not knowing

Acts 20:13-38 (JDV)

Acts 20:13 We went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we were going to pick up Paul, because these were his instructions, since he himself was going by land.
Acts 20:14 When he met us at Assos, we picked him up and went on to Mitylene.
Acts 20:15 Sailing from there, the next day we arrived off Chios. The following day we crossed over to Samos, and the day after, we came to Miletus.
Acts 20:16 You see, Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, because he was hurrying to make it to Jerusalem, if he was capable, for the day of Pentecost.
Acts 20:17 Now from Miletus, he sent to Ephesus and summoned the elders of the congregation.
Acts 20:18 When they came to him, he said to them: “You know, from the first day I set foot in Asia, how I was with you the whole time,
Acts 20:19 slaving for the Lord with all humility, with tears, and during the trials that came to me through the plots of the Jews.
Acts 20:20 You know that I did not avoid proclaiming to you anything that was profitable or from teaching you publicly and from house to house.
Acts 20:21 I testified to both Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus.
Acts 20:22 “And now, notice – I am on my way to Jerusalem, tied up by the Breath, not knowing what I will encounter there,
Acts 20:23 except that in every town the Sacred Breath warns me that chains and troubles are waiting for me.
Acts 20:24 But I consider my throat of no value to myself; my purpose is to finish my course and the ministry I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of God’s grace.
Acts 20:25 “And now, notice – I know that none of you, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, will ever see me again.
Acts 20:26 In view of the fact that I declare to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all of you,
Acts 20:27 because I did not avoid declaring to you the whole plan of God.
Acts 20:28 Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock of which the Sacred Breath has appointed you as overseers, to shepherd the congregation of God, which he purchased with his own blood.
Acts 20:29 I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.
Acts 20:30 Men will get up even from your own number and distract from the truth to withdraw the disciples into following them.
Acts 20:31 Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for three years I never stopped warning each one of you with tears.
Acts 20:32 “And now I commit 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 who are sanctified.
Acts 20:33 I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing.
Acts 20:34 You yourselves know that I worked with my own hands to support myself and those who are with me.
Acts 20:35 In every way I’ve shown you that it is necessary to help the weak by laboring like this and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, because he said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.'”
Acts 20:36 After he said this, he knelt down and prayed with all of them.
Acts 20:37 There were many tears shed by everyone. They embraced Paul and kissed him,
Acts 20:38 grieving most of all over his statement that they would never observe his face again. And they accompanied him to the ship.

not knowing

Paul’s farewell at Miletus reveals a striking blend of confidence and uncertainty. He knew with absolute clarity that he had been faithful in proclaiming God’s word and strengthening the believers under his care. He knew he had held nothing back, teaching publicly and privately, urging repentance and faith, and preparing the elders to shepherd the flock after his departure. Yet when he spoke of his future, he admitted openly that much remained hidden. He was sure of the path—Jerusalem—but unsure of the details that awaited him there. The Spirit had warned him repeatedly that imprisonment and afflictions lay ahead, but not the shape or sequence of those trials. His honesty about that not knowing gives the scene a deeply human texture.

The affection between Paul and the Ephesian elders makes the moment even more poignant. Their pleas for him to stay were not manipulative or self-serving. They loved him. They had been shaped by his teaching, strengthened by his presence, and comforted by his leadership. Remaining with them would have offered stability, affection, and a fruitful ministry among people who valued him deeply. He could easily have justified staying. He knew challenges would arise in the churches after he left—wolves from outside, distortions from within. The need was real, and he was capable of meeting it.

But another call pressed upon him. The unfinished work drawing him toward Jerusalem was not optional. The “different drummer” to whom he marched was the Spirit of God, urging him forward into danger, uncertainty, and sacrifice. The pull of affection could not override the pull of obedience. Paul’s courage lay not in fearlessness but in fidelity—choosing the unknown because God had marked that path, even when the known path offered comfort and success.

This moment captures a truth that resonates across generations: following God sometimes requires leaving what is safe, familiar, and fruitful. It may mean stepping away from a sure thing to walk into a future that is anything but sure. The call of God does not always align with the desires of those who love us, nor with our own longing for stability. Yet the One who calls also accompanies, and the unknown becomes bearable because it is walked with him.

LORD, grant courage to follow wherever you lead, even when obedience requires leaving certainty behind and stepping into the unknown.