Acts 20:27Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

If, after all this, there is no success, then you yourselves know what follows. Then there will be another defense: "I am innocent of the blood of all."

Do not think that this was said only with respect to us. These words also concern you, so that you may attend to what is said and not turn away from listening.

What am I to do? Behold, every day, as far as my strength allows, I cry out: stay away from the spectacles. Yet many laugh at us.

Stay away from oaths and from covetousness. We offer a multitude of exhortations, and no one listens.

But do I not converse with you by night? I would wish to do this even by night and at your tables, if I could be divided into a thousand parts, come to you, and converse with you.

Yet even now, when we summon you once a week, you are sluggish. Some of you do not come at all, while others come and go away without receiving any benefit.

What would you not do, then, if we did this constantly? What, then, are we to do?

Many, I know, even reproach us because we always speak about one and the same thing. Thus we have become wearisome to them. But the fault is not ours, but the hearers' own.

The man who has corrected himself rejoices when he hears the same thing, because he hears it as praise addressed to himself.

But the man who does not wish to correct himself is burdened by it. If he hears something only twice, he imagines that he has heard it many times.

"I am innocent," he says, "of the blood of all." It was fitting for Paul to say this. But we do not dare to say it, since we are conscious of many things in ourselves.

It was fitting for him to say this, for he was constantly vigilant and active, and endured everything for the salvation of those taught by him.

But we shall say the words of Moses: "The Lord was angry with me because of you," because you also lead us into many sins (Deut 3:26).

When we see with grief that you make no progress, do we not also grow weak in our own strength? Indeed, tell me, is there any progress?

Behold, by the grace of God, we have already spent three years here. We have not taught "day and night," but often we have done so for three and even seven days.

And what has been accomplished? We exhort, rebuke, weep, and grieve, if not openly, then in the heart.

Those open tears are much easier than these. They bring some consolation to those who mourn, but these increase the grief and press hard upon the heart.

Thus, when someone suffers and cannot reveal his grief, lest he seem vainglorious, he suffers far more than if he had revealed it.

If no one would suspect me of excessive ambition, you would see me every day pouring forth streams of tears. My cell and my solitude know them.

Believe me, I forget my own salvation while caring for yours, and I have no time to lament my own sins. Thus you are everything to me.

When I see you advancing in the virtues, I do not feel my own troubles, because of my joy.

But when I see that you are not advancing, then through grief I turn again to my own concerns.

Thus I rejoice in your good, even if I myself suffer countless evils. And I grieve over your deficiencies, even if I myself possess many perfections.

What hope is there for a teacher, if his flock is given over to vices? What life? What consolation? With what boldness will he stand before God? What will he say?

Let us suppose that he does not deserve condemnation and is not subject to punishment, but may say, "I am innocent of the blood of all." Even then he will endure incurable grief.

For fathers also, even when they are not condemned for their children, still grieve and suffer.

Will you say, then, that it brings them no benefit and gives them no help that they "watch over your souls"? But they "watch over your souls, as those who must give account" (Heb 13:17).

To some this seems fearful. But after your destruction, this is of no concern to me. Whether I give account or do not give it, there is no benefit for me.

May God grant that you be saved, even if I must give answer for you. May you be saved, even if I am condemned as one who has not fulfilled his duties.

I am not concerned that you be saved through me, but only that you be saved through anyone at all.

Do you know the pangs of spiritual birth? The one undergoing this birth would rather be torn into a thousand pieces than see even one of those born perishing and corrupted.

How, then, shall we bring you to understanding? By nothing else than by setting forth everything that concerns you.

We too can say that we have omitted nothing on our part, and yet we grieve. That we grieve is clear from the many measures and great efforts we employ.

Although I could say to you, "What concern is it of mine? I have done my work. I am innocent of the blood of all," still this is not enough for consolation.

If it were possible to tear out and show my heart, you would see how spaciously you all dwell within it: women, children, and men.

Such is the power of love. It makes the soul broader than heaven.

"Make room for us," Paul said. "We have wronged no one. You are not restricted in us, but you are restricted in your own hearts" (2 Cor 6:12; 2 Cor 7:2).

We too now say the same: "Make room for us." He held all Corinth in his heart and said, "You are not restricted in us, but you are restricted in your own hearts" (2 Cor 6:12).

But I will not say this, since I know well that you too love us and make room for us in your heart.

Yet what benefit comes from my love and yours, if we make no progress toward God? It will only serve to increase sorrow and provide occasion for heavier grief.

I by no means intend to reproach you. On the contrary, "I testify of you that, if possible, you would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me" (Gal 4:15).

And for our part, we would have given you not only the gospel, but our own soul.

You love us, and we love you. But this is not the matter at issue. Let us love Christ above all.

"You shall love the Lord your God." This is the first commandment. "And the second is like it: you shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Mt 22:37-39; Mk 12:30-31).

We possess the second. The first is lacking in us. The first is exceedingly necessary, both for me and for you.

We do fulfill the first commandment, but not as we ought. Therefore let us love Him.

You know what reward awaits those who love Christ. Let us love Him with all the fervor of the soul.

Then, having obtained His good pleasure, we may escape the temptations of this present life and be counted worthy of the good things promised to those who love Him.

This comes through the grace and love for mankind of His Only-begotten Son. With Him, to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, belong glory, dominion, and honor, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole will of God” (Acts 20:22-27).

May God grant that every Christian, when departing from the world and taking leave of his neighbors, may look upon his lot in the life beyond the grave with such calm and such joy.

Here, in the heavy moment of separation, the holy apostle clearly foretold future quarrels and schisms in the Christian Church generally, and in the Church of Ephesus in particular. Therefore he exhorted the Ephesian presbyters with special force to be attentive, vigilant, and strict with themselves beforehand. Otherwise, while preaching attentiveness and strictness of morals to others, they might provoke in others inattention and contempt toward themselves.

Therefore, if any of you or of those entrusted to you should perish, the guilt will lie not on me but on you. Since I have fully declared the will of God to you, you will have no excuse for such perdition in ignorance of Christian teaching.

Therefore be attentive to yourselves and to all your spiritual flock. Remember that the Holy Spirit Himself has appointed you as overseers, bishops, to shepherd the Church of the Lord and God. You must guide the faithful to salvation through teaching and governance.

Remember that this is the Church of the Lord and God (cf. 1 Tim 3:15). Finally, remember that He acquired it for Himself as an inheritance (cf. Eph 1:14), not with silver or gold, but with His most pure Blood (cf. 1 Cor 6:20; 1 Pet 1:18-19).

Complete spiritual vigilance is required of you as guardians and guides of the spiritual flock. This is especially so because of the internal dangers threatening the Church. “For I know that, after my departure from Asia, savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. And from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.”

This prophecy of the apostle concerning the appearance of false teachers in Ephesus and in Asia Minor generally was fulfilled. This is evident from his Epistles to the Ephesians and Colossians, written about three years later from Roman bonds. At that time Gnostic heretics had already begun to act in Asia Minor.

A still greater strengthening of Gnostic errors in Asia Minor can be noticed somewhat later. This was during the period between the apostle Paul’s first and second Roman bonds, when he wrote the First Epistle to Timothy, bishop of the Church of Ephesus. It was also during his second Roman bonds, when he wrote his Second Epistle to Timothy.

“Although he seems to justify himself, he nevertheless makes them take heed. I am clean, he says, from the blood of all, if you are weighed down with sleep and die at the hand of the murderer of souls. For I have fulfilled the duty of a teacher” (Theophylact; cf. Chrysostom).

“Do you see,” says Saint John Chrysostom, “how he alarms and pierces their souls, already weighed down with sorrow? And rightly so, for this was necessary. For I did not shrink, he says, from declaring to you the whole will of God. Therefore the one who does not declare it is guilty of blood, that is, of murder. Nothing can be more terrible. So they too, if they do not do this, are guilty of blood. He seems to defend himself, yet at the same time he alarms them.”

“Saint Paul speaks thus in order to prepare his hearers to receive his final instructions. With these he would send forth his beloved disciples and children in the spirit for all the rest of their lives, since he no longer hoped to see them in this present life.”

The words, “We know in part” (1 Cor 13:9), are also in harmony with this thought. For this knowledge itself, in relation to the knowledge of the age to come, is partial in itself, though it is such and is the fullest possible.

One may say that the whole will of God means the will concerning the giving of the law, concerning the prophets, and concerning the gospel.