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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