecter of the faith" where Perfecter is teleiotes, the Completer, the One Who reached the goal so as to win the prize so to speak. Teleioo thus means to be complete, mature, fully developed, full grown, brought to its end, finished, wanting nothing necessary to completeness. It does not mean simply to terminate something but to carry it out until fully finished (this thought is conveyed by the translation "perfected"). My course (my race) (dromos) - The phrase "my course" indicates Paul understood and took possession of the truth that this was his own race, not someone else's race. Not only does "my course" indicate my possession but also connotes my responsibility to run the race God has laid out for each of us. 🙏 THOUGHT - Do you see your short life (in light of eternity) as a race to be run for an eternal prize to be won? If not, then perhaps you need to ponder the brevity of life and the length of eternity. How foolish to waste our life on what is guaranteed to pass away, in lieu of storing up for ourselves eternal treasures in heaven (Mt 6:19-21+). Read Redeem the time and then redeem the time you have left. Moses praying "So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom." (Ps 90:12). We tend to evaluate our life in years (e.g., birthdays)! We need to recognize each day as a gift from God and buy up every second of that day as the Spirit gives us supernatural leading and energy to carry out! Adoniram Judson a famous missionary to Burma wrote that "A life once spent is irrevocable. It will remain to be contemplated through eternity… the same may be said of each day. When it is once past, it is gone forever. All the marks which we put upon it, it will exhibit forever… each day will not only be a witness of our conduct, but will affect our everlasting destiny… How shall we then wish to see each day marked with usefulness! It is too late to mend the days that are past. The future is in our power. Let us, then, each morning, (enabled by God's Spirit) resolve to send the day into eternity in such a garb as we shall wish it to wear forever. And at night let us reflect that one more day is irrevocably gone, indelibly (forever) marked." Let it be so in our lives for Thy great glory. Amen Watch Francis Chan's excellent illustration of the shortness of your life in light of the length of eternity! Note well that each believer has a "custom course" specifically designed by God Himself (this meaning is clearly conveyed in the phrase "the race that is set before us" in Heb 12:1+) and that is the "lane" in which we are to run for His glory (cp "good works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them" - Eph 2:10+). In other words, God has a “lane” for each of His children to run in and a goal for each one to reach. We are not competing with each other. We are competing (in a sense) with ourselves (e.g., under grace denying self, cp Mk 8:34, 35+) and striving to press on toward the goal for the prize God has set before us (cp Php 3:14+). Remember, we are not running the race in order to get into heaven. It is only through faith in Jesus Christ that our sins are forgiven and we have the assurance of heaven (Jn 14:1-6+). In the Greek and Roman games, the contestants had to be citizens and no slaves or outsiders were permitted to compete. In the Christian race, each runner is already a citizen of heaven (Php 3:20+) and is running to bring glory to the Lord. (Mt 5:16+) 🙏 THOUGHT - Take a moment and meditate on Paul's metaphorical descriptions of our life and ministry in Christ as a race we are to run in such a way that we win - 1 Cor 9:24-27+ Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. 25 Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; 27 but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified. Gal 2:2+ It was because of a revelation that I went up; and I submitted to them the gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but I did so in private to those who were of reputation, for fear that I might be running, or had run, in vain. Gal 5:7+, You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth? Php 2:16+ holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain. Php 3:13, 14+ Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 2 Ti 4:7+ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; Heb 12:1+ (not Paul but related truth) Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, Finish my course with joy - The Greek Textus Receptus has "meta charas" which the KJV translates "with joy." (Acts 20:24KJV) This phrase is not found in more modern Greek texts and thus is not translated in the NAS, ESV, etc. My course (my race) (1408)(dromos from dramein, the aorist infinitive form of trecho = to run) refers to the course that one follows in a race and figuratively refers to one's purpose in life and obligations in relation to it. Our lives are represented as a race that is to be run, not a party to be celebrated. Inherent in the picture of our life as a race are ideas like intentionality, continuity, diligence, effort, counting of the cost, denial of self, etc. 🙏 THOUGHT - The question we all need to ask ourselves is " Am I running well?" Do you see yourself like Paul as a runner who desires to finish well, to finish with joy? "Have I laid "aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight or baggage = anything that impedes disciplining myself for godliness 1Ti4:7,8+), and the sin which so easily entangles" me so that I might be able to "run with endurance the race that is set before" me? (He 12:1+) And most importantly am I continually fixing my eyes on my great Example, Jesus, the Author and the Finisher of the faith (Heb 12:2+)? May God grant us His Spirit's supernatural grace to enable us to say like Paul... I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course (dromos), I have kept the faith in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing. (2Ti 4:7+, 2Ti 4:8+) In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul had issued another strong warning using which also used an athletic metaphor... Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. 25 And everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; 27 but I buffet my body and make it my slave, lest possibly, after I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified. (1Co 9:24+, 1Co 9:25+, 1Co 9:26+, 1Co 9:27+) Related Resources: The Heavenly Race by Thomas Watson The Unwearied Runner by C H Spurgeon Redeem the Time for the Days are Evil Making the Most of Your Time Maximizing your Spiritual Opportunities God Gives You Redeem the Time Many believers start out on the right course, but with time are diverted from the track God originally set them on. When we are born into God's kingdom our race begins and our course is set and one day when we enter God's presence our race ends. The interval of our brief sojourn on earth is the time we each have to complete our set spiritual course. If we stray from our course we lose valuable time. The only way to complete our course within the allotted time is to stay on course! Don't be like the Galatians of whom Paul said You were running well; who hindered (NIV "cut in on") you from obeying the truth? (Gal 5:7) Paul's life would have pleased the track coach who said "If you have anything left ten yards past the finish line, you didn't give your all." What about us? Each of our lives are "like flowering grass" and will soon "pass away" (Jas 1:10+) which should motivate us like Paul to give no less than our best to the Lord. Jack Arnold - The Apostle Paul mastered the question of values. Not even life itself was more valuable than being faithful to Christ, according to Paul. For Paul, the ultimate value was carrying out the will of God in his life. Every Christian must settle this issue of values whether he is a doctor, lawyer, engineer, teacher, plumber, carpenter or housewife. The ultimate value is to do the will of God. Any other value must be subservient to being faithful to the Lord Jesus Christ. What are your values? To get a husband or wife? To be a success in business? To be a millionaire? To make some significant scientific discovery to benefit mankind? To write some scholarly work which will shake the world? The Bible says the only value worth having is to glorify God and to manifest Christ in one's life by doing the will of God. Situations often change our value system as humans. This is well illustrated in the life of one woman who was aboard the passenger ship, Titanic, in 1912 when it hit an iceberg in the North Atlantic and stayed afloat for about four hours before sinking. In that sinking, about 1,000 people lost their lives. As the ship was sinking, the women and children were being put on lifeboats. One woman was given a seat on one of the lifeboats, and she asked for three minutes to go back to her cabin and get something. She was granted permission. By this time the ship was listing badly. As she made her way to the cabin, there were diamond rings and bracelets, fur coats, expensive clothing and precious jewels sliding across the deck of the ship. She hurriedly went by these expensive possessions and picked up a sack. She reached her hand and pulled out three oranges. She stuffed the oranges in her coat and went back to the lifeboat. The situation had changed the woman's values. Now oranges were more valuable than diamonds. If you knew you only had a few months, weeks or hours to live, how would this change your value system? What transformation would it make in you? If you are a true Christian, an announcement of pending crisis or even death should not measurably affect your life style or value system, for a true Christian knows he has been bought with a price. He belongs to God and his goal is to finish the race God has set before him. Material things are transitory and only spiritual values are permanent. (Acts 20:13-27 The First Pastors' Conference) C H
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Piper comments... notice the immense reality of God's grace. The verse ends, "to testify to the gospel of the grace of God." The power of God's holiness and justice are like a great, violent hurricane, and the grace of God is like the eye of the hurricane where all is peace and calm. Grace is the center of God's reality. Grace, or love, is the essential calm at the center of the vortex of his infinite perfections. Paul had felt himself swept into the terror of that hurricane one day on the Damascus road. And then to his utter amazement he was drawn through it into the peace and beauty of the eye of grace even though he was the "chief of sinners" (1 Timothy 1:12–16). (A Cause to Live For - Desiring God) Piper goes on to summarize Acts 20:24 observing that there are two Effects of This Cause Worth Living For (1) It Made Paul Indifferent to Earthly Gain - First, it made him utterly indifferent to earthly gain. The verse begins, "I do not count my life of any value nor as precious to myself." In other words he had found a cause to live for that was so profoundly satisfying that it was more valuable than life itself. And of course life is the basis of all sex, all drugs, all prestige, all coolness, all wealth. And so, if the lure of the cause surpasses the lure of life itself, then it surpasses all the things that this life sustains. Or to put it another way, Paul's Creator had given him a cause to live for that freed him for a kind of reckless abandon toward danger. Life for Paul was not dull. It had all the "edge" and "thrill" and "daring" and "differentness" that any 18 year old girl in Minneapolis could ever dream of bearing. 2. It Gave Paul an Incredible Discipline - The second effect that Paul's cause to live for had on him was to give him an incredible discipline to stay on the assigned trail. The verse says that he valued one thing more than life: "if only I may accomplish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus." He pictures himself as an athlete running a race. His coach, trainer, audience, and award is Jesus Christ. One thing matters: finishing the course the way he has been taught. (A Cause to Live For - Desiring God) Steven Cole tells the story of a man who finished his course, John G. Paton (see also Biography Resources)... John G. Paton was born in Scotland in 1824. He was reared in a godly home and came to personal faith in Christ. As a young man, he worked in an inner city mission in Scotland. But the Lord put it upon his heart to go as a missionary to the fierce cannibals of the New Hebrides Islands in the South Pacific. In 1839, the first missionaries to these islands had been clubbed to death, cooked, and eaten within a few minutes of landing. About ten years later, some other missionaries had landed on another of the islands where the natives showed an interest in their teachings, and the Lord gave them about 3,500 converts in a short period of time. They needed help in the work. So in 1857, just 18 years after the first martyrs had shed their blood on the beach of the New Hebrides, Paton strongly sensed God’s call on his life to offer himself for missionary service there. He immediately met with strong opposition from many that knew him. They argued that he was leaving a certain ministry that God had obviously blessed for an uncertain future where he might throw his life away among the cannibals. His converts needed him and besides, there were plenty of heathen at home to reach. Why go half way around the world to reach these savages? He was even offered a free house and was told to name his salary, on condition that he would stay at home! But these temptations only served to confirm his calling to go to the South Seas. Among the many who sought to deter him was one old Christian gentleman, whose crowning argument was always, “The Cannibals! You will be eaten by Cannibals!” Finally, Paton replied, “Mr. Dickson, you are advanced in years now, and your own prospect is soon to be laid in the grave, there to be eaten by worms. I confess to you, that if I can but live and die serving and honoring the Lord Jesus, it will make no difference to me whether I am eaten by Cannibals or by worms; and in the Great Day my resurrection body will arise as fair as yours in the likeness of our risen Redeemer” (John G. Paton Autobiography [Banner of Truth], p. 56). Paton lost his wife and infant son within a few months of their arrival. He lived in almost daily danger of his life. But God spared him and he lived to age 83, spending his final years traveling around the world publicizing and raising support for the mission. Late in life he said, “Oh that I had my life to begin again! I would consecrate it anew to Jesus in seeking the conversion of the remaining Cannibals on the New Hebrides” (p. 496). John Paton finished his course because he put the ministry that he received from the Lord Jesus above even life itself. I hope that I have convinced you that you need to do the same thing. (Finishing the Course Acts 20:22-27) Brian Bell summarizes Acts 20:24-26 - Paul saw himself as an accountant (I count); a runner (I may finish my race); a steward (the ministry which I received); a witness (to testify); a herald (preaching the kingdom); a watchman (innocent of blood). (Quoted from Warren Wiersbe "With the Word") What a responsibility it is to be a servant of God! Christian teachers must deliver the whole counsel of God. The positive, the negative, the soothing & the corrective. Paul, by lip and life proclaimed the whole counsel of God. (Sermon Notes) Acts 20:25 "And now, behold, I know that all of you, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, will no longer see my face: Kai nun idou (2SAMM) ego oida (1SRAI) oti ouketi opsesthe (2PFMI) to prosopon mou umeis pantes en ois dielthon (1SAAI) kerusson (PAPMSN) ten basileian: NET Acts 20:25 "And now I know that none of you among whom I went around proclaiming the kingdom will see me again. GNT Acts 20:25 Καὶ νῦν ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ οἶδα ὅτι οὐκέτι ὄψεσθε τὸ πρόσωπόν μου ὑμεῖς πάντες ἐν οἷς διῆλθον κηρύσσων τὴν βασιλείαν. NLT Acts 20:25 "And now I know that none of you to whom I have preached the Kingdom will ever see me again. KJV Acts 20:25 And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more. ESV Acts 20:25 And now, behold, I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again. ASV Acts 20:25 And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, shall see my face no more. CSB Acts 20:25 "And now I know that none of you will ever see my face again-- everyone I went about preaching the kingdom to. NIV Acts 20:25 "Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. NKJ Acts 20:25 "And indeed, now I know that you all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, will see my face no more. NRS Acts 20:25 "And now I know that none of you, among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom, will ever see my face again. YLT Acts 20:25 'And now, lo, I have known that no more shall ye see my face, -- ye all among whom I did go preaching the reign of God; know: Ac 20:38 Ro 15:23 preaching the Kingdom [and the King!]: Ac 8:12, 28:31, Mt 4:17,23, Mt 10:7, Mt 13:19,52 Luke 9:60, 16:16 See: Ga 1:22 Col 2:1 Acts 20 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries PAUL'S WORDS OF FAREWELL Behold (2400)(idou) - With a second "and now behold" (Acts 20:22) Paul adds an interjection to arrest the attention of the elders (and us) so that they will "Stop! Listen! Pay careful attention!" He is announcing that they will never again each other again in this earthly life. This would serve to reiterate the importance of what he has just said and also what he is getting ready to say. Preaching the kingdom (cp Acts 28:31+) - The kingdom of God is where the King reigns and the King of course is Jesus. Is He your King? In the context of this passage, this phrase is another way to say he had preached the Gospel of the kingdom (Acts 8:12+), the Gospel of the grace of God (Acts 20:24). Compare Luke's similar wording in Acts 8:12+... But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized, men and women alike. Comment: See also Mt 4:23+ "proclaiming the Gospel of the kingdom", Lk 16:16+ "the Gospel of the kingdom of God is preached" Preaching (2784)(kerusso or kerysso from kerux/keryx = a herald - one who acts as the medium of the authority of one who proclamation he makes; kerugma = the thing preached or the message) means to proclaim (publicly) or to herald or act as a public crier - the town official who would make a proclamation in a public gathering. Kerusso was used of the official whose duty it was to proclaim loudly and extensively the coming of an earthly king, even as our gospel is to clearly announce the coming of the King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev 19:16+)! The Imperial Herald would enter a town in behalf of the Emperor, and make a public proclamation of the message which his Sovereign ordered him to give, doing so with such formality, gravity, and authority as to emphasize that the message must be heeded! (Think about this in regard to the Gospel of God instead of the decree of a man! cf 1Th 2:13+). He gave the people exactly what the Emperor bade him give, nothing more, nothing less. He did not dare add to the message or take away from it. 🙏 THOUGHT - Should this not be the example and pattern every preacher and teacher of the holy gospel of God seeks and strives to emulate, yea, even doing so with fear and trembling! ("not as pleasing men but God, who examines our hearts" see 1Th 2:4+) Kingdom (932)(basileia from basileus = a king) denotes sovereignty, royal power, dominion. Basileia can also refer to the territory or people over whom a king rules. The fundamental principle of the Kingdom is declared in the words of the Lord spoken in the midst of a company of Pharisees, “the Kingdom of God is in the midst of you,” (Luke 17:21) In other words, where the King (Jesus) is, there is the Kingdom. So in preaching the "kingdom", Paul preached Jesus. It has been said that the only kingdom that will prevail in this world is the kingdom that is not of this world! Amen! KINGDOMS IN CONFLICT Preaching (the Gospel of) the Kingdom (of God) reflects the basic truth that there are two kingdoms on earth - the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Satan. Paul reviewed with the saints at Colossae what God did when he saved us writing... Giving thanks to the Father, Who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. (the Kingdom of light) For He delivered us from the domain (exousia = right and might ~ Satan is ruler of the kingdom) of darkness (the Kingdom of Satan) and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in Whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (Col 1:12, 13+, Col 1:14+) But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness (Kingdom of Satan) into His marvelous light; (Kingdom of God) (1 Peter 2:9+) (Jesus sent Paul to the Gentiles) to open their eyes ("eyes of their heart", their spiritual vision - 2Cor 4:4+, 2Cor 4:6+) so that they may turn from (~ repentance) darkness ("Kingdom of darkness") to light ("Kingdom of light") and from the dominion of Satan (Kingdom of Satan) to God (Kingdom of God), in order that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.' (Acts 26:18+) John MacArthur alludes to two kingdoms in conflict commenting...Preaching the kingdom meant proclaiming the Gospel, the good news that sinners in the realm of Satan, death, and destruction ("the kingdom of darkness") could enter the realm (Ed: "realm" = synonym for "kingdom") of salvation, life, and glory ("the kingdom of God's Son"). Paul preached this Gospel thoroughly and clearly, as he indicated in Acts 20:20 and Acts 20:27. (MacArthur, J: Acts 1-12; Acts 13-28 Moody Press) (Bolding added) You...will no longer see my face - At least not in this earthly life. Now ask yourself, what effect might this statement have on the following words? These are the last words they will ever hear from the great apostle. Surely this adds considerable weight and solemnity to the words that followed. As
Atos 20:17-27
Piper asked to actually preach this text! Now begin to incorporate this valuable discipline into your Bible reading. Beware of the danger of a "through the Bible in a year" reading program -- it is tempting to "just get through" the daily reading, but come to the end of the day and not even remember what you have read. That's "passive" reading. Interrogation of the text is "active" reading--your Teacher God's Spirit will richly reward you for your "labor of love!") SOME 5W/H QUESTIONS When? Third Missionary Journey. Here are the Acts passages that mark the beginning of each of Paul's 3 missionary journeys... Paul's 1st Missionary Journey (Acts 13:4) (Refer to Map 1) Paul's 2nd Missionary Journey synopsis (Acts 15:35) (Refer to Map 2) Paul's 3rd Missionary Journey Goto (Acts 18:23-21:16) (Circa 52-57AD) (Refer to Map 3) Who? Who are the participants in this scene? Paul, his companions (Acts 20:4), Luke (Acts 20:6 = "we") and the elders of the church at Ephesus (capital of the Roman province of Asia Minor, site of worship of Artemis). Where? From Miletus: (See Map for location on Southwestern coast of Modern day Turkey.) (Diagram of Ancient Miletus - note the protected harbors) Approximately how far did the elders have to travel from Ephesus to meet Paul (see mileage scale in lower left hand corner of Map)? Related Resources: Background discussion of Travel in Biblical Times; Multiple photos of archaeological remains in Miletus - see index in left column Why? Why does Paul call the elders from Ephesus? In context (Acts 20:17-38) these are Paul's final instructions (cp Acts 20:38) Why did Paul not go directly to Ephesus? (Acts 20:16). What? What does Paul do in Acts 20:17? What are the specific instructions he gives the elders? What are the warnings? etc. (cp Acts 20:28-32) How? How long (approximately and assuming they were traveling by foot) would it take for the elders to come from Ephesus (Clue: One could travel about 30 miles/day by foot). From the Map of Miletus, it is apparent that Ephesus is about 30 miles from Miletus. Whoever Paul sent to call the elders would have taken one full day and to return with the elders would take another day. Thus the elders would have arrived on the third day. How do Paul and the elders feel? How do they express their emotions? (Acts 20:37, 38) Called to (summoned) (3333)(metakaleo from metá = denoting change of place or condition + kaléo = to call) means to call from one place to another. In the middle voice (reflexive) the idea is Paul summoned the elders to himself. (All uses in the NT = Acts 7:14; 10:32; 20:17; 24:25, Septuagint Uses = Hosea 11:1, 2). Summon probably conveys Paul's sense better than called, because to summon someone implies the exercise of authority and the sense of a demand, not just a suggestion. Elders ("presbyters" = NAB, "spiritual leaders" = GWT) (4245)(presbuteros the comparative form of présbus = an old man or an ambassador) (Click Vine's discussion) referred to men who were older or more senior with no negative connotations but rather a sense of venerability. Presbuteros is transliterated into English as “presbyter” (a leader in one of the Jewish communities--especially a member of the Sanhedrin--or of the early Christian churches) and from which the word “priest” (from Late Latin presbyter) was derived. The secular practice was for older men with seniority to serve as ambassadors to other states and as advisors within the Greek political community or in the management of public affairs. So these were men of "ripe age" and experience to whom was committed the direction and government of individual churches. It should be emphasized that in the context of its Biblical use the concept of elder had less to do with age per se than with the quality of one's spiritual character (reputation is what others think about you but character is what those most intimately associated know is really true about you) and possession of the ability to teach. Simply being older, including even being older in the faith, does not by itself qualify a man for leadership in the church. Compare... Acts 14:23 And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed. Presbuteros - 66x in 66v - Matt 15:2; 16:21; 21:23; 26:3, 47, 57; 27:1, 3, 12, 20, 41; 28:12; Mark 7:3, 5; 8:31; 11:27; 14:43, 53; 15:1; Luke 7:3; 9:22; 15:25; 20:1; 22:52; John 8:9; Acts 2:17; 4:5, 8, 23; 6:12; 11:30; 14:23; 15:2, 4, 6, 22f; 16:4; 20:17; 21:18; 23:14; 24:1; 25:15; 1 Tim 5:1f, 17, 19; Titus 1:5; Heb 11:2; Jas 5:14; 1 Pet 5:1, 5; 2 John 1:1; 3 John 1:1; Rev 4:4, 10; 5:5f, 8, 11, 14; 7:11, 13; 11:16; 14:3; 19:4 Presbuteros meaning church elders is discussed initially in Acts, refined in the "pastoral epistles" (especially 1Timothy and Titus), and briefly mentioned in James and 1 Peter. In first Timothy Paul says Let the elders (presbuteros) who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching... Do not receive an accusation against an elder (presbuteros) except on the basis of two or three witnesses. (1Ti 5:17,19) In the book of Acts, Luke has several references to elders in the sense of spiritually mature leaders in the church. In a very instructive passage we read And when we had come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly. And now the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present. (Acts 21:17-18) John
Atos 20:17-27
Piper comments... Any constellation of goals that you choose to live for will leave a craving vacuum in your soul if GOD is not the pole star in that constellation guiding and shaping all your choices. God was the lodestar of Paul's life, and the glory of God was the light of that immense and blazing star, and all the other aims of his life were like moons whose only light and attraction were the light they reflected of that star. (A Cause to Live For - Desiring God) Chuck Smith comments on not considering his life of any account as dear... Very few can make the statement that Paul made, for most of us do count our lives dear to ourselves. We want to hang on to life as long as possible. We exercise, take pills, so as to prolong our life. We even spend thousands of dollars a day to put our loved ones on life support systems so that we can keep them technically alive, long after they have really died, because we count life so dear.... Why is it that we count our lives dear? Because we have no concept of how wonderful heaven is. This is reflected in our attitude toward a Christian who has died, especially if it is a young person or a child. We somehow feel that they were cheated for they died before they had a chance to really experience life. Yes, they have missed out on so much grief, pain, sorrow, trials, pressure, fear, anxiety. There they are in the total bliss of heaven, where there are no tears, sorrow or pain, enjoying the eternal pleasures, poor souls. Think of all they have missed. (Chuck Smith - Sermon Notes) So that - term of explanation - Paul is explaining why his physical life did not matter. He now presents the primary motive of his life, his main objective! What mattered was that he might carry out the task God had given him, no matter what the cost! ONE LIFE TO LIFE ONE RACE TO RUN Finish (5048)(teleioo related to teleios from telos = an end, a purpose, an aim, a goal, consummate soundness, idea of being whole) means to accomplish or bring to an end or to the intended goal (telos), the goal of which in the case of Paul and all believers is Christ-likeness. And fittingly, in Hebrews 12:2 (note), Jesus is designated as "the Author and Perfecter of the faith" where Perfecter is teleiotes, the Completer, the One Who reached the goal so as to win the prize so to speak. Teleioo thus means to be complete, mature, fully developed, full grown, brought to its end, finished, wanting nothing necessary to completeness. It does not mean simply to terminate something but to carry it out until fully finished (this thought is conveyed by the translation "perfected"). My course (my race) - The phrase "my course" indicates Paul understood and took possession of the truth that this was his own race, not someone else's race. Not only does "my course" indicate my possession but also connotes my responsibility to run the race God has laid out for each of us. Do you see your short life (in light of eternity) as a race to be run? Note well that each believer has a "custom course" specifically designed by God Himself (this meaning is clearly conveyed in the phrase "the race that is set before us" in Heb 12:1-note) and that is the "lane" in which we are to run for His glory (cp "good works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them" - Eph 2:10-note). In other words, God has a “lane” for each of His children to run in and a goal for each one to reach. We are not competing with each other. We are competing (in a sense) with ourselves (e.g., under grace denying self, cp Mk 8:34, 35) and striving to press on toward the goal for the prize God has set before us (cp Php 3:14-note). Remember, we are not running the race in order to get into heaven. It is only through faith in Jesus Christ that our sins are forgiven and we have the assurance of heaven (Jn 14:1-6). In the Greek and Roman games, the contestants had to be citizens and no slaves or outsiders were permitted to compete. In the Christian race, each runner is already a citizen of heaven (Php 3:20-note) and is running to bring glory to the Lord. (Mt 5:16-note) Take a moment and meditate on Paul's metaphorical descriptions of our life and ministry in Christ as a race we are to run in such a way that we win - 1Cor 9:24-27-note, Gal 2:2, Gal 5:7, Php 2:16-note, Php 3:13, 14-note, 2Ti 4:7-note (cp Heb 12:1-note) Finish my course with joy - The Greek Textus Receptus has "meta charas" which the KJV translates "with joy." (Acts 20:24KJV) This phrase is not found in more modern Greek texts and thus is not translated in the NAS, ESV, etc. My course (my race) (1408)(dromos from dramein, the aorist infinitive form of trecho = to run) refers to the course that one follows in a race and figuratively refers to one's purpose in life and obligations in relation to it. Our lives are represented as a race that is to be run, not a party to be celebrated. Inherent in the picture of our life as a race are ideas like intentionality, continuity, diligence, effort, counting of the cost, denial of self, etc. The question we all need to ask ourselves is " Am I running well?" Do you see yourself like Paul as a runner who desires to finish well, to finish with joy? "Have I laid "aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight or baggage = anything that impedes disciplining myself for godliness 1Ti4:7,8-note), and the sin which so easily entangles" me so that I might be able to "run with endurance the race that is set before" me? (He 12:1-note) And most importantly am I continually fixing my eyes on my great Example, Jesus, the Author and the Finisher of the faith (Heb 12:2-note)? May God grant us His Spirit's supernatural grace to enable us to say like Paul... I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course (dromos), I have kept the faith in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing. (2Ti 4:7-note, 2Ti 4:8-note) In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul had issued another strong warning using which also used an athletic metaphor... Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. 25 And everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; 27 but I buffet my body and make it my slave, lest possibly, after I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified. (1Co 9:24-note, 1Co 9:25-note, 1Co 9:26-note, 1Co 9:27-note) Related Resources: The Heavenly Race by Thomas Watson The Unwearied Runner by C H Spurgeon Many believers start out on the right course, but with time are diverted from the track God originally set them on. When we are born into God's kingdom our race begins and our course is set and one day when we enter God's presence our race ends. The interval of our brief sojourn on earth is the time we each have to complete our set spiritual course. If we stray from our course we lose valuable time. The only way to complete our course within the allotted time is to stay on course! Don't be like the Galatians of whom Paul said You were running well; who hindered (NIV "cut in on") you from obeying the truth? (Gal 5:7) Paul's life would have pleased the track coach who said "If you have anything left ten yards past the finish line, you didn't give your all." What about us? Each of our lives are "like flowering grass" and will soon "pass away" (Jas 1:10-note) which should motivate us like Paul to give no less than our best to the Lord. C H
Atos 20:17-27
Piper comments... notice the immense reality of God's grace. The verse ends, "to testify to the gospel of the grace of God." The power of God's holiness and justice are like a great, violent hurricane, and the grace of God is like the eye of the hurricane where all is peace and calm. Grace is the center of God's reality. Grace, or love, is the essential calm at the center of the vortex of his infinite perfections. Paul had felt himself swept into the terror of that hurricane one day on the Damascus road. And then to his utter amazement he was drawn through it into the peace and beauty of the eye of grace even though he was the "chief of sinners" (1 Timothy 1:12–16). (A Cause to Live For - Desiring God) Piper goes on to summarize Acts 20:24 observing that there are two Effects of This Cause Worth Living For (1) It Made Paul Indifferent to Earthly Gain - First, it made him utterly indifferent to earthly gain. The verse begins, "I do not count my life of any value nor as precious to myself." In other words he had found a cause to live for that was so profoundly satisfying that it was more valuable than life itself. And of course life is the basis of all sex, all drugs, all prestige, all coolness, all wealth. And so, if the lure of the cause surpasses the lure of life itself, then it surpasses all the things that this life sustains. Or to put it another way, Paul's Creator had given him a cause to live for that freed him for a kind of reckless abandon toward danger. Life for Paul was not dull. It had all the "edge" and "thrill" and "daring" and "differentness" that any 18 year old girl in Minneapolis could ever dream of bearing. 2. It Gave Paul an Incredible Discipline - The second effect that Paul's cause to live for had on him was to give him an incredible discipline to stay on the assigned trail. The verse says that he valued one thing more than life: "if only I may accomplish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus." He pictures himself as an athlete running a race. His coach, trainer, audience, and award is Jesus Christ. One thing matters: finishing the course the way he has been taught. (A Cause to Live For - Desiring God) Steven Cole tells the story of a man who finished his course, John G. Paton (see also Biography Resources)... John G. Paton was born in Scotland in 1824. He was reared in a godly home and came to personal faith in Christ. As a young man, he worked in an inner city mission in Scotland. But the Lord put it upon his heart to go as a missionary to the fierce cannibals of the New Hebrides Islands in the South Pacific. In 1839, the first missionaries to these islands had been clubbed to death, cooked, and eaten within a few minutes of landing. About ten years later, some other missionaries had landed on another of the islands where the natives showed an interest in their teachings, and the Lord gave them about 3,500 converts in a short period of time. They needed help in the work. So in 1857, just 18 years after the first martyrs had shed their blood on the beach of the New Hebrides, Paton strongly sensed God’s call on his life to offer himself for missionary service there. He immediately met with strong opposition from many that knew him. They argued that he was leaving a certain ministry that God had obviously blessed for an uncertain future where he might throw his life away among the cannibals. His converts needed him and besides, there were plenty of heathen at home to reach. Why go half way around the world to reach these savages? He was even offered a free house and was told to name his salary, on condition that he would stay at home! But these temptations only served to confirm his calling to go to the South Seas. Among the many who sought to deter him was one old Christian gentleman, whose crowning argument was always, “The Cannibals! You will be eaten by Cannibals!” Finally, Paton replied, “Mr. Dickson, you are advanced in years now, and your own prospect is soon to be laid in the grave, there to be eaten by worms. I confess to you, that if I can but live and die serving and honoring the Lord Jesus, it will make no difference to me whether I am eaten by Cannibals or by worms; and in the Great Day my resurrection body will arise as fair as yours in the likeness of our risen Redeemer” (John G. Paton Autobiography [Banner of Truth], p. 56). Paton lost his wife and infant son within a few months of their arrival. He lived in almost daily danger of his life. But God spared him and he lived to age 83, spending his final years traveling around the world publicizing and raising support for the mission. Late in life he said, “Oh that I had my life to begin again! I would consecrate it anew to Jesus in seeking the conversion of the remaining Cannibals on the New Hebrides” (p. 496). John Paton finished his course because he put the ministry that he received from the Lord Jesus above even life itself. I hope that I have convinced you that you need to do the same thing. (Sermon) Brian Bells summarizes Acts 20:24-26... Paul saw himself as an accountant (I count); a runner (I may finish my race); a steward (the ministry which I received); a witness (to testify); a herald (preaching the kingdom); a watchman (innocent of blood). (Quoted from Warren Wiersbe "With the Word") What a responsibility it is to be a servant of God! Christian teachers must deliver the whole counsel of God. The positive, the negative, the soothing & the corrective. Paul, by lip and life proclaimed the whole counsel of God. (Sermon Notes) Acts 20:25 "And now, behold, I know that all of you, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, will no longer see my face: Kai nun idou (2SAMM) ego oida (1SRAI) oti ouketi opsesthe (2PFMI) to prosopon mou umeis pantes en ois dielthon (1SAAI) kerusson (PAPMSN) ten basileian: know: Ac 20:38 Ro 15:23 preaching the Kingdom [and the King!]: Ac 8:12, 28:31, Mt 4:17,23, Mt 10:7, Mt 13:19,52 Luke 9:60, 16:16 See: Ga 1:22 Col 2:1) PAUL'S WORDS OF FAREWELL Behold (idou) - With a second "and now behold" (Acts 20:22) Paul adds an interjection to arrest the attention of the elders (and us) so that they will "Stop! Listen! Pay careful attention!" He is announcing that they will never again each other again in this earthly life. This would serve to reiterate the importance of what he has just said and also what he is getting ready to say. Preaching the kingdom (cp Acts 28:31) - The kingdom of God is where the King reigns and the King of course is Jesus. Is He your King? In the context of this passage, this phrase is another way to say he had preached the Gospel of the kingdom (Acts 8:12), the Gospel of the grace of God (Acts 20:24). Compare Luke's similar wording in Acts 8:12... But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized, men and women alike. Comment: See also Mt 4:23 "proclaiming the Gospel of the kingdom", Lk 16:16 "the Gospel of the kingdom of God is preached" Preaching (2784)(kerusso or kerysso from kerux/keryx = a herald - one who acts as the medium of the authority of one who proclamation he makes; kerugma = the thing preached or the message) means to proclaim (publicly) or to herald or act as a public crier - the town official who would make a proclamation in a public gathering. Kerusso was used of the official whose duty it was to proclaim loudly and extensively the coming of an earthly king, even as our gospel is to clearly announce the coming of the King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev 19:16-note)! The Imperial Herald would enter a town in behalf of the Emperor, and make a public proclamation of the message which his Sovereign ordered him to give, doing so with such formality, gravity, and authority as to emphasize that the message must be heeded! (Think about this in regard to the Gospel of God instead of the decree of a man! cf 1Th 2:13-note). He gave the people exactly what the Emperor bade him give, nothing more, nothing less. He did not dare add to the message or take away from it. Should this not be the example and pattern every preacher and teacher of the holy gospel of God seeks and strives to emulate, yea, even doing so with fear and trembling! ("not as pleasing men but God, who examines our hearts" see 1Th 2:4-note) Kingdom (932)(basileia from basileus = a king) denotes sovereignty, royal power, dominion. Basileia can also refer to the territory or people over whom a king rules. The fundamental principle of the Kingdom is declared in the words of the Lord spoken in the midst of a company of Pharisees, “the Kingdom of God is in the midst of you,” (Luke 17:21) In other words, where the King (Jesus) is, there is the Kingdom. So in preaching the "kingdom", Paul preached Jesus. It has been said that the only kingdom that will prevail in this world is the kingdom that is not of this world! Amen! KINGDOMS IN CONFLICT Preaching (the Gospel of) the Kingdom (of God) reflects the basic truth that there are two kingdoms on earth - the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Satan. Paul reviewed with the saints at Colossae what God did when he saved us writing... Giving thanks to the Father, Who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. (the Kingdom of light) For He delivered us from the domain (exousia = right and might ~ Satan is ruler of the kingdom) of darkness (the Kingdom of Satan) and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in Whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (Col 1:12, 13-note, Col 1:14-note) But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness (Kingdom of Satan) into His marvelous light; (Kingdom of God) (1Peter 2:9) (Jesus sent Paul to the Gentiles) to open their eyes ("eyes of their heart", their spiritual vision - 2Cor 4:4, 2Cor 4:6) so that they may turn from (~ repentance) darkness ("Kingdom of darkness") to light ("Kingdom of light") and from the dominion of Satan (Kingdom of Satan) to God (Kingdom of God), in order that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.' (Acts 26:18) John MacArthur alludes to two kingdoms in conflict commenting... Preaching the kingdom meant proclaiming the Gospel, the good news that sinners in the realm of Satan, death, and destruction ("the kingdom of darkness") could enter the realm (Ed: "realm" = synonym for "kingdom") of salvation, life, and glory ("the kingdom of God's Son"). Paul preached this Gospel thoroughly and clearly, as he indicated in Acts 20:20 and Acts 20:27. (MacArthur, J: Acts 1-12; Acts 13-28 Moody Press or Logos or Wordsearch or Wordsearch) (Bolding added) You...will no longer see my face - Now ask yourself, what effect might this statement have on the following words? These are the last words they will ever hear from the great apostle. Surely this adds considerable weight and solemnity to the words that followed. As