ACC ~ Acts 20 v25 - 38

OVERVIEW:

Both moderns and ancients see in Paul’s description of his missionary activity an ideal for leaders in the church. Most intriguing to the moderns is the expression in Acts 20:28, translated above, “to care for the church of God that he obtained with the blood of his own Son.” The word church here must refer to a single group, to the worldwide company of the redeemed. Paul did not hesitate to say “the blood of God,” because of the oneness of person in two natures of the same Jesus Christ (BEDE). The false teacher is guilty of the souls that receive his teaching, as if he had poured out their blood, which is their life (AMMONIUS). The Fathers, nearly all of whom were preachers, warmed to this section. Chrysostom analyzes and admires the progression in the speech, and he, along with Gregory, speaks of the need for the bishop or preacher to speak the truth and thus be innocent of the blood of the people. Paul’s self-description is seen as an example of care for his people (CHRYSOSTOM), of attention to his own salvation (DIDYMUS, CASSIAN, BEDE) and of poverty and detachment (BEDE, JEROME, CHRYSOSTOM, AUGUSTINE). The teacher does no harm (DIDYMUS, AMMONIUS, GREGORY). The church must be protected against the wolves of false teaching (DIDYMUS, ORIGEN, CHRYSOSTOM). Arator allegorizes the metaphor of Paul’s teaching “night and day.” When Paul is most torn between contemplation and service (CASSIAN) he finds that the level of grace rises to meet the level of temptation (CHRYSOSTOM). More will come from less (JEROME). Readiness to abandon earthly goods is characteristic of the Christian teacher (BEDE).

20:26 | Innocent of Your Blood

HE WHO DOES NOT SPEAK HAS BLOOD TO ANSWER FOR. CHRYSOSTOM: [Paul] is about to say something more burdensome, that is, “I am innocent of the blood of all of you.” With this he prepares them and shows that nothing is lacking. Since he was about to place upon them the entire burden with all its weight, he first appeases their feelings by saying, “And now, behold, I know that you will see my face no more.” He then adds, “I am innocent of the blood of all of you.” The pain is twofold: one, to see his face no more; two, that this applies to all of them. For he says, “All you among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom will see my face no more.” Therefore it is natural that “I testify to you,” since I will no longer be here, “that I am innocent of the blood of all of you, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.” Do you see how he frightens them and crushes their souls, troubled and afflicted as they are? But this was necessary. “For I did not shrink,” he says, “from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.” So it is he who does not speak who is responsible for the blood, that is, for the murder. Nothing could be more terrifying than this. He shows that they too, if they do not act, are responsible for the blood. So although he seems to be justifying his own actions, he is, in fact, putting fear into them. HOMILIES ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 44.

INNOCENT BECAUSE HE SPOKE HONESTLY. GREGORY THE GREAT (quoted by BEDE): “Paul believed that he was innocent of the blood of his neighbor, inasmuch as he did not spare their vices, which demanded to be castigated.” COMMENTARY ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 20.26.

PAUL’S INNOCENCE. AMMONIUS: “I am clean of the blood of all.” … The false teacher is guilty of the souls that receive his teaching, as if he had poured out their blood, which is our life. By saying “I am clean,” he means, “I give witness that my teaching has deprived none of life everlasting but that it sets forth a heavenly kingdom. Anyone, therefore, not persuaded by me should consider himself as his own murderer, for I am innocent of the blood of all who hear me and do not believe.” CATENA ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 20.26.

20:27 | Declaring All of God’s Counsel

THE WHOLE COUNSEL. DIDYMUS THE BLIND: If a teacher, in educating those who are able to profit, harms none of these students, even in this does he imitate Paul. He will say that he is clean of the blood of all his students, meaning that by his teaching he has not slaughtered any through error, as if he had poured out the vital force of his soul, which is allegorically called blood. In addition to this he declares openly that he has set out and announced to them the entire counsel of God. But understood simply the entire counsel of God is incomprehensible to creatures, “for who knows the mind of the Lord?” So we must find out what meaning this passage bears. Now, since we have here the phrase “I announced to you,” it means something different, namely, that [Paul] calls that “entire counsel” what it was possible for humans to say and hear. This interpretation is in agreement with his sentiment that “we know in part,” and this very knowledge is, in relation to the coming age, partial in itself, be it of any sort and of the greatest fullness. It is possible that “the entire counsel of God” means the plan concerning the giving of the law and the prophets and the gospel. CATENA ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 20.26.

20:28 | Heeding Yourselves and the Church

CARE FOR SELF AND FLOCK. CHRYSOSTOM: “Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God that he obtained with his own blood.” Do you see how [Paul] gives two orders here? Success with others alone does not bring any benefit—for I fear, he says, “lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.” Equally, caring only for oneself brings no benefit. For such a one is selfish and seeks only his own good, like the man who has buried his gold. He says this not because our own salvation is more precious than that of the flock but because when we attend to ourselves, the flock also benefits. HOMILIES ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 44.

BISHOPS AND PRESBYTERS. BEDE: He had said previously that the presbyters of Ephesus had been summoned to Miletus. Now he calls them bishops, that is, overseers. One city could not have several bishops, but under the name bishops [Paul] indicates these presbyters as being in fact priests, for the order was connected, and in many it was practically the same. COMMENTARY ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 20.28A.

THE CHURCH IS PRECIOUS TO THE LORD. CHRYSOSTOM: Do you see how many compelling necessities there are? “You were ordained by the Spirit,” he says, for this is what “the Holy Spirit has made you overseers” means. This is one. Then, “to care for the church of God.” This is another. And the third, “which he obtained with his own blood.” Through his words [Paul] shows that a great deal hinges on this and that matters of no small value are at risk, if, with the master not sparing even his own blood on behalf of his church, we look down upon our brothers’ salvation. For it was to reconcile enemies that he poured out his blood. … Look, not only does he mention “wolves” but adds “fierce,” thereby hinting at their excess and recklessness. Even worse, he says that these wolves will arise from among themselves. This is exceedingly difficult to bear, since it is also a civil war. He is right when he says, “Take heed … ,” thereby showing that the matter is exceedingly serious (for it is the church), the venture great (for he redeemed it with blood) and the battle mighty and twofold. HOMILIES ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 44.

THE BLOOD OF GOD. BEDE: He did not hesitate to say “the blood of God,” because of the oneness of person in two natures of the same Jesus Christ. On account of this it has also been said, “the Son of man, who is in heaven.” Therefore let Nestorius stop separating the Son of man from the Son of God and making for himself two Christs. COMMENTARY ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 20.28B.

THE ROLE OF THE SHEPHERD. DIDYMUS THE BLIND: “Take care for yourselves and for the entire flock,” and the following. Since it is not according to nature but according to an appropriation of the power that comes from the Spirit that a person is ordained to the episcopacy by the Holy Spirit for our sake, it is possible for one holding such a position to fall from it, without due care. For if someone were established as a shepherd of the church because of the state of his being, that person would hold whatever office without possibility of change. But it not only says that bishops must pay heed to themselves but also to the flock that the Savior acquired by his blood. And just as he will not fall if he is attentive to himself by taking care for both the requisite virtues and his faith—that is, he will neither start speaking the perverse things of heresies nor follow selfish ambition by attempting to lure Christ’s disciples away in order to imitate himself and follow him—so also he must take care for the flock by turning away from it the wolves who are falsely called apostles and who, being ravenous, live on the ruin of the flock. … Now he turns away these wolves, if he, established by the Holy Spirit to oversee the church, is a good shepherd. A hired man, not being a shepherd, flees when a wolf comes to scatter and kill the sheep. Furthermore, a hired man is no shepherd, since he takes charge of the community for profit and pay, and not come what may. So it is to be realized that the Holy Spirit establishes shepherds and bishops for the church just as God establishes in the church “first apostles,” and the following. CATENA ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 20.28.

20:29 | Fierce Wolves

STAY AWAY FROM CONTAMINATION. ORIGEN: If you touch “what is seized by a wild beast,” you will be unclean. Which wild beast? Is it a lion or a wolf that ravishes persons or animals? I believe that beast is the one about whom the apostle Peter says, “your adversary, the devil, goes around like a roaring lion seeking whom he can devour. Resist him, strong in the faith.” And again, the apostle Paul says concerning these, “For after my departure, fierce wolves will come in, not sparing the flock.” If you see one made captive by these beasts, do not follow him, do not touch him, lest you also be made unclean. Furthermore, there are also other unclean animals whose carcass it is forbidden to touch. Unclean animals are people who are without Christ, in whom there is neither reason nor anything religious. Therefore, if you see the “carcasses,” that is, the sins of all these, the lawgiver tells you not to take hold, not to touch, not to handle. HOMILIES ON LEVITICUS 3.3.5.

20:30 | Arising from Among You

THE CHARACTER OF HERETICS. AMMONIUS: “In order to draw away the disciples after them.” Heretics strive to make the people their own instead of the Lord’s, so that they might boast in themselves, when the name of the heretics is attached to these people, and so that they can profit from the name. For example, from Mani comes Manichaean, from Arius, Arian, and from Nestorius, Nestorian, and the other types of heresies. Paul himself checked this beforehand when he silenced and censured those who were saying, “I’m Paul’s; I’m Apollos’s; I’m Cephas’s,” since he did not want their faith to be explained by the name of a person but by Christ’s name; he wanted them all to be called Christians, even though they had been taught by different teachers. Accordingly, whenever all the teachers strive for the same goal of proclaiming the true faith, of profiting the students while suppressing their own names, they are called, by the same name, Christians. If, however, the teachers pervert any of the teachings of the church, then the title of Catholic is denied, and they are called after the name of the teacher. CATENA ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 20.29-30.

20:31 | Admonishing Everyone with Tears

HE WOULD HAVE DONE THIS FOR A SINGLE SOUL. CHRYSOSTOM: Notice how many strong expressions [Paul] uses, “with tears,” “night and day” and “everyone.” It is not that when he saw more than one, he refrained, but that he knew he did everything even for one soul. It was thus that he welded them together. HOMILIES ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 44.

AN ALLEGORY ON PAUL’S WORDS. ARATOR: But because [Paul] said, “Night and day for three years I gave these teachings for your salvation,” an allegory is revealed by this reckoning [of his]: he who utters three doctrines of the church rather often brings forth the historical and allegorical Book, proclaiming [also] a moral [sense]. For thus the six pots reddened with the new liquid out of the old law took three measures apiece. The ancient form of the perfect sacrifice commanded that one offer three loaves from the basket; to these [mysteries] is added what Christ said to his disciples, that three loaves ought to be given to one asking when it was already night; that night surely is the world, so that, if anyone here desires the food of the word, you should produce a banquet, you who are asked, and teach the willing one that the Father and the Son [and] the Holy Spirit are one God and that a single Substance trebles the number. ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 2.

20:32 | Commended to God

CONFIDENCE IN GRACE. CHRYSOSTOM: When [Paul] speaks in council, he follows what he does in writing an epistle. He begins with exhortation and ends with prayer. For since he has alarmed them greatly by saying, “Fierce wolves will come in among you,” look at the consolation he gives so that they should not be panic-stricken and lose all hope. “And now,” as always, “I commend you, brothers, to God and to the word of his grace.” That is, to his grace. For it is grace that saves. He reminds them of grace constantly, making them more earnest because they are debtors and persuading them to be of good courage. “Which is able to build you up.” He did not say “build” but “build up,” thereby showing that they were already built. Then he reminds them of the hope to come, “to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” HOMILIES ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 45.

THE UNITY OF FATHER AND SON. AMMONIUS: He demonstrates obscurely and secretly that the Father, who is God, and his Son Jesus, the God-Word, are one. He does not speak in the plural “to those capable,” but with a unifying name he indicates the singular being of both by saying “to the one capable.” Thus we know, from what Paul says in preparing the churches of Asia, that there is one being of both Father and Son and that they are and subsist as two, not according to mere names but in truth. CATENA ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 20.32.

20:33 | Coveting No One’s Wealth

SELF-SUFFICIENCY REQUISITE FOR PREACHERS. ANONYMOUS: He establishes a law for teachers on how they ought to manage their possessions. For preachers of the gospel, a mark of the greatest and purest boldness is to be dependent on the earthly goods of none. CATENA ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 20.33.

20:34 | Ministering to His Own and Others’ Necessities

A POVERTY BETTER EVEN THAN FOREGOING POSSESSIONS. CHRYSOSTOM: For indeed he has demonstrated boldness in the face of danger, sympathy with those over whom he ruled, teaching with boldness, humility and poverty. But this is even greater than poverty. For he says in the Gospel, “If you wish to be perfect, sell what you have.” But when, in addition to taking nothing, [Paul] also feeds others, what can equal this? The first step is to cast off one’s own possessions; the second, to be sufficient for oneself; the third, to provide for others as well; the fourth, for him who is preaching and therefore has a right to take or not to take. Therefore, Paul is far better than those who have merely given up their possessions. HOMILIES ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 45.

EAT TO PREACH OR PREACH TO EAT. AUGUSTINE: For neither ought we, for example, to preach the gospel with this object, that we may eat; but to eat with this object, that we may preach the gospel: for if we preach the gospel for this cause, that we may eat, we reckon the gospel of less value than food; and in that case our good will be in eating, but that which is necessary for us is preaching the gospel. And this the apostle also forbids, when he says it is lawful for himself even, and permitted by the Lord, that they who preach the gospel should live of the gospel, that is, should have from the gospel the necessaries of this life; but yet that he has not made use of this power. SERMON ON THE MOUNT 2.16.54.

TORN BETWEEN CONTEMPLATION AND SERVICE. JOHN CASSIAN: And although for this there were great rewards for his merits prepared, yet [Paul’s] mind, however holy and sublime it might be, could not help being sometimes drawn away from that heavenly contemplation by its attention to earthly labors. Further, … he saw himself enriched with such practical fruits, and on the other hand considered in his heart the good of meditation and weighed as it were in one scale the profit of all these labors and in the other the delights of divine contemplation. For a long time he had corrected the balance in his breast, while the vast rewards for his labors delighted him on one side, and on the other the desire for unity with and the inseparable companionship of Christ inclined him to depart this life. At last in his perplexity [Paul] cries out and says, “What I shall choose I know not. For I am in a strait between two, having a desire to depart and to be with Christ, for it were much better: but to abide in the flesh is more necessary for your sakes.” Though then in many ways he preferred this excellent good to all the fruits of his preaching, yet he submits himself in consideration of love, without which none can gain the Lord; and for their sakes, whom hitherto he had soothed with milk as nourishment from the breasts of the gospel, does not refuse to be parted from Christ, which is bad for himself though useful for others. For he is driven to choose this the rather by that excessive goodness of his whereby for the salvation of his brothers he is ready, were it possible, to incur even the last evil of an anathema. CONFERENCE 23.5.4-6.

THE GENEROSITY OF A LEADER OF THE CHURCH. DIDYMUS THE BLIND: These words are spoken to the leaders of the church so that, in addition to the other things, they might judge themselves imitators of Paul by refusing to accept money. This is quite obvious from the words that follow: “I have given you example in all things that those who toil must come to the help of the weak” and provide for them. If the words of the Lord should be remembered, they will provide the principle: “It is better to give than to receive.” Let giving be preferred by bishops. CATENA ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 20.34.

20:35 | More Blessed to Give Than to Receive

THE WISDOM OF DETACHMENT. JEROME: Somehow or other the very one who begs leave to offer you a gift holds you the cheaper for your acceptance of it; while, if you refuse it, it is wonderful how much more he will come to respect you. LETTER 52.16.

I HAVE SHOWN YOU ALL THINGS. BEDE: That is, not only that devotion to teaching is necessary amid oppression and tears, but also that manual labor is demanded so that none of the weak may be burdened. This is, however, what was said: “And whatever you spend in addition I will repay you when I return,” which means to preach the gospel and not to see one’s support from the gospel. COMMENTARY ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 20.35A.

IT IS MORE BLESSED TO GIVE THAN TO RECEIVE. BEDE: He does not value the rich, even if they give alms, more highly than those who have left all things and followed the Lord. Rather, he extols most highly those who have given up at once everything they had and who nevertheless labor, “working with their hands at what is good in order to have something to give to one who is suffering need.” COMMENTARY ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 20.35B.