How does Acts 20:17 connect with Jesus' teachings on servant leadership? Setting the Scene in Acts 20:17 “From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church.” (Acts 20:17) Paul’s First Move Looks Like Service • Paul does not summon “subordinates”; he invites fellow servants. • He travels to a coastal town (Miletus) and waits—choosing inconvenience for their benefit. • By gathering elders, he prepares to encourage, instruct, and warn them (vv. 18-35), offering himself as an example rather than issuing orders from afar. Links to Jesus’ Model of Servant Leadership • Mark 10:42-45—Jesus contrasts worldly rulers who “lord it over” others with His call to be “servant” and “slave of all.” Paul likewise invites, teaches, and weeps with the elders rather than asserting rank. • John 13:14-15—“I… have washed your feet… you also should wash one another’s feet.” Paul’s willingness to spend himself for the Ephesian church (cf. Acts 20:24, 34-35) echoes the towel-and-basin lesson. • Luke 22:26-27—“The greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who leads like the one who serves.” Paul’s meeting is framed as a shepherd gathering co-shepherds, not a CEO briefing employees. • 1 Peter 5:2-3—Peter urges elders to “shepherd… not lording it over” the flock. Paul embodies the same attitude by calling elders to discuss how to guard the church, not how to consolidate power. What Paul Actually Teaches in the Meeting (vv. 18-35) • Humble transparency: “You know how I served the Lord with great humility and with tears” (v. 19). • Gospel-centered focus: “I have not hesitated to preach… repentance toward God and faith in… Jesus” (v. 21). • Self-sacrifice: “I consider my life worth nothing to me” (v. 24). • Hands-on support: “These hands of mine have supplied my own needs” (v. 34). • Generosity: “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (v. 35). Practical Takeaways for Today • Leadership starts with coming alongside—invite, don’t command. • Choose personal inconvenience if it will strengthen fellow believers. • Let transparency, tears, and truth replace titles and turf. • Measure greatness by how much you give, not how much you gather. • Keep the gospel, not position, at the center of every ministry conversation. Acts 20:17 is a small doorway into a large room where Paul lives out exactly what Jesus taught: the greatest leaders are first and foremost servants. |
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