Acts 20:36-38 36And after saying these things, kneeling down, he prayed with them all. 37And there was much weeping by all, and falling on Paul’s neck, they kissed him, 38being greatly distressed most of all because of the word he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. And they escorted him to the ship.
Paul’s meeting with the Ephesian elders ended in prayer. God was moving in the hearts and minds of all present. There must have been a sense of clear purpose and direction, but also impending separation. Luke does not record the content of the prayer, but we can imagine the Holy Spirit encouraging the leaders while also providing comfort and peace. This prayer could also have been a way for Paul to commit the leaders into God’s hands. They were going back to a difficult situation. Paul had just predicted that “ravenous wolves” would come and do harm to the church by teaching false doctrine. The elders would need God’s help to resist these false teachers and remain faithful to Christ as Lord.
This moment was deeply emotional, with everyone crying and embracing. Like in many Eastern European and Western Asian countries, it was culturally appropriate to kiss one another as a sign of affection and care. What bothered the elders the most was Paul’s prediction that they would not see him again. The imperfect verb tenses imply that Paul’s departure was not quick but a long farewell. Giving a final farewell can be very challenging. At least in our modern world, we can still communicate with people after physically departing from them through technology.
The group escorted Paul and his companions all the way to the ship. They likely stood on the dock until the ship was out of sight. They would be on their own now. Paul had given them the message and provided an example to them of how to be servants of the Lord and ministers in the church. Paul’s focus would now shift to getting to Jerusalem. He also hoped to one day travel to Rome and venture further west to Spain. His mission to Asia Minor and Macedonia had been a great success by planting and confirming churches, developing leaders, and building unity.