Which statement best describes Paul's interaction with the Ephesian elders at his farewell?

Which statement best describes Paul's interaction with the Ephesian elders at his farewell?

• A. He delivered an instructive and emotional address, prayed with them, and bade them farewell.
• B. He admonished them to collect offerings.
• C. He announced plans to retire from ministry.
• D. He asked them to choose new leaders.

Answer: (A)

When Paul parts from the Ephesian elders, the emphasis is on a careful, pastoral farewell: he delivers a substantive, instructive message about his own ministry and about how they must shepherd the church, and then he prays with them as they bid him farewell. In Acts 20, Paul recounts his three years among them, testifies to serving the Lord with humility and tears, and stresses that he did not shrink from declaring the whole counsel of God. He warns them to beware of savage wolves and to keep watch over the flock the Holy Spirit has made overseers, underscoring the serious, guiding role they now have. After this teaching and exhortation, they pray together, and the meeting closes with a poignant farewell as they part ways. The other ideas—collecting offerings, announcing retirement, or appointing new leaders at that moment—do not capture this combination of instructional discourse, heartfelt prayer, and departure that characterizes the scene.

When Paul parts from the Ephesian elders, the emphasis is on a careful, pastoral farewell: he delivers a substantive, instructive message about his own ministry and about how they must shepherd the church, and then he prays with them as they bid him farewell. In Acts 20, Paul recounts his three years among them, testifies to serving the Lord with humility and tears, and stresses that he did not shrink from declaring the whole counsel of God. He warns them to beware of savage wolves and to keep watch over the flock the Holy Spirit has made overseers, underscoring the serious, guiding role they now have. After this teaching and exhortation, they pray together, and the meeting closes with a poignant farewell as they part ways. The other ideas—collecting offerings, announcing retirement, or appointing new leaders at that moment—do not capture this combination of instructional discourse, heartfelt prayer, and departure that characterizes the scene.