The Early Church

other than that in every city the Ruach HaKodesh keeps warning me that imprisonment and persecution await me.

But I consider my own life of no importance to me whatsoever, as long as I can finish the course ahead of me, the task I received from the Lord Yeshua — to declare in depth the Good News of God’s love and kindness.

“Now, listen! I know that none of you people among whom I have gone about proclaiming the Kingdom will ever see me again.

Therefore, I testify on this day that I am innocent of the blood of all.

For I did not shrink from proclaiming to you the whole plan of God.

“Watch out for yourselves, and for all the flock in which the Ruach HaKodesh has placed you as leaders, to shepherd God’s Messianic community, which he won for himself at the cost of his own Son’s blood.

I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you; and they won’t spare the flock.

Even from among your own number, men will arise and teach perversions of the truth, in order to drag away the talmidim after themselves.

So stay alert! Remember that for three years, night and day, with tears in my eyes, I never stopped warning you!

“And now I entrust you to the care of the Lord and to the message of his love and kindness, for it can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who have been set apart for God.

“I have not wanted for myself anyone’s silver or gold or clothing.

You yourselves know that these hands of mine have provided not only for my own needs, but for the needs of my co-workers as well.

In everything I have given you an example of how, by working hard like this, you must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Yeshua himself, ‘There is more happiness in giving than in receiving.’”

When he had finished speaking, Sha’ul kneeled down with them all and prayed.

They were all in tears as they threw their arms around his neck and kissed him farewell.

What saddened them the most was his remark that they would never see him again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.

After we had torn ourselves away from the Ephesian elders, we set sail and made a straight run to Cos. The next day we went to Rhodes, and from there to Patara.

On finding a ship that was crossing over to Phoenicia, we embarked and set sail.

After sighting Cyprus, we passed it on the left, sailed to Syria and landed at Tzor, because that was where the ship was unloading its cargo.

Having searched out the talmidim there, we remained for a week. Guided by the Spirit, they told Sha’ul not to go up to Yerushalayim;

but when the week was over, we left to continue our journey. All of them, with their wives and children, accompanied us until we were outside the town. Kneeling on the beach and praying,

we said good-bye to each other. Then we boarded the ship, and they returned home.

When the voyage from Tzor was over, we arrived at Ptolemais. There we greeted the brothers and stayed with them overnight.

The following day, we left and came to Caesarea, where we went to the home of Philip the proclaimer of the Good News, one of the Seven, and stayed with him.

He had four unmarried daughters with the gift of prophecy.