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Act 20:28. Προσέχετε, take heed) This care I devolve from myself on you, Act 20:31.-ἑαυτοῖς) first to yourselves, then to the flock.-τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ Ἅγιον, the Holy Ghost) The Holy Spirit mediately, through the instrumentality of Paul, appointed them. Comp. ch. Act 14:23. But a call which has not been given by the Holy Spirit really, does not deserve to be termed even a mediate call.-ἐπισκόπους, overseers or bishops) At this time the appellation, “bishops,” was not yet the customary and peculiar one (applied to those subsequently bearing that name): but here it has the meaning which the force of its etymological derivation requires, and is applicable to all presbyters, whose title (“Presbyter”) was a more customary one, owing to its existence in the Jewish Church. Afterwards Timothy and Titus, whom the apostles had set over the presbyters in a certain peculiar manner, were entitled bishops: and yet the bishops also did not cease to be entitled presbyters: Tit 1:7; Tit 1:5, where he who is called a bishop in Act 20:7, is called an elder in Act 20:5; 1Pe 5:2; 1Pe 5:1; Php 1:1.-τὴν ἐκκλησίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, the Church of God) Others read τὴν ἐκκλησίαν Κυρίου; many, with the Slavonic Version, τὴν ἐκκλησίαν Κυρίου καἰ Θεοῦ. Paul often uses the appellation, the Church of God, in the Ep. to the Thess. Cor. Gal. Tim., never the Church of the Lord. Nor does he use the expression at all, Lord and God, interposing the particle and between. Therefore it remains that we read the Church of GOD: although, if in this passage Paul used the expression, Church of the Lord, according to the parallelism of the Old Testament it would be the Church of Jehovah.[123]-ἣν περιεποιήσατο, which He hath purchased) This therefore is a most precious flock [as having cost so dearly].-ἰδίου, His own) For it is the blood of the Son of GOD: 1Jn 1:7, “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.”
[123] Τοῦ Θεοῦ is supported by B Vulg. (oldest MSS.), Harclean Syriac, Cyril of Alexandria, Epiphanius. Τοῦ Κυρίου is read by ACDEde Memph. Theb. Iren. (Latin) 201, Eusebius, Lucifer 226, Jerome. Τοῦ Κυρίου καὶ Θεοῦ, the common reading of MSS., is supported by none of the oldest authorities: the Slavonic Version of the 9th cent. is no good authority. Τοῦ Θεοῦ, in connection with “blood,” is the more difficult reading, and therefore so far less likely to be an interpolation. But ἡ ἐκκλησία τοῦ Κυρίου is a still less likely reading to be interpolated, as the phrase is found nowhere else in the N. Test., so that a transcriber would readily change it into τοῦ Θεοῦ, as in 1Co 1:2 : and 1Pe 5:2, ποίμνιον τοῦ Θεοῦ, might also suggest the change. Even if the preponderance of testimony lead to the reading Κυρίου, still the infinite value of Christ’s own blood, as alone equal to meet the justice of an infinite God, is clearly brought out. B, the oldest MS. is weighty authority for τοῦ Θεοῦ. Alford shows that there was greater reason for Arians to change the text to Κυρίου, than for the orthodox to change it to τοῦ Θεοῦ. The latter, if left untouched, would be fatal to Arianism; the former, if untouched, does not militate against orthodoxy in the least.-E. and T.