When he had finished speaking, he knelt and prayed with them. They all cried as they embraced and kissed him good-bye. They were sad most of all because he had said that they would never see him again. Then they escorted him down to the ship.
Acts 20:36-38

• Paul is speaking to the elders of the church at Ephesus, a church he poured three years of his life into (Acts 20:31). 
• This is his final, emotionally charged address to them before heading to Jerusalem and facing certain imprisonment.
• His message is a charge to leadership, focusing entirely on the solemn responsibility they have been given by God.
• The passage highlights two critical duties for elders and two corresponding dangers threatening the church.
• Paul establishes the nature and the immense value of the flock that the elders are charged to oversee.

• Self-Examination ("Be on guard for yourselves")

• Paul starts with the leaders: "Be on guard for yourselves..." Leaders must first ensure their own spiritual, moral, and doctrinal integrity. A shepherd who is spiritually compromised cannot effectively protect the flock.
• This duty is essential because compromised leadership opens the door to the very dangers Paul is about to describe.

• Protecting the Flock ("...and for all the flock")

• The elders must then watch over the entire congregation. The flock belongs to God, making their oversight a sacred trust.
• Paul emphasizes the incredible value of the church: "...in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood."

• The term "overseers" (episkopous) denotes the administrative and authoritative role of the elders.
• The value of the church is measured by the infinite price of Christ's blood. This underscores the severity of their responsibility—they are guarding a treasure bought by the sacrifice of God Incarnate.

• Paul warns the elders about the two primary sources of spiritual destruction that will attack the church after his departure.
• External Attack ("Fierce Wolves")

• Acts 20:29: "I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock." (ESV)
• The Wolves: These represent false teachers who attack from the outside, infiltrating the church. They are "fierce" because their intention is not correction or guidance, but destruction—they seek to tear the flock apart (not sparing them) by devouring them with false doctrine.
• This danger requires vigilant watchfulness by the elders to screen teaching and protect the doors of the church.

• Internal Corruption ("Perverse Things")

• Acts 20:30: "Also from among yourselves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them." (NKJV)
• The Internal Threat: This danger is more insidious and often more damaging. The threat comes "from among yourselves"—men who were once part of the fellowship, perhaps even holding leadership positions.
• The Method: They speak "perverse things" (twisted, corrupt doctrine) with the goal of "drawing away the disciples after them." Their aim is not to honor Christ, but to build a following based on their own self-serving teachings, creating schism and division.

• The church must defend itself against two forms of attack: Infiltrators (fierce wolves) and Insiders (disloyal, divisive leaders).

• Paul's warning to the Ephesian elders is a timeless mandate for all believers, particularly leaders.
• For Leaders: The mandate remains: You must shepherd the flock, modeling holiness while constantly guarding the perimeter against teaching that twists God's Word or seeks to draw believers away from Christ's authority to human authority.
• For All Believers (The Flock): Every member of the flock has a duty to be discerning. We must measure all teaching against the standard of Scripture and refuse to follow leaders who draw attention to themselves rather than to Christ.

The lesson of Acts 20:28-30 is a powerful reminder that spiritual maturity is measured by vigilance and dedication. The church must be defended because of its immense value. 

We are called to be watchmen, actively guarding the integrity of the Gospel and the purity of the church, knowing that the cost of the flock was the very blood of God's Son.