The third missionary journey of Paul is recorded in this chapter. Wherever Paul spread the Gospel to, he, to some extent, caused a fuss at the place. We can see that Paul was extremely enthusiastic about God and the Truth, and we know that he was very devoted. At his last visit to Troas, he preached all night because he is leaving the next day, and he wanted to seize every chance to spread the good news.
At the night when Paul was preaching in Troas, Eutychus fell off the window on the third floor, and he was raised from the dead. In this incident we can see how Paul, as a leader, dealt wisely with the situation. A good leader should be able to control situations and handle crises. When a gathering is disturbed by things or people, the leader should deal with the problem promptly.
Before Paul went to Jerusalem, he asked the elders in Ephesus to meet him in Miletus. Paul preached to the elders, and he is addressing to all Christians as well. Regarding our relationship with God, Paul urged us to be faithful, to be diligent, and to revere God. Paul is a very good example for us. He had principles, and he never compromised the Truth. He earned his own living, and he supported others. He is in awe of God; he completed the task God had given him and testified for the Gospel although people tried to persecute and kill him. Regarding our relationship with others, Paul encouraged us to be kind to people, to be supportive, and to warn others when they go astray. He never hesitated to spread the Gospel, he had always spoken the Truth in love, and he only did things that benefit both God and people. Paul also cautioned us that there would be savage wolves after he left. As we can see, many destructive heresies have already emerged in this era when the end of the world is drawing near. Many false prophets are trying to lead us away from God, however, we don’t have to be afraid of them if we read the Bible and understand God’s words, because we would be able to tell what the Truth is.
When we convert to Christianity, we may be persecuted just like Paul. The ones oppressing us, in many cases, are not our colleagues or friends, but our family who are so close to us. However, we should try to know God, like Paul did, so that we won’t be defeated easily by the persecutions.
Hope that every of our brothers and sisters learn the Truth in the Bible. When you do, you will become a wonderful person and will succeed in everything you do. God value each one of us, because we are all His wonderful creations. Oftentimes, it is us who say no to ourselves, not God. May we all rise up and serve God. May we all be faithful to God and be kind to people, like Paul did. If we do, God will give us every place where we set our foot, just like Joshua. God is the sources of all blessings!
