³²“And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.”

We often equate commendation with special treatment. But when the apostle Paul commends the Ephesian church (which is inferred through his commending of its elders, with whom he is speaking), the significance goes beyond the ordinary use of the term. To be sure, the Ephesian church was outstanding in its day. Paul had spent considerable time there, probably more than with any other church he founded. He had spent night and day teaching a whole gamut of truth as needed. The Ephesian believers were responsive to the Word and had the benefit also of being taught by Aquila and Priscilla, Apollos, and later, Timothy. Ephesus, as a result, became a center of Christian influence, and it would remain so for years to come.

But Paul’s commendation had a sense of commitment. He was committing the elders and the church directly to the Lord. Knowing he would never see them again, he was confidently turning them over to the Lord—not to Apollos, Timothy, or any other. He was removing his direct apostolic authority from that place and from those people. After this, the apostolic influence would come in the form of his letters that would eventually be written and circulated among the churches. Of course, he wrote one of those letters specifically to the Ephesian believers, but the apostolic authority was being transferred from his personal presence to the “word of His grace” that he preached.

What about human authority? Who would lead them? Why didn’t Paul set up an ecclesiastical structure with denominational headquarters in Jerusalem or Rome or some other place? By commending the elders “to God,” Paul was now putting the elders under the direct authority of God, not mediated by any other human being or organizational structure. The Word of His grace was sufficient for them as elders as they carried out the leadership and shepherding of the church. Knowing and teaching the Word was sufficient for guarding the flock of God that was committed to them by the Holy Spirit (Acts 20:28). The Word is sufficient to build up the church; the Word is sufficient to “give them an inheritance,” that is, true eternal life and all the benefits it entails. The church needs nothing else but the Word. Other things may be beneficial, but the Word itself is both necessary and sufficient (“able”) for the spiritual growth toward maturity that all Christians need.

Lord, thank You for the Word. I commit to reading it and studying it.