SEV Biblia, Chapter 20:17
¶ Y enviando desde Mileto a Efeso, hizo llamar a los ancianos de la Iglesia.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Acts 20:17
Verse 17. He sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the Church.] These are called episkopoi, bishops, ver. 28. By the presbuteroi, presbyters or elders, here, we are to understand all that were in authority in the Church, whether they were episkopoi, bishops or overseers, or seniors in years, knowledge, and experience. The presbuteroi, or elders, were probably the first order in the Church; an order which was not so properly constituted, but which rose out of the state of things. From these presbuteroi the episcopoi, overseers or superintendents, were selected. Those who were eldest in years, Christian knowledge, and experience, would naturally be preferred to all others, as overseers of the Church of Christ. From the Greek word presbuterov, comes the Latin presbyterus, the English presbyter, the French prestre, and our own term priest; and all, when traced up to their original, signify merely an elderly or aged person; though it soon became the name of an office, rather than of a state of years.
Now, as these elders are called episkopoi, bishops, in ver. 28, we may take it for granted that they were the same order; or, rather, that these superintendents of the Church were indifferently called either presbyters or bishops.
As he had not time to call at Ephesus, he thought it best to have a general convocation of the heads of that Church, to meet him at Miletus, that he might give them the instructions mentioned in the succeeding parts of this chapter.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 17. And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus , etc.] Which is said, by some, to be about four hundred furlongs from Miletus, and, by others, ten German miles. And called the elders of the church ; that is, at Ephesus; not the ancient members of the church, but the officers of it; the pastors, bishops, and overseers, as they are called, ( Acts 20:28) and are so styled from their office, and not their age. The twelve disciples the apostle found in this place, and the numerous converts made by him here, first composed this church, which doubtless was formed into Gospel order by himself; to which he afterwards wrote an epistle, when at a distance from them, called the Epistle to the Ephesians; and in the latter end of the first century, another epistle was sent from Jesus Christ himself, by the Apostle John, to this church, ( Revelation 2:1) and which had an angel, pastor, or bishop over it; but who he was, is not certain; Caius, who is reckoned among the seventy disciples, is said to be bishop of it; (see Gill on Luke 10:1).
Some say Timothy was the first bishop of this church, and after him Onesimus; but these accounts are uncertain, and not to be depended on: but certain it is, that the Apostle John dwelt here, and in the parts adjacent, unto his death, and was a superintendent and overseer in common of this church, and others near it; concerning whom Irenaeus f1040 , a very ancient writer near his time, says, the church at Ephesus was founded by Paul; but John remained with them to the times of Trajan. In the second century Ignatius wrote an epistle to this church, in which he speaks highly of it, saying, there was no heresy in it; and makes mention of Onesimus as bishop of it: in the third century there was a church in this place, and a very memorable affair happened here in the times of Decius; he having obliged all to sacrifice to the idols in the temple, seven persons, by name Maximianus, Malchus, Martinianus, Dionysius, Johannes, Serapion, and Constantine, were accused of Christianity, which they owned; but being soldiers, they had space given them to repent until the return of the emperor, who was going elsewhere: whilst he was gone they fled and hid themselves in the caves of Mount Caelius; upon the emperors return they were inquired after, and found to be there; who, being provoked, ordered the mouth of the caverns to be shut up with stones, that they might be famished; and it is said, that what through fear and grief they fell asleep, and slept to a great age; some pretend to say to the times of Theodosius, and then awaked; and these are they that are called the seven sleepers: in the beginning of the fourth century there was a bishop of this church at the council of Nice: in the fifth century Ephesus was famous for a general synod, convened in it against Nestorius; and in this age we read of several bishops of this place: at the time of that synod, Memnon was bishop of it, and before him Antonius and Heraclides, and after him Basil, Bassianus, Stephen, and Paul: in the sixth century there was a bishop of this church present at the synod of Rome and Constantinople; and in the same age Ruffinus was bishop at Ephesus, who flourished under Mauritius the emperor: in the seventh century a bishop of this place assisted at the sixth council at Constantinople; in this century it was a metropolitan church, and Theodorus was archbishop of it: in the eighth century, one Theodosius presided over the church here; to which church the emperor Constantine gave a hundred pounds of gold f1042 : so far down Christianity is to be traced in this place.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 17-27 - The elders knew that Paul was no designing, self-seeking man. Those wh would in any office serve the Lord acceptably, and profitably to others, must do it with humility. He was a plain preacher, one tha spoke his message so as to be understood. He was a powerful preacher he preached the gospel as a testimony to them if they received it; but as a testimony against them if they rejected it. He was a profitabl preacher; one that aimed to inform their judgments, and reform their hearts and lives. He was a painful preacher, very industrious in his work. He was a faithful preacher; he did not keep back reproofs when necessary, nor keep back the preaching of the cross. He was a trul Christian, evangelical preacher; he did not preach notions or doubtfu matters; nor affairs of state or the civil government; but he preache faith and repentance. A better summary of these things, without whic there is no salvation, cannot be given: even repentance towards God and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ, with their fruits and effects Without these no sinner can escape, and with these none will come shor of eternal life. Let them not think that Paul left Asia for fear of persecution; he was in full expectation of trouble, yet resolved to go on, well assured that it was by Divine direction. Thanks be to God tha we know not the things which shall befall us during the year, the week the day which has begun. It is enough for the child of God to know tha his strength shall be equal to his day. He knows not, he would no know, what the day before him shall bring forth. The powerfu influences of the Holy Spirit bind the true Christian to his duty. Eve when he expects persecution and affliction, the love of Chris constrains him to proceed. None of these things moved Paul from his work; they did not deprive him of his comfort. It is the business of our life to provide for a joyful death. Believing that this was the last time they should see him, he appeals concerning his integrity. He had preached to them the whole counsel of God. As he had preached to them the gospel purely, so he had preached it to them entire; he faithfully did his work, whether men would bear or forbear.
Greek Textus Receptus
απο 575 PREP δε 1161 CONJ της 3588 T-GSF μιλητου 3399 N-GSF πεμψας 3992 5660 V-AAP-NSM εις 1519 PREP εφεσον 2181 N-ASF μετεκαλεσατο 3333 5668 V-AMI-3S τους 3588 T-APM πρεσβυτερους 4245 A-APM της 3588 T-GSF εκκλησιας 1577 N-GSF
Vincent's NT Word Studies
17. Having sent to Ephesus. About thirty miles.Elders. Called overseers or bishops in verse 28.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
20:17 {Called to him} (metekalesato). Aorist middle (indirect) indicative of metakalew, old verb to call from one place to another (meta for "change"), middle to call to oneself, only in Acts in the N.T. (#7:14; 10:32; 20:17; 24:25). Ephesus was some thirty miles, a stiff day's journey each way. They would be with Paul the third day of the stay in Miletus. {The elders of the church} (tous presbuterous tes ekklesias). The very men whom Paul terms "bishops" (episkopous) in verse #28 just as in #Tit 1:5,7 where both terms (presbuterous, ton episkopon) describe the same office. The term "elder" applied to Christian ministers first appears in #Ac 11:30 in Jerusalem and reappears in #15:4,6,22 in connection with the apostles and the church. The "elders" are not "apostles" but are "bishops" (cf. #Php 1:1) and with "deacons" constitute the two classes of officers in the early churches. Ignatius shows that in the early second century the office of bishop over the elders had developed, but Lightfoot has shown that it was not so in the first century. Each church, as in Jerusalem, Philippi, Ephesus, had a number of "elders" ("bishops") in the one great city church. Hackett thinks that other ministers from the neighborhood also came. It was a noble group of preachers and Paul, the greatest preacher of the ages, makes a remarkable talk to preachers with all the earmarks of Pauline originality (Spitta, _Apostelgeschichte_, p. 252) as shown by the characteristic Pauline words, phrases, ideas current in all his Epistles including the Pastoral (testify, course, pure, take heed, presbyter, bishop, acquire, apparel). Luke heard this address as he may and probably did hear those in Jerusalem and Caesarea (#Ac 21-26). Furneaux suggests that Luke probably took shorthand notes of the address since Galen says that his students took down his medical lectures in shorthand: "At any rate, of all the speeches in the Acts this contains most of Paul and least of Luke. ... It reveals Paul as nothing else does. The man who spoke it is no longer a man of eighteen centuries ago: he is of yesterday; of today. He speaks as we speak and feels as we feel; or rather as we fain would speak and feel." We have seen and listened to Paul speak to the Jews in Antioch in Pisidia as Luke pictures the scene, to the uneducated pagans at Lystra, to the cultured Greeks in Athens. We shall hear him plead for his life to the Jewish mob in Jerusalem, to the Roman governor Felix in Caesarea, to the Jewish "King" Herod Agrippa II in Caesarea, and at last to the Jews in Rome. But here Paul unbosoms himself to the ministers of the church in Ephesus where he had spent three years (longer than with any other church) and where he had such varied experiences of prowess and persecution. He opens his heart to these men as he does not to the average crowd even of believers. It is Paul's _Apologia pro sua Vita_. He will probably not see them again and so the outlook and attitude is similar to the farewell discourse of Jesus to the disciples in the upper room (#Joh 13-17). He warns them about future perils as Jesus had done. Paul's words here will repay any preacher's study today. There is the same high conception of the ministry here that Paul had already elaborated in #2Co 2:12-6:10 (see my _Glory of the Ministry_). It is a fitting time and occasion for Paul to take stock of his ministry at the close of the third mission tour. What wonders had God wrought already.
