Acts 20:28

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. TAKE HEED THEREFORE UNTO YOURSELVES - a caution reminding us of the apostle's warning style to Timothy (2 Tim., passim). AND TO ALL THE FLOCK. Observe here how the personal is put before the pastoral care. OVER THE WHICH THE HOLY SPIRIT HATH MADE YOU, 'We are not informed (to use the words of Lechler) how the elders at Ephesus were ordained to the ministry; but from analogy (Acts 6:2; Acts 14:23) it is to be supposed that they were chosen under the apostle's direction, and not without the church's cooperation, and...

− 28._Take heed, therefore. _He doth now apply his speech unto them, and by many reasons showeth that they must watch diligently, and that he is not so careful but because necessity doth so require. The first reason is, because they be bound to the flock over which they be set. The second, because they were called unto this function not by mortal man, but by the Holy Ghost. The third, because it is no small honor to govern the Church of God. The fourth, because the Lord did declare by an evident testimony what account he doth make of the Church, seeing that he hath redeemed it with his blood. As touching the first, he doth not only command them to take heed to the flock, but first to themselves. For that man will never be careful for the salvation of other men who will neglect his own. And in vain shall that man prick forward other to live godlily, who will himself show no desire of godl...

28-38 If the Holy Ghost has made ministers overseers of the flock, that is, shepherds, they must be true to their trust. Let them consider their Master's concern for the flock committed to their charge. It is the church He has purchased with his own blood. The blood was his as Man; yet so close is the union between the Divine and human nature, that it is there called the blood of God, for it was the blood of Him who is God. This put such dignity and worth into it, as to ransom believers from all evil, and purchase all good. Paul spake about their souls with affection and concern. They were full of care what would become of them. Paul directs them to look up to God with faith, and commends them to the word of God's grace, not only as the foundation of their hope and the fountain of their joy, but as the rule of their walking. The most advanced Christians are capable of growing, and will...

Verse Acts 20:28. _MADE YOU OVERSEERS_] εθετο επισκοπους, _Appointed you_ _bishops_; for so we translate the original word in most places where it occurs: but _overseers_, or _inspectors_, is much more proper, from επι, _over_, and σκεπτομαι, _I look_. The persons who examine into the spiritual state of the flock of God, and take care to lead them in and out, and to find them pasture, are termed _episcopoi_, or _superintendents_. The office of a _bishop_ is from God; a true pastor only can fulfil this office: it is an office of most awful responsibility; few there are who _can_ fill it; and, of those who occupy this high and awful place, perhaps we may say there are _fewer_ still who discharge the _duties_ of it. There are, however, through the good _providence_ of God, Christian bishops, who, while they are honoured by the c...

TAKE HEED, THEREFORE - Attend to; be on your guard against the dangers which beset you, and seek to discharge your duty with fidelity. UNTO YOURSELVES - To your own piety, opinions, and mode of life. This is the first duty of a minister; for without this all his preaching will be vain. Compare Colossians 4:17; 1 Timothy 4:14. Ministers are beset with unique dangers and temptations, and against them they should be on their guard. In addition to the temptations which they have in common with other people, they are exposed to those special to their office - arising from flattery, and ambition, and despondency, and worldly-mindedness. And just in proportion to the importance of their office is the importance of the injunction of P

EXPOSITION ACTS 20:1 _Having sent for_ …_ and exhorted _for _called unto him, _A.V. and T.R.; _took leave of them, and departed _for _and embraced them, and departed, _A.V. DEPARTED FOR TO GO INTO MACEDONIA. This was St. Paul's purpose, as he had written to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 16:5) from Ephesus. He judged it wise, not only with a view to his own safety and that of his companions, but also for the rest and quiet of the Ephesian Church, to take advantage of the lull in the popular storm, and withdraw into quiet waters before any fresh outbreak occurred. Aquila and Priscilla seem to have left Ephesus about the same time, or soon after, since the Epistle to the Romans found them again at Rome ...

TAKE HEED THEREFORE UNTO YOURSELVES,.... Since the blood of men may be required of those, who are negligent or partial in their office, and shun to declare the whole counsel of God: this exhortation is given them not merely as men, to take care of their bodily health, the outward concerns of life, and provide for themselves and families; nor merely as Christians, but as ministers of the Gospel; that they would take heed to their gifts, to use and improve them, and not neglect them; to their time, that they spend it aright, and not squander it away; and to their spirit, temper, and passions, that they are not governed by them; and to their lives and conversations, that they be exemplary to those who are under their care; and to their doctrine, that it be according to the Scriptures; that it be the doctrine of Christ, and the same with the apostles; that it be according to godliness, and t...

ACTS 20:28 qeou/ {C} The external evidence is singularly balanced between “church _of God_” and “church _of the Lord_” (the reading “church _of the Lord and God_” is obviously conflate, and therefore secondary — as are also the other variant readings). Palaeographically the difference concerns only a single letter: ;=u= and k=u=. In deciding between the two readings one must take into account internal probabilities. The expression evkklhsi,a kuri,ou occurs seven times in the Septuagint but nowhere in the New Testament. On the other hand, evkklhsi,a tou/ qeou/ appears with moderate frequency (eleven times) in the Epistles traditionally ascribed to Paul, but nowhere else in the New Testamen...

CHAPTER 20 __ 1. Paul in Macedonia (Acts 20:1). 2. His abode in Greece, the visit to Troas and what transpired there (Acts 20:3). 3. The journey from Troas to Miletus (Acts 20:13). 4. The farewell to the Ephesian Elders (Acts 20:17). The record before us is very brief. Some have thought the reason is the fact that the Apostle had turned aside from His given ministry, and therefore the Holy Spirit had nothing to report. We believe that this is correct. The object of the Spirit of God is now to lead us rapidly forward to the last visit of the Apostle to Jerusalem, therefore much is passed over in the untiring s

PAUL'S SPEECH TO THE ELDERS OF EPHESUS AT MILETUS. See Ramsay, art. Miletus in HDB, as to the difficulties of the journey at that period from Miletus to Ephesus; one had to sail to Priene and make from there a journey of 25 miles across the mountains to Ephesus. The elders or presbyters (_mg.),_ afterwards called bishops or overseers (Acts 20:28), make the toilsome journey, and Paul addresses them. We have had Paul addressing Jews (ch. 13) and Gentiles (ch. 17); here he addresses Christian office-bearers at a solemn point of his life. This speech hardly stood as we have it in the source; still there are things in it which do belong to this situation and to no other; some heads of it might be in the source, which have been worked up later with hints from Paul's epistles and other writings, and with reference, as we shall see, to later circumstances in the Church. The whole is in a fine st...