Acts 20:20

“Mark, here, I pray you, a character of teaching: "I kept back nothing," he says, ungrudging fulness, unshrinking promptness-"of what was profitable unto you:" because there were things which they did not need to learn. For as the hiding some things would have been like grudging, so the saying all things would be folly. This is why he adds, "that was profitable unto you. But have showed you, and have taught you:" have not only said, but also taught: not doing this either as a mere matter of form. For that this is what he means, observe what he says: "publicly, and from house to house:" thereby representing the exceeding toil, the great earnestness and endurance.”

“I have kept back, &c. I have discovered to you every thing which can be useful to your salvation. Neither fear, nor any human considerations, have prevailed over me to disguise or suppress the truths, which might be serviceable to you. This is the model of a good pastor. Full of doctrine, and of zeal, he communicates what God puts into his heart, and charity inspires him to speak, with abundance, with discretion, without jealousy, without fear. A good shepherd, St. Bernard used to say, has always bread in his scrip, and his dog in his keeping. The dog is his zeal, which must be chained, governed and moderated. His scrip, full of bread, is his mind, filled with all knowledge, which he is always in the state of dispensing as food to his flock.”

“kept back--timidly withheld from fear of consequences. nothing that was profitable--edification directing all. have taught you publicly, and from house to house--Did an apostle, whose functions were of so wide a range, not feel satisfied without private as well as public ministrations? How then must pastors feel? [BENGEL].”