The apostle Paul and the elders of Ephesus, part 6

Once, while traveling to Jerusalem, the apostle Paul stopped to give instructions to the elders of the church in Ephesus.

Paul showed his hearers that he did not want to live at others’ expense; on the contrary he said that “these hands ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me.” By taking pains and working with his own hands he set an example for us all, saying: “In all things I gave you an example, that so laboring ye ought to help the weak…”

Whoever those “weak” may be, Paul showed that we should adopt an attitude according to which we do not care only for our own needs, but also for our neighbor’s needs. Just as Paul, who worked so hard that he and his companions — as we read above — received what they needed.

Caring here does not mean worrying, but that we make “the necessities of the saints” our own, as Paul writes elsewhere in Scripture. Connected with this way of acting is a secret of which Paul reminded the elders of the church in Ephesus — and equally us — at the end of his speech. Quoting the words of the Lord Jesus he said: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

“More blessed” here means that giving is more blessed and that it produces more joy than receiving. Everyone knows how much joy giving a gift produces, but why is it more blessed? At least because in receiving one gets into one’s hand fruit that is already the product of a harvest, but in giving one sows a seed that releases a greater blessing in the form of a future harvest.

“And when he had thus spoken, he kneeled down and prayed with them all.”

Scripture:

Acts 20 Rom 12