What did Paul charge the elders in Ephesus to protect, and how did the church respond years later? This lesson follows Acts 20 through Paul's farewell, the grace of God, and the lasting witness of the early church.
In Lesson 131 of A Study of the Book of Acts with Paul's Writings, the teaching examines Paul's warning about false teachers and his charge to care for the church with integrity. Acts 20:17-38 points to God's grace as the source of strength and inheritance for believers, while Romans 16 and Ephesians help explain Paul's message about the gospel and the revealed mystery of Christ's atoning work.
The lesson also considers the church at Ephesus in Revelation 2. Jesus commends its discernment toward false apostles yet warns that the believers had left their first love. The message calls Christians to guard against false teaching without losing the love of Christ or turning correction into public condemnation.
Along the way, the study introduces Mary Slessor, a Scottish missionary who served in Calabar, Nigeria, and traces the later history of John in Ephesus and his exile to Patmos. It also considers how oral testimony and early church tradition preserve accounts that aren't stated directly in Scripture.
The closing challenge is personal: if you've received the gospel, will you pass it on? Watch this Bible study on Acts 20, Paul's farewell address, Christian inheritance, and the responsibility to share the testimony of Jesus.
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