Acts 20:16Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

"For he was hastening," the writer says, "if possible, to be in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost." Therefore, for this reason also, he could not stay in Ephesus.

See how he too is guided by human considerations. He desires, he hastens, and often he does not obtain what he desires. This is so that we may not think he was above human nature.

The holy and great men had the same nature as we do, but not the same will. For this reason they were counted worthy of great grace.

See how much they did even of themselves. Therefore he also said, "We give no offense in anything," and again, "that the ministry may not be blamed" (2 Cor. 6:3).

Here are both a blameless life and great condescension. This is called ordering oneself well: to stand at the highest degree of lofty virtue and humble-minded condescension.

Listen to how the one who stood above the commandments of Christ was also humbler than all. "I became all things to all men," he says, "that I might by all means save some" (1 Cor. 9:22).

He himself exposed himself to dangers, as he says elsewhere: "in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, in stripes, in prisons, in tumults, in labors, in watchings, in fastings" (2 Cor. 6:4-5).

Great was his love for Christ. Without it, everything would have been in vain: his good management, his blameless life, and his overcoming of dangers.

"Who is weak," he says, "and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn?" (2 Cor. 11:29).

Let us also, I exhort you, imitate these words and expose ourselves to dangers for our brethren. If fire or sword lies before you, throw yourself upon them, beloved, to save your fellow member.

Throw yourself forward and do not fear. You are a disciple of Christ, Who laid down His life for the brethren. You are a fellow disciple of Paul, who desired to suffer a thousand calamities for his enemies and persecutors.

Be filled with zeal. Imitate Moses. He saw a man wronged and avenged him. He despised royal luxury and became a fugitive and wanderer for the oppressed.

He was deprived of his relatives and his home, and spent so long a time in a foreign land. Yet he did not reproach himself.

He did not say, "What is this? I disregarded a kingdom, such honor and glory. I resolved to avenge the oppressed, and God did not look upon it."

"He not only did not restore me to my former honor, but for forty years I have been living in a foreign land." And this would have seemed reasonable, because he had not received a reward.

But he neither said nor thought anything of the sort. So you also, when you do good and suffer some evil, even for a long time, do not be scandalized or disturbed.

God will surely repay you. The longer this recompense is delayed, the greater will be its increase.

Therefore let us have a compassionate soul. Let us have a heart able to suffer with those who suffer. Let us not be harsh and inhuman.

Even if you cannot offer any help, weep, grieve, and mourn over what has happened. This too will not be useless for you.

If we must feel compassion for those who are justly punished by God, then much more for those who suffer unjustly from men.

"Declare it not in Gath," the prophet says, "weep not aloud there. In the village of Ophrah cover yourself with ashes. Pass over, inhabitants of Shaphir, shamefully naked. The inhabitant of Zaanan does not go forth. The mourning of Beth-ezel shall take from you its standing place" (Mic. 1:10-11).

Ezekiel rebukes them because they were not compassionate. What are you saying, prophet? God punishes, and I must feel compassion for those being punished?

Yes. This is what the One Who punishes desires. He Himself does not rejoice when He punishes, but also grieves exceedingly. If the One Who punishes does not rejoice, neither should you rejoice.

But, you will say, when people are punished justly, surely one should not grieve. One should grieve that they became worthy of punishment.

Tell me, when you see your son being cauterized or amputated, do you not grieve? Of course you grieve.

You do not say to yourself, "What is this? The amputation will serve for healing, and the cauterization for recovery." Rather, when you hear his cries from unbearable pain, you grieve.

The hope of recovery cannot overcome natural compassion. So it is here also. Even if they are punished for correction, we must show them brotherly affection and fatherly love.

God's punishments are like amputations and cauterizations. Yet for this very reason we must weep, because they have fallen ill and have need of such treatment.

When someone suffers for crowns, then do not grieve, as in the case of Paul or Peter. But when someone endures deserved punishment, then weep, then grieve.

The prophets acted in this way. Therefore one of them said, "Ah, Lord God! Will You destroy all the remnant of Israel?" (Ezek. 9:8).

We often see murderers and other criminals being punished, and we feel pity and grief. Let us not be excessively calculating, but let us be merciful, that we too may obtain mercy.

Nothing can compare with this good. Nothing so expresses our human qualities as mercy and love for mankind.

For this reason the laws assign every punishment to executioners. They oblige the judge only to pronounce the sentence of punishment, while they entrust its execution to others.

Thus, even if the punishment is just, it is not proper for a philosophical soul to punish. Someone else is needed for this.

Therefore God Himself does not punish directly, but through angels. Are the angels, then, executioners? God forbid! I do not say this.

They are powers that also serve for the execution of punishment. When Sodom was being destroyed, everything was done through angels. When Egypt was punished, it was through them also.

"Wrath and anger and affliction, sent through angels bringing calamities" (Ps. 77:49). But when salvation was needed, He Himself acted.

Thus He sent His Son for the salvation of the race. And again, "The Son of Man will send His angels": gather "those who practice lawlessness" (Mt. 13:41).

Concerning the righteous it is not so, but, "He who receives you receives Me" (Mt. 10:40).

And again, "Bind him," He says, "hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into the outer darkness" (Mt. 22:13). See, here the servants act.

But when it is necessary to reward, He rewards Himself. He Himself says, "Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world" (Mt. 25:34).

When it was necessary to converse with Abraham, He came Himself. But when it was necessary to go to Sodom, He sent servants, as a judge appoints those who carry out a sentence.

And again, "Well done, good and faithful servant," He says, "you were faithful over a little; I will set you over much." He Himself praises this servant.

But He does not Himself bind the wicked servant. The servants bind him (Mt. 25:21, 30).

Knowing this, let us not rejoice over those overtaken by punishments. Let us pity them, grieve, and weep for them, so that we may receive recompense even for this.

Today many rejoice even over those who suffer evil unjustly. But let us not act this way. On the contrary, let us show them every compassion.

Then we too may be counted worthy of the love for mankind of God, by the grace and love for mankind of His Only-begotten Son.

With Him, to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory, dominion, and honor, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

For this same reason, he also knew that now, on the way to Jerusalem, he was passing among the Christian dwellings and Churches of Asia for the last time.

For his fatherly and loving heart, it was hard not to see his spiritual children, whom he had converted to Christ.

Acts 20:16-17. And so, since he had no time to enter the city of Ephesus, famous in many respects, he stopped in the city of Miletus.

There he summoned the presbyters of Ephesus, that is, the priests of the Church, in order to bid them farewell forever and speak to them his final pastoral word.

His farewell speech to the priests of Ephesus breathes the most moving love for his spiritual children. It also breathes the most sincere concern about what awaits them, and what dangers and enemies surround the Ephesian community of believers in Christ.

But why did he have such desire and eagerness to be in Jerusalem on that day? Because on that day a great multitude of Jews was there because of the feasts of Pascha and Pentecost.

Thus the thrice-blessed Apostle desired to preach the name of Jesus Christ before the face of the whole people in that very place where he had formerly persecuted the Church.

Therefore, leaving Asia, he came to Jerusalem. There he preached the name of Christ publicly and suffered much from the Jews.

But whether he arrived there on the day of Pentecost is unknown. For the divine historian adds to the words “he was hastening” the phrase “if possible,” that is, if he could and if circumstances did not prevent it.

It therefore opened an occasion for the divine power acting in the Apostle to show itself in a most striking form. A young man fell from the third story of the house and was taken up dead, but Paul restored him to life.

Yet Paul was hastening to Jerusalem for the feast of Pentecost, and did not wish to remain there longer. His companions boarded the ship. He himself, as long as possible, still went on foot with the brethren of Troas as far as Assos.

To avoid delay in Ephesus, he decided to pass it by. He merely arranged that the leaders of the Church of Ephesus, and probably of some other Churches, should come to him in Miletus.

Ένοίς διήλϑον (Acts 20:25) does not indicate one place or community, but many. Irenaeus, the disciple of Polycarp, bishop of those regions, speaks directly of the bishops and presbyters of Ephesus and the other neighboring cities (Contr. Haeres; III, 4. § 12). This also agrees with the testimony that Paul preached in Ephesus for two years and three months (Acts 19:8, 10).

“Why such haste?” Saint John Chrysostom asks. He answers: “Not for the feast alone, but also for the people. He wished to convert the Jews also by honoring their feasts.

He wished to draw even his enemies, and at the same time he did not cease proclaiming the word.”