Acts

20:13-38

6. Gospel consolidation and expansion to Greece, 15:36-21:16

xi] Paul's farewell sermon

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 sermon. This sermon could be delivered to any of Paul's mission churches, and in a sense, this is how it functions in Acts. Paul's pastoral ministry is coming to an end, dark clouds gather before him, and so soon his mission churches will no longer have him to lean on. To this end, Paul sets out to "review the character of his main missionary work, to forewarn of future dangers and to draw appropriate lessons for his churches", Dunn.

Although we usually classify Paul's speech to the Ephesian elders as a farewell speech ("a last will and testament", Fitzmyer), it is very similar in form to the main Pauline letters and as such stands as an exhortation applicable to all Christian fellowships. There is some debate over its structure, and this because it evidences something of Paul's emotion at the time, eg. repeated themes. Such actually counters those who think it is Luke's own creation, although obviously Luke has selectively summarized the sermon. In fact, it is worth noting what Luke regards as the stand-out elements of the sermon. Barrett, as with many commentators, makes a point of noting the difficulty of outlining the sermon because of its many repetitions. None-the-less, a clear structure is evident. The structural units in the notes below follow that suggested by Bock.

Luke's record of Paul's movements from Troas to Miletus prepares the scene for Paul's speech / sermon to the Ephesian elders, v13-17.

hJmeiV "we" - Luke and other members of Paul's missionary team.

proelqonteV (proercomai) aor. part. "went on ahead" - having gone on ahead. Attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the verb "lead up / sail", as NIV; "gone on ahead .... and set sail."

mellonteV (mellw) pres. part. "[where we were going]" - [from there] intending. The participle is adverbial, probably causal, "because [from there] we intended", best expressed as a participle; "intending to take Paul on board there", Moffatt, Phillips, ...

analambanein (analambanw) pres. inf. "to take [Paul aboard]" - As with the infinitive pezeuein "to travel by land / going there on foot", this infinitive is complementary, completing the sense of the participle "intending".

wJV "when" - Temporal conjunction forming a temporal clause, as NIV.

analabonteV (analambanw) aor. part. "we took [him] aboard" - having taken [him] up. Attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the verb "we came"; "we took him on board and got to Mitylene", Moffatt.

th/ epioush/ (epeimi) dat. pres. part. "on the next day" - on the following after. The dative participle forms a substantive temporal phrase; "the next day."

apopleusanteV (apoplew) aor. part. "we set sail" - having sailed away. Attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the verb "we arrived"; "we set sail and arrived."

kakeiqen (kai ekeiqen) "from there" - and from that place.

th/ ... eJtera/ "the day after that" - on the next day. The dative serving to form a temporal phrase, as NIV.

th/ ... ecomenh/ (ecw) dat. pres. part. "on the following day" - on the having. The dative articular participle forms a substantive temporal phrase, "on the following [day]", "day" understood.

gar "for" - Expressing cause/reason.

parapleusai (paraplew) aor. inf. "to sail past" - to sail by. The infinitive forms a dependent statement of perception expressing what Paul had decided to do. Presumably, by sailing direct to Miletus, Paul was able to save some time, assuming that he had got a message to the Ephesian elders to meet him at Miletus, otherwise if the message had been sent from Miletus to Ephesus (50k) there would have been a delay of some 5 days, cf. v17. Conzelmann thinks the real reason for not going to Ephesus is that he was non-persona-grata in the city. Safety was the issue, particularly as he was carrying the collection for the poor saints in Jerusalem.

oJpwV + subj. "to [avoid]" - to [it would not be]. This construction usually forms a purpose clause, "in order that [it might not be]"; "so as to avoid any loss of time in asia", Moffatt.

cronotribhsai (cronotribew) aor. inf. "spending time [in Asia]" - to spend, waste time [in Asia]. The infinitive forms an infinitival phrase subject of the negated verb "it would not be"; "in order that to waste time in Asia would not be."

autw/ dat. pro. "-" - [would not be] to him. Dative of interest / advantage; "he did not wish to be delayed in Asia", Barclay.

gar "for [he was in a hurry]" - for [he was eager / hurrying]. Expressing cause/reason.

genesqai (ginomai) aor. inf. "to reach [Jerusalem]" - to come [to Jerusalem]. The infinitive is adverbial forming a final clause expressing purpose, "in order that [he might reach Jerusalem]."

ei + opt. "if" - Forming an incomplete conditional clause, 4th. class, where the condition is assumed to be a remote future possibility, so Culy; "if, as should possibly happen to be the case, .... then ..... ", (Conditional optive, Wallace / an indirect interrogative, Zerwick!!!). Serving to introduce a measure of uncertainty, "he recognizes that he might come too late", Barrett. Why the rush to be in Jerusalem by Pentecost? Paul doesn't seem to be a person who is focused on Old Testament religious festivals. Peterson, 2009, suggests that this particular festival was an appropriate occasion on which to present his collection for the poor saints in Jerusalem. We are not told whether Paul reaches Jerusalem in time for the festival. "By the time of Pentecost, if that were possible", Cassirer.

autw/ dat. pro. "-" - [if that were possible] to him. Dative of interest / advantage.

pemyaV (pempw) aor. part. "Paul sent" - having sent. Attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the verb "he called, summoned." As noted above, this summons to the Ephesian elders, if it is going to save time, must have been sent at some time prior to the ship's docking at Miletus.

Paul reviews his faithfulness in ministry, v18-21.

wJV "when [they arrived]" - This conjunction serves to form a temporal clause.

autoiV dat. pro. "to them" - Dative of direct object.

uJmeiV "you [know]" - Emphatic.

pwV "how [I lived]" - how, in what way. Used instead of oJti to introduce a dependent statement expressing what they know, here in the sense of their knowing the manner of his living with them, ie. "the faithfulness of his ministry to them ..... he had been a model for them", Bock.

douleuwn (douleuw) pres. part. "I served" - giving service as a slave. The participle is adverbial, modal, expressing the manner of "how" Paul was with them; "how I served the Lord with all humility and with tears", Barclay.

tw/ kuriw/ dat. "the Lord" - to the Lord. Dative of direct object.

meta + gen. "with" - with [all (great) humility and sorrow and trials].

tapeinofroshnhV (h) "humility" - Referring to humble service as unto the Lord, "the risen Christ", Fitzmyer, so Paul's gospel ministry.

dakruwn (on) "[and] tears" - [and] tears, sorrows. Translations usually have the "tears" exegeted by the "tests", although the grammar simply presents a list of three items: "all humility, tears, and tests." "And sorrow (in the midst of) the trials ...", Culy.

twn smbantwn (sumbainw) aor. part. "although I was severely" - [and tests] having happened [to me]. The participle is adjectival, attributive, limiting "tests/trials"; "trials which I had to undergo." Often translated as also modifying tears, so "how I served the Lord with all humility in the sorrows and trials that came to me because of the plots of the Jews", Fitzmyer.

peirasmwn (oV) "tested" - [and] tests, temptations, trials. Referring to the persecution which Paul endured, usually instigated by Jews opposed to the gospel; "putting up with no end of scheming by the Jews", Peterson.

en + dat. "by [the plots of the Jews]" - Instrumental, "by", as NIV, or causal, "because of."

wJV "you know that" - how. Restating "you know" from v18 for meaning, with the conjunction again replacing oJti, see above.

uJpesteilamhn (uJpostellw) aor. midd. "I have [not] hesitated" - I have kept, held back [nothing]. The middle voice often has a touch of holding back out of fear, but that is surely not the case here. Paul is saying that he has declared the full gospel to the Ephesian fellowship.

tou mh anaggeilai (anaggellw) aor. inf. "to preach" - This construction, the genitive articular infinitive, usually forms a purpose clause, "in order that", but sometimes a consecutive clause expressing result, "with the result that", here a negated result, thus "so as not [to preach to you and teach you]." The double negative in this sentence is a problem to the modern ear, ie. Paul has not hesitated to not preach and teach the full gospel. The NIV, as with most translations, reworks the sentence; "When I preached in public and taught in your homes, I didn't hold back from telling anything that would help you", CEV.

uJmin dat. pro. "-" - to you. Dative of direct object.

twn sumferontwn (sumferw) gen. pres. part. "that would be helpful to you" - of the things coming together / being advantageous. The participle functions as a substantive, while the genitive is partitive / wholative. "The things that were profitable", ie. teaching which is profitable.

kat oikouV "from house to house" - according to house = from house to house. The preposition takes a distributive sense here.

diamarturomenoV (diamarturomai) pres. part. "I have declared" - testifying, declaring, affirming. The participle is adverbial, probably modal, expressing the manner in which, "how", Paul kept nothing back that was profitable, v20. This he did by "testifying" to both Jews and Gentiles that they should repent and believe.

thn .... metanoian (a) "[that they must turn to God] in repentance" - repentance [to/into God]. The single accusative article links both repentance and faith. "Repentance" in the sense of turning to God and bowing before him in recognition of one's state of sin.

pistin (iV ewV) "have faith [in our Lord Jesus]" - faith [to/into our Lord Jesus]. "Faith" in the sense of "placing trust in what God did through Jesus as one embraces his person and work", Bock. The suggestion that this is not a Pauline expression rests on Paul's common genitival phrase ek pistewV Ihsou Cristou, "through / out of faith of (in) Jesus Christ", usually taken as an objective genitive, cf. Rom.3:22, Gal.2:16. It is likely that this genitive is adjectival, possessive, such that the phrase expresses the basis of a person's right-standing in the sight of God, namely "the faithfulness of Christ", which faithfulness a person must necessarily believe in / rest upon / put their faith in......, cf. Rom.10:9. So, there is nothing un-Pauline in Luke's account of Paul's words here.

Paul outlines his plans while explaining that the Ephesian elders will probably never see him again, v22-25.

nun "[and] now" - Temporal adverb forming a temporal clause.

egw "I" - Emphatic; "I .... am going to Jerusalem."

dedemenoV (dew) perf. pas. part. "compelled" - having been bound = constrained. The participle is probably adverbial, and seems best taken as causal, "because"; "and now I am going to Jerusalem, because the Spirit will not let me do anything else", Barclay.

tw/ pneumati (a atoV) dat. "by the Spirit" - Instrumental (agent) dative, as NIV, or possibly local, "in the Spirit", cf. 19:21, "Paul resolved in the Spirit." Either way, Paul is compelled by divine constraint.

mh eidwV (oida) perf. part. "not knowing" - not having known. Attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the verb "I am going"; "I am going to Jerusalem and I do not know ...." Possibly adverbial, modal, expressing the manner of his going, "in/with doubts", even concessive, "although I do not know ...."

ta ... sunanthsonta (sunantaw) fut. part. "what will happen" - the things going to come upon. The participle is substantival.

en auth/ "to me there" - in it. The preposition is local here. "What is to befall me there I do not know", Moffatt.

plhn "[I] only [know]" - except. Paul doesn't know what will befall him in Jerusalem except that he has received numerous warnings of trouble ahead.

oJti "that" - Here introducing a dependent statement of perception expressing what Paul does know, the "I know" assumed from v22.

kata palin "in every city" - according to city. The preposition is distributive, as NIV, so "in city after city", Cassirer.

diamarturetai (diamarturomai) pres. "warns" - testifies, affirms, declares. "The Holy Spirit leaves me in no doubt", Barclay.

oJti "that" - Introducing a second dependent statement, here indirect speech expressing what the Holy Spirit legon "says"; "that prison and persecution await me", NJB. This is the first time Luke tells us of Paul's concerns regarding his visit to Jerusalem.

all (alla) "however" - but. Strong adversative; "but that matters little", Peterson.

poioumai (poiew) pres. "I consider" - I cause to be, make / I reckon, regard, consider, hold an opinion. "As far as my life is concerned", Cassirer.

thn yuchn (h) "my life" - the soul, being. Of personal existence.

oudenoV logou "worth nothing" - of no word. Generally translated as "of no account", Bruce. Culy suggests that this construction serves as an adverbial phrase, genitive of respect, although see BAGD p477. See also Barrett who nicely summarizes the various grammatical and textual options of what is a rather "obscure" opening clause. As Metzger says, it is "awkward, yet idiomatic"; see Phillips below.

timian adj. "-" - precious. "I do not consider my own life valuable to me", Phillips.

emautw/ "to me" - to myself. Dative of interest.

wJV + inf. "if only [I may finish]" - that [to finish]. The rare use of this conjunction with the infinitive to form a purpose clause, "in order that I may complete the race (ie. "accomplish the course to which the Lord Jesus has called him", Bock)." The variant eJwV, and particularly wJste, more commonly serve to form a purpose clause when followed by an infinitive, so the variants are most likely scribal corrections. "I don't place self first so that I can accomplish what Jesus has asked me to do."

thn diakonian (a) "the task" - the ministry, service. Obviously "gospel ministry" = the business of preaching the gospel = testifying to the content of God's grace.

para + gen. "[the Lord Jesus] has given me" - [which I received] from [the Lord Jesus].

diamarturasqai (diamarturomai) aor. inf. "the task of testifying to" - to testify. The infinitive forms a dependent statement, indirect speech, expressing the content of Paul's preaching ministry.

to euaggelion (on) "the gospel" - important message. God's important message to humanity announcing the fulfilment of the covenant blessing to all in and through the ministry of Jesus Christ.

thV carisoV (iV ewV) gen. "of [God's] grace" - of the grace. The genitive is adjectival, descriptive, epexegetic, "consists of" ("a genitive of content", Barrett, Bock) the important message which makes known the grace of God, namely "that God was bestowing his unmerited favor upon, was gracious to, the human race", Barrett. As Fitzmyer notes, Luke's few words here serve as "an apt summary of Paul's proclamation." Paul proclaims the kingdom in the terms of divine grace, of the realization of covenantal mercy for Jew and Gentile alike in fulfilment of God's promise to Abraham that through his seed the whole world will be blessed.

tou qeou (oV) gen. "God's [grace]" - of God. The genitive is adjectival, possessive.

oJti "that" - Introducing a dependent statement of perception expressing what Paul knew.

khrusswn (khrussw) pres. part. "preaching" - preaching, proclaiming. The participle is adverbial, modal, expressing the manner of Paul's going about.

thn balileian (a) "the kingdom" - An obvious textual variant exists; tou qeou, "of God". What we have here is "the recognized content of Christian preaching", Barrett. Paul/Luke, at this point, is bringing out "the continuity between the preaching of Jesus and the preaching of the post-resurrection church", Barrett. Of course, the gospel, in terms of the kingdom of God, is not the way Paul usually presents the gospel. Only a Jewish audience is able to easily understand the notion of a kingdom realized in accord with prophecy. For this reason Paul regularly contextualizes the gospel for a Gentile audience in the terms of divine grace. In the end though, "to testify the gospel of grace of God is synonymous with preaching the kingdom [of God]", Bruce.

As to the responsibilities of ministry, Paul declares that he is free of guilt having fully exercised his ministry responsibility of proclaiming the gospel, v26-27.

dioti "therefore" - drawing a conclusion.

uJmin "to you" - Dative of direct object.

oJti "that" - Introducing a dependent statement, indirect speech, expressing what Paul declares / testifies. Paul's claim that he is innocent of the blood of everyone echoes Ezekiel's watchman prophecy, cf. Ezk.33:4-5. He is innocent in that "he has not held back or obscured the revelation of God to his people", Peterson, 2009, cf. v27. Paul has made known the truth of the gospel, thus providing a way of escape from the day of God's judgment, a judgment which even now hangs over the human race.

gar "for" - Expressing cause/reason.

ou ... uJpesteilamhn (uJpostellw) aor. "I have not hesitated" - I did not hesitate, draw back, shrink back from.

tou mh anaggeilai (anggellw) aor. inf. "to proclaim" - to not announce, disclose, report, recount. This construction usually forms a purpose clause, rarely a consecutive clause expressing result. The double negative in the clause is confusing to the modern ear: "I did not hesitate [in the business of preaching the gospel] in order that (lest) I did not disclose all (the totality of) the will of God to you." "I have told you everything God wants you to know", CEV.

thn boulhn (h) "will [of God]" - counsel [of God]. The word "will" often carries with it a sense of compulsion, giving a possible meaning "the law of God", whereas Paul is speaking of "the revelation of God." So possibly: "the whole of God's purpose", Cassirer, so Barclay, Moffatt, Phillips, NJB, REB, TNT, NRSV; "the full intent and purpose of God", Junkins; "the whole of God's plan", Knox; "the whole counsel of God", ESV. Divine revelation is obviously intended, yet it seems likely that Paul is specifically referring to the gospel, in which case he is saying that he has preached the full gospel, a complete gospel. The members of the circumcision party charged that Paul preached a diluted gospel, that he had expunged law-obedience from the gospel teaching that a believer lives by grace apart from the law. The Judaizers argued that a believer lives by grace and law, ie. that grace and law go hand-in-hand in progressing the Christian life (ie. "trust and obey for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey"!!!!). Paul, on the other hand, argued that a believer in Christ, by grace through faith apart from the law, stands eternally approved before God, righteous, holy, which state/status of itself promotes right living, cf. Romans / Galatians Introduction.

At this point Paul begins to encourage the elders to take care of the flock, protecting the church against those who would distort the truth, v28-30. Barrett argues that we now come to the center of Paul's sermon, given that its purpose is to encourage the Ephesian elders to faithfully minister to their congregation, but it is also the theological center of the sermon identifying the church as God's church, purchased by the blood of Christ and administered by the Holy Spirit.

prosecete (prosecw) pres. imp. "keep watch over" - take care of, care for, be concerned about, pay attention.

eJautoiV "over yourselves" - to yourselves. Dative of direct object.

eqeto (tiqhmi) aor. "[the Holy Spirit] has made you" - [the Holy Spirit] put, made, appointed. Better "appointed".

episkopouV (oV) "overseers" - overseers, guardians. The verb episkeptomai, "to look at, inspect, examine, visit", reveals the sense of the noun.

poimainein (poiew) pres. inf. "be shepherds" - to shepherd, feed. The NIV treats the infinitive as an imperative, although this is a rare construction. It seems more likely that the infinitive forms a purpose clause amplifying the opening imperative, "keep watch", "in order to shepherd / take care of", ie. "their watchfulness was to be for the express purpose of effective pastoral care", Peterson, 2009.

thn ekklhsian (a) "the church [of God]" - the assembly [of God]. "Church" simply means "assembly / gathering", and the genitive "of God" is obviously adjectival, possessive.

dia + gen. "with" - through, by means of. Instrumental.

tou idou "his own" - Is "his own blood" used in the sense of "God's own blood"? A variant "church of the Lord" is probably prompted by this very question. The "blood" surely refers to Jesus' sacrifice. So possibly, "the blood of his own", ie. "his own one/son", here being used as "a term of endearment to near relations", Bruce, so "the blood of his own Son", NRSV. None-the-less, it is more natural to read the Gk. as "his (God's) own blood". "When Jesus Christ shed his blood on the cross he was acting as the representative of God: he was God's way of giving life, blood, to the world", Barrett.

aiJmatoV (a atoV) "blood" - Obviously "blood" in the sense of "sacrifice."

oJti "[I know] that" - Introducing a dependent statement of perception expressing what Paul knows.

meta + acc. "after" - "When I am gone."

mh feidomenoi (feidomai) aor. part. "and will not spare [the flock]" - not sparing. Attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the verb "will come in"; "savage wolves will get in among you and they will not spare the flock", Moffatt. Paul obviously has in mind false teachers - Judaizers and the like.

autwn intensive pro. "your own number" - [you] yourselves. Not found in all manuscripts, "but the emphasis was probably intended", Barrett. Paul is implying that heretical teachers will emerge from their own ranks.

anasthsontai (anisthmi) fut. "will arise" - "I know that from your own members men will emerge who will preach a perverted version of the truth", Barclay.

lalounteV (lalew) pres. part. "distort the truth" - speaking. Attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the verb "will arise", "will arise and speak / teach", but also possibly adjectival, attributive, limiting "men", "men who will speak / give utterance / preach / teach."

diestrammena (diastrefw) perf. pas. part. "distort the truth" - having been turned, perverted, distorted. The participle serves as a substantive forming an object clause / dependent statement, indirect speech, expressing what the men will "speak / teach", namely "distorted things" = heresy; "will arise and teach heresy."

tou apospan (apospaw) pres. inf. "to draw away" - to lead away, draw away. This construction, the genitive articular infinitive, usually forms a final clause expressing purpose, "in order to draw away." "With a view of drawing disciples after them and making them come over to their side", Cassirer.

The elders must be alert to the threats facing their fellowship, v31.

dio "so" - therefore. Drawing a logical conclusion.

grhgoreite (grhgorew) pres. imp. "be on your guard!" - be awake, alert, be watchful.

mnhmoneuonteV (mnhmoneuw) pres. part. "Remember" - remembering. The present tense, being durative, indicates extended action; they are to continue to remember. Attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the verb "be alert"; "be alert and remember."

oJti "that" - that. Introducing a dependent statement of perception expressing what they are to remember, namely that they have been warned of the danger of false teachers.

nouqetwn (nouqetew) pres. part. "to warn" - warning, admonishing. "Admonish" in the sense of correct / teach someone in danger of going astray so that they may think and act appropriately. The participle is complementary, completing the sense of the verb "I did not stop"; "remember I never stopped warning each of you."

Paul commends the elders to God's grace, "a message that is able to build you up", within the context of his own ministry example of seeking no personal gain, v32-35. As Peterson, 2009, notes, in this verse three important Pauline themes come to the fore: i] through the gospel God is building his church; ii] by means of the gospel, God promises an eternal inheritance to those who trust in Christ; iii] in the gospel, God declares those who are in Christ to be already sanctified.

ta "-" - the ones. "[and now] brothers"

paratiqemai (paratiqhmi) pres. "I commit [you]" - I set before, present [you].

tw/ logw/ (oV) dat. "to the word" - Dative of indirect object.

thV caritoV (iV ewV) gen. "of [his] grace" - Barrett suggests that "the word of his grace" is a hendiadys, ie., the phrase represents a single concept, "to God, who is active in the word of grace (the gospel)". At any rate, the genitive may simply be taken as adjectival, attributive, limiting "the word", with the genitive autou, "his", adjectival, possessive; "to God and to his gracious word", namely "his gospel." "The gospel is the word of saving grace", Fitzmyer.

tw/ dunamenw/ (dunami) dat. pres. pas. part. "which can" - the one/thing being able. The referent, being dative, is "the word", so the participle here is adjectival, forming a relative clause describing "the word", as NIV.

oikodomhsai (oikodomew) aor. inf. "build you up" - to build up. As with dounai, "to give", the infinitive is complementary, completing the verbal sense of the participle "being able"; "able to build up and to give." "The message which has the power of building you up in the faith and of giving you ...", Cassirer.

en + dat. "among" - in. Local / spacial sense; "among".

pasin adj. "all" - The Ephesian elders have an inheritance among all the people of God. As Paul puts it in more detail, "he made us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light", Col.1:12.

toiV hJgiasmenoiV (aJgiazw) perf. pas. part. "those who are sanctified" - the ones having been sanctified, made holy. The participle functions as a substantive. The perfect tense serves to express completed action with abiding results, while the passive expresses divine action (a theological passive). Together they indicate that a present state of divine induced holiness is in mind, not a future earned holiness. Luke has put his finger on a truth which dominates Pauline theology, namely that in Christ a believer is set right with God, is covenant compliant, holy (justified and sanctified). This state (usually classed as a status in reformed circles, although what God declares so is so) cannot be secured by law-obedience (legalism), nor improved by law-obedience (nomism). Of course this state/status is expressed in the Christian life when a believer strives to be what they are, albeit always imperfectly while in this body of flesh ("the old Adam retains his power until he is deposited in the grave", Luther).

oudenoV gen. adj. "[I have not coveted] anyone's" - of no one. The genitive is adjectival, possessive; "I desire the money .... of no one" = "I desire no person's money ...."

arguriou (on) gen. "silver" - money. The three items take the genitive of direct object after the verb epequmhsa, "I desire, long for."

autoi pro. "[you] yourselves" - The reflective use of this personal pronoun is intensive, as NIV.

oJti "[know] that" - Introducing a dependent statement of perception expressing what they know. The Ephesian elders would know well that Paul worked as a tent maker to fund his daily needs, cf. Acts 18:3, 1Cor.4:12, 1Thes.2:9.

taiV creiaiV (a) dat. "[my own] needs" - for the needs [of me]. Dative of interest, advantage.

toiV ou\sin (eimi) dat. pres. part. "the needs of my companions" - for the ones being [with me]. The participle functions as a substantive.

panta "in everything I did" - all. Taken adverbially by Bruce, 1951, "always"; "I have always shown you ..."

uJpedeixa (uJpodeiknumi) aor. "I showed" - I informed, revealed, showed.

uJmin "you" - to you. Dative of direct object.

oJti "that" - Introducing a dependent statement of indirect speech, expressing what Paul revealed to the Ephesian believers.

kopiwntaV (kopiaw) pres. part. "by this kind of hard work" - toiling, working hard. The participle is adverbial, instrumental, expressing the means by which the poor are assisted; "by means of hard work." "One must work, as Paul did, not simply to secure one's independence but also to help the weak (who presumably are not able to work for themselves)", Barrett.

antilambanesqai (antilambanomai) pres. inf. "[we must] help" - [it is necessary] to help. This infinitive, as with mnhmoneuein, "to remember", serves as the subject of the verb "is necessary"; "to help the poor by hard work and to remember the words ..... is necessary." The verb "is necessary" may imply a divine necessity, although probably here more a moral necessity. "It is by such hard work that we must help the poor", Fitzmyer.

twn asqenountwn (asqenew) gen. pres. part. "the poor" - the ones being weak, defenseless = poor. Genitive of direct object. The participle functions as a substantive.

te "-" - and [to remember]. Strong connective.

twn logwn (oV) gen. "the words" - Genitive of direct object.

tou kuriou Ihsou gen. "of the Lord Jesus" - The genitive is adjectival, possessive.

oJti "-" - that. Introducing a dependent statement of indirect speech expressing what the Lord had said, although the gospels do not record these exact words. Certainly the sentiment is to be found in the gospels: Luke 6:30, 38, 11:41, 12:33, 18:22.

mallon adv. "more" - Used with a comparative sense even though taking a grammatically positive form, MHT III; a person "will do better giving than receiving", Barrett.

makarion adj. "blessed" - Usually with the sense of "blessed of God", giving the sense that "those who give to others and think of others rather than themselves are the ones over whom heaven's blessing will be shed", Fitzmyer. Yet, such a beatitude implies the gaining of divine favor by an effort of the will, such that "giving is blessed, not receiving", Jeremias. So, possibly just "happy" here, particularly if "it is necessary" is not implying a divine necessity; "the greatest happiness is not to receive a gift; it is to bestow one", Cassirer.

didonai (didwmi) pres. inf. "to give" - This infinitive, as with lambanein, "to receive", serves as the subject of the verb to-be; "to give rather than receive is more blessed."

Finally, Luke describes Paul's departure with prayer and tears, v36-38.

eipwn (eipon) aor. part. "when he had said [this]" - [and] having said [these things]. The participle is adverbial, temporal, as NIV.

qeiV (tiqhmi) aor. part. "he knelt down" - having put [the knee of him]. The phrase tiqhmi ta gonata is classed as a latinism and takes the sense "to kneel down." The participle is attendant circumstance expressing action accompanying the verbal aspect of the participle "having said", so temporal.

egeneto (ginomai) aor. "-" - there became. Virtually functioning as a verb to-be.

iJkanoV adj. "-" - Here with the sense of a considerable amount, so "much crying"; "they all wept bitterly", Barclay.

epipesonteV (epiptw) aor. part. "as they embraced [him]" - having fallen [upon the neck of Paul]. The participle is probably adverbial, temporal, as NIV, or possibly simply attendant circumstance; "they all wept bitterly and flung their arms around him", Barclay.

katefiloun (katafilew) imperf. "kissed [him]" - The imperfect expresses either durative action (ongoing), or iterative action (repeated).

odunwmenoi (odunaw) pres. pas. part. "what grieved them [most]" - being distressed [exceedingly]. The participle is adverbial, possibly causal; "having wrapped their arms around Paul and kissed him, there was much crying, because they were terribly distressed."

epi + dat. "- [his statement]" - on the basis of, by, concerning [the word].

w|/ dat. "-" - which [he had said]. Dative by attraction; properly the accusative oJn.

oJti "that" - that. Introducing a dependent statement of indirect speech expressing what Paul had said.

qewrein (qewrew) pres. inf. "[they would never] see" - [they were no longer about] to see. The infinitive is complementary, completing the sense of the verb "were about to".

Acts Introduction

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