Acts 20:19

19 serving the Lord with all humility, with tears, and with the trials that came to me through the plots of the Jews-

Acts 20:19 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 20:19

Serving the Lord with all humility of mind
Meaning, in the ministration of the Gospel, being conscious to himself of his own weakness and insufficiency in himself for such service; no ways elated with those excellent and extraordinary gifts bestowed upon him; ascribing all his success to the power, grace, and Spirit of God; treating no man with contempt and disdain; nor lording it over God's heritage, or claiming a dominion over the faith of men; nor seeking honour nor riches for himself, nor even what he had a just right unto, a maintenance from the people; but laboured with his own hands, and to his own and the necessities of others:

and with many tears;
at the obstinacy and unbelief of some, and at the distresses and afflictions of others, both corporeal and spiritual; as well as on account of the unbecoming walk of some professors:

and temptations which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews:
who were hardened against his ministrations, and believed not the Gospel preached by him, but spoke evil of it, and lay in wait to take away his life; by reason of which, his afflictions, which he calls temptations, because they were trials of his faith and patience, were very great.

Acts 20:19 In-Context

17 Now from Miletus, he sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the church.

18 And when they came to him, he said to them: "You know, from the first day I set foot in Asia, how I was with you the whole time-

19 serving the Lord with all humility, with tears, and with the trials that came to me through the plots of the Jews-

20 and that I did not shrink back from proclaiming to you anything that was profitable, or from teaching it to you in public and from house to house.

21 I testified to both Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus.