Castle's Keep

An Important Stop

As the Apostle Paul was journeying back to Jerusalem after his third missionary journey, he stopped in Miletus so that he could have the opportunity to speak to the elders of Ephesus one last time. His words were one of encouragement and of challenge, specifically to “shepherd the church of God” (Acts 20:28, NASU). As an example of how to accomplish this, he reminded those gathered of his own boldness in preaching not just what people wanted to hear, but instead the entire message God had given him: The “whole counsel of God” (20:27) as translated in the KJV.

Standing Up, Standing Strong

Part of walking as a Christian is standing up for Christ who we serve. This means that before the world the Christian is to be neither passive, nor timid. Instead, when challenged, maligned, or merely questioned, the Christian should be ready and willing to answer. Peter described such an attitude in his first epistle, encouraging Christians to:

…sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to given an account…
1 Peter 3:15a (NASU)