Acts 20:26-30
 
Acts 20:26 (KJB)
Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men.
 
Paul now tells them that he is pure from the blood of all men and that means he had not withheld anything from anyone. Whenever he had a chance to preach the Gospel, he did it strongly no matter who was present. He did not cower in fear to any person, all who came in contact with him, heard the entire Gospel. Paul is likened to the watchman in Ezekiel. (Ezek 3:17 KJV) Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. At the Great White Judgment Throne of Christ, no one who knew Paul will ever be able to say, “but Paul never told me.”
 
Acts 20:27 (KJB)
For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.
 
Shunned - Kept back
Counsel - Plan, purpose, or design
 
Paul was free from any guilt because no one could ever say that he did not preach the whole counsel of God. The whole counsel of God is not just the love of God but it is also the retribution and Judgment of God. Those who reject His Son, are rejecting Him and there will be a judgment for those on the last day. (2 Th 1:7-9 KJV) And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, {8} In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: {9} Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; Paul’s preaching was not like the watered down garbage of today, he warned the people but loved those same people and preached with tears. The overall design of God’s plan was that salvation comes through the Lord Jesus Christ alone and never through the law, so those who reject Christ, are rejecting the only way of salvation and the only way to the Father. (John 14:6 KJV) Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
 
Acts 20:28 (KJB)
Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
 
Paul now transfers the charge to these Elders that they must pay attention to themselves to insure that they are not drifting into apostasy. Along with paying attention to their own Christian walk, they must keep a close eye upon the flock to make sure no false teachings have infected anyone’s beliefs. If you notice, it is the Holy Spirit who has made these men elders in the church. It was not because they were wealthy or influential but the Holy Spirit chooses men who are godly and are living a proper Christians life with good understanding of the Scriptures and who are serious about their calling. They are to have a very good understanding of the Scriptures, so they will be able to feed the flock, that is, to teach them the Scriptures and to strengthen and encourage them when the persecution comes. Paul reminds them that the church is not just some assembly but it is a blood bought assembly, not by the blood of a mere human, but by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. It is His church and not ours. This is why it is very important when choosing elders, to choose those who are truly committed Christians.
 
Acts 20:29 (KJB)
For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
 
Grievous - Heavy, burdensome, or weighty
 
Paul now states that after he departs, whether it be from them or from this world, that false teachers will arise from their ranks. Another aspect of the true elder is that they must have the spiritual ability to protect the flock from the grievous wolves. One of the fights that Paul had were with those Judaizers who stated that a person must be circumcised along with grace to be saved. (Luke 11:46 KJV) And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers. Once these false teachers know that Paul is gone for good, they will once again try to invade the church and introduce their false teachings which will add many burdens to the salvation by grace gospel. These teachers do not care about the flock because it is them they will be after hoping to draw people after themselves and their teachings. This is why the Elders must be very astute students of the Scriptures to be able to identify the false teachings and remove the false teachers, even if they have to use the Nehemiah method. (Neh 13:7-8 KJV) And I came to Jerusalem, and understood of the evil that Eliashib did for Tobiah, in preparing him a chamber in the courts of the house of God. {8} And it grieved me sore: therefore I cast forth all the household stuff of Tobiah out of the chamber.
 
Acts 20:30 (KJB)
Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.
 
Perverse - Oppose, corrupt, or turned away
 
There will always be those in the congregation that feel they have a special calling from God and will come up with all kind of spurious interpretations of Scripture. Not every church is attacked from the outside but there are many that self-destruct because the leaders do not keep a tight rein on the teachings. Anyone who subverts the real teachings of Scripture must be ordered to leave the church before they infect the believers, especially the weaker ones which are the primary targets of false teachers. Their main purpose is to draw people after themselves and build a base of their own that they can rule over. These type of false teachers can decimate the ranks of a church and eventually cause its demise. Some of the false teachers of our times who have risen from the ranks of the church are: William Miller (7th day Adventists), David Koresh (Branch Davidians), Harold Camping (Church is dead movement), Joel Osteen, and there are probably many others. All Christians must be on guard against men or women who wish to gather disciples to themselves.

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