THE KING’S BUSINESS
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have declared “the whole counsel of God” to every one to whom God would have us declare it. Monday, March 26 . Acts 20 : 28 - 30 . Paul had appealed to his own faithful ness ate an incentive to faithfulness on the part of these Ephesian elders or bishops, and now he makes the application directly to them. He urges them first of all to take heed to themselves. Only the one who takes heed to himself is in a position to take heed to others. Here is where many of us fail today. We are so occupied with our work that we neglect our own spiritual life (cf. 1 Tim. 4:16). But while we should -first take heed to ourselves, we should not stop with taking heed to our selves, we should go on to take heed to our flock. Our flock may be a church, or a Sunday School class, a family, or some thing else, but we all have one. And we are to take heed to "all the flock.” Here is where many of us make a mistake, we take heed to some of the flock, perhaps even to most of it, but the insignificant ones'escape our thought and our attention. It is the Holy Ghost who hath made us overseers over the flock. Let us never forget that. Verse 28 brings out in a beautiful way the glory of the church: (1) It is the church of God,” (according to some excellent manuscripts and some textual authorities, “the church o f the Lord”). The thought is that the church is the peculiar property of J God, or of the Lord Jesus. (2) The Lord purchased the church 'With H is own blood.” How dear the church must be to Him as He has paid such a tremendous price to purchase it for His own. The word translated “pur chased” means literally, “to preserve for ones self,”, or “to get for ones self.” The prominent thought is not so much of buy ing as making the thing ones own. (3) The Holy Ghost presides in the govern ment of the church. It is He who appoints overseers over it. Of course, men often take this work upon -themselves and appoint men o t their own choice, without
regard to the Holy Ghost’s decision in the matter, but in the truly governed church the Holy Spirit is the one who appoints the officers. The verse also brings out the purpose for which the Holy Spirit appoints bishops and elders-—“to feed the church” (cf. Prov. 10:21; Matt. 24:4$). The word translated “feed” means more than merely feed, it means to “shepherd,” it is from the same root as the word translated “flock” in the earlier part of the verse. Paul, having given the general direction to take heed to themselves, and to the flock, goes on to utter solemn words of warning regarding the danger that will confront both the flock and themselves. He tells them “after my departing grievous wolves shall enter in among you,” and that these wolves will not spare the flock These dark words of warning came true. Paul, at a later date, writing to the bishop of this same church refers to how they have come true (2 Tim. 2:17, 18; 1 Tim. 1:19, 20). The words are true also of every flock today. Sooner or latef “grievous wolves,” false teachers, come in among them. They enter every church and every community. These “grievous wolves” were never more numerous or ravenous than they are today. But Paul points out further that the most dangerous fact concerning them was that some of these grievous wolves were to arise "from among your own selves.” The great danger today is not from outside wolves, but the wolves that- arise from among the ministry. One skeptic, _or false teacher, or infidel who writes “Rev.” before his name, or “D.D.” after it, is immeasurably more dangerous to the flock than the wolf who is outside the fence is. Paul tells them that the pur pose of these false teachers would be “to draw away the disciples after” themselves. Consciously or unconsciously, this is the object of the- false teacher today. He aims to draw the people who belong to the Lord after himself. The method by which’ they would draw disciples away after* themselves would be by “speaking perverse things. No matter how perverse a teach-
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