What is the meaning of Acts 20:25? Now I know • “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that chains and afflictions await me” (Acts 20:22-23). • Paul’s certainty grows out of Spirit-given insight; he is not guessing but accepting God’s revealed path (cf. Acts 21:4, 11). • Like Jesus “set His face toward Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51), Paul embraces God’s will, modeling confident surrender (Philippians 1:20-21). That none of you • The farewell is intensely personal: “They all wept openly…grieved most of all because he had said that they would never see his face again” (Acts 20:37-38). • Paul’s love for these believers echoes his heart for the Thessalonians: “You had become so dear to us” (1 Thessalonians 2:8). • The moment underscores the bittersweet reality that fellowship on earth is temporary, while eternal reunion is sure (1 Thessalonians 4:17). Among whom I have preached the kingdom • For three years in Ephesus Paul “reasoned and persuaded them about the kingdom of God” (Acts 19:8; cf. Acts 20:31). • “The kingdom” centers on Christ’s reign, present in believers and future in glory (Mark 1:14-15; Revelation 11:15). • Paul’s message never changed: at the book’s end he is still “proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness” (Acts 28:31). Will see my face again • The statement adds weight to the charge that follows: “Keep watch over yourselves and the whole flock” (Acts 20:28). • Knowing this is their last earthly meeting, Paul entrusts them to “God and the word of His grace” (Acts 20:32), just as Jesus committed His disciples to the Father (John 17:11). • The brevity of life urges readiness: “You do not know what your life will be tomorrow” (James 4:14); stewardship must be settled now (2 Corinthians 5:10). summary Acts 20:25 captures Paul’s Spirit-given certainty that his Ephesian friends will not see him again, intensifying his loving farewell and underscoring the urgency of faithful ministry. His confidence in God’s plan, his deep bond with the believers, his unwavering proclamation of the kingdom, and the sobering finality of his words together call us to embrace God’s will, cherish Christian fellowship, proclaim Christ’s reign, and serve diligently while we have opportunity. |
    |