Acts 20:28-38 Preach the Word
The Elders of the churches in Ephesus have come together, at great cost to themselves, to hear the apostle Paul one last time. ‘Elders’, ‘overseers ‘, ‘presbyters’ and ‘bishops’, they all refer to men who have been called by God for life to lead the work of God’s people. Paul is speaking to them urging them to prioritise Word ministry, teaching the message of the Scriptures to all people in society, not just to the church members.
This priority to teach the Word of God to people is seen in our word ‘Cathedral’. This word comes from the Ancient Greek ‘kathedra’, which translates directly to ‘seat’ or "chair"(composed of ‘kata’ meaning ‘down’ and hedra meaning ‘seat’). In ancient Rome, a cathedra was a comfortable chair with arms used specifically by teachers, professors, or officials. It was a visual shorthand for knowledge, expertise, and authority. When a professor taught from their chair, they were speaking authoritatively (which is also where we get the term ‘academic chair’ or ‘chair of the department’) The church used this term to emphasise that prime role of the pastor, presbyter or bishop is to teach God’s word to people.
Here Paul speaks to the elders in this way because it is their job to pass on this message to the ministers of the church, that is everyChristian It is these people within the church who will be the ones who build up the church, by the way they speak to others in their society about Jesus. All Christians have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit to enable us to fulfil the role of being ministers for Christ.
The church are the ‘sheep of God’ and the Lord Jesus is our shepherd. The overseers are just under-shepherds. To care for God’s sheep and help then go out into the world, amongst wolves, is a daunting and demanding task.
“ Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.” Acts 20:28
It is all too easy for us to love orthodox Christian doctrine and even do good works and yet lose our first love for the Lord Jesus and our longing to speak up for him. The Lord said to the church in Ephesus:
“Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lamp-stand from its place.” Revelation 2:4-5
Just as Jesus died for his sheep so his leaders should be willing to do the same. This flock is immensely valuable to God. He cares about each of us very much.
Problems churches face
Paul recognises that the flock is in danger:
“ I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock.” Acts 20:29
There will always be people who want to be leaders and will split churches. The most dangerous wolves are those within our churches who cannot see that we are here olive for Christ and him alone.
“ Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.” Acts 20:30
Churches will be split over the question of truth. These false teachers, they will speak ‘twisted words’, they distort the truth. This is a vital issue in the Bible. God speaks to us through his word. We must not pick out verses that can eb twisted, we are to teach the whole Word of god to get a balanced picture of what God expects of us in worship.
At the Consecration of a bishop in the Church of England, the rubric says that the Archbishop hands a Bible to the incoming bishop and says,
“GIVE heed unto reading, exhortation, and doctrine. Think upon the things contained in this Book. Be diligent in them, that the increase coming thereby may be manifest unto all men. Take heed unto thyself, and to doctrine, and be diligent in doing them: for by so doing thou shalt both save thyself and them that hear thee. Be to the flock of Christ a shepherd, not a wolf; feed them, devour them not.”
What a tragedy it is that Bishops as a whole have now commended for use, prayers that plainly contradict the teaching of the Bible and by so doing draw people away fro following Jesus. That is what wolves do. All church leaders, men and women need to examine themselves first and ensure that their priorities are those of Jesus Christ, only can they lead otherwise to follow Christ:
“Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.” Acts 20:28
False shepherds have always been a problem. The prophet Ezekiel warns God’s people about this in the 6th century BC:
“The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to you shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock?” Ezekiel 34:1-2
God then supplies the answer, he himself will come in the flesh as the one ‘Good Shepherd’:
“‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness. I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land.” Ezekiel 34:11-13
Jesus had no doubt who he was. He is the ‘Good Shepherd’ that Ezekiel spoke of:
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me - just as the Father knows me and I know the Father - and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.” John 10:11-16
The God shepherd’s priority is always to draw people from outside into his fold
So Ezekiel is warning church leaders to be good ‘under shepherds’, whereas the Good Shepherd is ultimately in charge of us all.
“So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.” Acts 20:31
God’s Truth matters.
The truth that churches must teach is that taught by the apostles as this was what Jesus taught them. This therefore comes from God. This is emphasised in the Apostles Creed that says we ‘believe in the holy catholic (universal) apostolic church’. John starts this short letter stressing this same point:
“To the lady chosen by God and to her children, whom I love in the truth - and not I only, but also all who know the truth - because of the truth, which lives in us and will be with us forever: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, will be with us in truth and love. It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us.” 2 John 1-4
To depart from apostolic teaching is to depart from Christ:
“Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.” 2 John 9
To ‘run ahead’ has always been a problem in churches. Some leaders say they are teaching the Bible but actually emphasise doctrines that neither Jesus nor the apostles practised. Look back at how many fell for ‘being slain in the Spirit’ as a means to spiritual growth. Today there are churches that encourage congregations to enter a form of mindless ecstasy in which people make meaningless noises and suggest that that is worship. Did Jesus and the apostles really stress this? Paul was clear when he wrote to the church of Corinth, troubled by such un-Christian activities, saying,
“Therefore I urge you to imitate me. For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.” 1 Corinthians 4:16-17
A little later he wrote:
“Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God.” 2 Corinthians 4:2
The church’s job is to teach people the word of God and encourage them to obey it. Some may find it more exciting and may find other means to draw the crowds but Paul’s message is the same:
“. . . so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, “Do not go beyond what is written.” Then you will not be puffed up in being a follower of one of us over against the other. 1 Corinthians 4:6
So, to ‘not go beyond what is written’ means to focus on Jesus and His Word above all else. It means to trust that the Bible has all the answers and truths we need to live a holy and pleasing life before God—we don’t need anything beyond what God has provided for us in His Word.
Many people are always looking for other means to become ‘more spiritual’. Peter has to remind his readers:
“ His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” 2 Peter 1:3
Christian truth is found in what Jesus said and did, as relayed to us by his apostles. Peter also had to warn his readers:
“But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories.” 2 Peter 2:1-3
The apostles keep coming back to God’s truth as revealed in Scripture. We must not accept anything that goes beyond or indeed falls short of apostolic truth.
This is not saying that we shouldn’t be imaginative in what we do when churches meet - too many are just hymns, sandwiched between prayers and a Bible reading. Music has an important role, friendships have a vital role, inspiring leaders at the front are an attraction but nothing should detract from the centrality of teaching the Bible’s message, both in word, song and relationships. Should we bring back choruses which are short, easy to sing and teach key bible verses and doctrines?
Who is responsible for sifting what is taught in our churches? Church leaders do have a responsibility not to allow those advocating doctrines or practices that are contrary to God’s law any influence in the church - such people must be excluded from any teaching roles. Yet how many denominations allow people who encourage sexual activity outside of marriage to continue in leadership roles.
Ultimately, however, it is up to every Christian to make up their own mind. John said:
“If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take them into your house or welcome them. Anyone who welcomes them shares in their wicked work.” 2 John 10-11
When students go off to university we say to them,
‘Find a church which passionately teaches all of God’s word both from the pulpit and in small groups. Find one that loves to talk about living for Jesus. Find one that longs to share the gospel with those who are not yet convinced. Avoid a church that emphasises certain practices that go beyond what Jesus and the apostles practised and avoid any church whose standards fall short of the way God wants all his people to live.’
Surely this advice is valid for all of us when we are looking for a church or a home-group. Does it centre on Jesus? Is it outward looking and always looking for ways to draw others in to hear what God says through his word. It is the responsibility of every Christian to ensure that we are growing in the way God wants. He wants obedient followers who have learned to love and obey him. In his third letter John again emphasises the need for Christians to follow the truth that Jesus taught his apostles. To be faithful to Christ is to be ‘faithful to his truth’.
“It gave me great joy when some believers came and testified about your faithfulness to the truth, telling how you continue to walk in it. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” 3 John 3-4
This will always result in people being loving, because God is love.
“ . . . so that we may work together for the truth.” 3 John 8
John finishes his letter by applauding a man called Demetrius:
“ Demetrius is well spoken of by everyone - and even by the truth itself. We also speak well of him, and you know that our testimony is true.” 3 John 12
Those church leaders who are not following the truths taught by the apostles will increasingly become ‘lovers of self’ and not lovers of God and his people. John tells us of one such person who had rejected the apostles authority:
“Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will not welcome us. So when I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, spreading malicious nonsense about us. Not satisfied with that, he even refuses to welcome other believers. He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church.” 3 John 9-10
God’s truth and love must go hand in hand together as these are the nature of God. Poor leaders will er in one direction or the other but not hold both truth and love together in harmony.
Paul’s confidence
Paul is not leaving the Ephesians church to their own divides, to be devoured by wolves. His ultimate hope is not in the elders, however competent and however well taught they are by the apostle, his confidence is much stronger:
“Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” Acts 20:32
What will keep Christchurch Baldock thriving? It will only be if the word is preached and this centres on the undeserved grace god has thrown on those of us who have turned to him as our Lord and Saviour. It is God’s Word that will protect us. It is his Word that builds the temple of his people. The religious people in Jerusalem only had their temple for a few more years, being destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD and has never been rebuilt. The magnificent temple to Artemis (Diana) was damaged by a Goth invasion in 262 AD but was finally destroyed by a rioting mob. . By the late 4th century, Christianity had become the official state religion of the Roman Empire. In the 390s AD, Roman Emperor Theodosius I issued a series of strict decrees (the Theodosian Decrees) that completely banned pagan practices, closed pagan temples, and outlawed traditional sacrifices across the empire. This legally stripped the Temple of Artemis of its status, protections, and funding, leaving it vulnerable. Many pagan temples with their altars were converted into church buildings but this was not to be the fate of this temple. In 401 AD, a zealous Christian mob officially tore down what remained of the structure. Christian traditions and historical records from late antiquity attribute the motivation of this final raid to St. John Chrysostom, the Archbishop of Constantinople who is said to have actively encouraged the eradication of paganism.
Now the temple of Christ is made up of every Christian who loves and follows the Lord Jesus, he is our ‘cornerstone’. It is he who sanctifies us into being a holy people, set apart for his purposes.
We need to learn again to be people like Paul and the early church. What an example he set:
“I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. 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.’ ” Acts 20:33-35
He determined to help all people, rich and poor, who he saw to be weak and helpless. They all needed to learn about Jesus. Paul was determined to give all he had that people may be saved.
C.T. Studd was born into an incredibly wealthy family and became one of the most famous England cricket captains of the Victorian era. Though he first converted to Christianity at age 18, his faith took a backseat to his sports career, leaving him in what he called a "backslidden state" for six years.
His perspective changed completely in 1883 when his brother George fell critically ill. Facing the reality of death, Studd realised that fame, accolades, and fortune were entirely worthless in light of eternity. He later attended a revival meeting by evangelist D.L. Moody, which freshly stirred his soul and led him to fully surrender his life to God, concluding:
“If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him.”
Upon turning 25 in 1887, Studd inherited a massive fortune left by his deceased father (worth millions in today's value). After studying Scripture and praying, he decided to give every penny away to prove to the world that he relied on a living God rather than financial security. Studd spent the rest of his life working on the frontlines of global missions, serving first in China, then in India, and finally spending his final 21 years enduring severe illness and danger to plant churches in the heart of Africa
Have we all discovered what Paul had understood and are we passing this on to others? This was spoken to church elders but it is clearly a message for us all.
BVP
This article has been posted on the website www.bvpalmer.com where there are many other helpful articles and videos.
Christchurch Baldock is a Bible teaching, gospel centred, local church. More details can be found on its website. It meets every Sunday morning at 10.30 am in Knights Templar School, Baldock
Bernard can be contacted at berniepalmer1@sky.com
