Introduction
      After a long stay in Ephesus, Paul is forced on the road again. He revisits Macedonia and Greece, and while heading toward Jerusalem he gathers the Ephesian elders and delivers a farewell speech.

The passage
      v13-17. Luke records the journey of the missionary band from Troas to Miletus, as they pushed toward Palestine, hoping to get to Jerusalem by Pentecost. Their ship spends some days at Miletus and so Paul is able to summon the Ephesian elders for a final briefing.
      v18-21. First, Paul speaks of his ministry with the Ephesians. He served them through much hardship. Luke gives us some idea of the difficulties the disciples experienced in Ephesus due to the activities of the provincial Jewish community. Despite the difficulties, Paul exercised a full teaching and preaching ministry with them, teaching all that was "helpful" ("profitable". ie. "the whole counsel of God" v27), both publicly and from "house to house." As is typical of Paul's ministry, his focus was on the gospel, proclaimed to both Jew and Gentile, along with the obligatory call for "repentance" and "faith".
      v22-24. Second, Paul goes on to speak of his future plans. His plan is to hand over the funds raised from the collection for the "Saints" (Jewish believers) in Jerusalem. He has received numerous warnings of the danger associated with his planned visit to Jerusalem ("the Holy Spirit warns me", although Paul is "compelled by the Spirit"). His prayer is that he might be "delivered from them that are disobedient in Judea", Rom.15:31. (A prayer that is not answered). Yet in the face of this danger he presses forward so that "Christ may be magnified in my flesh", Phil.1:20. He wants his life to testify to the gospel. The monetary gifts of the Gentiles to Israel serve powerfully to proclaim the Kingdom's presence. When Gentiles come bearing gifts, then we know that the Kingdom is close. Note Paul's short-hand description of the gospel, "the gospel of God's grace." For Luke, the gospel concerns God's life-giving favour freely bestowed on all who repent and believe.
      v25-27. Paul does not expect to be with the Ephesian elders again, given that his ministry focus is now toward Rome (let alone the danger he is about to face in Palestine). None-the-less he is confident he has declared "the whole counsel of God" to them (made God's plan plain to them).
      v28. Third, Paul gives the elders a solemn charge. They are to care for, to shepherd, the church (the community gathered by Christ's sacrifice). This is their responsibility as gifted believers ("Holy Spirit made you...").
      v29-31. He warns the elders of the prophesied division and dissension that will face the church in coming days. The Pastoral epistles refer to a growing opposition to Paul's doctrine of justification. (Paul's understanding of God's free grace was often classed as antinomism, perfectionism, libertinism).
      v32. Paul may no longer be able to minister to them, but they still have God's Word. As a gift of His grace this Word (the truth of the scriptures, "the whole counsel of God") both redeems and sanctifies. It assures our "inheritance" and "can build you up".
      v33-35. Reminding them of his own example, Paul encourages the elders to see their ministry in terms other than exercised for monetary gain. None of the gospels quote the "words" from "the Lord", although the sentiment is certainly there, Lk.6:38, 11:9f, Jn.13:34.
      v36-38. The elders bid Paul a sorrowful farewell. This may be their last meeting with him.

A farewell sermon
      This passage lends itself to a three point sermon delivered at the conclusion of a minister's term of service.
      The first point, v18-21, focuses on what has past. There is a wonderful opportunity here for the minister to get into a bit of pay-back. He can damn all those who have opposed his ministry, resisted his (Spirit inspired) innovations. Yet for Paul the value of his ministry lay in preaching a "profitable" ("helpful") word, and calling on all to repent and believe.
      The second point, v22-27, focuses on the future. A minister on the move will often speak about being "compelled by the Spirit" - the Lord has called me to minister in the Greek Isles. Many a lay person has wondered why the Lord didn't call him earlier. Paul did feel a compelling, but it was to the "task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace" - "preaching the Kingdom", the task of proclaiming "the whole counsel of God."
      The third point, v28-35, focuses on the now. Any minister worth his salt will want his programmes immortalized, and to that end will ask his congregation to assist the new minister in the business of adjusting to the church's long-held traditions. For Paul, the business of the now is the business of the Word. In the face of un-truth and partial-truth we are to to "commit" ourselves "to the Word of His grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance." God, through his Spirit inspired Word, graciously redeems and sanctifies.