‘The ministry which I received from the Lord’

[Acts 20:24]

Is Sunday School education in churches really being conducted properly? Under the title 'Sunday School Education in Crisis,' an internet article states the following under the headings of 'Church Indifference' and 'Lack of Educational Philosophy': 'The Sunday School education in Korean churches is increasingly stagnating and falling into a crisis. This is pointed out as a result of church education not keeping up with the general society's school education. Therefore, there is a claim that a new review of Sunday School education, the establishment and implementation of innovative educational programs, and the restoration of a sense of mission among Sunday School teachers are the ways to revive the Sunday School in crisis in Korean churches. Furthermore, while parents' interest in school education is high, there is also criticism that even the parents of believers are indifferent to church education, contributing to the decline in church education. In other words, for school education, parents send their children to various academies in addition to school classes and check attendance, but attendance at Sunday School is often overlooked in the management of believers' children's faith these days' (Internet). What about our sense of mission?

Today, while meditating on Acts 20:24, I desire that our sense of mission be restored and burn again, focusing on Paul's 'mission received from the Lord Jesus.'

The mission received from the Lord Jesus is to fulfill the work of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.

Look at Acts 20:24 – “But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” What is the mission? The word translated as 'ministry' (diakonian) means 'to serve all.' In other words, Paul considered testifying to the gospel, the mission he received from the resurrected Jesus, more valuable than his own life. Here, Paul's ministry can be described with six words:

Paul saw himself as an accountant.

After examining his advantages and achievements, Paul decided to prioritize Jesus Christ above all else.

Paul saw himself as a racing athlete finishing the race with joy in the victory.

The three phrases in verse 24 - "my life," "my course," and "ministry" - are key. Paul knew that his life was a gift from God and believed that God had a special plan to accomplish his ministry from within. Motivated by the grand goal of building the church, he dedicated himself to serving the Lord, joyfully completing the race of the ministry assigned to him. Look at 2 Timothy 4:7 - "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."

Paul considered himself a steward.

The reason is that his ministry was received from the Lord. A steward is nothing; his sole aim is to serve his master and please him. Look at 1 Corinthians 4:2: "Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful." A steward must give an account of his ministry when the time comes, and Paul was prepared for that day.

Paul saw himself as a witness.

Paul bore the responsibility of testifying to the gospel of God's grace as a witness of Jesus Christ. The word "witness" implies solemnly testifying. This underscores the seriousness of the message and ministry. Paul was a faithful witness in his life, and the message he proclaimed was also faithful.

Paul saw himself as an (ambassador) messenger.

Look at Acts 20:25 - "And now, behold, I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again." Here, "proclaiming" means 'announcing the message as an ambassador of the king.' While a witness speaks of what happens to him, an (ambassador) messenger proclaims the message that the king has commanded. Paul, as a messenger sent by the King, should not alter the message. Being the King's messenger, people should be cautious in how they respond to him and the message he proclaims.

Paul saw himself as a watchman.

How serious is it to become a watchman? He must always be alert and prepared to sound the trumpet when danger approaches. He should not become a fearful person but a faithful one. The reason is that the safety of many people depends on him. Paul was a faithful watchman. Look at Acts 20:31 - "Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish everyone with tears."

So how did the apostle Paul fulfill this calling?

First, Paul received guidance from the Holy Spirit.

Look at Acts 20:22 - "And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there." Paul declared before the elders of the Ephesian church during his farewell sermon that he was constrained by the Spirit, indicating that he was led by the Holy Spirit to go up to Jerusalem (v. 23). What does it mean to be 'constrained by the Spirit'? It means being bound by the inner power and movement of the Holy Spirit (Calvin). Having received assurance that going up to Jerusalem was God's will, Paul humbly followed the direction and instinct of the Holy Spirit, even aligning his own will with it. Here, we can compare this with Acts 9:1-2, before Paul's conversion: "But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem." Before his conversion, Paul (then Saul) sought to bind believers and bring them to Jerusalem. Now, as a transformed follower of Christ, he was bound by the Holy Spirit to go up to Jerusalem. Did Paul know what would happen when he went up to Jerusalem? The answer is "No" (v. 22).

Second, Paul endured hardships in fulfilling his mission.

Look at Acts 20:23 - "except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me." Despite knowing that there would be "imprisonment and afflictions" on the road he was taking, Paul's decision to follow that path was a result of a confident understanding of God's will. Since God had prophesied in advance that such hardships would befall him, when he actually faced such difficulties in his missionary journey, it would not have been surprising, and he would have endured them well, knowing that they were from God (Park).

William Carey sailed from England to India in 1793. He lost his five-year-old son there, and his wife suffered from mental illness. Seven years into his ministry, he made his first convert and lost years of translation work in a fire. However, without taking a single vacation, he steadfastly carried out his ministry for 40 years. Adoniram Judson, the first American foreign missionary, went to Myanmar in 1814. He lost his six-year-old son, was imprisoned in a death cell for a year and a half, and his wife died of a fever. He suffered from mental breakdowns and had to wait for five years to meet his first convert. Yet, he did not stop his ministry because the mission was more precious than life itself. Robert Morrison was the first Protestant missionary sent to China. He lost his wife and worked for seven years to gain his first convert. However, he continued his ministry without interruption. They pressed forward despite numerous difficulties because they believed that the mission given to them by God was more precious than life itself (Internet).

In order to bear and fulfill the mission given by the Lord, the earnest help of God is necessary,

James Kim

(Accompanied by the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit)