Daily Bread

Paul’s Farewell to the Ephesian Elders

¹³ We went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we were going to take Paul aboard. He had made this arrangement because he was going there on foot. ¹⁴ When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene. ¹⁵ The next day we set sail from there and arrived off Chios. The day after that we crossed over to Samos, and on the following day arrived at Miletus.^{(A) 16} Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus^(B) to avoid spending time in the province of Asia,^(C) for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem,^(D) if possible, by the day of Pentecost.^(E)

¹⁷ From Miletus,^(F) Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders^(G) of the church. ¹⁸ When they arrived, he said to them: “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you,^(H) from the first day I came into the province of Asia.^{(I) 19} I served the Lord with great humility and with tears^(J) and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents.^{(K) 20} You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything^(L) that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. ²¹ I have declared to both Jews^(M) and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance^(N) and have faith in our Lord Jesus.^(O)

²² “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem,^(P) not knowing what will happen to me there. ²³ I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me^(Q) that prison and hardships are facing me.^{(R) 24} However, I consider my life worth nothing to me;^(S) my only aim is to finish the race^(T) and complete the task^(U) the Lord Jesus has given me^(V)—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.^(W)