Acts 20:38

20:38 The poignancy of the occasion was heightened by awareness that they would never see him again (20:25).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Act 20:38 . ὀδυνώμενοι : common in Luke and Acts, only three times elsewhere in N.T., Luk 2:48 ; Luk 16:24-25 . θεωρεῖν , Lucan, cf. Act 17:16 ; Act 17:22 , “to behold,” R.V., to gaze with reverence upon his face. μέλλουσι , see above p. 157. προέπεμπον δὲ αὐτὸν : “and they brought him on his way,” R.V., cf. Act 15:3 (see note), Act 21:5 ; the harbour was some little distance from the town.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Verse 38. That they should see his face no more] This was a most solemn meeting, and a most affecting parting. The man who had first pointed out to them the Lord Jesus Christ, by whom they had been brought into so glorious a state of salvation, is now going away, in all likelihood, to be seen no more till the day in which the quick and dead shall stand before the throne of judgment. Such a scene, and its correspondent feelings, are more easily imagined than described.

1. As the disciples are stated to have come together on the first day of the week, we may learn from this that, ever since the apostolic times, the Lord's day, now the Christian Sabbath, was set apart for religious exercises; such as the preaching of God's holy word, and celebrating the sacrament of the Lord's Supper. Besides its being the day on which our blessed Lord rose from the dead, the practice of the apostles and the primitive Church is an additional reason why we should religiously celebrate this first day of the week. They who, professing the Christian religion, still prefer the Jewish Sabbath, have little to support them in the New Testament. How prone is man to affect to be wise above what is written, while he is, in almost every respect, below the teaching so plainly laid down in the Divine word.

2. The charge of St. Paul to the pastors of the Church of Christ at Ephesus and Miletus contains much that is interesting to every Christian minister:

(1) If he be sent of God at all, he is sent to feed the flock.

(2) But, in order to feed them, he must have the bread of life.

(3) This bread he must distribute in its due season, that each may have that portion that is suitable to time, place, and state.

(4) While he is feeding others, he should take care to have his own soul fed: it is possible for a minister to be the instrument of feeding others, and yet starve himself.

(5) If Jesus Christ intrust to his care the souls he has bought by his own blood, what an awful account will he have to give in the day of judgment, if any of them perish through his neglect! Though the sinner, dying in his sins, has his own blood upon his head, yet, if the watchman has not faithfully warned him, his blood will be required at the watchman's hand. Let him who is concerned read Ezekiel, Eze 33:3-5, and think of the account which he is shortly to give unto God.

3. Tenderness and sympathy are not inconsistent with the highest state of grace. Paul warns his hearers day and night with tears. His hearers now weep sore at the departure of their beloved pastor. They who can give up a Christian minister with indifference, have either profited little under that ministry, or they have backslidden from the grace of God. The pastors should love as fathers, the converts as children; and all feel themselves one family, under that great head, Christ Jesus.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

38. sorrowing … the words which he spake] More literally “the word which he had spoken” (Rev. Ver.).

that they should see, &c.] The word in the original is not that which the Apostle uses in Act_20:25, when he says he shall not come again. So the Rev. Ver. has well given “behold.” The Greek expresses the earnest reverent gaze, with which we can fancy those who knew the Apostle and his work would look upon him. His presence filled not only the eye, but the mind, they contemplated all which the sight of him would recall.

And they accompanied him unto the ship] Rev. Ver. “And they brought him on his way, &c.” thus making the rendering of the verb here agree with the language of Act_15:3 and Act_21:5. They would not lose one look or one word before they were forced to do so. We can see from these words that the harbour was at some distance from the town of Miletus. See on Act_20:15; Act_20:17.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

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.

Ver. 38. Sorrowing most] They are out, then, qui ferream et immanem constantiam exigunt a fidelibus, who exact of Christians a stoic apathy or insensibleness to crosses and sorrowful occurrences. (Calvin.) Religion doth not root out natural passions, but regulate them. The parting with dear friends (which are as a man’s own soul, Deu 13:6) is so grievous that death itself is called a "departure."

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Sorrowing most of all ... - This was a most tender and affectionate parting scene. It can be more easily imagined than described. We may learn from it:

(1) That the parting of ministers and people is a most solemn event, and should be one of much tenderness and affection.

(2) The effect of true religion is to make the heart more tender; to make friendship more affectionate and sacred; and to unite more closely the bonds of love.

(3) Ministers of the gospel should be prepared to leave their people with the same consciousness of fidelity and the same kindness and love which Paul evinced. They should live such lives as to be able to look back upon their whole ministry as pure and disinterested, and as having been employed in guarding the flock, and in making known to them the whole counsel of God. So parting, they may separate in peace; and so living and acting, they will be prepared to give up their account with joy, and not with grief. May God grant to every minister the spirit which Paul evinced at Ephesus, and enable each one, when called to leave his people by death or otherwise, to do it with the same consciousness of fidelity which Paul evinced when he left his people to see their face no more.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

The loss of a faithful and painful minister is a public loss, and many are concerned in it; besides, they had found great benefit by his ministry, and could not but be sensible of their missing of it. Add to this, Paul’s gracious and humble conversation, and the sense of many good offices done by him, could not but have endeared him unto them.

They accompanied him unto the ship; enjoying him as long and as far as they could, and expressing their last and utmost kindness unto him.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

38. Face no more—Probably in a few moments the ship started, and, by the powerful northwest wind usually at that season prevailing, arrived in the afternoon of the same day, by a six hours’ sail, at Cos, “the garden of the AEgean,” the birthplace of the great physician Hippocrates, crowned with the temple of AEsculaplus, the god of medicine.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The word which he had spoken for the words which he spake, A.V.; behold for see, A.V.; brought him on his way for accompanied him, A.V. Brought him on his way; proepempon, as Act_15:3 Act_21:5. So 1Co_16:6, 1Co_16:11; 2Co_1:16; Tit_3:13 3Jn_1:6. But the rendering accompanied gives the meaning of the two last passages in the Acts better than that of the R.V It is impossible to part with this most touching narrative, of such exquisite simplicity and beauty, without a parting word of admiration and thankfulness to God for having preserved to his Church this record of apostolic wisdom and faithfulness on the one hand, and of loving devotion of the clergy to their great chief on the other. As long as the stones of the Church are bound together by such strong mortar, it can defy the attacks of its enemies from without.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Sorrowing most for that word which he spake, that they should see his face no more - What sorrow will be in the great day, when God shall speak that word to all who are found on the left hand, that they shall see his face no more!

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

38. “Especially grieving over the word which he had spoken, that they are about to see his face no more. And they accompanied him to the ship.” Some of the holiness people emphasize the holy kiss, not without ample divine warrant, as we see in case of this memorable valedictory.

William B. Godbey, Commentary on the New Testament (1896–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

See notes on verse 36

J. W. McGarvey (with Philip Y. Pendleton), Commentaries on the New Testament (The Fourfold Gospel, 1914; Acts; and the epistles) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

38. ἐπὶ τῷ λόγῳ ᾦ εἰρήκει, for the word which he had spoken. On the attraction of the relative cf. Act 1:1.

τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ θεωρεῖν, to behold his face. The Apostle in Act 20:25 uses only ὁράω, the ordinary word. Here in θεωρεῖν is expressed the earnest reverent gaze, with which we can fancy those who knew the Apostle and his work would look upon him. His presence filled not only the eye, but the mind, they contemplated the scenes which the sight of him would recall.

προέπεμπον δὲ αὐτὸν εἰς τὸ πλοῖον, and they brought him on his way to the ship. Cf. Act 15:3, Act 21:5. They would not lose a word or a look until they were forced to do so. We gather from this verse that the harbour was at some distance from the town of Miletus. See above on Act 20:15; Act 20:17.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

See [θεωρειν] . See on Luk 10:18. The word for steadfast, earnest contemplation suggests the interest and affection with which they looked upon his countenance for the last time.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.