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Acts 20:25-35  PAULS COUNSEL TO THE EPHESIAN ELDERS

Introduction:

	In this text the Apostle Paul is at Miletus near the city of Ephesus.  He 
is enrollee to Jerusalem carrying an offering from the Gentile churches to help 
the church at Jerusalem which had been hit hard by a drought.  In his haste to 
reach Jerusalem he bypassed the city of Ephesus and sent word for the elders of 
the church of Ephesus to meet him at Millets.  
	In our previous text Paul reminded those elders of the kind of leadership 
which he had provided for the church at Ephesus in the organization and early 
work of the church.  In doing so he gave us a great insight into the kind of 
preacher that he was in all his ministry.  
	 In our text today Paul continues to speak of his sacrificial labor with 
the Ephesian church and counsels the elders of this church concerning the kind 
of leadership which they will now need to provide that church.  This counsel is 
good advice for all church leaders in our day.  

I.  More about Paul, himself 

	Having reminisced considerably about the time that he had labored with the 
church at Ephesus, Paul must have been quite emotional in making his next 
statement to them.  V. 25, “And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I 
have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more.”  Paul had 
spent about three years working with these people.  He and his fellow helpers 
had won these people to the Lord.  He had led in the organization of this 
church.  He had been their chief teacher and leader.  He had worked diligently 
for the spiritual growth.  He had prayed for them and prayed with them in their 
struggles.  It was not easy for him to face the fact that he probably would not 
see them again.  In fact at this time he was convinced that he would see them no 
more in this life.  It was for him a sad announcement and he knew that it would 
be for them a sad announcement.  
	Having said this, Paul continues to speak about the kind of  example that 
he had set before the Ephesian brethren.  V. 26-27, “Wherefore I take you to 
record this day, that I [am] pure from the blood of all [men].  For I have not 
shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.”  In saying that he was free 
from the blood of all Paul was not saying that he had not killed any of them 
although it is most certainly true that he had not killed any of them.  By this 
Paul was implying two things.  He was implying that if he had failed to present 
the gospel message to those who are lost that he would, in a very real sense, be 
guilty of their blood.  The unsaved would die in their sin unprepared to meet 
God and by his silence he would share the blame.  But since he had not failed to 
declare the gospel the person who rejected the gospel would bear his own guilt. 
His blood will not be on Paul.  From this we see that the saved have a great 
responsibility to carry the gospel to the unsaved lest their blood be upon us.  
	Paul also implied that if he had failed to teach the will of God to the 
saved and if those saved people suffer the wrath of God as a result, then by his 
neglect he would share in their guilt.  But since Paul had not failed to teach 
the will of God to the saved, then any person who brings the wrath of God upon 
him must bear his own guilt.  From this we see that Christians who know the word 
of God and, therefore, know the will of God have a responsibility to teach and 
train those Christians who do not know God’s will.  

II.  Paul’s counsel to the elders of the church of Ephesus

	Since Paul gave this counsel to the elders of the church of Ephesus, it 
might be good if we would take the time right here to consider just how the 
word, elder, is used in the Scripture and how it is used in this verse.  The 
primary use of the word, elder, in Israel was refer to those who were the more 
aged.  In Israel, it particularly referred to the more aged men.  I do not 
recall it ever being used to refer to women in Scripture.  This is because in 
Israel the more elderly were looked to as leaders of the people.  
	Yet as the years passed, the word, elder, came to refer to a leader 
regardless of his age.  Even a young man would be called an elder because of his 
position of leadership even though he was still young.  
	In the New Testament, the term, elder, among the churches likewise 
referred to those who were in leadership positions.  For instance a pastor would 
be an elder.  But the term is not limited in the New Testament to pastors only.  
The term might include deacons.  It might even refer to teachers who held 
leadership positions.  In verse 28 we will see that these elders are said to be 
“overseers” in the church of Ephesus.  The term could have possibly included a 
plurality of pastors in the church at Ephesus with one being the “senior pastor” 
with others serving in special positions of responsibility under the senior 
pastor.  
	But let us get to the instructions which Paul gave the elders.  V. 28, 
“Take heed therefore unto yourselves...”  Paul told the elders of the church of 
Ephesus to take heed to themselves.  Each spiritual leader in a New Testament 
church is to take heed to himself.  In order to help guide others in living a 
godly Christian life, he is to make sure that he, himself, lives a godly 
Christian life.  
	He is to take heed to his doctrinal beliefs.  He is to rightly divide the 
word of God and to be sound in the faith.  One whose doctrinal belief is 
contrary to the word of God is not worthy of a position of leadership in a New 
Testament church.  He must not be swept away with every wind of doctrine.  
	A leader in a New Testament church is to guard himself is his attitude 
toward others.  He is not to be a “know-it-all.”  He is not to think too highly 
of himself.  He need to be able to work with others.  He must not be a lone 
wolf.  He must be willing to listen to others and to consider that they have to 
say.  He need to consider the feelings of others.  He needs to be kind and 
patient in his dealings with others.  
	He needs to be morally clean, living a chaste life.  He must be truthful.  
He must be honest in all his dealings with others.  He must be trustworthy.  He 
must not be swept away by every little temptation that comes along.  
	He must be faithful. He must not be an on-again-off-again Christian.  He 
must be faithful to all the services and to all of the work of the church.  
	(V. 28), “...and to all the flock...”  A spiritual leader in a church must 
not only take heed to himself, but to all the flock---that is, to all of the 
church membership  He is not only to be dedicated to the Lord and true to the 
Lord in ever sense, but he is to seek to lead others in the church to live 
dedicated lives to the Lord.  
	(V. 28), “...over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to 
feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.”   Spiritual 
leaders are to recognize that they have been put in that place of leadership by 
the Holy Spirit of God.  God put them there and God holds them responsible.  
They will give account to God for the direction and manner in which they have 
sought to lead the people.  
	Note that Paul used the word “overseers.”  He did not use the word 
“bosses” nor the word “kings,” nor the words “dictators.”  They are to oversee 
not with an iron hand, but by setting a good example.  They are to lead by good 
teaching.  They are to lead by and by exhortation and encouragement.  They are 
to do the will of God and they are to seek to lead the people to do the will of 
God.  

III.  The need of godly church leaders

	V.30-31, “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.”  Paul knew 
that after he would leave men would come into the flock from the outside who 
would seek to exercise and ungodly leadership.  Paul felt that it was the duty 
of the godly leaders to resist such ungodly leadership.  Paul knew also that 
right from within the flock there would be men to arise who would seek to 
exercise an ungodly influence on the church.  Paul felt that it was the duty of 
godly leaders to resist even those who would rise up from within the church who 
seeking to lead the church in the wrong direction.  
	Both good and bad can come from the outside and both good and bad can come 
from within.  Let me add this note of caution.  Not all leaders who come in from 
the outside are the wrong kind of leaders.  God may send a good man from outside 
the membership.  Likewise, not all leaders who rise up from within the flock are 
bad leaders.   
	But it is essential that a church have good leadership.  If the leadership 
goes bad, the church will go bad.  If the leadership follows the will of God 
then the church will follow the will of God.  
	The key to keeping good leadership within the church is for good leaders 
to teach and train others who might develop into good leadership.  

III.  Paul’s example and admonition

	In verses 31 through 35 Paul again pointed out his own example and urged 
the elders of the church to follow his example.  
	V. 32, “Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three year s I 
ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.” 
	In verse 32 he admonished the brethren to stick with the word of God.  V. 
32, “And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, 
which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them 
which are sanctified.”  They were to know the word of God.  They were to study 
it and rightly divide it.  
	They were to believe the word of God.  When God’s word speaks clearly on 
any issue, that should settle the matter.  God’s word is always to be believed 
above the word of man.  
	They were to follow the word of God.  They were to do what God’s word 
teaches that they are to do.  They were to refrain from doing the thing that 
God’s word teaches that they should not do.  
	They were to be “sanctified.”  The word “sanctified” means “Set apart to a 
particular use.”  Their lives were to be “Set apart for service to God.”  Some 
teach that a Christian ought to do something for God every day.  Paul taught 
that a Christian’s life should be totally set apart to God every day.  
	Paul said:  V. 33-35, “I have coveted no man's silver, or gold, or 
apparel. 
   Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my 
necessities, and to them that were with me.  I have shewed you all things, how 
that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the 
Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.”  That is 
the kind of life that Paul lived before them.  That is the kind of life Paul 
thought the Ephesian elders should live.  That is the kind of live Paul thought 
the Ephesian elders should lead all of the members of the church at Ephesus to 
live.  
 
Conclusion:

	That is the kind of life Christian leaders today should live.  That is the 
kind of life that every Christian should live today.