Paul the Apostle, in Acts 20:28, speaks of the Church, what my Dad often loved to call the “New Testament” Church.

Hint: technically there is no “Church” in the Old Testament. Where God is primarily dealing with a Nation, with Israel. In the 39 Books of the “Jewish Bible” (Old Testament) we only get “shadows and types and symbols” of the coming Church age, the dispensation in which we now live.

In today’s Text (again, Acts 20:28) Paul admonishes those Ephesian “elders” (Greek meaning “overseers”) to … “feed the church of God, which He hath purchased with His own blood.”

The verb “feed,” incidentally, is “poimaino,” literally meaning “to shepherd” a flock! This certainly involves feeding them, the sheep … but there’s more to it. It suggests protecting them, guarding them, loving them, leading them, and a lot more! Virtually meeting their every need! And these men were to so “care” for the Ephesian Christians as a habit, perennially! (The verb being a present tense, active voice infinitive.)

And of course “church” (the noun “ekklesia”) means an “assembly” of “called out” people! That’s the grammatical emphasis, at least. Some ex-heathen (sinners) who had been convicted by the Holy Spirit and brought to Jesus, where they trusted Him and believed on Him and were born-again!

The phase “of God” means the Church is owned by God, the Proper Noun being in the genitive (possessive) case! It’s not your Church or my Church … it’s His Church!

But the point I want to emphasize today is how God came to “own” the Church! It was procured by the Blood of Jesus, Which He shed on Calvary’s Cross!

Now watch carefully! Here the Text says the “Blood of God!” He (the Father) purchased the Church “with His Own Blood!” Thus proving, theologically and Biblically, that Jesus’s Blood is God’s Blood! That Jesus is God! That Jesus had flowing in His veins, not Joseph’s blood, but the Blood of God Almighty! (It’s either that view, or you have to spiritualize and explain away one of the Fundamental Facets of our Faith!)

And the verb “purchased” is also interesting. It’s a long one, “peripoieomai.” It means “around” (the Greek prefix and preposition “peri,” suggesting intensity of action) and is blended with the verb “poieo,” defined as follows; “to make, to do, to bring forth, to cause, to bear,” what a range of meaning!

God birthed His Church, purchased His Church, made His Church … via (Greek “dia” meaning “through the agency of”) the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ! His very Own Blood!

What a Verse this morning!

Here it is again, the Clause we have studied. “Take heed therefore unto yourselves … to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.”

When you next go to Church … remember how precious that institution is to the Lord God Almighty!

What a Price He paid …

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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Some Preachers are “specialists” in one area or another of Scripture. I can think of great men of God through the years who have preached particularly in the field of Bible Prophecy. Others primarily have a burden for Israel, and their sermons reflect that noble desire. (I am not especially criticizing those men, either!)

But with Paul … things were different. He sought to be the “well-rounded” Preacher. “Balanced” in his proclamation of the Word of God!

In Acts 20:27 he noted to the Ephesian Church Elders … “I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.”

That means he had preached to them (over a course of three years) virtually the whole “Word of God!” In its Essence, certainly.

“All the Counsel of God!”

The noun “counsel” (spelled “boule” in Greek) actually means “will” or “purpose” or even “advice.”

And (exclusively) where do we find God’s Will? Or God’s Purposes? Or God’s Advice? (What critical Questions these are!) WE FIND SUCH IN THE BIBLE, IN THE SCRIPTRUES, IN THE DIVINELY INSPIRED WORD OF GOD!

This is one reason I am an advocate for what is sometimes called “Verse-by-Verse” preaching. If a Pastor sticks with that approach … he will eventually cover all the revealed “Counsel of God,” without majoring exclusively on any one particular aspect of God’s Character, or just one of His marvelous Attributes! (Though again I am not criticizing any approach to preaching, as long as it is Bible centered. As long as it is not “man’s ideas” cloaked in “hermeneutical garb.” A lot that is called Bible is NOT Bible!)

Paul’s verb “shunned” used above is “hupostello” which means “to draw back” from something. Paul did NOT hesitate or balk at preaching all the Word … even those parts that might have been offensive to his particular congregation!

Wow!

What a challenge to us preachers and teachers and Bible School workers and Christians in general … when given enough time, tell it ALL!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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Few (if any) of our readers would disagree with the fact that we (humankind) are created in God’s Image. (Genesis 1:26 … And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.)

And that God is Triune, “Three in One!” (Notice even the three plural personal pronouns above, underlined: “us” and “our” twice!) Early “hints” at least of God’s Tri-Unity … of the Godhead (using Paul’s later word). Father, Son and Holy Spirit!

I am trying to say that (thus) man is created as a triune being. He (or she) consisting of body and soul and spirit, that is a tripartitebeing! (Read 1 Thessalonians 5:23 here … “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Proof!

Now we go to Paul, to Acts 20:22, and to that Sermon delivered (hurriedly) to those Ephesian Church elders, leaders.

Bidding his friends goodbye (in a hurry to go to Jerusalem to observe some kind of Jewish ritual – one involving a vow and shaving his head) Paul observed: “Now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there.” (Recall that the Lord had earlier commanded Paul to leave Jerusalem! (Acts 22:18 … “Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.” Pretty clear! Then verse 21 confirms it: “And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles.”)

Paul is going to Jerusalem … no matter what … “bound in the spirit.” Spirit being in this case Paul’s spirit … Paul’s human spirit. (At least that is clearly what the King James Translators felt, believed, analyzed.)

And so very soon Paul is “on his way,” going back to the Town he was supposed to leave. But the journey (of course) taking days and days, this happened: “And finding disciples, we tarried there (in the city of Tyre) seven days: who said to Paul through the Spirit, that he should not go up to Jerusalem.” Luke being with the party, Acts 21:4, being an eye-witness.

Notice the word Spirit here, capitalized! This identifies the Holy Spirit of God, again so believed the King James Translators who were merely expressing the pronoun Luke chose!

Paul’s (human) spirit wants to go!

The Holy Spirit says do NOT go!

And herein is the point of today’s Lesson.

It is possible for a Christian to follow “his own understanding,” obeying his spirit. But each of us should look deeper when making decisions … seeking the Will of the Holy Spirit!

Paul (I say reverently) missed it here!

Or disobeyed willingly, his love for the Jews being so great?

Either way, he resolutely proceeds to Town, is promptly arrested and held there for years … and looses years of active travel preaching the Word of God to the Gentiles, his precise calling from the Lord!

Acts 22:21 again … God to Paul … “Depart (from Jerusalem): for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles.”

The human spirit … NOT the best guide if one is filled with the Holy Spirit! And Paul certainly was!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

Caution: learn in your heart (in your human spirit) to commune with the Holy Spirit of God and always obey His Voice!

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I have two verses in mind this morning. One of course being from our Acts 20 Text, Paul’s (last) Sermon to the Ephesian Elders. The other from one of the Apostle’s Pastoral Epistles.

First notice … “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is PROFITABLE.” 2 Timothy 3:16, but only part of the Sentence. (Where “profitable” is an adjective in Greek, “ophelimos,” meaning “advantageous.” It actually derives from a root verb meaning “to heap up, to accumulate. In a good sense.)

Secondly notice Paul speaking to the Ephesians leaders … “And ye know how I kept back nothing that was PROFITABLE unto you.” Here “was profitable” expresses the verb “sumphero,” meaning “bringing together, collecting,” almost that “piling up” idea again! I’ve just directly quoted Acts 20:20, King James Version.

Now here’s my point today … Paul is reminding these Christians at Ephesus that for those three years he spent there with them he was constantly (“night and day”) striving to make them “PROFITABLE” in their lives for Jesus! (Not fruitless, lukewarm professors only!)

And just HOW does a Pastor/Preacher do such a thing? Leave behind him such marked “progress, growth” (profitability) as an attribute to his ministry?

By preaching/teaching/living the WORD OF GOD … which is invariably “PROFITABLE!”

If a leader keeps back nothing that is profitable from his congregation … that automatically means he is sharing with them the (never unprofitable) Word of God!

“All Scripture!”

Tomorrow at Church … be appreciative of that man of God who is giving his life to make you “profitable,” spiritually speaking! Come to think of it, practically speaking as well.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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It’s a long Block of Scripture … Acts 20:17-39. But it contains Paul’s fullest expression of Pastoral Theology found anywhere in the New Testament, outside of the Pastoral Epistles (1 and 2 Timothy and Titus) at least.

Yet its very succinctness and urgency may even make it a better paradigm (pattern, example) that anything else Paul wrote, Paul the Pastor. Remember that he invested a total of three years there at Ephesus, edifying those brethren and sisters in Christ!

For a couple of mornings we shall study this beautiful Section of Acts 20. It’s Paul’s final Sermon as a free man, one might could even say! He’s resolutely heading to Jerusalem … in spite of every warning the Lord has send his way!

Where he will be arrested and (as far as the Book of Acts is concerned, records) visits no more Churches, makes no more missionary journeys, and nearly fades into oblivion!

So I will add …

Thank God for Paul’s personal pen, his “later” writings! Which allow us to believe that Paul may have eventually been released and permitted to serve the Lord a while longer. But even with that extension … he clearly was re-arrested and subsequently killed by the Roman government, executed.

Yes, Acts 20:17-39 is vastly important Scripture when it comes to better knowing Paul! (A complicated little man! Yet one who has my admiration no end!) We’re about to begin studying Paul’s “Farewell Address” to the leaders of the Ephesian Church!

We learn from verses 16 and 17 that Paul is in a big “hurry” to get to Jerusalem. Acts 20:17-18 … “For Paul had determined to sail by Ephesus, because he would not spend the time in Asia: for he HASTED, if it were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost. And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church.”

Jerusalem, a city God had earlier commanded him to vacate! Acts 22:18 … “Make haste, and GET THEE QUICKLY OUT of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.”

So Paul did not even take time to go to Ephesus to preach … rather he had those men come to him, down to Miletus! (Nearly a fifty mile walk, at least two days on the road!)

Note that the Church in Ephesus had grown to the extent it required a number of leaders! Paul called for the “elders” of the Church, plural! This Assembly may have been the Apostle’s “crowning work” of all his ministry. Yet he nearly slights them!

Yet Paul certainly shares a number of “nuggets” of Wisdom here, truths that should yet be guiding Church leaders (Pastors and Teachers and Workers) today!

More tomorrow, the Lord willing, from this “jewel” of a Text!

Again, Pastoral Theology or Pastoral Behavior or just Pastoral Ministry … as it should be done!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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