Serving the LORD with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews:
Serving.
Acts 27:23 For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,
John 12:26 If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.
Romans 1:1,9 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, …
with all.
1 Corinthians 15:9,10 For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God…
2 Corinthians 3:5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;
2 Corinthians 7:5 For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears.
many.
Acts 20:31 Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.
Psalm 119:136 Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep not thy law.
Jeremiah 9:1 Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!
temptations.
1 Corinthians 4:9-13 For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men…
2 Corinthians 4:7-11 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us…
2 Corinthians 11:23-30 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft…
by the.
Acts 20:3 And there abode three months. And when the Jews laid wait for him, as he was about to sail into Syria, he purposed to return through Macedonia.
Acts 9:23-25 And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him: …
Acts 13:50,51 But the Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts…
and with tears
The mention of tears indicates Paul's deep emotional investment in his ministry and the people he served. It reflects his compassion and the burdens he carried for the churches (2 Corinthians 2:4). Tears also signify the genuine love and concern he had for the spiritual well-being of others, echoing Jesus' own weeping over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41).
especially in the trials that came upon me
Paul faced numerous trials throughout his ministry, including physical hardships, persecution, and opposition (2 Corinthians 11:23-28). These trials were a testament to his commitment to the gospel and his willingness to suffer for Christ's sake (Philippians 1:29). The trials also served to strengthen his faith and reliance on God (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).
through the plots of the Jews
Paul often encountered opposition from Jewish leaders who saw his message as a threat to their religious authority and traditions (Acts 9:23, Acts 13:45). This opposition was rooted in a misunderstanding of the fulfillment of the Law through Christ (Romans 10:4). The plots against Paul highlight the tension between the early Christian movement and traditional Jewish beliefs, as well as the fulfillment of Jesus' prophecy that His followers would face persecution (John 15:20).
Acts 20:19 opens with Paul’s simple testimony: “I served the Lord.” Service was the defining note of his life.
• Serving the Lord, not himself or any agenda, gave Paul clarity and courage (cf. Romans 1:9; Acts 27:23).
• His ministry sprang from gratitude for salvation (1 Timothy 1:12–14) and from a sense of stewardship (1 Corinthians 9:16–17).
• True service puts the Master first, people next, self last (Mark 10:45). Paul models that order here.
Paul adds the manner of his service: “with great humility.”
• He always remembered the grace shown him as a former persecutor (1 Corinthians 15:9; Ephesians 3:8).
• Humility guarded him from boasting in results and kept him dependent on the Spirit (2 Corinthians 4:7).
• His attitude mirrored Christ, “who humbled Himself” (Philippians 2:5-8), reminding us that lowliness is kingdom greatness (Matthew 23:11-12).
Next, Paul notes the emotion involved: “with tears.”
• Ministry touched his heart; he wept over sin, suffering, and the spiritual peril of others (Acts 20:31; 2 Corinthians 2:4).
• Tears show compassion, not weakness (John 11:35). They water the seeds of gospel fruitfulness (Psalm 126:5-6).
• A dry-eyed servant may reveal a hard heart; Paul’s tears call us to tenderhearted engagement.
Paul served this way “especially in the trials.”
• Trials were not interruptions but arenas for faithfulness (Acts 14:22).
• Hardship refined his motives and proved the gospel’s power (2 Corinthians 11:23-28).
• He could rejoice because suffering with Christ leads to sharing His glory (Romans 8:17-18).
Finally, Paul identifies the source of many trials: “the plots of the Jews.”
• From Damascus onward, Jewish opposition followed him (Acts 9:23; 13:45; 23:12).
• Yet he kept loving them, yearning for their salvation (Romans 9:1-3; 10:1).
• Resistance never silenced him; it spread the gospel farther (Acts 28:28). Faithfulness in persecution remains a hallmark of true discipleship (2 Timothy 3:12).
Acts 20:19 paints a portrait of authentic Christian ministry—serving the Lord first, clothed in humility, moved by compassion, steadfast in trials, and undeterred by opposition. Paul’s example invites us to the same wholehearted, tear-stained, humble service, confident that the Lord whom we serve will sustain, reward, and use every act done for His glory.
(19) Serving the Lord with all humility of mind . . .--The participle exactly answers to the epithet of the "servant" or "slave" of Christ which St. Paul so often uses of himself (Romans 1:1; Galatians 1:10; Philippians 1:1; Titus 1:1). The "tears," too, are characteristic of the Apostle, whose intense sensitiveness and sympathy had not been hardened into a Stoic apathy, and therefore found vent in a form which the Stoic would have scorned as unmanly. (Comp. Acts 20:31; 2Corinthians 2:4.) Epictetus (Enchirid. c. 2) barely allowed a follower of wisdom to mourn outwardly with those who mourned, and added the warning: "Take heed that thou mourn not inwardly." . . . Verse 19. - Lowliness for humility, A.V.; tears for many tears, A.V. and T.R.; with trials for temptations, A.V.; plots for lying in wait, A.V. Plots (ἐπιβουλαῖς); comp. ver. 3, and note. There is no special account of Jewish plots in St. Luke's narrative of St. Paul's sojourn at Ephesus. But from Acts 19:9, 13, and probably 33, we may gather how hostile the unbelieving Jews were to him.