abelcainsbrother wrote:bbyrd009 wrote:Kurieuo wrote:...
ty for your opinion and time here, i seek to be as unobtrusive as possible, and sorry that my replies to you are not up to your expectations.
Can you post Acts 20:28 and tell us what you think it is saying?Try John 20:28 also.
ah, sorry, missed this.
sure, i'll give them a shot.
Acts 20
21 urging Jews and Greeks alike to a radical life-change before God and an equally radical trust in our Master Jesus.
22 "But there is another urgency before me now. I feel compelled to go to Jerusalem. I'm completely in the dark about what will happen when I get there.
23 I do know that it won't be any picnic, for the Holy Spirit has let me know repeatedly and clearly that there are hard times and imprisonment ahead.
24 But that matters little. What matters most to me is to finish what God started: the job the Master Jesus gave me of letting everyone I meet know all about this incredibly extravagant generosity of God.
25 "And so this is good-bye. You're not going to see me again, nor I you, you whom I have gone among for so long proclaiming the news of God's inaugurated kingdom.
26 I've done my best for you, given you my all,
27 held back nothing of God's will for you.
28 "Now it's up to you. Be on your toes - both for yourselves and your congregation of sheep. The Holy Spirit has put you in charge of these people - God's people they are - to guard and protect them. God himself thought they were worth dying for.
29 "I know that as soon as I'm gone, vicious wolves are going to show up and rip into this flock, men
30 from your very own ranks twisting words so as to seduce disciples into following them instead of Jesus.
so, Paul is on his way to Jerusalem, against the urging of the Spirit, because he has determined to take the Nazarite vow, like seekers still do today, essentially, whether they call it that or not. So of course he is all apocalyptic, and doomy, because every peer he mentions this to tells him he is nuts, as there is a price on his head at this point, and it is hard to tell if you are really nuts, or just Spirit nuts, once you have set your mind to some thing, and refuse to listen to the Spirit on a matter. Tares are mind-bending, similar but different to wine. So, Paul has decided to Sacrifice Himself for Jesus, which the Spirit has not led him to do, and this is generally understood now, by even (apostate) commentators.
which i don't mean apostate to be a put-down, ok, and i am not putting down Paul, either. these are stages of learning, that most everyone goes through--well, at least after they have rejected the Hippy that came to them, that the Spirit sent, with his "Love Your Neighbor" jazz, that we weren't buying (which hasn't come out here yet, the Hippy, but everyone gets sent one, and most everyone rejects him, of course; because God is "serious," and we see ourselves as "meant for greatness")
so, that is the stage.
and, God being the Master Psychologist that He is, and the Book being alive like It is, a little analogy is now going to be presented, wherein people can read what they need to read, disregarding that we are all our brothers' keepers, right? And also that as soon as Paul left, he knew the wolves (in sheep's clothes) were going to
assume control of the congregation, or iow the "established church was going to be established; Christianity was going to be divided," however you want to put it, which any of us might attest to the fact that there is an official Christianity, a political sort of thing, and another definition of Christianity, that being one who seeks to follow Christ. and which we have more of, etc.
and i am still coming out of being a "doomer" myself, but i see now that this is how it is meant to be, and a follower has to learn the wrong ways, all of them, in order to understand fully why the right way is the right choice. Hence why there is, actually, no condemnation in Christ, this is the plan, and "reap what you sow" takes care of every situation; "i hope you get what you deserve" can either elicit growls, or appreciation, iow.
so, at verse 28--which of course whole books have been written about, and you hardly need me to regurgitate them, or the commentators--it might be seen that, even though the wolves are about to take over, Paul didn't mention to separate from them, or stop looking after them, huh, even the wolves, although one can read that into the passage if they like, the intimation is certainly there; but we know that Christ died for us while we were yet sinners, yes? Christ died for those people, too; the ones who have
taken over the congregation already, for us, in our time. God himself thought they were worth dying for; those men, from our own congregations,
who have not even been mentioned yet, not until v 29.
So, that is my exegesis of Acts 20:28