I’ve been reading the book of Acts this week, following the 5x5x5 New Testament Bible Reading Plan.
(I love the simplicity and accountability of this plan.)
In Acts, from chapter 13 on, the focus is on the ministry of Paul and what God did through him as he traveled throughout the Mediterranean world, planting churches in many cities and making disciples wherever he went.
I wonder if a movie has been made about the life of the Apostle Paul? What an incredible story of how God can turn a man’s life upside down and use him for His glory.
Paul was a man consumed with the Great Commission – to proclaim the gospel, persuading people to turn away from their sin and trust in Jesus as Savior, Messiah, and Lord of all – teaching others how to obey the words of Jesus.
He was a man obsessed with communicating the truth of God as revealed in the written Word of God. I love the way he summarizes his 3-year ministry in Ephesus in Acts 20.
- He testified to Jews and Gentiles of repentance toward God and faith in Christ (v. 21)
- He testified to the gospel of the grace of God (v. 24)
- He proclaimed the kingdom of God (v. 25)
- He declared the whole counsel of God (v. 27)
- He admonished everyone with tears (v. 31)
- He commended the believers to God and the word of his grace (v. 32)
I especially like the way Paul describes the role of the Bible in his ministry in v. 32. “And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.”
Paul could have said, “I commend you to God and his grace, because God is able to build you up and give you the inheritance.” He could have said that because the way I rephrased verse 32 is also true — but he didn’t. He specifically says that it is the Word of God that builds up God’s people. It is the Word of God that gives us the inheritance.
What’s the difference? Well, again, both are true. I just think it is significant that Paul refers to God and His Word interchangeably. What God does, the Word does. And what the Word does, God does.
Let’s not forget that. Paul’s ministry was focused on communicating the Word of God so that the God of the Word would build up and sanctify people through His Word.
Oh, how grateful we should be, every day, for the gift of God’s all-powerful, life-changing Word! God saves us by means of the Word. “Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls” (James 1:21). Without the Word, we are lost, like sheep without a shepherd, wandering aimlessly on the road to destruction.
Paul’s summary of his 3-year ministry in Ephesus is a source of both conviction and motivation for me. As I think of my own life, I’ve been asking myself, “How would I summarize the last three years of my life? How often have I testified to people about the gospel and the kingdom of God? When and where have I told my friends, neighbors, co-workers, and family members of the need to repent of sin and trust in Jesus for salvation? Has the communication of the whole counsel of God been my passion? Have I ever admonished someone with tears in my eyes?”
How about you? From the standpoint of giving God’s Word to others, how would describe the last three years of your life?
My friend, may Paul’s ministry be an example for us to follow. May we, too, be consumed with a passion for the Word, not only to read, study, and understand it, but to also believe it, obey it, and share it with others.
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