17  A Charge to  New Testament  Church Leaders  (Acts 20:25–38)

“And now, behold, I know that all of you, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, will see my face no more. Therefore I testify to you this day, that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God. Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears. And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or clothes. You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my own needs and to the men who were with me. In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. And they began to weep aloud and embraced Paul, and repeatedly kissed him, grieving especially over the word which he had spoken, that they should see his face no more. And they were accompanying him to the ship. (20:25–38)

The crucial component in any organization, institution, or business is its leadership. Good leadership can lift an organization to the heights of success, whereas poor leadership can plunge it into the depths of ruin. Not surprisingly, a vast amount of material is available for those wishing to sharpen their leadership skills. Leadership is treated as an essential element because it is.

God is even more concerned about leadership in His kingdom. The Bible, both in its teaching and the examples it presents, speaks about leadership. The Old Testament presents good leaders, such as Moses, Samuel, and David. It also reveals the disastrous consequences that come because of poor leaders, such as Saul, Ahab, and Manasseh. The Old Testament contains wise counsel on how to be a good leader (Prov. 8:15; 14:28; 16:10, 12; 20:8, 26, 28; 29:4, 14; 31:4), and it has denunciations of poor leadership practices (Isa. 9:14–16; Jer. 5:31; Ezek.22:26–28; Hosea 4:9).

The New Testament presents poor leaders such as the Pharisees, whom Jesus described as “blind guides of the blind, “serving only to lead themselves and their followers into a pit (Matt. 15:14). The results of their inept and deadly leadership greatly distressed our Lord. When He saw “the multitudes, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and downcast like sheep without a shepherd” (Matt. 9:36). Bereft of competent spiritual leadership, the Jews drifted aimlessly. The wise, selfless, sacrificial leadership of the apostles stands in sharp contrast to the incompetent leadership of Israel’s leaders.

The pastoral epistles set forth the high standards for leaders in the church (1 Tim. 3:1–13; Titus 1:5–9). All of those guidelines are summarized in the requirement that a leader be “above reproach” (1 Tim. 3:2; Titus 1:6). The standards are high because the responsibility is great. James cautioned, “Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we shall incur a stricter judgment” (James 3:1). Paul instructed Timothy that leaders who continue in sin are to be publicly rebuked (1 Tim. 5:20). On the other hand, those “who rule well [are to] be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching” (1 Tim. 5:17). There is in spiritual leadership the potential for great blessing or serious condemnation.

A primary task of the apostles and evangelists was the appointing of pastors in the early congregations. Paul directed Titus, ministering on the island of Crete, to “appoint elders in every city” (Titus 1:5), as he and Barnabas had done on their first missionary journey (Acts 14:23). In the present passage, Paul addresses the elders he had appointed in Ephesus. His ship had stopped on its voyage to Palestine at Miletus (20:15), not far from Ephesus. He summoned the Ephesian elders to meet him there (20:17) so that he could give them one final exhortation. In verses 17–24 Paul describes four essential attitudinal perspectives on ministry: toward God, the church, the lost, and himself. Having given that general overview of the dimensions of ministry, he now narrows his focus to instruction regarding ministry in the church.

Before giving them the priorities for leading the church, Paul laid a foundation by summarizing his own ministry at Ephesus. He opened on a sad note, informing them, I know that all of you, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, will see my face no more. He had served with them for three years, and his work with them was done. Having been taught and discipled by the apostle, they were ready to minister on their own. The term kingdom encompasses God’s rule in the sphere of salvation, not just the future millennial reign of Jesus Christ (cf. Acts 28:31). Preaching the kingdom meant proclaiming the gospel, the good news that sinners in the realm of Satan, death, and destruction (“the kingdom of darkness”) could enter the realm of salvation, life, and glory (“the kingdom of God’s Son”). Paul preached this gospel thoroughly and clearly, as he indicated in verses 20 and 27.

Because he thoroughly fulfilled his obligation to teach, Paul could testify to them that he was innocent of the blood of all men—both Jews and Gentiles. He had not only taught the church but also evangelized the lost. He had not been unfaithful in any aspect of ministry.

Paul’s declaration that he was innocent of the blood of allmen is reminiscent of God’s words to Ezekiel:

That is a sobering reminder of the serious responsibility that all believers, but especially leaders, have to speak God’s truth (cf. James 3:1). Paul declared himself innocent because he did not shrink from declaring to them the whole purpose of God. The implication is that those elders must follow Paul’s example of preaching a complete gospel of God’s redemption of sinners or face God’s chastisement. That is still true for all pastors.

After that personal note, Paul charged the church leaders to maintain five priorities: be right with God, shepherd the flock, guard the flock, study and pray, and be free from self-interest.

BE RIGHT WITH GOD

Be on guard for yourselves (20:28a)

The first priority for anyone involved in spiritual leadership is his own relationship with God. Effective ministry is not mere outward activity; it is the overflow of a rich, deep relationship with God. As John Owen wisely observed,

No one is ready to face the pressures and responsibilities of ministry who is not right with God. Those pressures, as well as the demand to set the example, require that leaders constantly be on guard (Mark 13:9; Luke 21:34).

The first step in being on guard is self-examination. After a whole chapter of exhortation to the young preacher (1 Tim. 4:1–15), Paul summed up what he had said by calling Timothy to examine himself (verse 16): “Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things; for as you do this you will insure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.” He charged Timothy to scrutinize his life and doctrine to make sure both honored God. Such was crucial to his own perseverance and to the salvation and perseverance of others. Paul expressed that same truth in his second letter to Timothy:

In a house there were vessels for dishonorable uses, such as garbage and other waste. There were also vessels for honorable uses, such as food and drink. Only clean ones of high quality were fit for honor. Since God uses clean and holy instruments, vessels of honor, self-examination and forsaking sin are essential for leaders. Although God does bless His truth in spite of the preacher, He does not bless the unholy leader, no matter what title, position, or office he might hold.

In a powerful passage from his classic work The Reformed Pastor, Richard Baxter gives a stirring call for pastors to examine themselves:

Personal holiness is the requirement of true and powerful spiritual leadership. God calls for holiness that is not just outward, in the eyes of men. Paul had that outward virtue even before his salvation, when he described himself as blameless as to the law (Phil. 3:6). But he called it “rubbish” (v. 8) compared to true righteousness. True holiness is inward, so that one can say with Paul, “For our proud confidence is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in holiness and godly sincerity, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you” (2 Cor. 1:12).

SHEPHERD THE FLOCK

and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. (20:28b)

After making sure that his own life (and consequently that of his family, 1 Tim. 3:4–5) is in order, a leader’s second priority is the spiritual care of his flock. Positively, that care involves the feeding and leading of all the flock. The metaphor of a flock and a shepherd is often used to describe God’s relationship to His people. It is an apt one, since sheep are helpless, timid, dirty, and in need of constant protection and care. The Old Testament frequently describes Israel as God’s flock (Pss. 77:20; 78:52; 80:1; Isa. 40:11; 63:11; Jer. 13:17; 23:2–3; 31:10; Ezek. 34:2ff.; Mic. 2:12; 5:4; 7:14; Zech. 10:3), and the New Testament pictures the church as a flock with the Lord Jesus Christ as its Shepherd (John 10:1ff.; Heb. 13:20;1 Pet. 2:25; 5:2–4).

Jesus Christ, the Chief Shepherd (1 Pet. 5:4), has taken His flock and divided it into many smaller flocks (cf. 1 Pet. 5:2, “the flock of God among [or apportioned to] you”; 1 Pet. 5:3, “those allotted to your charge”). The Holy Spirit sovereignly raises up overseers, or undershepherds, who are responsible to shepherd their flocks. Shepherd is from poimainō, a comprehensive term encompassing the entire task of a shepherd. The most important part of that task, however, is to feed. In John 21:15–17, Jesus three times instructed Peter to care for His sheep. The second time He used poimainō, but the first and third times boskō, which has the more restricted meaning of “to feed.” Obviously, then, the primary task of an undershepherd of the Lord’s flock is to feed the sheep. Sadly, many undershepherds today fail to do that, seemingly content to lead their sheep from one barren wasteland to another. The tragic result is a spiritually weak flock, ready to eat the poisonous weeds of false doctrine, or to follow false shepherds who deceitfully promise them greener pastures, while leading them to barren desert.

Since sheep are followers, the shepherds’ task also involves leading the flock. They must set the direction for the sheep to follow. The New Testament knows nothing of congregational rule; instead it commands believers to “obey your leaders, and submit to them” (Heb. 13:17). Paul reminded the Thessalonians that their pastors were given “charge over you in the Lord” and were to be appreciated, esteemed, loved, and followed without conflict (1 Thess. 5:12–13). God has committed the leadership of the church to the overseers (elders, pastors). Those who serve faithfully are to be doubly honored (1 Tim. 5:17); those who fall into sin are to be publicly rebuked (1 Tim. 5:20). It is a sobering realization that elders will someday give an account to God for how they lead those committed to their charge (Heb. 13:17).

The motive for such high standards of leadership lies in the fact that the church belongs not to men, but to God (cf. 1 Pet. 5:2). Church leaders have a stewardship over His property and must discharge that stewardship faithfully (cf. 1 Cor. 4:2). Further, the church is the most precious reality on earth, since the ultimate price was paid for it when the Lord Jesus Christ purchased it with His own blood (cf. 1 Pet. 1:18–19). That demands that every leader treat the church as the precious fellowship that it is. God is a spirit and has no body, hence no blood. Yet Paul can say that God as much as purchased the church with His own blood because he “believed so strongly in the deity of Jesus Christ and His essential unity with the Father that [he] hesitated not to speak of His sacrifice on Calvary as a shedding of the blood of God” (G. T. Stokes, “The Acts of the Apostles,” in W. Robertson Nicoll, ed., The Expositor’s Bible [New York: A.C. Armstrong and Son, 1903], 2:419).

The Lord Jesus Christ set the example of loving concern for the church that all leaders must follow. In Ephesians 5:25–27, Paul describes Christ’s sacrificial love for the church:

The undershepherd must have the same concern for the purity of the church as did the Great Shepherd. Paul certainly did. To the Corinthians he wrote, “I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin” (2 Cor. 11:2). Those undershepherds who truly value the church will shepherd their flocks by feeding them the Word of God and faithfully leading them.

GUARD THE FLOCK

I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears. (20:29–31)

It is not enough for a faithful shepherd to feed and lead his flock, he must also protect it from predators. Paul had no doubt that after his departure false teachers would threaten the Ephesian church, as they already had entered the church at Corinth (2 Cor. 11:4) and the churches of Galatia (Gal. 1:6). Whenever the truth is proclaimed, Satan can be expected to counter it with the lies of false doctrine. It has always been so. Paul’s striking description of false teachers as savage wolves … not sparing the flock echoes that of the Lord Jesus Christ (Matt. 7:15; 10:16). Because of the serious danger they pose to the church, the Scriptures condemn false teachers in the strongest language. Peter vividly describes them in 2 Peter 2 as “those who indulge the flesh in its corrupt desires and despise authority” (v. 10); “unreasoning animals” (v. 12); “stains and blemishes” (v. 13); “having eyes full of adultery … having a heart trained in greed … accursed children” (v. 14); “springs without water … mists driven by a storm, for whom the black darkness has been reserved” (v. 17); “slaves of corruption” (v. 19); dogs returning to their own vomit and pigs wallowing in the mud (v. 22).

True to Paul’s prediction, false teachers did come in among the flock at Ephesus and attack it (cf. Rev. 2:2). Even more subtle than the attack of false teachers from outside the church, however, is the defection of those within. Accordingly, Paul warned them that from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. Perverse is from diastrephō, which means “to distort,” or “to twist.” False teachers twist God’s truth for their own perverted ends. Draw away is from apospaō and could be translated “to drag away” or “to tear away.” If the undershepherds are not vigilant, Paul warns, the wolves will drag their sheep away to devour them.

Tragically, even the Ephesian church, where Paul himself ministered for three years, saw such defections among its leadership. In his letters to Timothy (who was then the pastor of the Ephesian church), Paul condemned the false teachers who had arisen from within the Ephesian congregation (1 Tim. 1:3–7; 2 Tim. 3:1–9), even naming some of them (1 Tim. 1:20; 2 Tim. 1:15; 2:17).

Jude also warned in his epistle of the insidious danger of false teachers who arise from within the church:

To guard their flocks from attacks from both outside and inside the church, the undershepherds must do two things. First, they must be on the alert. Knowing that the savage wolves are awaiting an opening to attack their flocks, they must be vigilant. Charles Jefferson describes the importance of the shepherd’s vigilance:

The faithful shepherd must also warn his flock. Paul had done so during his own ministry at Ephesus; he reminds the Ephesian elders of how night and day for a period of three years he did not cease to admonish each one with tears. Admonish is from noutheteō, which refers to giving counsel with a warning involved (cf. Col. 1:28). The pattern of Paul’s ministry shows the importance of warning believers about false teachers. He admonished the Ephesians for a period of three years, caring for each one of the flock (cf. v. 20). So compelled was he to warn them that he hardly had time for sleep, ministering night and day (cf. 1 Thess. 2:9; 2 Thess. 3:8). Nor was it a mere academic exercise for Paul—he punctuated his warnings with his tears. He wept because he knew the terrible consequences when false teachers infiltrate. Only by following Paul’s example can the faithful undershepherd protect Christ’s flock from the savage wolves and diseased sheep who constantly threaten it.

STUDY AND PRAY

And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. (20:32)

If an undershepherd is to feed and protect his flock, he must be a student of the Scriptures and devoted to prayer. Only then will he have true knowledge and the wisdom to apply that knowledge. This dual priority of ministry goes back to the example of the apostles, who declared in Acts 6:4, “We will devote ourselves to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.” Those exercises are the heart of a leader’s effectiveness.

Here is another illustration of Paul’s constant practice to commend believers to God in prayer (Rom. 1:9–10; Eph. 1:15–16; Phil. 1:4; 1 Thess. 1:2–3;2 Thess. 1:11; 2 Tim. 1:3; Philem. 4). Though not specifically a call for pastors to pray, it is surely a reminder of the centrality of prayer in Paul’s life. The church in Acts lived in a constant atmosphere of prayer (1:14; 2:42). It prayed when choosing Judas’s successor (1:24), when facing persecution (4:23–31; 16:25); at the choosing of seven men to administer the church’s relief efforts (6:6), for Peter’s release from prison (12:5, 12), at the sending of Paul and Barnabas to the mission field (13:2), when appointing elders in local churches (14:23); in short, every aspect of the life of the early church was bathed in prayer.

There is no substitute for prayer, for prayer acknowledges dependence on God and lines us up with His purposes. Prayer also allows God to glorify Himself by answering (John 14:13). Without it the undershepherds’ attempts to feed, lead, and guard the flock will be in vain. Good intentions, good ideas, or good programs cannot overcome the effects of prayerlessness.

Study of the Word is the other foundational pillar of ministry, since it is the word of His grace that is able to build believers up and to give them the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. In 1 Peter 2:2, Peter echoed Paul’s thought: “Like newborn babes, long for the pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow in respect to salvation.” Paul told Timothy that the church was “the pillar and support of the truth” (1 Tim. 3:15), thus requiring that its leaders know that truth.

The Word is the source of spiritual growth (1 Thess. 2:13; 2 Tim. 3:16–17; 2 Pet. 3:18). The Word is also the source of assurance, convincing believers that they have an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. Weak, struggling believers who lack assurance of salvation need to be fed the Word of God that they might “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 3:18).

Prayer and the ministry of the Word must be the main occupation of the shepherd. If the undershepherd ignores these elements, both he and his flock suffer greatly.

BE FREE FROM SELF-INTEREST

I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or clothes. You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my own needs and to the men who were with me. In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. And they began to weep aloud and embraced Paul, and repeatedly kissed him, grieving especially over the word which he had spoken, that they should see his face no more. And they were accompanying him to the ship. (20:33–38)

A truly God-honoring ministry must focus on giving, not getting. God will not bless the ministry of someone who is preoccupied with money. The Lord Jesus Christ put it simply and directly when He said, “You cannot serve God and mammon” (Matt. 6:24). All believers are commanded, “Let your character be free from the love of money, being content with what you have” (Heb. 13:5); that is doubly true of those in positions of spiritual leadership (1 Tim. 3:3; Titus 1:7). Those who care for the flock of God must not do so for material gain.

Love of money has always characterized false teachers. In the Old Testament, Isaiah (56:11), Jeremiah (6:13; 8:10), and Micah (3:11) denounced the greedy false leaders of Israel. In the New Testament, Paul described false teachers as those who teach “things they should not teach, for the sake of sordid gain” (Titus 1:11). Peter also warned against the greed of false teachers (2 Pet. 2:3).

Paul’s ministry was not characterized by self-seeking materialism. The apostle emphatically declared I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or clothes. He then appealed to their firsthand observation of his three years of ministry at Ephesus. You yourselves know, he reminded them, no doubt holding up his hands as he spoke, that these hands ministered to my own needs and to the men who were with me. Although Paul had every right to receive support for his ministry (1 Cor. 9:3ff.) and sometimes did (2 Cor. 11:8–9; Phil. 4:10–19), it was his custom to support himself (2 Cor. 11:7; 12:13; 1 Thess. 2:9; 2 Thess. 3:8). He did so that he might “offer the gospel without charge” (1 Cor. 9:18).

Paul then appealed to them to follow his example: In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ The apostle not only supported himself but also worked to help others in need. This quotation of Jesus is not recorded in the gospels but was nonetheless known among the early Christians. It is of great consequence that this is the only quotation recorded outside the gospels of a statement spoken by Jesus while He was on earth. That gives significant weight to the truth it reveals. The gospels no more contain every word our Lord spoke during His earthly ministry than they do all His deeds (John 21:25). Only the divinely inspired Bible, however, contains those words and deeds that He wished us to remember. The fanciful deeds and sayings recorded in extrabiblical writings are to be rejected.

Having said these things, Paul knelt down and prayed with them all. His exhortation was finished, and he had to leave, no doubt because his ship was ready to sail. When the time of prayer was over,they began to weep aloud and embraced Paul, and repeatedly kissed him, grieving especially over the word which he had spoken, that they should see his face no more. The parting was an emotional one, reflecting the Ephesian elders’ deep love for Paul and their immense sorrow that they would never see him again. Even when the beloved apostle finally tore himself away, they could not bear to part with him and were accompanying him to the ship.

Paul’s ministry was successful because his life was right with God, he made it his priority to feed and guard the flock, he devoted himself to prayer and the ministry of the word, and he was totally free of self-interest. The result was the devoted love of his people and, more important, the approval of God.