Act 20:21-38  Of Your Own Selves Shall Men Arise Speaking Perverse Things

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Act 20:21-38  Of Your Own Selves Shall Men Arise Speaking Perverse Things

[Study Aired July 30, 2023]

Act 20:21  Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
Act 20:22  And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there:
Act 20:23  Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me.
Act 20:24  But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.
Act 20:25  And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more.
Act 20:26  Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men.
Act 20:27  For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.
Act 20:28  Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
Act 20:29  For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
Act 20:30  Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.
Act 20:31  Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.
Act 20:32  And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.
Act 20:33  I have coveted no man’s silver, or gold, or apparel.
Act 20:34  Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me.
Act 20:35  I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.
Act 20:36  And when he had thus spoken, he kneeled down, and prayed with them all.
Act 20:37  And they all wept sore, and fell on Paul’s neck, and kissed him,
Act 20:38  Sorrowing most of all for the words which he spake, that they should see his face no more. And they accompanied him unto the ship.

Our last study ended with Paul summoning the Ephesian elders to meet him in Miletus, a city about 30 miles (48.28 kilometers) south of Ephesus. This is all part of his third and final missionary journey, and Paul was intent on being at Jerusalem for Pentecost. He didn’t have time to spend with all those in Ephesus with whom he had already spent three years and had made many friends. He apparently felt it would not be proper to go there and not spend more time than he had with all those friends.

Instead, he made a stop at Miletus, a city south of Ephesus, and he had obviously sent someone, perhaps it was Timothy or Silas, to summon the elders of Ephesus to meet him there. Here are the last verses of last week’s study:

Act 20:17  And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church.
Act 20:18  And when they were come to him, he said unto them, Ye know, from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons,
Act 20:19  Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews:
Act 20:20  And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house to house,

The Lord had given Paul so much to share with the churches he had raised up, and now he had a special sobering message for these Ephesian elders, and he felt obliged to preface that message with a reminder of how closely they had gotten to know each other. Paul, who was inspired by the holy spirit, tells us that we should all get to “know them which labor among you.”

1Th 5:12  And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you;
1Th 5:13  And to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. And be at peace among yourselves.

Know whether your minister is telling you the Truth. Be a ‘Berean’, and read your own Bible, and do your own studies. If we study to show ourselves approved, then we will be given by the holy spirit the discernment whether our minister is ministering out of a spirit of love and concern for the Lord’s flock, with the fear of God, or if he is doing so for “filthy lucre.” “Know them which labor among you”, and if they are of the proper spirit, then “esteem them highly in love, for their work’s sake.” You all know that not one of your teachers has ever, in all the years we have been together, asked any of you for one red cent in remuneration for all the hours of service they have spent ministering to the Lord’s flock.

Paul had spent more time in Ephesus than in any other city, and these elders all knew that he was indeed of a humble mind, and that he had shed ‘many tears as he endured many trials from “the Jews”, the established church of that day which was constantly attempting to destroy him and his message. These Ephesian elders knew that Paul had freely taught them everything the Lord had given him. They also knew he had never asked any of them for a single penny because they all knew Paul trembled at these words of our Lord:

Mat 10:8  Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.

Act 20:21  Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Greek word twice translated as ‘toward’ is G1519 ‘ice’, and it is far more commonly translated ‘into’. This is a typical example:

Gal 4:6  And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into [G1519: ‘ice’] your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
Gal 4:7  Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

Our repentance places us ‘into God’, and our gift of faith (Eph 2:8) places us ‘into Christ’ fulfilling these words of our Lord:

Joh 14:20  At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.

If Christ is ‘in His Father’ and we are ‘in Christ’, where does that place us but right there with Christ ‘in His Father’!

Act 20:22  And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there:
Act 20:23  Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me.

We are not given the details, but Paul informs us that long before he met the Jewish prophet, Agabus, in Caesarea, in “the house of Philip the evangelist”, he had already been informed “in every city” by “the holy ghost… that bonds and afflictions” were waiting for Paul when he got to Jerusalem.

Act 21:10  And as we tarried there [in Philip’s house in Caesarea] many days, there came down from Judaea a certain prophet, named Agabus.
Act 21:11  And when he was come unto us, he took Paul’s girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.

That story of the prophecy of Agabus will be in next week’s study. At this time at Miletus, Paul was already aware of what Agabus would later prophesy.

Act 20:24  But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

Consider what Paul had already endured long before this his last trip up to Jerusalem:

2Co 11:23  Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.
2Co 11:24  Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.
2Co 11:25  Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;
2Co 11:26  In journeyings oftenin perils of watersin perils of robbersin perils by mine own countrymenin perils by the heathenin perils in the cityin perils in the wildernessin perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
2Co 11:27  In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
2Co 11:28  Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.

God can arrange events which bring us to the point of not being suicidal, but very much looking forward to the next eon and having a great willingness to “be absent from the [physical] body” knowing that the next conscious moment will be in the presence of the Lord in a spiritually glorified immortal body, absent all the ‘stripes, prisons, deaths, beatings with rods, being stoned, suffering shipwreck, spending long hours in the deep, always on a journey, in perils of water, of robbers, by our own countrymen, and by the heathen, always having to be on our guard against those who would love to destroy us and our message of the True Christ.

Act 20:25  And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more.

Those in Ephesus, against whom Paul later warned Timothy to beware, were not yet known when Paul was given this revelation that he would see their faces no more. Therefore this was a shocking and sad moment for everyone, including any future adversaries like Phygellus, Hermogenes, Alexander the coppersmith and Hymenaeus and Philetus, all of whom became lying false prophets right there in Ephesus, who withstood Paul’s words and did him “much evil”:

1Ti 1:19  Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:
1Ti 1:20  Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.

2Ti 1:15  This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes.
2Ti 2:16  But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.
2Ti 2:17  And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus;
2Ti 2:18  Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.

2Ti 4:9  Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me:
2Ti 4:10  For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.
2Ti 4:11  Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.
2Ti 4:12  And Tychicus have I sent to Ephesus.
2Ti 4:13  The cloke that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comest, bring with thee, and the books, but especially the parchments.
2Ti 4:14  Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works:
2Ti 4:15  Of whom be thou ware also; for he hath greatly withstood our words.
2Ti 4:16  At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook meI pray God that it may not be laid to their charge. [“Father forgive them for they know not what they do” (Luk 23:34)]
2Ti 4:17  Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion [the adversary].
2Ti 4:18  And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Act 20:26  Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men.
Act 20:27  For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.

Notice how Paul frames the spiritual state of anyone who hides his talent in the ground and fails to “declare unto you all the counsel of God.” He frames it as, “I am pure from the blood of all men, because I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.” When we fail as the shepherds of the Lord’s flock to declare His counsel in all things, we are guilty of the blood of those we are given to feed and nourish and guard against all the wiles of the devil. Their blood is on our hands as Ezekiel tells us:

Eze 33:4  Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head.
Eze 33:5  He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul.
Eze 33:6  But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand.
Eze 33:7  So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me.

This is the “blood of any man” to which Paul refers. Paul was diligent in warning every man to be a good watchman and to sound the trumpet when he sees the enemy approaching and false doctrines beginning to creep into the Lord’s flock.

Here in Acts 20 Paul is sounding the trumpet in the ears of these Ephesian elders, and in doing so, he is also sounding the trumpet in the ears of all who are given ears capable of hearing what the spirit says to the churches:

Rev 2:7  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

Rev 2:11  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

Rev 2:17  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

Rev 2:26  And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
Rev 2:27  And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.
Rev 2:28  And I will give him the morning star.
Rev 2:29  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Rev 3:5  He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
Rev 3:6  He that hath an earlet him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Rev 3:11  Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
Rev 3:12  Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.
Rev 3:13  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Rev 3:21  To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
Rev 3:22  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

As the Lord Himself declares, it is “few” indeed who are given eyes that see and ears that hear the Lord’s trumpet:

Mat 13:16  But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
Mat 13:17  For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

Mat 22:11  And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:
Mat 22:12  And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.
Mat 22:13  Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Mat 22:14  For many are called, but few are chosen.

This feast is not some future event because no one is accidentally raised up in the first resurrection without a wedding garment. This parable applies to “grievous wolves” bringing damnable heresies into the Lord’s flock in this age.

Act 20:28  Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
Act 20:29  For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
Act 20:30  Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.

The man without a wedding garment in our Lord’s parable of the wedding feast is those “of [our] own selves”, those of our own fellowship whose pride will not permit them to go before the counselors within the church of God and follow that counsel. We have witnessed men without wedding garments feasting with us time and again.

Jude speaks of this same spirit in the man at the wedding feast without a wedding garment:

Jud 1:12  These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;
Jud 1:13  Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.

A ‘wedding garment’ signifies ‘the righteousness of saints’:

Rev 19:8  And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

‘The righteousness of saints’ is the love and fear of God, which is unwavering obedience to His commandments:

1Jn 5:1  Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.

If we say we love God while we hate our brother, we are liars. The love of God, the fear of God, and the faith of Jesus are all interconnected and inseparable:

1Jn 4:20  If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

John repeats this thought while instructing us how we can discern whether our brother really does love us and whether we truly love out brother:

1Jn 5:2  By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments [Do the things He tells us to do (Luk 6:46)].
1Jn 5:3  For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

Luk 6:46  And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

If we claim to know Christ but we do not do the things He tells us to do, we are fooling only ourselves:

1Jn 2:4  He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

Paul continues his admonition to the elders of Ephesus and to each of us:

Act 20:31  Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.

Paul knew that the history of all the trials and rebellions of ancient Israel signified the trials and rebellions which would come upon the New Testament church. Both epistles to the Corinthians were written from Macedonia and before Paul spent three years in Ephesus, and this is what we find concerning Paul’s experience with false apostles who were already seducing the Lord’s flock at Corinth:

2Co 11:3  But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
2Co 11:4  For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.
2Co 11:5  For I suppose I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles.

2Co 11:12  But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we.
2Co 11:13  For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
2Co 11:14  And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
2Co 11:15  Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

Obviously, this admonition to these Ephesian elders to ‘take heed to themselves and to the flock because of grievous wolves of their own selves arising to draw away disciples after themselves’ was born out of Paul’s struggles against false apostles, in Corinth, and is not peculiar just to the elders of Ephesus. This is something the adversary has been doing since before the days all the 400 prophets of Ahab were sent a lying spirit from the Lord, and it continues until this very day.

I love this story of the prophecy of Micaiah to King Ahab and his “four hundred” lying false prophets, because it reveals that business in the spiritual realm is carried on just like the natural realm. The only difference is that in the realm of the spirit, everyone knows God is sovereign.

1Ki 22:6  Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall I go against Ramothgilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king.
1Ki 22:7  And Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the LORD besides, that we might enquire of him?
1Ki 22:8  And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may enquire of the LORD: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.
1Ki 22:9  Then the king of Israel called an officer, and said, Hasten hither Micaiah the son of Imlah.
1Ki 22:10  And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah sat each on his throne, having put on their robes, in a void place in the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them.
1Ki 22:11  And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made him horns of iron: and he said, Thus saith the LORD, With these shalt thou push the Syrians, until thou have consumed them.
1Ki 22:12  And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramothgilead, and prosper: for the LORD shall deliver it into the king’s hand.
1Ki 22:13  And the messenger that was gone to call Micaiah spake unto him, saying, Behold now, the words of the prophets declare good unto the king with one mouth: let thy word, I pray thee, be like the word of one of them, and speak that which is good.
1Ki 22:14  And Micaiah said, As the LORD liveth, what the LORD saith unto me, that will I speak.
1Ki 22:15  So he came to the king. And the king said unto him, Micaiah, shall we go against Ramothgilead to battle, or shall we forbear? And he answered him, Go, and prosper: for the LORD shall deliver it into the hand of the king.
1Ki 22:16  And the king said unto him, How many times shall I adjure thee that thou tell me nothing but that which is true in the name of the LORD?
1Ki 22:17  And he said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills, as sheep that have not a shepherd: and the LORD said, These have no master: let them return every man to his house in peace.
1Ki 22:18  And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell thee that he would prophesy no good concerning me, but evil?
1Ki 22:19  And he [Micaiah] said, Hear thou therefore the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left.
1Ki 22:20  And the LORD said, Who shall persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead? And one said on this manner, and another said on that manner.
1Ki 22:21  And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will persuade him.
1Ki 22:22  And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so.
1Ki 22:23  Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil concerning thee.
1Ki 22:24  But Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah went near, and smote Micaiah on the cheek, and said, Which way went the Spirit of the LORD from me to speak unto thee?
1Ki 22:25  And Micaiah said, Behold, thou shalt see in that day, when thou shalt go into an inner chamber to hide thyself.
1Ki 22:26  And the king of Israel said, Take Micaiah, and carry him back unto Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king’s son;
1Ki 22:27  And say, Thus saith the king, Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I come in peace.
1Ki 22:28  And Micaiah said, If thou return at all in peace, the LORD hath not spoken by me. And he said, Hearken, O people, every one of you.

It is indeed “good and pleasant for brothers to dwell together in unity” (Psa 133:1), but it is better to be separated from one’s brothers by the Truth than to be united in a lie.

We will all do well to ‘hearken’ to the inspired words of the apostle Paul concerning how the Lord will try our faith in every generation. I will repeat:

Act 20:28  Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flockover the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
Act 20:29  For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
Act 20:30  Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.
Act 20:31  Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.

Act 20:32  And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.

“To give” is in the aorist tense because in this age we possess only the downpayment of our inheritance, but the words ”are sanctified” are in the perfect tense, because in Christ we presently ‘are sanctified’ by His atonement. Our ultimate inheritance, referred to by the spirit as “the redemption of the purchased possession” is yet future “among all them which are sanctified.”

Eph 1:13  In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
Eph 1:14  Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

Act 20:33  I have coveted no man’s silver, or gold, or apparel.
Act 20:34  Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me.

While preparing for the future is a Biblical principle, no true minister of the gospel preaches the gospel for personal gain. Any minister in whom Christ dwells is vigilant for the souls of the Lord’s flock because he knows he must give an accounting for whether he sounded the trumpet when he saw the grievous wolves approaching. Paul has set us a good example of how we, too, must never give an inch to the “false apostles… the grievous wolves” who are constantly attempting to seduce the Lord’s flock to “draw away disciples” after themselves.

Act 20:35  I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.
Act 20:36  And when he had thus spoken, he kneeled down, and prayed with them all.
Act 20:37  And they all wept sore, and fell on Paul’s neck, and kissed him,
Act 20:38  Sorrowing most of all for the words which he spake, that they should see his face no more. And they accompanied him unto the ship.

Being warned of coming trials does not make those trials any less painful and disappointing, but it should help prepare us and inspire us to ask the Lord to help us to take oil with our lamps so we can trim our lamps and be prepared for our Lord at His appearing:

Mat 25:3  [The virgins] that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
Mat 25:4  But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

Ti 4:5  But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.

2Ti 4:6  For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.
2Ti 4:7  I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
2Ti 4:8  Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

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