
14 Jan Pauls Footsteps #382
Footsteps # 382. It is now the month of February AD 58. Paul’s work in Corinth is concluded. The letter dictated to the scribe Teritus, is dispatched to the church in Rome. For nine months he had been in Europe and he was now anxious to get to Jerusalem by the time of the Passover, which would be an opportune time to meet with the leadership. He intended to sail straight from Corinth to one of the ports of Palestine. Every preparation was made: it almost seems that he got on board ship when he was informed of a sudden plot on the part of the Jews to murder him (Acts 20:3), and so he changed his course and went through Macedonia, with the hope of reaching Jerusalem by Pentecost.
At Philippi, Paul tarried for the Passover and the others went to Troas ahead of him. Five days later Paul reached Troas. It was here that we have the story of Eutychus who fell asleep during Paul’s sermon and fell from a window 3 stories High. The moral of the story is, don’t fall asleep on the preacher! If we consider the Judeo-Christian way of reckoning time, from sunset to sunset, this meeting in Acts 20:7 took place on Saturday night the Sabbath had ended at sunset. It was now the first day of the week (20:7) and Paul preached until midnight.
In the morning they sailed by ship to Miletus, then to Rhodes and Patara where they changed ships for one bound for Phoenicia on the Island of Cyprus. When they reached Tyre on the Eastern Seaboard of Asia Minor, they tarried for 7 days. It was here in Tyre that Paul was warned through disciples via the Holy Spirit not to go to Jerusalem (21:4).
While in Miletus (20:17) Paul had called for the Ephesian elders to meet with him. Notice there was no paid ministry (Pastors) at this stage; that would come almost 300 years in the future during the reign of Constantine. Luke has recorded this meeting in great detail from 20:17- 36. V24 is the high point:” But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.” NLT
Vs28-30 are also worthy of our consideration.
Notice an important cultural shift here. When they prayed, they knelt down (v36). In 21:5, they even knelt down on the beach in the sand. How is it, that incorporate worship settings we no longer assume the attitude of humility by changing our altitude before our maker? Kneeling is an attitude of humility.
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