From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the church. (Acts 20:17, NKJV)
The church in Ephesus was much beloved by the apostle Paul. He had spent three years there, “serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears and trials” (Acts 20:19). The 30-mile journey from Ephesus to Miletus would have involved at least a day of travel each way (probably more), plus the time the elders spent with the apostle. It would mean leaving their families and jobs to go to Miletus to meet Paul. He could have sent them a written message, but it was important for them to have a face-to-face meeting. Naturally, they made the journey to meet Paul without hesitation. In this age of text messaging we are tempted to forget the value of personal contact. Personal interaction establishes relationships, strengthens trust, enhances respect for others, and increases our ability to work well with others. God wants Christians to talk with each other – to teach, to encourage, to warn, to form and to strengthen the bonds of unity and commonality in Christ. We must not isolate ourselves from each other. We must make ourselves accessible to one another and responsive to the communication that is an essential part of our common faith, common hope, and common salvation. By doing so we are better able to help each other serve the Lord faithfully.
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