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RUSSELL SANDERS
8-9-2021
THE APOSTLE PAUL – LESSON 39
THIRD MISSIONARY JOURNEY – PART 4
THE FAREWELL AT MILETAS
Geography: Troas, Ephesus, and Miletus were in the Roman province of Asia, which today would be called Mysia of the larger region of Asia Minor consisting of the provinces of Asia (Mysia), Lydia, Caria, Lycia, Pamphylia, Pisidia, Phrygia, Lycaonia, Cilicia, Galatia, Cappadocia, Pontus, and Bithynia. Rome had a governor over each of these thirteen provinces all of which are located in present day Turkey under new Muslim names.
Paul was now ready to leave Troas. He chose to walk alone to the seaport of Assos, which was twenty miles to the south. He sent the rest of his party of eight or more by ship from Troas to meet him at Assos where he joined them and sailed to Mitylene, an offshore island. The next day he sailed to Chios on another island, then to Trogyllium on the island of Samos, then to the city of Miletus in the province of Caria. He had purposely skipped Ephesus by setting port at the islands enroute to Miletus, supposing that going to Ephesus would have caused considerable delay in reaching Jerusalem in time for Pentecost. (Acts 20:13-38.)
Nevertheless, he felt compelled to speak to the elders of the Ephesian church, so he sent for them to come to him in Miletus. Upon their arrival, he gave them his farewell message, instruction, and warnings of wolves (false teachers). He said he would see them no more but was compelled by Holy Spirit to go to Jerusalem, knowing that bonds and afflictions awaited him as foretold by the known prophets of his day, Agabus and others.
They all prayed together as they wept sorely for him and gave him the customary farewell kisses. They then accompanied him to the ship.
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