²⁸ Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.^(A)

Concerning Change of Status

¹⁷ Nevertheless, each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them.^(A) This is the rule I lay down in all the churches.^(B)

¹⁶ to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles.^(A) He gave me the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God,^(B) so that the Gentiles might become an offering^(C) acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

¹⁸ When they arrived, he said to them: “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you,^(A) from the first day I came into the province of Asia.^{(B) 19} I served the Lord with great humility and with tears^(C) and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents.^{(D) 20} You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything^(E) that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. ²¹ I have declared to both Jews^(F) and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance^(G) and have faith in our Lord Jesus.^(H)

²² “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem,^(I) not knowing what will happen to me there. ²³ I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me^(J) that prison and hardships are facing me.^{(K) 24} However, I consider my life worth nothing to me;^(L) my only aim is to finish the race^(M) and complete the task^(N) the Lord Jesus has given me^(O)—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.^(P)

²⁵ “Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom^(Q) will ever see me again.^{(R) 26} Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you.^{(S) 27} For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.^{(T) 28} Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock^(U) of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers.^(V) Be shepherds of the church of God,^[a](W) which he bought^(X) with his own blood.^{[b](Y) 29} I know that after I leave, savage wolves^(Z) will come in among you and will not spare the flock.^{(AA) 30} Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples^(AB) after them. ³¹ So be on your guard! Remember that for three years^(AC) I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.^(AD)

³² “Now I commit you to God^(AE) and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance^(AF) among all those who are sanctified.^{(AG) 33} I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing.^{(AH) 34} You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions.^{(AI) 35} In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”