The apostle Paul and the elders of Ephesus, part 2

Once, while traveling to Jerusalem, the apostle Paul stopped to give instructions to the elders of the church in Ephesus. When they came to him, Paul said to them:

“Ye yourselves know, from the first day that I set foot in Asia, after what manner I was with you all the time, serving the Lord with all lowliness of mind, and with tears, and with trials which befell me by the plots of the Jews…” “I was with you all the time,” Paul said to the elders of the church in Ephesus, meaning at the same time what we can read a little later in the same chapter: “Wherefore watch ye, remembering that by the space of three years I ceased not to admonish every one night and day with tears.”

So the apostle did not merely hang out with the Ephesians; he served them with a great heart. And although the physical object of the service was people, he said he had served the Lord. In a wonderful way these two are always bound together.

What did serving the Lord mean here? Tears and trials. Why? Because of the plots of religious people. There are always those who oppose God’s will and work.

In spite of the trials we meet, we should serve the Lord, as the apostle Paul did, with all lowliness of mind.

Scripture:

Acts 20