Acts 20:28

"Take heed unto yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit hath made you bishops, to feed the church of the Lord which he purchased with his own blood"Take heed": "Give attention to" (Bas). "Keep. watchful eye on" (Rieu). "Unto yourselves": What an important concept. An elder must first make sure that he is right with God, before he can adequately oversee the souls of others. "Any leader has temptations peculiar to his position, and connected with the duties of his office" (Reese p. 750). This verse reveals that elders cannot do anything they want or believe what they want to believe. "We note that the Ephesian elders must first keep watch over themselves, and only then over the flock, for they cannot care adequately for others if they neglect the care and culture of their own souls" (Stott p. 326). "To all the flock": That is, the local congregation in which they themselves are members (1 Peter 5:2). Carefully note that the oversight of the elders in Ephesus was only over the congregation in Ephesus. Elders overseeing. congregation in which they are not members, or overseeing more than one congregation constitutes an addition to God's word (2 John 1:9). "In which the Holy Spirit hath made you bishops": The qualifications for elders were given by the Holy Spirit (1 Timothy 3:1 ff; Titus 1:6 ff). Those men that meet these divinely given qualifications are thus the quality of men that God wants overseeing the souls of His people (Hebrews 13:17). At times people complain about the specific qualifications for this work but we forget that these qualifications are telling us that our spiritual welfare is very important. God values our souls! Our souls are so important, and so much is at stake, that it requires that the task of overseeing those souls must be reserved for men of the highest caliber. "To feed": It is from this word "feed" that the word "pastor" is connected. The elders are the pastors of the flock (1 Peter 5:2). Note that we always find congregations having. plurality of elders, thus the concept of. congregation being overseen by. single "pastor" does not fit the biblical pattern. The word "feed" includes the ideas of teaching, guarding, protecting, and governing (Hebrews 13:17; 1 Timothy 5:17; Titus 1:9). In many religious bodies today, and even in some churches of Christ, elders are viewed more as administrators, executives, and financial planners. Many people have forgotten that their real task is to oversee the spiritual condition of the Christians under their care.

From the fact that God in His wisdom designed the church to be overseen, infers that Christians do need someone watching out for them. Sometimes Christians do act like sheep, and they wander off and make foolish decisions and choices. Wolves (false teachers) are always looking for an opening to spread their errors among God's people.

Acts 20:28 "The church of the Lord": We always need to be reminded that the church belongs to Christ. The flock that elders oversee does not belong to them. They are called upon to tend, no other than the people that God has purchased for Himself. "Which He purchased with His own blood": Therefore the church is an essential relationship! How can some religious people claim that one does not have to be. member of the church to be saved or that the church is not essential to one's salvation? The church is the same relationship known as the kingdom of God (Acts 20:28; Revelation 1:5). Those who are baptized are automatically added to the church (Acts 2:41; Acts 2:47). Therefore, baptism puts one into contact with the blood of Christ (Acts 20:28; Acts 2:38). The church is the saved and Jesus will only save those who are part of the church (Ephesians 5:23).