"So that I may accomplish my course": Paul often speaks of the Christian life as a race to be run (1 Corinthians 9:24 ff; Philippians 2:16; 2 Timothy 4:7). John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament, Greek Testament Critical Exegetical Commentary, Heinrich Meyer's Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, Johann Albrecht Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament, Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible, Alexander MacLaren's Expositions of Holy Scripture, Schaff's Popular Commentary on the New Testament, George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Unabridged, Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers, Commentary by J.C.Philpot on select texts of the Bible. Acts 20 is the twentieth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles in the Christian New Testament of the Bible.It records the third missionary journey of Paul the Apostle.The book containing this chapter is anonymous, but early Christian tradition uniformly affirmed that Luke the Evangelist composed this book as well as the Gospel of Luke. And this elevating, humbling, and bracing ever-present sense of responsibility, not merely to circumstances, but to God, is an indispensable part of any life worth the living, and of any on which a man will ever dare to look back. The consciousness of definite duties loomed larger than anything else before him. What he wanted, as all faithful men do, was to do the work, and let the joy take care of itself. 1. But, on the other hand, if a man in the middle of his difficulties and his conflict pulls himself habitually together and says to himself, ‘Nothing shall move me, so that I may complete this bit of my course,’ depend upon it, his effort, his believing effort, will not be in vain; and at the last he will be able to look back on a career which, though stained with many imperfections, and marred with many failures, yet on the whole has realised the divine purpose, though not with absolute completeness, at least sufficiently to enable the faithful servant to feel that all his struggle has not been in vain. The festival called “Christ the King” is eclipsed for both church and … 20 He had been quarreling with the people of Tyre and Sidon; they now joined together and sought an audience with him. And the meaning that the Apostle attaches to the word in both of our texts is not merely to scramble through anyhow, so as to get to the last of it; but to complete, accomplish the course, or, to put away the metaphor, to do all that it was meant by God that he should do. Both verbs and are found in similar phrases in LXX, Tobit 6:16, Job 22:4, so also in classical Greek (Wetstein). Of course he did not mean that he looked back upon a career free from faults and flecks and stains. After the uproar had ceased, Paul called the disciples to himself, embraced them, and departed to go to Macedonia. Thus he equated it with "preaching the kingdom" (. So let us live with the continual remembrance in our minds that all which we do has to be passed in review by us once more, from another standpoint, and with another illumination falling upon it. (Acts 19:21) This he … This was the image under which life presented itself to him, as it does to every man that does anything in the world worth doing, whether he be Christian or not-as being not a place for enjoyment, for selfish pursuits, making money, building family, satisfying love, seeking pleasure, or the like; but mainly as being an appointed field for a succession of efforts, all in one direction, and leading progressively to an end. −, And we must note that which he saith, with joy, for his meaning is, that this is taken from the faithful by no sorrow or grief, but that they both. The words are strongly defended by Ewald.— , see above on p. 422 “saepe apud Paulum,” cf.Romans 11:13. Acts 7 Commentary. how different the two ‘courses’ of the godly man and the worldling look, in their relative importance, when seen from this side, as we are advancing towards them, and from the other as we look back upon them! 2 When he had gone through those regions and had given the believers much encouragement, he came to Greece, 3 where he stayed for three months. as = habere, æstimare, cf.Luke 14:18 and by St. Paul, Philippians 2:29.— , see critical note. What does the word "gospel" signify? Go To Acts: The Church Handbook Series. There is nothing to be done unless we are contented to live on the stretch. Thus he equated it with "preaching the kingdom" ( Acts 20:25). And blessed be His name! Brethren, no one else can. For the joy of a good conscience is more deeply and surely laid up, than that it can be taken away by any external trouble, or any sorrow of the flesh; it triumpheth more joyfully than that it can be oppressed. See note on Acts 13:25. But it is a very different thing when, as was the case with Paul, there lie before him the certainties of affliction and bonds, and the possibilities which very soon consolidated themselves into certainties, of a bloody death and that swiftly. Greek. Again, the image suggests the strenuous efforts needed for discharge of our appointed tasks. Here, you can find book-by-book, chapter-by-chapter, and verse-by-verse commentary on the entire Bible (eventually). δενὸς τίμιοι, τοῖς δʼ ἅξιοι τοῦ παντός, even my life is not reckoned to me valuable for myself, But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, but I hold not my life of any account, as dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, - I hold not my life of any account, as dear, none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear, To testify the gospel of the grace of God, Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers. Acts 13 Commentary. Move me - Alarm me, or deter me from my purpose. I have finished my course.’. Paul"s "gospel of the grace of God" was a continuation of the good news Jesus preached but in a universal context. Are former attainments continually being left behind? But what a strange thing it is that we seem to think that our Christian characters can be formed and perfected upon other conditions, and in other fashions, than those by which men make their daily bread or their worldly fortunes! 21 On … however trivial be our tasks, however narrow our spheres, however secular and commonplace our businesses or trades, we may write upon them, as on all sorts of lives, except weak and selfish ones, this inscription, ‘Holiness to the Lord.’. When he knows a little corner of it, and also knows that there is a great stretch behind that is unknown, that is a state of things that tries his mettle. And oh! Acts 20:24. John Piper Dec 28, 1986 14 Shares Sermon. And be sure of this, that the one thing worth looking back upon, and possible to be looked back upon with peace and quietness, is the humble, faithful, continual discharge of our appointed tasks for the dear Lord’s sake. Acts 20:7-12 When, Where, How & How Long to Worship. Living for God is the best life experience that you can have. Paul thought of his life as a racecourse, traced for him by God, and from which it would be perilous and rebellious to diverge. To begin with, the metaphor regards life as a track or path marked out and to be kept to by us. In that image of life as a race, threadbare as it is, there are several grave considerations involved, which it will contribute to the nobleness of our own lives to keep steadily in view. He calleth it the gospel of the grace of God, of the effect or end, notwithstanding this is a title of rare commendation, that, by the gospel, salvation and the grace of God are brought unto us. . In our modern society we might not be physically persecuted for being a Christian, but I see Christians placing their own comfort ahead of the cause of Christ. Also, we must note the definition of his course; to wit, that it is the ministry received of the Lord. is the highest function of the Apostles. Read Acts 20 commentary using Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible. Acts 20:1-6 Discipleship Despite Difficulties. Acts 8 Commentary. Only here in Acts. But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself. Notice Paul"s sense of honor and loyalty to Jesus Christ. The Pentecost season comes to an end and Advent begins next Sunday. Is to-day better than yesterday? The broad arrow stamped on Crown property gives a certain dignity to whatever bears it, and whatever small duty has the name of God written across it is thereby ennobled. The passage is grander without them. "His overriding concern is not at all costs to survive, but rather that he may finish the race and complete his Christ-given task" (Stott p. 326). We will never be the Christian we can be, and we will fail God, as long as we place our own personal comfort as a greater priority than doing the will of God. Now there are in these two passages, thus put together, three points that I touch for a moment. .—Literally, But I take account of nothing, nor do I hold my life . Acts 19:17-22 Beware of Cult Practices. CONTENT DISCLAIMER: The Blue Letter Bible ministry and the BLB Institute hold to the historical, conservative Christian faith, … . Progress is essential to real Christian life. The tradition from the earliest days of the church has been that Luke, a companion of the apostle Paul, wrote the books of Luke and Acts (Colossians 4:14; 2 Timothy 4:11). But I hold my life of no account, nor is it so precious to me, as the finishing of my course. The same words and the same thought re-occur in the Second Epistle to Timothy, only there the goal was in sight, and Paul wrote, ‘I have finished my course’ (2 Timothy 4:7). ; but the text of this reading is somewhat confused, and the sense is pretty much the same. . 20:24 Nor do I count my life precious - It adds great force to this and all the other passages of Scripture, in which the apostles express their contempt of the world, that they were not uttered by persons like Seneca and Antoninus, who talked elegantly of despising the world in the full affluence of all its enjoyments; but by men who daily underwent the greatest calamities, and … At the same time, you’ll find links to related … New International Version (NIV) Bible Book List. He was about to set sail for Syria when a plot was made … Acts 19:8-16 Miracles Performed by Paul for Authentication. The direction which effort takes is different in these two regions. if we carried with us, always present, that solemn, severe sense of all-pervading duty and of obligation laid upon us to pursue faithfully the path that is appointed us, there would be less waste, less selfishness, less to regret, and less that weakens and defiles, in the lives of us all.