What is the meaning of Acts 20:30? Even from your own number • Paul is addressing the Ephesian elders (Acts 20:17), stressing that danger can come from within the fellowship, not just outside. • Jesus’ parable of the weeds shows counterfeit believers growing among the true (Matthew 13:24-30). • 2 Peter 2:1 warns, “There will be false teachers among you,” echoing Paul’s words. • 1 John 2:19 notes, “They went out from us, but they did not belong to us,” confirming that apostasy often starts inside. Men will rise up • This is deliberate, personal rebellion, not an accident. People choose to step forward and challenge apostolic teaching. • Jude 4 speaks of certain men who “have crept in unnoticed,” illustrating the same phenomenon. • 3 John 9-10 describes Diotrephes, who “loves to be first,” showing the pride that fuels such uprisings. • 1 Timothy 4:1 says some “will abandon the faith,” underlining that departure from truth is part of end-time reality. And distort the truth • The core tactic is twisting Scripture, just as the serpent did in Genesis 3:1. • Galatians 1:6-9 condemns “a different gospel,” proving distortion is deadly, not harmless. • 2 Peter 3:16 notes that the ignorant “distort” Paul’s letters “to their own destruction,” reinforcing the peril. • The truth is clear and complete in God’s Word (John 17:17); altering it leads people from life to ruin. To draw away disciples • Motivation is personal gain—followers, power, influence—not Christ’s glory. • Matthew 7:15 labels such leaders “ravenous wolves,” stressing their predatory nature. • Romans 16:17-18 warns that smooth talk “deceives the hearts of the naïve,” showing how believers can be lured. • Colossians 2:8 cautions against being “taken captive through philosophy,” highlighting intellectual as well as emotional manipulation. After them • The final tragedy: believers shift allegiance from Christ to charismatic personalities. • Acts 5:36-37 records failed messianic pretenders whose followers were “scattered,” illustrating the emptiness of human-centered movements. • 1 Corinthians 1:12-13 rebukes factionalism (“I follow Paul… Apollos”), reminding us that devotion belongs exclusively to Jesus. • John 10:12-13 contrasts hirelings with the Good Shepherd; false leaders abandon the flock, but Christ never does. summary Acts 20:30 is a sober forecast: within the church, self-seeking individuals will arise, twist sound doctrine, and entice believers to follow them instead of Christ. Scripture calls us to vigilance, fidelity to the whole counsel of God, and unwavering loyalty to the Lord Jesus, the only true Shepherd of the flock. |
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