THE CHANGING OF THE GUARD (ACTS 20:25-31)
One of the biggest tourist attractions in England is, without doubt, a visit to Buckingham Palace, especially to see the 45 minutes “Changing of the Guard” ceremony at its appointed time, which I had the opportunity to do in my visit to England in 2006.
Every day in the summer under the hot sun, the New Guard awaits inspection on the parade square while the Band forms a circle to play music – even to the theme of James Bond. The New Guard, led by the Band, marches across into the forecourt of the castle. Once there, the New Guard advances towards the Old Guard in slow time and short pauses. The Old Guard presents arms, followed by the New Guard presenting arms. The Captains of the Guards march towards each other for the handing over of the Palace keys. The new guards are marched to the guardrooms, where new sentries are posted.
The Queen’s Guard is posted with the primary purpose of protecting the Queen or Sovereign. It provides sentries during the day and night, and during the latter hours they patrol the grounds of the Palace.
Paul spent three years (v 31) in fruitful and effective ministry to the Jews and Greeks in Ephesus (Acts 19:10). He founded the church in Ephesus on his second missionary journey and left Priscilla and Aquila to continue the work there (Acts 18:19-24), who were joined by the talented Apollos later. It’s been said, “Saying goodbye is hard to do.” Three weeks before I left for Hong Kong, my mentor invited me for dinner with an invitation that says, “I don’t want to say goodbye but it’s better than leaving without saying goodbye.” The Chinese say, “There is no banquet under heaven that never ends.” Stanley Toussaint divided this discourse into three parts: (a) a review of Paul's past three-year's ministry in Ephesus (20:18-21), (b) a description of the present situation (vv. 22-27), and (c) the future responsibilities of the Ephesian elders (vv. 28-35). (from Bible Knowledge Commentary) A friend suggested using the three “and, now” (vv 22, 25, 32).
What do you say to say goodbye? Something sentimental, something selfish or something sophisticated? How would you like others to remember you? Why is more important to for others to continue the mission you have rather than cherish their memories with you? Paul watched his words, witnessed to God and warned of dangers.
Go the Distance
17 From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. 18 When they arrived, he said to them: “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia. 19 I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents. 20 You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. 21 I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus. 22 “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. 23 I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. 24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.
When I was a young student at DTS before I was 30, a few of my schoolmates desire nothing upon graduation but to return to Hong Kong to serve with Rev. So. Being a very independent person, I thought to myself, “How strange. Why do you even want to serve under someone of that stature? No independent thinking.”
Ever since then, the church he led has grown to 10,000 members, a 19-story building, three church plants, 100 coworkers and a seminary.
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The purpose in Paul’s farewell is not to restate the way he served the Lord in the past (v 19, “serve/slave” is a “how” participle, not the main clause – “serving” in KJV, NASB and ESV), but to reveal the will to finish the race in the future (v 24) and complete the task of the Lord (KJV, “I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God). The traditional translation for “finish” (v 24) is fulfill (Luke 2:43), perfect (Luke 13:32) and consecrate (Heb 7:28). Some start well, but few finish well. In the journey of life many start on the line, some stumble along the way, others struggle and strain or slow, but the goal is to succeed in the end. The reasons could be physical, moral, relational, mental or emotional. Some did not count the cost, others did not carry the torch, few cross the line. To complete means faith overcoming fear, obedience despite obstacles, perseverance without progress. It is not easy but it is expected. Paul faced the double threat of prison and hardship/afflictions or persecution (v 23), both are plural nouns - unceasing, uncaused and unchanging. The noun “hardship” is singular in the Gospels, but plural here.
The race (v 24, NIV) is better translated as “course” (KJV, NASB, ESV). The noun “course” is uniquely Paul’s usage in its three references in the Bible, first appearing in the Bible to describe John the Baptist who fulfilled his “course” (Acts 13:25) and, of course, Paul’s midway ministry ambition invoked (Acts 20:24) and his final assertion of finishing the course (2 Tim 4:7). The word “course” is different from and more than the race. The course is for completion, the race is for competition. In a race you compete with others, but at a course you compete with objects and against yourself. The track is more important than the time in a course. A race is more straightforward, while a course has more surprises and setbacks. As in a golf “course,” the course includes the grounds (sand, water and grass), the greens (the trees, bushes), the gust (the wind), the glare (the sun), the gallery (the crowd).
Paul’s motivation is not to finish the course, but also his task (v 24). The task is more secular. The traditional translation for “diakonia” are service (Luke 10:40), ministry (Acts 1:17), relief (Acts 11:29) and administrations (1 Cor 12:5). It implies learning not likability, labor and not laziness, lowliness and not lordship, and life not listlessness. The course and the ministry are different; one emphasizes the journey and the other the job. The course is the adventure, the ministry is the attitude. You cannot serve in church if you strive for authority, attention and approval. You do not know service until you serve believers. A minister in China once remarked, “Nobody bullies or takes advantage of me in society other than people in church.”
Give the Best
25 “Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. 26 Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of all men. 27 For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. (Acts 20:25-27)
A young preacher was working with a congregation at which one man, every Sunday, would have something negative to say. It didn’t matter what the preacher spoke on, this man always criticized it.
One Sunday he said, “That’s about the sorriest sermon I ever heard.”
The next Sunday the man came by and said, “Do you call that a sermon?”
The third Sunday he said, “That is about the nearest nothing sermon I think I ever heard.”
The preacher got so upset that he went to the elders and said, “Gentlemen, every Sunday this man has some negative comment to make about my preaching.”
One of them said, “Oh, don’t pay any attention to him. He’s just a half-wit. All he can say is what he repeats from other people.”
Like a man before the highest court of public opinion, Paul used the technical word “declare/witness” (marturomai) or “testify” (v 26) to insist that he was innocent of the blood of all men. This passionate word occurs the first of four times in the Bible, all undoubtedly and appropriately in Paul’s vocabulary (Gal 5:3, Eph 4:17, 1 Thess 2:12). Yet it is used not sanctimoniously or self-righteously but seriously and sparingly, for to state that one is “innocent,” or “clean” in Greek, invites nothing but contempt, criticism, correction and challenges. Paul did not say he was perfect, knowledgeable or indispensable, but that he was conscientious in moral, ethical and financial issues. There was no scandal in the past, no skeleton in the closet and no surprise to ambush others.
“Hesitate” (hupostello) is from two words - to avoid or keep away (2 Cor 8:20, 2 Thess 3:6) and the preposition “under” (hupo). Without the preposition, it means to avoid or keep away, but with the preposition it is more serious - to withdraw or shrink back. This word anchors his speech because he repeats it in verse 27. An example of its use is how Peter, who used to eat with the Gentiles, “drew back” and separated himself from them for fear of the circumcision party (Gal 2:12).
There are four strong “not” (“me”) in verses 20, 22, 27 and 29 and two regular “not” (ouk) in verses 27 and 29:
“me” -
20 You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house.
22 "And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there.
27 For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.
29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock.
“ouk” -
27 For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.
31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.
Of course, some people disputed his leadership, deprecated his accomplishments, decried his pride, denounced his insensitivity and dreaded his tongue, but his mission was one thing: preaching the kingdom (v 25) - the salvation of the lost or the conversion of souls.
Paul ended testimony about his ministry with two “all” (pas) references – the blood of all men (v 26) and the whole will of God (v 27). All in all, Paul uses
the word “all” eight times in his farewell, including verse 18 – “whole”, verse 19 – “great”, verse 25 – “none”, verse 28 – “all”, verse 32 – “all”, verse 35 – “that.”
Guard the Sheep
28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. 29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock.
30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears. (Acts 20:28-31)
In an unusual move to encourage youthful interest in herding sheep, North Dakota state will be awarding sheep to select teens and ‘tweens, hoping to encourage a new generation of shepherds. Shepherding, always popular among storybook characters and as a religious metaphor, has taken a beating in reality. Nationally, tens of thousands of sheep ranches have disappeared in recent decades. And in mostly rural North Dakota, there are just 840 operations now, a drop of about 1,000 sites since the late 1980s. Livestock specialists say that fewer people seem to have the patience or expertise to handle flocks, and that there are concerns about the ease of marketing and slaughter.
As the remaining shepherds grow older, industry officials are hoping to entice replacements from elementary and high schools by giving 10 ewes (female sheep) to North Dakota residents from the ages of 10 to 18 who write winning essays about their interest in the field, and who agree to pay back a part of the profits from their lamb or wool sales to help sustain the initiative. (Rams will be provided for breeding at no charge. Ewes are worth about $150 each.)
All children need is an appropriate place to tend their sheep, like a barn or garage. So far, more than 100 people have inquired about applications. Five to 20 novices will be chosen to be supervised by a mentor. Clay Hatlewick, 14, of Jamestown, in south-central North Dakota, thinks the idea of becoming a professional shepherd is cool. “They’re kind of funny sometimes when you play with them,” he said of his family’s two sheep. “And they’re easier than cows.”
(“Seeking a Few Good Shepherds,” New York Times May 18, 2008)
Here are quotes on a “good/great leader”:
“A good leader is one who can tell another how to reach his or her potential; a great leader is one who can help another discover this potential for him or herself.” (Bo Bennett)
“A sign of a good leader is how many followers you have, but how many leaders you create.” (Gandhi)
“Great leaders create more leaders, not followers.” (Roy T Bennett)
“A good leader is one who is always three steps ahead of the others. He looks out for the people before himself.” (Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library & Museum)
“A great leader is one who makes those around them better," Dana Brownlee
“The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things.” (Ronald Reagan)
“True leaders work themselves out of a job.”
Now that Paul had said his piece about himself, he turned his attention towards the Ephesians leaders. He could not use a better or sterner word. The verb “keep watch” occurs ten times in the Gospels, all uttered by Jesus, its most popular translation being “be on guard” (Matt 10:17, 16:6, 16:11, 16:12, Luke 12:1, 17:3), others include “be careful” (Matt 6:1, Luke 21:34), “watch out” (Matt 7:15) and “beware” (Luke 20:46). The object of Paul’s watchfulness and vigilance is two – yourselves and all the flock. We must take care of ourselves as well as take care of others. Increasingly, many leaders fall to the five temptations of pride, power, profit (money), prominence (fame), and popularity. We are mere “overseers” (v 28), not seers. We do not know everything. “Overseers” (episkopos), translated as “bishop” in KJV, is plural; it implies inspection, insight, interaction, interdependence and involvement.
V 28 flock
. V 28 overseers V 29 grievous wolves V 30 men
V 28 purchased with his own blood V 28 Take heed to feed the church of God V 29 enter in among you, not sparing the flock V 30 to draw away disciples after them.
“Flock” (v 28), by definition, needs protection. Again, Paul uses a word occurring merely once in the Gospels (Luke 12:32), uniquely attested to Jesus. The words “flock” and “be shepherds” in verse 28 share the same root word, with a twist: the former is the noun and latter is the verb. By implication of the verb “shepherd,” ministry is not a title, but a task – to feed the flock, to tend the sheep. The severity of the task is bound by the assertion to and the affirmation of the Trinity’s involvement: the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, be shepherds of the church of God, and with his (Christ) own blood
The purpose of wolves is not to encompass the fold or eyeball the sheep, but “come in/enter” (v 29) the fold and eat the sheep. “Savage” (barus) means grave, grievous, grim. Interestingly, the flock (singular) is contrasted with wolves. “Wolves” (plural) paints a gruesome, gripping and gloomy picture. They are mean, merciless and marauding by nature. Wolves live in groups called “packs.” They function as social predators and hunt in a group of 8 or so wolves. The collective strength of the wolf pack is enough to offset the individual power of the bear. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolf
Paul expertly contrasted the prepositions “into/among (eis) you” (v 29) with “out (ek) of you” (v 30) to warn of the double danger, one the threat from outside and another from within.
The severity of attacks on God’s church is unmistakable. “Men” (v 30) is plural. Worse, the distortion is not from outside, but within – “out of you (plural) yourselves” in Greek. “Distort” (v 30, dia-strepho) is the traditional word for “turn” plus the preposition “through.” Jesus used this word in Matthew (Matt 17:17) and Luke, saying, “O unbelieving and PERVERSE generation.”
The purpose of the men’s rise is to draw away (v 30, infinitive) the disciples. “Draw away” is the action of a sword leaving it sheath (Matt 26:51). It implies departure, distance, detachment, disengagement and disconnection from others. The victims are not merely new believers, but disciples (v 30). The only thing to do is to watch out (gregoreuo) in the imperative mood in verse 31, to be vigilant, be on the alert. Alertness does not mean worrying or wondering but to be waking and watching, to guard against the danger, the duplicity and the determination of wolves.
The antidote –stop (v 31), which means “left” (Luke 5:4), cease (Luke 8:24) or refrain (1 Peter 3:10. The participle “warning (v 31) is used exclusively by Paul in the Bible, eight times, in fact. Warning, in the Bible, is from the word “mind.” It is speaking up one’s mind, not screaming one’s head off. Besides “warn” (Acts 20:31, 1 Cor 4:14, 1 Thess 5:14, 2 Thess 3:15), its other translations are instruct (Rom 15:14) and admonish (Col 1:28, 3:16, 1 Thess 5:12).
Conclusion: Let’s ask ourselves these questions using Paul’s all statements:
1. Do you live a consistent life the whole time/”all” seasons (v 18)?
2. Do you serve the Lord with great/”all” humility? (v 19)
3. Are you innocent of the blood of “all” men? (v 26)
4. Have you declared the whole/”all” counsel of God? (v 27)
5. Have you kept watch over “all” the flock? (v 28)
There is no better way to help God’s people than to serve in humility, to strengthen the weary and to study God’s word. Are you weary in doing good (Gal 6:9)? Are your eyes on God or on people? Do you serve when things are rosy or when they are rough? When people are dear or when they are difficult? Is your foundation built on the word of God or on the wisdom of men?
