Acts 20:30
in Acts 20Even from your own number, men will rise up and distort the truth to draw away disciples after them.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and from among your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.
KJV
Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.
⋯
This verse in Acts 20
Commentary
11 notes on this verseA commentator
HegesippusFragments from His Five Books of Commentaries on the Acts of the Church. · Written before 180.
From these men also come the Menandrianists, and the Marcionists, and the Carpocratians, and the Valentinians, and the Basilidians, and the Saturnilians. Each of these leaders in his own private and distinct capacity brought in his own private opinion. From these have come false Christs, …
This site's exposition
savage wolves will come
on Acts 20:29-30
Paul foresees savage wolves pressing in from outside once he is gone. A second danger rises from inside, men who distort the truth to draw disciples after them. The letter to Ephesus and the seven letters of Revelation name trouble at work in this church within a generation.
This site's exposition
men will rise up and distort the truth
Paul later names men of this kind in his letters to Timothy, whom he left at Ephesus according to 1 Timothy 1:3. Hymenaeus and Philetus taught that the resurrection had already occurred, as 2 Timothy 2:17 to 18 records. They drew disciples after themselves.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
"For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock." Again he engages them from another quarter, from the things which should come after: as when he says, "We wrestle not against flesh and blood. After my departing," he says, "grievous wolves shall enter in among you" (Eph. vi. 12); twofold the evil, both that he himself would not be present, and that others would assail them. "Then why depart, if thou knowest this beforehand?" The Spirit draws me, he says. Both "wolves," and "grievous, not sparing the flock;" and what is worse, even "from among your own selves:" the grievous thing (this), when the war is moreover an intestine war. The matter is exceeding serious, for it is "the Church of the Lord:" great the peril for with blood He redeemed it: mighty the war, and twofold. "Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them."
A commentator
Ammonius of AlexandriaCATENA ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 20.29-30 · Written before 300.
proposed
"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 …
The Medieval Church2 voices
And from among yourselves will arise men speaking perverse things. Concerning these, John also says: They went out from us, but they were not of us (1 John II).
"To draw away disciples after themselves." The goal of heretics is to try to attract people not to the Lord, but to themselves, in order to flatter their own vanity, so that those attracted by them would bear the name of one heretic or another, …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Yea, from among yourselves men will arise - Such were the Nicolaitans, of whom Christ complains, Rev. ii, 6; to draw away disciples - From the purity of the Gospel and the unity of the body.
3 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Also of your own selves shall men arise,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
Also of your own selves, etc. - From out of your own assembly shall men arise, speaking perverse things, teaching for truth what is erroneous in itself, and perversive of the genuine doctrine of Christ crucified. To draw away disciples - To make schisms or rents in the Church, in order to get a party to themselves. See, here, the cause of divisions in the Church: 1. The superintendents lose the life of God, neglect the souls of the people, become greedy of gain, and, by secular extortions, oppress the people.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Also of your own selves - From your own church; from those who profess to. be Christians. Speaking perverse things - Crooked, perverted, distracting doctrines διεστραμμένα diestrammena. Compare the notes on Act 13:10. They would proclaim doctrines tending to distract and divide the church. The most dangerous enemies which the church has had have been nurtured in its own bosom, and have consisted of those who have perverted the true doctrines of the gospel. Among the Ephesians, as among the Corinthians 1Co 1:11-13, there might be parties formed; there might be people influenced by ambition, like Diotrephes 3Jn 1:9, or like Phygellus or Hermogenes 2Ti 1:15, or like Hymeneus and Alexander, 1Ti 1:20. Men under the influence of ambition, or from the love of power or popularity, form parties in the church, produce divisions and distractions, and greatly retard its internal prosperity, and mar its peace. The church of Christ would have little to fear from external enemies if it nurtured no foes in its own bosom; and all the power of persecutors is not so much to be dreaded as the plans, the parties, the strifes, the heart burnings, and the contentions which are produced by those who love and seek power, among the professed friends of Christ.
The words behind it
14 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἐξ | ex | out from | G1537 → | 911 times |
| ὑμῶν | humon | your own | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| αὐτῶν | auton | selves | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ἀναστήσονται | anastesontai | will rise up | G450 → | 107 times |
| ἄνδρες | andres | men | G435 → | 216 times |
| λαλοῦντες | lalountes | speaking | G2980 → | 294 times |
| διεστραμμένα | diestrammena | perverted [things] | G1294 → | 7 times |
| τοῦ | tou | such that | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀποσπᾶν | apospan | to draw away | G645 → | |
| τοὺς | tous | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| μαθητὰς | mathetas | disciples | G3101 → | 260 times |
| ὀπίσω | opiso | after | G3694 → | |
| αὐτῶν. | auton | them. | G846 → | 5565 times |
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἐξout from
exG1537 →911 times
ὑμῶνyour own
humonG4771 →2973 times
αὐτῶνselves
autonG846 →5565 times
ἀναστήσονταιwill rise up
anastesontaiG450 →107 times
ἄνδρεςmen
andresG435 →216 times
λαλοῦντεςspeaking
lalountesG2980 →294 times
διεστραμμέναperverted [things]
diestrammenaG1294 →7 times
τοῦsuch that
touG3588 →19766 times
ἀποσπᾶνto draw away
apospanG645 →
τοὺς<the>
tousG3588 →19766 times
μαθητὰςdisciples
mathetasG3101 →260 times
ὀπίσωafter
opisoG3694 →
αὐτῶν.them.
autonG846 →5565 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 John 2:19They went out from us, but they did not belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. But their departure made it clear that none of…
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 11:19
And indeed, there must be differences among you to show which of you are approved.
- Jude 1:19
These are the ones who cause divisions, who are worldly and devoid of the Spirit.
- Luke 8:13
The seeds on rocky ground are those who hear the word and receive it with joy, but they have no root. They believe for a season, but in the time of testing, they fall…
- 2 Peter 2:20–21
If indeed they have escaped the corruption of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, only to be entangled and overcome by it again, their final condition is worse…
- Matthew 13:20–21
The seed sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and at once receives it with joy.
- 1 Corinthians 11:19
Through
Proverbs 19:1Better a poor man who walks with integrity than a fool whose lips are perverse.
it leads to
- Proverbs 28:6
Better a poor man who walks with integrity than a rich man whose ways are perverse.
- Proverbs 16:8
Better a little with righteousness than great gain with injustice.
- Matthew 16:26
What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?
- Proverbs 28:6
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Acts
This page draws on 12 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on Acts; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ammonius of Alexandria, CATENA ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 20.29-30; Bede, Commentary on Acts; Hegesippus, Fragments from His Five Books of Commentaries on the Acts of the Church.; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 44; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts and William Ramsay, The Church in the Roman Empire.