— by Michael A. Graham
“I Do Not Count My Psyche as Precious” —Zoe, Psyche, and Bios in the Life and Ministry We Receive from Jesus
—By Michael A. Graham
Section 1: Introduction
This essay began during the final days of my pastoral ministry at New Life Vicenza, a small international congregation near the U.S. military base in northern Italy. I was preparing to preach my final sermon there, and I returned to a passage I had preached before: Acts 20:17–38. These are Paul’s last words to the elders in Ephesus. The tone is affectionate, serious, and filled with gospel clarity. It was the passage I needed for the moment I was in.
As I studied Acts 20:24, one word caught my attention with unusual weight. Paul says, “I do not account my life of any value to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus.” Most English translations render the word as “life.” But in Greek, Paul uses ψυχή (psyche) — a word more often translated as “soul” or “self.” The line can be read this way: “I do not account my psyche — my inner self — as precious to me.”
That word reframed the sermon. And it reshaped my understanding of the passage.
Psyche carries the meaning of the emotional, volitional, and relational self. It includes memory, desire, identity, affection, and vulnerability. When Paul speaks this word, he places that entire dimension of his life into the hands of God. He entrusts his deepest interior self to Christ in order to finish his course. This surrender expresses freedom and trust. Paul speaks as someone who lives from a life greater than his own inner capacity.
This use of the word psyche raises a broader biblical question: how does Scripture speak about life?
In Acts 20:24, nearly every English translation — from the King James Version to the most recent editions — translates ψυχή as “life,” even though the same word is often rendered “soul” elsewhere in the New Testament. In fact, ψυχή is the Greek word commonly used to translate the Hebrew נֶפֶשׁ (nephesh), which refers to the soul or inner person throughout the Old Testament. This variation in translation opens the way to consider how the New Testament uses different Greek words to speak about life. Alongside the occasional use of psyche translated as life, the New Testament typically uses ζωή (zoe) — divine, eternal life — and βίος (bios) — physical, material life. All three appear in distinct contexts, and each reveals something about how Scripture understands human life and the human person.
When Paul uses psyche in a verse translated as “life,” he necessarily invites a deeper reflection on what kind of life Paul is surrendering — and what kind of life enables that surrender.
Paul lives by zoe — divine life received from Christ. Zoe flows from the grace of God and fills the soul with strength. It governs the psyche and sustains the body. Zoe enters the world as gift of God and the presence of Christ. It enables real people to endure suffering, walk in holiness, carry responsibility, and give themselves away in love. This Zoe life begins and increases under grace. It forms people of faith for faithfulness.
Paul speaks from zoe life in verse 24 when he talks about psyche and he speaks toward zoe again in verse 32, where he says, “I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up.” These two verses are central and summative for Paul’s pastoral theology. They speak of a life received, a ministry entrusted, and a church sustained.
This essay reflects on that theology. It also aims to clarify how the categories of zoe, psyche, and bios offer a biblical and pastoral framework for understanding the gospel, the human person, and faithful ministry. These terms arise directly from Scripture. They speak to the real pressures people face in life, emotion, and calling. And they lead us back to grace.
Section 2: The Word Paul Chose – ψυχή in Acts 20:24
Paul’s language in Acts 20:24 deserves careful attention. The sentence reads:
“But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus…”
In Greek, the key phrase is:
οὐδενὸς λόγου ποιοῦμαι τὴν ψυχὴν τιμίαν ἐμαυτῷ
“I consider my ψυχή as having no value to myself…”
English translations consistently render ψυχή here as “life.”
The ESV, NIV, NASB, KJV, NRSV, and CSB all translate the verse similarly: “I do not account my life as dear to myself.”
This translation flows naturally from the context, yet Paul’s word choice conveys something more specific. He does not use ζωή (zoe) — divine, eternal life. He does not use βίος (bios) — material, physical life. He uses ψυχή (psyche) — a word more often translated elsewhere as “soul” or “self.”
Paul is referring to the inner life — the emotional, volitional, and relational self. This word psyche speaks of identity, longing, memory, affection, fear, and desire. Psyche captures what we often mean by the word “soul,” and sometimes even “personhood.” It names the part of a person that carries meaning, conscience, vulnerability, imagination, and joy. This is the seat of the self.
When Paul says he does not consider his psyche as precious to himself, he reveals the location of his surrender in these verses to the elders at Miletus.
Paul entrusts his physical life, his public identity, and the deepest interior dimensions of his person — the soul he inhabits every moment of the day — into the hands of Christ. This act expresses dependence and assurance. Paul speaks as one who places his entire life under grace in order to finish the course set before him.
This word choice opens a question that presses on modern experience:
What does it mean to live in a world where the psyche has become sacred, and then hear Paul say, “I do not account my psyche as precious to myself”?
Paul surrenders what many today feels compelled to preserve at any cost. He gives away what modern culture encourages people to protect, curate, and prioritize. And he does so in the service of a ministry he received from Jesus.
Paul’s choice of psyche also opens a forward-facing window into the modern world.
In classical Greek usage, psyche referred to the self — the inner being, the seat of thought, feeling, perception, and will.
That meaning carries into the New Testament, where psyche often parallels the Hebrew נֶפֶשׁ (nephesh), yet still retains its own Greek resonance.
In our time, the language of psyche continues to shape how people interpret their identity.
Psychological experience often defines the self. Feelings shape meaning. Emotional regulation serves as moral vision. Mental health carries the weight of salvation.
Paul’s words speak into this world with enduring clarity. Paul is able to entrust his deepest psyche life — because his psyche and bios life already rests secure in God’s zoe life.
Paul’s surrender flows from confidence in God’s care, and that confidence continues to speak powerfully into an modern and post modern and post-post-modern age of violence where the inner life is expected to carry everything.
This sentence in Acts 20:24 is a personal declaration. Paul entrusts the most vulnerable and personal part of himself to the God who gave him life and ministry. He offers his soul with joy. And in doing so, he bears witness to the kind of life that sustains ministry under grace.
Section 3: Context Determines Meaning – Why Psyche in Acts 20:24 Bears the Weight We Give It
Some readers might wonder whether too much weight is being placed on a single word — the Greek word ψυχή (psyche) — especially when it is translated as “life” in Acts 20:24 alongside other New Testament words like ζωή (zoe) and βίος (bios).
This concern arises from a long history of thoughtful interpreters warning against the “word study fallacy” — the mistake of building theology on etymology or lexicons instead of context.
This concern deserves attention. But the strength of this interpretation comes from the passage itself. The weight given to psyche in this essay arises not from lexical speculation but from Paul’s deliberate choice of the word within a highly emotional, personal, and theological moment — one filled with clarity, farewell, tears, and exhortation.
Paul could have used bios to refer to his physical life. He could have used zoe to describe the divine life he had received from Christ. Instead, he uses psyche — a word that refers to the inner self: the relational, emotional, volitional center of a person.
English translators render it “life,” which fits the structure of the sentence. But Paul’s original word choice opens a richer window into the dimensions of what he is surrendering.
This claim is supported not only by the immediate sentence but by the entire passage of Acts 20:17–38. Paul is not simply stating that he values the mission more than his physical safety. He is describing a full surrender of the whole person — his identity, affections, burdens, and calling — into the hands of Christ.
In Acts 20:19, he speaks of serving the Lord with tears and trials. In verse 22, he says he is going to Jerusalem “constrained by the Spirit”, not knowing what awaits him, except that imprisonment and afflictions lie ahead. In verse 31, he reminds the elders that he “did not cease night or day to admonish everyone with tears.” And in verse 36–38, he kneels with them, prays, embraces, and weeps with them.
This entire speech is suffused with personal affection, theological conviction, and vocational surrender. Paul is not making an abstract theological claim. He is offering his soul to people and to the Lord. His word choice — psyche — perfectly fits the atmosphere and direction of the moment. The context gives the word its meaning.
This approach is also supported by scholars such as A.T. Robertson, who in his Word Pictures in the New Testament, warns against over-pressing distinctions between certain Greek terms (like those for love), but emphasizes the meaningful distinctions between the New Testament words for life.
Robertson affirms that zoe, bios, and psyche carry distinct shades of meaning, especially when authors like Paul use them intentionally in emotionally charged, doctrinally rich moments.
Paul’s use of psyche in Acts 20:24 stands at the intersection of surrender and grace. He is offering up the self that carries identity, longing, affection, weariness, memory, and love. And he is doing so freely, not from detachment, but from fullness — because his psyche is already held secure in zoe.
The life Paul surrenders is the inner life. The ministry he finishes is the one Christ gave him. The grace that sustains him is the same grace that now builds others. The word psyche becomes a window — not into abstraction or overreach, but into the very soul of the passage.
Section 4: Word and Soul – ψυχή in the Bible and Its Distinction from Spirit
I. Why This Matters
Acts 20:24 hinges on a precise word: ψυχή (psyche).
English translations often render it as “life,” but the word points to something more specific: the inner self, commonly referred to as the soul.
To understand Paul’s statement, it is important to understand what Scripture means by psyche — and how it relates to or differs from another key biblical word, πνεῦμα (pneuma), which is most often translated “spirit.”
II. The Old Testament Word for Soul – נֶפֶשׁ (Nephesh)
—Appears approximately 750 times in the Hebrew Bible
—Translated in various ways: “soul,” “life,” “self,” “creature,” “desire,” “mind”
—Used to describe:
• The whole self (Genesis 2:7 – “a living soul”)
• Emotional and mental distress (Psalm 42:5 – “Why are you cast down, O my soul?”)
• Appetite and longing (Deuteronomy 12:20 – “When your soul longs to eat meat…”)
Nephesh includes both the felt interior life and the individual self in relationship to God and others. It is personal, emotional, and deeply integrated with the human experience.
III. The New Testament Word for Soul – ψυχή (Psyche)
—Appears approximately 105 times in the Greek New Testament
—Translates the concept of nephesh into Greek
—Commonly translated as “soul,” but also rendered as “life” in some contexts
—Carries the meaning of:
• Selfhood and identity (Luke 12:19 – “Soul, you have ample goods laid up…”)
• Emotional and spiritual capacity (Luke 1:46 – “My soul magnifies the Lord”)
• The inner self in danger or distress (Matthew 10:28 – “Fear Him who can destroy both soul and body…”)
In many cases, psyche functions as the most human and intimate part of a person — the inner life where thoughts, desires, griefs, and joys reside.
IV. The New Testament Word for Spirit – πνεῦμα (Pneuma)
—Appears approximately 380 times in the New Testament
—Translated as “Spirit,” “spirit,” “breath,” or “wind” depending on the context
—Used to refer to:
• The Holy Spirit (Luke 4:1)
• The human spirit (1 Corinthians 2:11 – “the spirit of the man”)
• The spiritual dimension of a person oriented toward God
Pneuma speaks to the part of a person that communes with God — the place of conviction, conscience, and worship. It is the God-ward faculty, where spiritual life takes root and where the presence of the Holy Spirit gives strength and clarity.
V. Two Major Views of Human Composition in Christian Theology
1. Tripartite View – Body, Soul, and Spirit
This view holds that human beings are composed of three distinct but related elements:
—Soma (body) — the physical, embodied life
—Psyche (soul) — the emotional, volitional, and relational center
—Pneuma (spirit) — the place of spiritual communion with God
Scriptural support includes:
—1 Thessalonians 5:23 — “spirit, soul, and body”
—Hebrews 4:12 — “dividing soul and spirit…”
This view appears in the writings of some early church fathers, in the work of Watchman Nee, in parts of Reformed pastoral theology, and in certain evangelical frameworks. It emphasizes functional distinctions between the soul and the spirit while affirming their essential unity within the person.
2. Dichotomist View – Material and Immaterial (or Body and Spirit)
This view teaches that human beings consist of two essential components:
—Body (soma)
—Spirit/soul (used interchangeably to refer to the immaterial self)
In this understanding, psyche and pneuma describe different aspects of the same immaterial essence rather than separate faculties.
Support for this view includes:
—Many passages where “soul” and “spirit” appear to be used interchangeably
—The emphasis in Hebraic thought on wholeness rather than fragmentation
This view has been favored by theologians such as Calvin and Bavinck and is common in many strands of Reformed theology. It emphasizes the unity of the person before God while recognizing the layered complexity of the human interior life.
VI. Why This Matters in Acts 20:24
Paul’s use of ψυχή (psyche) in Acts 20:24 is exact and deeply personal. He offers not only his physical safety (bios) but his inner self — the seat of his relationships, his emotions, his thoughts, and his sense of calling.
This kind of surrender reveals depth. Paul is not operating with detachment or aloofness. He is giving his life to the ministry Christ gave him, from the inside out. His use of psyche communicates emotional honesty and spiritual clarity. He has received zoe, and that divine life anchors his soul. Because psyche is secure in zoe, Paul can pour out his life freely in love, in presence, and in ministry.
Section 5: The Collapse of Zoe in the Modern West
To understand the weight of Paul’s surrender in Acts 20:24, it helps to consider the wider theological and cultural backdrop.
Scripture presents zoe — the divine, unshakable life of God — as the foundation of Christian faith and ministry. Paul lives from this life. It grounds his identity, shapes his calling, and sustains his soul.
In the modern West, however, zoe has faded from view. The transcendent world once assumed by generations of believers has grown distant. Divine life has not disappeared, but it has been pushed to the margins of culture. The result is a quiet but steady shift: what once stood at the center has been displaced.
This displacement did not happen instantly. It unfolded across centuries, carried by ideas, institutions, and movements.
The Enlightenment emphasized reason and autonomy. Secular humanism sought to define humanity on its own terms. Scientific materialism prioritized the measurable world. Each of these movements gradually altered the modern imagination.
Over time, the West began to see reality through what philosopher Charles Taylor calls “the immanent frame.” This way of seeing the world assumes that everything meaningful can be found within the material universe. Heaven remains an idea, but the functional horizon is closed. In this framework, transcendence no longer carries weight. Zoe becomes optional, and the divine life once seen as essential fades into abstraction.
Yet the human longing for life remains. People still hunger for meaning, joy, purpose, connection, and hope. The need does not vanish. It shifts its focus.
When zoe is displaced, something else rises to take its place. That replacement often begins with bios — the material life of the body, the world of strength, survival, work, health, and control.
In modernity, bios becomes the field of promise. Life becomes a project of mastery. People look to medicine, science, systems, and technology to solve the problem of death, to extend life, to relieve pain, and to create comfort.
This reliance on bios shapes culture in visible ways. Productivity becomes a moral good. Efficiency becomes a value. Comfort becomes a goal. Control becomes a virtue. Success becomes a marker of worth. The body becomes a canvas for identity and expression. The modern vision of life turns outward — toward what can be measured, improved, and maintained.
But bios alone cannot sustain the weight of the soul. The human person was made for more than health, efficiency, and productivity.
When bios carries the full burden of meaning, the soul begins to fracture. The person becomes tired. The body works in ways the soul cannot celebrate. The longing for transcendence re-emerges, not always as faith, but often as that stab of inconsolable longing.
At that point, the modern self turns inward. When the world of bios no longer satisfies, culture looks not beyond, but within.
This turning marks the next phase of the story — a deeper attempt to recover life by curating the soul.
Section 6: The Religion of Self — Act 1: Bios Life
When zoe fades from the cultural imagination, bios rises to take its place. In this shift, the human person begins to seek life through the physical, material, and biological world. The self turns outward — toward strength, skill, progress, and control.
This modern turn toward bios finds expression in technology, medicine, economics, education, and industry. The Enlightenment vision cast human beings as rational and powerful. With enough knowledge, effort, and coordination, people believed they could build a better world fueled by the idea of human evolution and survival of the fittest. In this vision, life could be improved without reference to God. Redemption would come through innovation. Salvation would arrive through progress.
This view became its own kind of religion — a deeply held faith in the material world and in the power of human reason. It offered an implicit gospel, complete with its own version of creation, fall, redemption, and restoration:
—Creation = Matter emerges through natural process and evolves toward higher forms.
—Sin = Disorder, ignorance, environment, inefficiency, or disease blocks human flourishing.
—Salvation = Mastery over nature, achieved through scientific discovery, technological advancement, and social reform.
—Sanctification = Optimization, productivity, personal discipline, and physical health.
—Eschatology = A future of sustained improvement — a world continually advancing toward comfort, safety, and success.
Within this framework, the self remains sovereign. The person does not yield to divine Zoe life but draws power from within or from systems designed to serve individual goals. Bios becomes both a field of exploration and a tool for self-realization. The body is strengthened. The environment is controlled. The world becomes a stage for human achievement and moral improvement.
This bios-centered vision inspires much of modern culture. School systems form minds for competition. Workplaces prize output. Health industries promise longevity. Advertising shapes desire. Even relationships often form around shared achievement or lifestyle. The message is clear: life becomes meaningful when it becomes successful.
For a season, this approach offers momentum. The world does improve in many ways. Disease is reduced. Poverty is addressed. Opportunities expand. The body is preserved and strengthened. These are good gifts, and they bring real benefit. But the soul still asks deeper questions.
Over time, the religion of bios begins to show its limits. The self grows weary of carrying the weight of self-justification. The body begins to age. Progress fails to satisfy. Moments of success arrive, but the heart often feels empty. The person achieves more, but rejoices less. Deep down, many realize that this kind of life — for all its efficiency — cannot nourish the soul.
The project of bios begins to falter. The world has been improved, but the inner life remains unresolved. At that point, the modern person turns inward again — not to transcendence, but to introspection. The next chapter begins with a new promise: life will be found through the healing of the inner self.
Section 7: The Religion of Self — Act 2: Psyche Life
When bios no longer satisfies the soul, the search for life turns inward. The next attempt to restore wholeness begins not through mastery over the world, but through the cultivation of the inner self. In this second movement, the self becomes the center, and the psyche becomes sacred.
This inward turn shapes the modern age. People no longer trust progress alone to bring peace or joy. Instead, they begin to look for meaning within their own emotional experience, personal narrative, and psychological health. The self becomes the authority. Feelings establish identity. Inner alignment becomes the definition of truth.
This marks the rise of what has been called expressive individualism and the therapeutic culture. The goal is no longer to improve the world but to understand and heal the inner self. The person is encouraged to explore desires, uncover wounds, speak personal truth, and create space for self-expression. The vocabulary of soul care becomes central to everyday life.
Common phrases reflect this shift:
• “Honor your feelings.”
• “Speak your truth.”
• “Protect your peace.”
• “Set healthy boundaries.”
• “Do the inner work.”
• “Practice self-care.”
These ideas reflect a real need. People carry pain, confusion, trauma, and grief. The search for healing is honest. The soul longs to be seen, known, and restored. In many ways, this therapeutic movement reflects a longing for redemption.
But this system also becomes its own theology. The modern vision of life, centered in the self, forms a functional gospel — one that shapes meaning and purpose:
—Creation = “I am my own.” The self is original, autonomous, and worthy.
—Sin = “I feel shame, repression, misalignment, or inherited pain.”
—Salvation = “I find healing, authenticity, self-expression, and affirmation.”
—Sanctification = “I commit to continual therapy, self-discovery, and emotional growth.”
—Eschatology = “I reach inner peace, wholeness, and harmony with myself.”
In this gospel of psyche, the self remains sovereign. The journey becomes a search for coherence — a return to the truest version of oneself. Others may help, but no one defines. The person becomes author and healer. Emotional safety becomes a moral requirement. Validation becomes a sacrament. The interior world becomes the seat of truth and meaning.
This movement brings clarity to much of modern life. Education affirms identity. Social media amplifies narrative. Relationships focus on mutual validation. Institutions and churches feel pressure to accommodate the felt needs of the soul. In this cultural moment, to challenge someone’s inner world often feels like harm, and to affirm it feels like love.
Still, the weight remains. Even after seasons of insight and growth, the self remains restless. The therapeutic project carries real value, but it cannot carry eternity. It names the ache but cannot satisfy it. The soul needs more than self-awareness and affirmation. The soul needs life.
The inward turn leads people closer to their pain and longing, but it does not lead them to grace. The desire to be whole runs deep. The person continues to reach, still hoping to be found. And that longing creates the opening for something older and greater: the voice of divine love, the promise of grace, and the reality of zoe.
Section 8: Why Paul’s Words in Acts 20:24 Are So Astonishing Today
In our time, the inner self carries immense weight. The language of emotional safety, mental health, trauma, self-expression, and boundaries has become part of daily life. The culture affirms people not only for what they believe, but for what they feel and how they define themselves. In this world, the inner life becomes sacred.
Many people build their daily choices around protecting the psyche. Feelings shape decisions. Emotional energy sets the terms of engagement. The self must be preserved, supported, and affirmed. Any form of rejection, misalignment, or exposure can feel like a threat to survival.
In this atmosphere, Paul’s words in Acts 20:24 sound entirely different:
“I do not account my psyche as precious to myself…”
Paul’s statement does not come from detachment or emotional distance. It flows from security. He speaks as someone who has already entrusted his deepest self to the care of Christ. He is not disregarding his inner life. He is offering it freely, because he knows where it rests.
This is not resignation. This is love. Paul does not avoid pain, but walks into it. He does not protect his soul from sorrow, but entrusts it to grace. He does not curate his identity for safety, but places it under the care of the One who gave it. His words reveal freedom — the kind of freedom that comes from knowing whose you are, not just who you are.
Modern people often speak of the importance of living in alignment with the self. Paul speaks of something deeper: living in union with Christ. His psyche is not neglected. It is held. It is nourished. It is led. Because Paul lives from zoe, he can offer psyche. He entrusts his inner world not to systems of self-care, but to the grace of the Lord Jesus.
This also reframes the language of experience. In many places, personal narrative functions as authority. Lived experience sets the terms of truth. Paul does not erase his story. He carries it. He names his tears, his trials, his years of service, and his coming hardship. But he offers that story to Christ. His experience finds its place within a larger story — one written by grace and guided by the Spirit.
Paul does not demand affirmation. He gives love. He does not seek emotional safety. He trusts a deeper security. His soul no longer sits at the center. It rests in communion with God and is offered in service to others. This makes his surrender both clear and beautiful.
This freedom invites others to follow. The soul can rest. The self can step forward. The person can live, love, and lead without carrying the entire weight of the world. Because zoe remains, psyche can be given. And in that giving, the person becomes whole.
Section 9: Zoe Comes First – The Life That Leads to Ministry
Paul continues in Acts 20:24 with these words:
“…if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus.”
The order in Paul’s statement matters. He first speaks of the life he entrusts to God — his psyche — and then of the ministry he aims to complete. Paul does not create this ministry or strive to earn it. He receives it. And the strength to walk in it flows from the zoe he already possesses in Christ.
Ministry begins with grace. The course Paul runs is not of his own making. It was given to him by the risen Lord. That gift defines his path and sustains his effort. Paul ministers because he has already received zoe — divine life that anchors the soul and carries the body. His identity, calling, and capacity grow from the life of Christ at work within him.
Scripture speaks of life in multiple dimensions:
Zoe — the eternal, divine life given by God through union with Christ
Psyche — the inner life of memory, emotion, desire, and relational identity
Bios — the embodied life of action, labor, presence, and physical existence
All three matter. But only one governs. Zoe brings clarity and strength to the others. It does not compete with psyche or bios. It places them in order and infuses them with grace. The divine life does not suppress the soul or the body. It renews and reorients both.
This vision of life shapes Paul’s understanding of ministry. He does not prove himself through self-effort. He does not build a platform to secure identity. He does not organize his soul to produce results. He receives a trust, walks in that trust, and pours out his life in love.
This speaks directly to the calling of every believer. Ministry is not a project designed to define the self. It is a grace that flows from communion with Christ. Those who receive zoe receive the capacity to give. They serve with strength drawn from divine presence. They endure with joy drawn from divine promise.
This also shapes the pastoral reality of the local church. The weight of ministry does not fall on human energy alone. The strength comes from zoe — life from God, anchored in Christ, and sustained by the Spirit. In this strength, believers can entrust their psyche to grace and offer their bios in service. They walk with humility, courage, and resilience because the life that sustains them remains steady.
This is why Paul can say, “I do not shrink back…” (v.20). He does not speak from ambition or emotional force. He speaks from confidence in the One who gave him the course. And that same confidence appears again in verse 32:
“I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up…”
Paul does not build alone. He trusts the grace of God to build the church, to strengthen the people, and to carry the mission forward. He lives by zoe — and so he gives ministry away freely, in full confidence that God will continue the work He began.
Section 10: Jack Miller’s Five Gospel Facts and the Recovery of Zoe
When Paul says, “I do not account my psyche as precious to myself,” he speaks from deep security. His surrender flows from love. The soul he offers belongs to Christ. His body follows because his life flows from another source.
“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live (Zoe), but Christ who lives (Zoe) in me. And the life (Zoe) I now live (Zoe) in the flesh I live (Zoe) by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20 ESV).
Paul lives by zoe — divine life, received by grace and expressed through love.
This life defines the gospel. Jesus describes it as “abundant life” (John 10:10) and “eternal life” (John 3:16).
Zoe life brings communion with the Father, renewal of the soul, and restoration of the body.
Zoe draws people into the life and love of God — and sends them out in grace to serve others.
Pastor and author Jack Miller captured this dynamic in his booklet A New Life, where he outlines five gospel facts.
These are not steps or slogans. They form a gospel-centered framework for understanding the Christian life. Each fact shows how Zoe life is lost, how it is recovered, and how it flows outward in love and service.
Fact 1 – God Sent Jesus to Give Us Zoe
The gospel begins with the love of God. “A loving God sent His Son Jesus into the world to bring you a new and abundant life.”
This life is zoe — divine, indestructible, and freely given. Jesus says:
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal (Zoe) life.”
— John 3:16
And again:
“I came that they may have (Zoe) life and have it abundantly.”
— John 10:10
Zoe is life shaped by the love of the Father, carried by the presence of the Son, and poured out by the Spirit.
Zoe life brings people into communion with God and awakens love for others.
To receive Zoe life is to be drawn into the eternal life and love of God — and to be sent into the world with the same life and love we have received.
That is the ministry Paul has received that enables him to surrender his lesser though important psyche and bios life.
Fact 2 – We Lose That Life When We Center On Ourselves
The human heart was made for God. But the story of humanity reveals a different pattern: a turn inward.
People exchange communion with God for self-reliance, and the result is separation from zoe.
Jack Miller A New Life booklet puts it plainly: “People are self-centered, not God-centered.”
Scripture speaks to this condition:
“You were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world…”
— Ephesians 2:1
The soul continues to seek meaning, but it bends toward control and autonomy.
The self becomes the center, and the weight of life begins to press inward.
Zoe life slips away, not because God has ceased to offer it, but because the heart has turned from the Author and Source of all life and love.
Fact 3 – A Bad Record, a Bad Heart, and a Bad Master
The result of centering life on ourselves is described by three barriers that keep people from enjoying zoe:
A bad record brings guilt and shame before God and others
A bad heart shapes thoughts, words, and actions
A bad master — the world, the flesh, and the Devil rules the life apart from grace
Each of these has a scriptural foundation:
Bad Record — “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)
Bad Heart — “From within, out of the heart… come evil thoughts.” (Mark 7:21)
Bad Master — “Everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.” (John 8:34)
These realities shape both psyche and bios. The conscience feels the burden. The soul shrinks under shame. The body strains under effort. Ministry becomes a task of self-justification. Joy gives way to pressure. Love gives way to fear. The self labors to build a life that only God can give.
Fact 4 – In Christ, the Barriers Are Removed
Jesus enters the world not to condemn but to save. He brings zoe with Him — not as an idea, but as a person. In Christ, each of the barriers is addressed:
A perfect record is given — “Christ… is made our righteousness.” (1 Corinthians 1:30)
A new heart is promised — “A new heart I will give you.” (Ezekiel 36:25–26)
A good master invites you to rest — “My yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28–30)
The gospel reaches the entire person. The past is forgiven. The soul is renewed. The will is reoriented. The self finds rest under the gentle rule of Christ. In His love, zoe enters and reshapes life from the inside out.
Fact 5 – We Receive This Life by Faith and Repentance.
Faith and repentance are not conditions to fulfill. They are responses to grace — expressions of trust and surrender. “You receive Christ by faith and repentance. That’s how you begin. That’s how you continue.”
Scripture makes this clear:
“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.” (Acts 16:31)
“Let the wicked forsake his way… let him return to the Lord… and He will abundantly pardon.” (Isaiah 55:7)
“As you received Christ Jesus, so walk in Him.” (Colossians 2:6)
Faith trusts the love of God. Repentance turns toward that love. Together they describe the movement of the heart into life. The soul receives what it could never produce. The person steps into grace and finds strength to walk.
Zoe Reorders Life Through Love
Jack Miller’s five gospel facts describe the recovery of life. They also describe the movement of love. Through the gospel:
Zoe governs — divine life brings order, security, and joy
Psyche is renewed — the soul finds rest, meaning, and freedom
Bios is aligned — the body lives with purpose, presence, and hope
Zoe does more than restore. Zoe life, like God’s own life is God-centered and other-centered. It sends out in the love it has received in Christ. Divine love draws the person in and then leads them out — into ministry, into relationships, and into freedom. The soul no longer carries the weight of the world. It walks in grace and risks giving itself in love.
This is the life Paul carries in Acts 20. He receives zoe. He entrusts his psyche. He offers his bios in service. His surrender rises from grace. His obedience flows from love. His life bears the marks of joy rooted in divine strength.
This is the hope that continues. Christ gives His life. The Father pours out His love. The Spirit fills the soul. And the gospel forms a people whose ministry flows from zoe — grounded in grace and overflowing with love.
Section 11: The Whole Counsel of God – A Related Research Note and Word of Caution
As we consider with Paul the ministry we have received from the Lord, I returned to Acts 20 and found myself drawn to the phrase “the whole counsel of God” in verse 27. Paul says to the elders,
“I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.”
This phrase stands alongside three others in the passage. Each describes Paul’s ministry from a different angle, and together they form a rich picture of gospel faithfulness:
1. “The gospel of the grace of God” (v.24)
“…the ministry I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.”
2. “The kingdom of God” (v.25)
“…among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom.”
3. “All the counsel of God” (v.27)
“For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.”
4. “Repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ” (v.21)
These are not separate doctrines. They are different windows into the same reality — the ministry Paul received from Christ and faithfully shared with the church. Each phrase emphasizes something distinct:
—The content: the grace of God and the kingdom
—The scope: all the counsel of God
—The effect: repentance and faith
—The source: Christ Himself
These expressions function together. Paul cannot proclaim the kingdom apart from grace. He does not call for repentance without holding out Christ. And when he speaks of the whole counsel of God, he speaks from the fullness of what has been revealed in Jesus.
In my own Reformsd theological circles, “the whole counsel of God” becomes a slogan — used to emphasize doctrinal balance, methodological rigor, or systematic coverage of Scripture.
Some define it as preaching every text, book by book, with equal weight. Others use it to urge balance between law and gospel, justification and sanctification, or biblical theology and systematics.
These concerns matter. Balance matters. Doctrine matters. But Paul is not describing a method. He is describing a ministry. He is not just laying out an expository philosophy. He is summarizing a life of gospel witness.
Throughout the passage, Paul emphasizes presence, tears, warnings, teaching, sacrifice, and trust. His life has been poured out among the people. The whole counsel of God is not a formula. It is a lived expression of gospel clarity and fullness — centered in Christ and offered in grace.
This is consistent with how Paul speaks elsewhere:
“…the mystery of His will… to unite all things in Him.” (Ephesians 1:9–10)
“…we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.” (2 Corinthians 4:5)
“…to make the word of God fully known… Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:25–27)
The whole counsel of God refers to the fullness of what God has revealed — from creation to covenant, from promise to fulfillment, from law to gospel, from Israel to the nations, and from death to resurrection. It holds together all that God has done, all that He has spoken, and all that He has accomplished in Christ.
This kind of ministry carries weight. And it also calls for clarity. When people use the phrase “whole counsel of God,” it helps to ask what they mean. Sometimes it is used:
—As a defense of a preferred method: “We preach verse by verse, so we preach the whole counsel.”
—As a silent standard: “If you are not emphasizing law and gospel balance every sermon, something is off.”
—As a warning: “You preach too much grace, too much mission, too much story, or not enough structure.”
Paul’s words invite a better vision. He is not guarding a system. He is giving himself in ministry. He is not offering theological categories in sequence. He is declaring the redemptive story centered in Christ — received by grace and passed on in love.
Jack Miller captures this dynamic well:
“Doctrinal soundness includes more than formal adherence to a right system of doctrine. It also must include wholeness, clear focus, and balance. It means the major doctrines are to be given their due as major doctrines, with secondary issues related to them in a way that shows the derivative character of these secondary matters. You might even say that balance means having the whole sweep of major doctrine in the foreground of one’s thinking. Seen in this light, then, theological error is in part at least permitting major Biblical truths to slip into the background of one’s thinking and practice.”
— C. John Miller, “Reflections on Faculty Discussion” (1977)
This is the vision Paul models. And this is the vision I have tried to follow in this essay. Not a perfect balance of every category, but a clear declaration of the central things — Christ crucified, the grace of God, and the unsearchable riches of His kingdom.
Section 12: Conclusion – The Ministry We Receive and the Life We Share
The words that opened this essay now return with deeper clarity and fuller meaning:
“I do not account my psyche as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus.”
— Acts 20:24
“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.”
— Acts 20:32
These two verses contain everything: Paul’s understanding of life, his vision of ministry, and his confidence in grace. In verse 24, he names what he carries — his inner life, his physical body, and the course set before him. In verse 32, he names what he gives — the people, the work, and the future. Between the two stands Christ. And through both, Paul lives from the zoe life he has received.
Life and ministry both begin with grace. Paul does not invent either. He receives both from Jesus — and he walks in them through faith. He entrusts his psyche to grace and offers his bios in service. He finishes the course not by self-preservation, but by self-giving love, rooted in the eternal life of God.
This vision shaped the final days of my time at New Life Vicenza. I stood between these same two verses. I gave thanks for the ministry Christ had entrusted to me. I named the life He had shared with us. And I handed those gifts forward to others — not as a burden to bear, but as a grace to carry. I commended the people to the word of God’s grace.
That grace still holds. It continues to build. It continues to give zoe. It continues to renew the soul and strengthen the body. It continues to call people into ministry and to sustain them in that call. The gospel does not fade. The Spirit does not weaken. The love of God remains steady.
Ministry continues because grace continues. And grace continues because Christ reigns.
The whole person — soul, body, identity — remains held in Him.
To live — Zoe life — is Christ.
To die is gain.
Because the life that began this journey still sustains it — and leads it home.
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