Acts 20:28-31 :

Take heed, therefore, to yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the assembly of the Lord and God which he purchased with his own blood. For I know that after my departure, vicious wolves will enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Men will arise from among your own selves, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore watch, remembering that for a period of three years I didn’t cease to admonish everyone night and day with tears.

Paul, continuing his final words to the Ephesians, warns them to not only guard the people they are overseeing, but to also guard themselves. In the last books of the New Testament, the Church is warned over and over that bad teachers will arise in the Church. Here, Paul refers to them as “vicious wolves” that appear from within the flock itself.

It is a shame for public Bible teachers to claim that it is wrong for one Bible teacher to publically expose another Bible teacher. The Bible clearly tells us that we must carefully guard against these bad teachers in the last days. You should even be critical of what I am saying and check it out for yourself. This is the right thing to do! If I say something wrong, you owe it to our Lord to expose it!

We should pray for all of our Christian leaders that God will hold them up and keep them speaking and demonstrating the truth of His word. Even so, God clearly warns us that that bad men and women will come from within the church itself and we are not to pay attention to them when they tell us to do something wrong.

Notice that Paul reminds them that God “purchased” the Church “with His own blood”. All Christian leaders are slaves of God because they are taking care of someone else’s valuables! Good Christian leaders recognize and maintain this truth and when they don’t, it can be a very horrible thing.

Notice, also, that Paul says that Jesus and the Holy Spirit are God here. He says: “Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the assembly of the Lord and God which He purchased with His own blood.” Clearly, Paul is referring to the Crucified One as God while also referring to the Holy Spirit who appointed them. What an amazing verse!

Paul also demonstrates that Christian leaders should lead, ceaselessly, by example. Preachers shouldn’t just preach, they need to practice what they say.