INTRODUCTION
Outline.
2. The Leadership’s: Divine Assignment
Introductory Remarks.
1. The second lesson in this Series: “Divine Call to Leadership,” will be “The Leadership’s Divine Assignment.”
2. We will discuss the elders at Ephesus’ divine assignment. Paul continued with his discourse: “For I know this that after my departure shall grievous wolves enter among you, not sparing the flock... And of you, men arise... Therefore, watch and remember... I cease not to warn every one night and day with tears,” Acts 20:29-31. This is an office of service and devotion to the people of God. The leadership is ever vigilant in its oversight of the church.
3. They must defend her from false doctrines and the wolves constantly attacking her. This will be accomplished with careful watching, frequent prayers to God, and shedding tears for its safety and salvation, as “they watch for their souls.” With this brief introduction, let’s consider our second lesson.
BODY OF LESSON
II THE LEADERSHIP’S: DIVINE ASSIGNMENT
A. Urgency of their assignment: “For I know this after my departure.” This was already working as the apostles spoke to these leaders on the beach at Miletus. He knew this because the Holy Spirit empowered him as an apostle. Notice:
1. First, he notes: “For I know this, that after my departure,” all these things will occur. They shall occur real soon. Paul’s presence, vigilance, and preaching in Ephesus kept these wolves at bay. But now, “he goes bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem; and they will see his face no more,” Acts 20:22; Acts 20:25; Acts 20:38.
a. He admonishes these elders to be on guard, for after his departure, these wolves will be entering among them (Acts 20:29). They were promised first to come from without. They: “Shall enter in among you.”
b. They will attack the “faith and confidence” of the leadership and the church.
c. Therefore, they must watch for and be prepared to deal with these assaults from evil workers and false brethren (of the circumcision), Philippians 3:2, Galatians 2:4, and 2 Corinthians 11:26.
2. Further, the minister’s work prepares the leadership, other ministers, and the church to stand on the word, whether he is there or absent. He advised the church at Philippi: “Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel,” Philippians 1:27.
a. This was Paul’s ministry, to equip the church to stand against all attacks from outside and those from among his fellow citizens and false brethren.
b. He warned the Galatians of such a departure, Galatians 1:6-12. He thought it strange that these “new babies” in Christ were on the verge of “departing from the grace of God; unto another gospel, which is not another,” Galatians 1:6-7.
c. He asked the Thessalonians to “Pray for him, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you: And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith...but the Lord is faithful; who shall establish you, and keep you from evil,” 2 Thessalonians 3:1-3.
3. Next, he warned Timothy of such a departure: “The Spirit speaketh expressly that some shall depart from the faith,” 1 Timothy 4:1-5; 2 Thessalonians 2:3. This will occur in the latter times in the not-so-distant future. He doesn’t suggest how far away this departure lurks; he merely states it will come. Paul affirms: “Some shall depart from the faith.” There shall be a “great apostasy.” Paul notes some signs or teachings of this great apostasy in this Letter. Notice:
a. They are giving heed to seducing spirits. The apostle seems to recognize a supernatural element spoken by false prophets in false utterances that claim to be from God. These seducing spirits might work through hierarchs, who claimed to speak for God, or councils that claimed to make infallible utterances. They speak and preach the commandments of men, Matthew 15:7-9.
b. They are teaching the doctrines of devils. These doctrines are the work and suggestions of demons. The word for devils in Gr., is “Daimonion,” which means demons, not devil; in the New Testament, it always refers to an “evil spirit,” Acts 19:15-16.
c. They will be speaking lies through hypocrisy. He states: "Some shall depart from the faith ...through the hypocrisy of men, speaking lies." These men will speak lies; some doubtless because of deception, and others to insight deception. They may know the “truth,” but for “filthy lucre’s sake,” they fail to reverence and teach it, Titus 1:11-16.
d. The great deceiver shall: “Come after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause, God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness,” 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12.
NOTE: Illustrate: Tares among the wheat, Matthew 13:24-30; Matthew 13:37-43; Matthew 13:49-50.
e. This is mainly due to their consciences being sheered with a hot iron. The liars just mentioned have had the sensitiveness of their consciences destroyed by the branding iron of the devil.
1) They have become blinded by the evil one – preaching a message of deceit and deception, 2 Corinthians 4:1-7.
2) And for it, they have become the product of their own words of deception.
3) Paul concludes: “But evil men and seducer shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived,” 2 Timothy 3:13.
4. Finally, he repeats this warning in 2 Timothy 4:1-5. He charges the young Evangelist:
a. To preach the word “in and out of seasons” when they want it and when they don’t.
b. That the “time will come they (the church) will not endure sound doctrine, or they will no longer desire ‘sound doctrine’ or the ‘truth’ to be preached unto them.”
c. But after their lust: “They shall heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; they will search for doctrines that satisfy the lust of the flesh and not the fruit of the spirit,” Galatians 5:19-21; Galatians 5:22-26; Ephesian 5:9.
d. They shall “turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables;” they will choose error in place of truth. Those who preach and follow it shall become slaves to unrighteousness and ungodliness, Jude 1:16-19; 2 Timothy 3:13.
e. But “watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.” You must be on guard to stand and preach against these heresies. You must endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, and make full proof of your ministry.
f. Conclusion: In these verses, Paul reminds the preachers that a “falling way” is a “departure from the faith,” and the church “will not endure sound doctrine.” They shall “turn away their ears from the truth” because preachers have “itching ears.” The church shall “turn away their ears from the truth and be turned unto fables.” The church must remain on guard for such departures even in our day and times.
B. Attacks from without: There will come: “Grievous wolves entering in among you, not sparing the flock,” Acts 20:29.
1. The “grievous wolves” were the false teachers and the extraordinary interest leaders known as the Judaizing teachers, who taught that the Gentile Christians must keep the Ceremonial law of the Jews. This included: “Circumcision and keeping of the law of Moses,” Acts 15:1-4. We will speak to this in great depth later in the lesson. It is important to note that...
2. Paul's ministry in the gospel was full of tenacious debates and battles with the schismatics (the sower of sects and divisions).
a. Several are listed in Timothy’s Epistles: 1 Timothy 1:3-4; 1 Timothy 1:20; 2 Timothy 1:15; 2 Timothy 2:17.
b. These references identify the names of some six of these “grievous wolves,” which Paul speaks to the elders in his discourse.
3. The Apostle John also identified some of these wolves in Revelation 2:6.
a. He notes some were false teachers at Ephesus.
b. He warns of similar men in his Letters to the children, the Elect lady, and to Gaius; in 1 John 2:18-19; 2 John 1:7-11; and 3 John 1:9-10.
c. John wrote: “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us,” 1 John 2:19.
4. Jesus warned of false prophets: “Which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits...Wherefore by their fruits shall ye know them,” Matthew 7:15-20.
5. Peter warns of false prophets among the people. He first mentions how holy men of God in the Old Testament presented the scriptures instead of false prophets. Notice:
a. First, he wrote of holy men of God: “Knowing this first that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old times by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as the Holy Ghost moved them,” 2 Peter 1:20-21.
b. Further, he wrote of false prophets: “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that brought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow... and the way of truth shall be evil spoken of,” 2 Peter 2:1-2.
c. Finally, Peter warns and assures us that, as there were false prophets, there will also be “so-called” prophets and false teachers today. The elders must be on guard to resist their teaching and influence.
C. Attacks from within: “Also of your selves shall men arise.” Or, they shall come from within your ranks, men promoting themselves wiser and teachers of men that will cause offense and trouble in the body of Christ.
1. The apostle predicts that some of the wolves will rise from within the congregation of God. They will profess to be learned and bear teachings from even the apostles of Christ.
2. Paul had been sent to Jerusalem sometime earlier to silence “False brethren... who had come in privily to spy out the liberty which the church at Antioch had in Christ Jesus,” Galatians 2:4.
3. The beginning of conflict in the church. We now focus on such an event in the 1st century, illustrating Paul's message to these elders. He was undoubtedly reflecting on these events as he spoke unto these elders. Luke wrote:
a. They came from Judaea to Antioch: “Certain men who...taught the brethren, and said, except ye (are) circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved,” Acts 15:1.
1) This teaching created: “No small dissension and disputation among with them,” Acts 15:2. In other words, the debate got a “little heated.” Voices got loud, and tempers were aroused between Paul, Barnabas, and those of the “sect of the Pharisees.”
2) These teachers professed that their doctrine had originated in Jerusalem “from among the apostles and elders,” Acts 15:24.
b. The church at Antioch: “Sent Paul, Barnabas, Titus, and other disciples to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question,” Acts 15:2; Galatians 2:1-10. This teaching caused discord and division among the saints at Antioch.
c. Paul and others arrive at Jerusalem: “They were received of the church, and the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them,” Acts 15:4. Paul and Barnabas spoke of their success among the Gentiles, Acts 11:22-26; Acts 13; Acts 14. This was a rehearsal of their first “Missionary Journey” among the Gentiles.
4. The Jerusalem Conference: The great debate and decision. The arrival of Paul, Barnabas, and others at Jerusalem and their opening appeal of God's work with them (among the Gentiles) fueled the start of a great debate over the Gentiles’ obedience to the faith, Romans 15:18-19. Notice that Luke wrote:
a. But there rose: “Certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, that it was needful to circumcise them and to command them to keep the Law of Moses,” Acts 15:5. These men were already in the assembly. They are now ready to espouse their doctrine: The circumcision of the Gentile Christians and their need to keep the Law of Moses to be saved. This charge will now open the discussion of this question, and the Jerusalem leadership will allow it to progress without censorship. To exhort and convince the gainsayers, we must permit them to speak. Consider...
b. The apostles and elders: “Came together to consider this matter. And when there had been much disputing. Peter rose and said unto them, Men and brethren...But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be saved, even as they,” Acts 15:6-11. The Apostle Peter begins the rebuttal of the claim that the Gentiles needed to be circumcised and to keep the Law of Moses to be saved.
c. Barnabas and Paul: “Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them,” Acts 15:12.
d. James, the Lord’s brother: “And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren hearken unto me: Simeon (Simon Peter) hath declared how God at first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. And to this, agree with the words of the prophets, as it is written:
1) First, “After this I will return, and build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: that the residue of men might seek after the Lord... who doeth all these things. Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world,” Acts 15:13-18.
2) Further, “Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God,” Acts 15:19.
3) Finally, “But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and fornication, and things strangled, and from blood. For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath day,” Acts 15:20-21.
e. The assembly pleased: “Then pleased it the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas, and Silas chief men among the brethren,” Acts 15:22.
5. Results of the Jerusalem Conference were communicated:
a. They wrote letters: “And they wrote letters by them after this manner; the apostles and elders and brethren send greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia: Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment,” Acts 15:23-24.
b. It seemed good: “Unto us being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth,” Acts 15:25-27.
c. It seemed good: “To the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things:”
1) “That ye abstain from meats offered to idols,”
2) “And from blood,”
3) “And from fornication:”
4) “From which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well.”
5) “Fare ye well,” Acts 15:28-29.
6. Conference concluded: “So when they were dismissed, they came to Antioch: and when they had gathered the multitude together, and delivered the epistle: Which when they had read, they rejoiced for the consolation,” Acts 15:30-31.
a. Judas and Silas: “Being prophets also themselves, exhorted the brethren with many words, and confirmed them,” Acts 15:32.
b. After they had tarried: “There a space, they were let go in peace from the brethren unto the apostles. Notwithstanding, it pleased Silas to abide there still,” Acts 15:33-34.
c. Paul and Barnabas: “Continued in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord with many others also,” Acts 15:35.
d. God had divinely sent Silas to Antioch so that he might accompany Paul in the work during his second missionary journey. A disagreement over taking John Mark with them causes Paul to take Silas and Barnabas to take John Mark with him. Two missionary teams continue their work among the Gentiles, Acts 15:36-41.
D. Their deceitful work: “Speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.” What was the doctrine of this departure? Paul gives some signs of this departure in the following few verses. We will find these “doctrines” as the teaching of demons. They oppose “sound doctrine,” which he speaks of throughout 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus. These doctrines will include, but are not limited to:
1. Forbidding someone to marry. Not long after Paul's time, the superior holiness of the unmarried life began to be preached in the church, resulting in monasticism and a celibate clergy. This is one of the doctrines of the Holy Roman Catholic denomination. It, however, is not a teaching of the New Testament. Notice:
a. Paul to the Hebrews: “Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge,” Hebrews 13:5.
b. No Apostle, evangelist, minister, pastor, or leader in the New Testament ever forbade the union of marriage before one could serve in the work of the Lord. These are heresies ordained by the evil one – the devil himself.
c. Peter, the lead apostle to the Jews, was married “and carried about his wife.” Notice Paul: “Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?” 1 Corinthians 9:5; Matthew 8:14; Mark 1:30.
d. The bishops or elders “are to be the husbands of one wife,” 1 Timothy 3:2; 1 Timothy 3:12; Titus 1:6.
e. The widows are to be “the wife of one husband,” 1 Timothy 5:9. This was the exact phrase for both the husband and the wife. Therefore, whatever it meant for the men meant the same thing for the women.
2. Commanding to abstain from meats. The practice of abstaining from meats came from misrepresenting the: “Letter to the Gentiles” in Acts 15. In that Letter, they were:
a. Commanded to: “Abstain from meat offered to idols, and from things strangled and from fornication,” Acts 15:28-29. The deceivers had dropped the clause: “offered to idols” in their teaching and made it a commandment to abstain “from meats” or all meats. This, of course, was not the commandment of God, Acts 10:9-15; Acts 11:5-10. God had created all things good and nothing to be refused. Notice Paul’s instruction in the text:
1) First, God has created all things. The foods God has created are for use, to be eaten thankfully by those who know the truth instead of having their minds darkened by delusions. Paul continues...
2) Further, every creature is good. Everything God created is good and has its proper use (Genesis 1:31). Hence, it is not to be refused as sinful or unclean. This applies to what God has created. God did not create one thing that was not good. Therefore, all should be received because of God's goodness.
3) Finally, if it is received with thanksgiving.
a) The word of God sanctifies it. God has sanctified all things through His Word.
b) And through prayer, after giving thanks before eating God’s blessings.
b. These practices are still found among specific orders of the Latin and Eastern churches, such as “abstaining from meats.” It was once forbidden for Catholics to eat meat on Fridays.
1) This teaching was later amended, allowing them to indulge in meat. At which time was the Pope infallible? Was it when their disciples could not eat meat on Friday, or now when they are permitted to eat it on Friday?
2) Only the “apostles of Christ” spoke the word with complete infallibility.
NOTE: See our lesson “Divine Revelation and Inspiration” on SermonCentral.com by Ron Freeman, Evangelist.
c. He concludes, “If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained,” 1 Timothy 4:6.
3. The aim of these wolves is “to draw away disciples after them,” Acts 20:30. There are many “splintered and broken congregations” among us because they lack sound and faithful leadership. Also, there are no “watchmen among them.”
4. Paul wrote to the Romans: “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve, not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple,” Romans 16:17-18. The elders and ministers must watch for those coming into the body to cause contentions and confusion. He now mentions this critical task of the leadership team.
E. The leadership’s divine assignment: “Therefore watch, and remember,” Acts 20:31. Paul continues his discourse with these elders with a warning. Consider...
1. The word “therefore” comes from the word “before” it. Due to the soon “departure from the faith” and the “grievous wolves entering in among you,” ye, therefore, watch and remember all the things I am mentioning now and while I was with you, laboring in Ephesus.
2. He reminds them: “That by the space of three years I cease not to warn every one night and day with tears,” Acts 20:31. My warnings were with tears of anguish.
3. He cautions them to consider the pain and travail he underwent while planting the church in Ephesus. Remember: “For a space of three years I ceased not to warn all night and day with tears,” Acts 20:31.
4. Paul likens himself to a faithful guard:
a. Warning them of the continued dangers of Judaism and heathenism, they had now prevailed against when they embraced Christ by “grace through the faith,” Ephesians 2:8-19. Watch out for these so-called teachers of Christ.
b. He warned everyone; in addition to his public warnings in his preaching, he applied himself to particular matters he saw in them, which he could speak peculiarly to them regarding their faith in Christ.
c. He constantly provided them warnings; he warned night and day; his time was filled with work. In the night, when he should have been reposing himself, he dealt with those he did not get to speak with in the day. He might be “pure from the blood of all men... having declared unto them the whole counsel of God,” Acts 20:26-27.
d. He ceased not to warn. Though they were sometimes resistant against his warnings, he did not cease to warn that they, by the grace of God, might not be overcome by the evil one; though they appear so pious in their walk, he did not think he should cease from continued warnings and exhortations. He, like Ezekiel, warned:
1) The wicked man, to turn from his wicked ways.
2) The wayward man, to return from his wicked way.
3) The righteous man, to remain in his righteous walk, Ezekiel 3:18-21.
5. He spoke to them about their souls with great affection and concern and warned them with tears. As he had served the Lord, so he had served them, with many tears (Acts 20:19, 20:31, 20:37). A loving eldership and ministership will not only pray for the church but will sometimes weep over it in private and public.
NOTE: Illustrate the tears I shed for the church. I could only cry and pray for it. It seemed my preaching was not availing anything! 2 Corinthians 5:9-11.
a. He warned them with tears of compassion, showing concern for the hurt and danger awaiting them still in Ephesus from evil men and brethren.
b. He assures them that “the bonds and afflictions awaiting him in Jerusalem” would not deter him in his work, Acts 20:22-23; Acts 21:10-14.
c. He would soon assure them “that their labor is not in vain in the Lord,” as he had also told the brethren at Corinth, 1 Corinthians 15:58. We will return to this at the end of the lesson. Now, this brings us to the last point in this lesson.
CONCLUSION
A. Outline.
2. The Leadership’s: Divine Assignment
B. Summarize main points.
1. Second, we discussed the elders at Ephesus’ divine assignment. Paul continued warning: “For I know this that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter among you, not sparing the flock... And of yourselves shall men arise... Therefore, watch and remember... I cease not to warn every one night and day with tears,” Acts 20:29-31.
2. This is an office of service and devotion to the people of God. The leadership is ever vigilant in its oversight of the church. They must defend her from false doctrines and the wolves constantly attacking her. This will be accomplished with careful watching, prayers unto God often, and many tears shed for its safety and salvation, as “they watch for their souls.”
C. Invitation. Present God’s pattern of conversion. Jesus said: “Come unto me all ye that labor,” Matthew 11:28-30. [Explain the POC, i.e., hearing and believing the gospel; repentance of all past sins, Luke 24:44-47; confessing faith in Christ, as the Son of God, Matthew 10:32-33; and then, by obeying the gospel, Romans 10:16-18; Romans 6:17-18; that is to: “repent and be baptized, in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost,” Acts 2:38; Acts 5:31-32; Ephesians 1:13-14].
D. Exhortation. “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved,” Jeremiah 8:20.
E. Motivation. Do as Peter directed: “Save thyself,” Acts 2:40; Acts 2:36-39; Acts 2:41.
