PAUL WARNS OF GRIEVOUS WOLVES

Acts 20:28-30 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which He hath purchased with His own blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.

Previous verses tell us that Paul had declared all the counsel of God (Vs. 27) to the church of Christ at Ephesus, and especially to these elders that had, at Paul's request, come to meet with him at Miletus. He had taught them God's revelation, which came to him through the Holy Spirit; that is, how one is to hear the gospel message of salvation through Christ Jesus, believe it to be God's true Holy Word, repent from past sins, confess Jesus to be the Son of God, be buried in baptism for the remission of sins, and continue to live an obedient life as a faithful follower of Christ. This was the New Testament doctrine which Paul preached from the day he was called to do so by the Savior on the road to Damascus. No doubt all these acts of obedience are included in Paul's admonition to these elders when he reminded them of his preaching of repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ (Vs. 21).

He now gives the elders of the Ephesian church of Christ special admonitions - admonitions that apply to elders today to the same extent as they did to those in the first century church. He first warns each of them to take heed therefore unto yourselves. They are to carefully examine their own lives; to continually compare their conduct of live to that authorized and required by God as found in His New Testament commandments. Secondly, Paul admonishes these elders to take heed ...to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers. The spiritual needs of each member of every congregation of the church of Christ should be recognized and filled to the best of the abilities of the overseeing elders. They are to teach, lead, and serve each Christian within the body of Christ, which He hath purchased with His own blood (the blood of Christ), over which God, through His Holy Spirit, has made them overseers.

We now have this Holy Spirit-inspired warning given by Paul to the elders of the church of Christ at Ephesus, and, by example to elders of all bodies of Christ, and fellow Christians of all times past, present, and to come: BEWARE OF FALSE TEACHERS! It is impossible to stress this admonition too much. No greater harm can be done to the church of Christ than by men and women of the world who replace the New Testament doctrine established by Jesus Christ and His inspired apostles, with the evil doctrine of covetous, self-gratifying false teachers that have been led to teach anti-Christian doctrine of men by Satan himself. Paul describes these false teachers, as "grievous wolves" that feed on weak, immature, babes in Christ that have not grown to be strong, knowledgeable Christians, that are filled with sufficient wisdom to overcome the wiles of the devil and his false teachers.

And where do these "grievous wolves,"these false teachers, come from that infect the body of Christ and lead its members astray through the false doctrines of mankind - false teachers who profess to come from God? First, Paul says these false teachers will enter in among you, not sparing the flock. This was the exact warning our Savior gave us in His well-known "Sermon on the Mount." His warning was: Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves (Matt. 7:15). They enter the church of Christ from outside the congregation. They will appear to be followers of Christ, but they will be disguised as members of the flock by wearing sheep's clothing. Having entered and accepted as fellow Christians, they will pervert the gospel of Christ and compromise its truths by teaching a false doctrine that is contrary to God's New Testament revelation.

Secondly, false teachers, Paul says, will come from within the body of Christ. Paul continues by saying that, of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. In most cases these will be well known men of the congregation, that stray from being servants of Christ by seeking power, self-acclaim, and material gain. They fill their covetous desires by teaching doctrines that, even though are contrary to the will of God, are appealing to the worldly minds of their fellow Christians. In doing so, these false teachers easily draw away disciples after them, lead them astray, and cause dissention and schisms within the body of Christ. The apostle Paul gives us this warning about false teachers: Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ (Col. 2:8). Paul, in a strong admonition to elders of the church of Christ, as well as to all Christians -Take heed ...!