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 Acts 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 1 Corinthians 1 1 Corinthians 1:11-13, there might be parties formed; there might be people influenced by ambition, like Diotrephes 3 John 1:9, or like Phygellus or Hermogenes 2 Timothy 1:15, or like Hymeneus and Alexander, 1 Timothy 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.

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.

2. The members of the Church, thus neglected, oppressed, and irritated, get their minds alienated from their rapacious pastors.

3. Men of sinister views take advantage of this state of distraction, foment discord, preach up the necessity of division, and thus the people become separated from the great body, and associate with those who profess to care for their souls, and who disclaim all secular views.

In this state of distraction, it is a high proof of God's love to his heritage, if one be found who, possessing the true apostolic doctrine and spirit, rises up to call men back to the primitive truth, and restore the primitive discipline. How soon the grievous wolves and perverse teachers arose in the Churches of Asia Minor, the first chapters of the Apocalypse inform us. The Nicolaitans had nearly ruined the Church of Ephesus, Revelation 1:2, Revelation 1:6. The same sect, with other false teachers, infested the Church of Pergamos, and preached there the doctrine of Balaam, Revelation 2:14, Revelation 2:15. A false prophetess seduced the Church of Thyatira, Revelation 2:20. All these Churches were in Asia Minor, and probably bishops or ministers from each were present at this convocation.

Also of your own selves shall men arise,.... Not only false teachers from abroad should come and enter among them, but some would spring up out of their own communities, such as had been admitted members of them, and of whom they had hoped well; such were Hymenseus, Philetus, Alexander, Hertoogenes, and Phygellus;

speaking perverse things; concerning God, and Christ, and the Gospel; distorted things, wresting the Scriptures to their own destruction, and that of others; things that are disagreeable to the word of God, and pernicious to the souls of men:

to draw away disciples after them; to rend away members from the churches, make schisms and divisions, form parties, set themselves at the head of them, and establish new sects, called after their own names; see 1 John 2:19.

Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to {k} draw away disciples after them.

(k) This is great misery, to want the presence of such a shepherd, but it is a greater misery to have wolves enter in.

20:29-31 Grievous wolves. The figure of the flock is still kept up. The grievous wolves were false teachers, and the special reference is to the Judaizing teachers, who taught that the Gentile Christians must keep the Jewish law. Paul's ministry was a long battle with the schismatics. See 1Ti 1:3,4,20; 2Ti 1:15 2:17 See also 3Jo 1:9,10. By turning to these references the names of some six of these grievous wolves will be found. Also in Revelation we learn that there were false teachers at Ephesus (Re 2:6).

20:30 Yea, from among yourselves men will arise - Such were the Nicolaitans, of whom Christ complains, Rev 2:6; to draw away disciples - From the purity of the Gospel and the unity of the body.

20:28-38 If the Holy Ghost has made ministers overseers of the flock, that is, shepherds, they must be true to their trust. Let them consider their Master's concern for the flock committed to their charge. It is the church He has purchased with his own blood. The blood was his as Man; yet so close is the union between the Divine and human nature, that it is there called the blood of God, for it was the blood of Him who is God. This put such dignity and worth into it, as to ransom believers from all evil, and purchase all good. Paul spake about their souls with affection and concern. They were full of care what would become of them. Paul directs them to look up to God with faith, and commends them to the word of God's grace, not only as the foundation of their hope and the fountain of their joy, but as the rule of their walking. The most advanced Christians are capable of growing, and will find the word of grace help their growth. As those cannot be welcome guests to the holy God who are unsanctified; so heaven would be no heaven to them; but to all who are born again, and on whom the image of God is renewed, it is sure, as almighty power and eternal truth make it so. He recommends himself to them as an example of not caring as to things of the present world; this they would find help forward their comfortable passage through it. It might seem a hard saying, therefore Paul adds to it a saying of their Master's, which he would have them always remember; It is more blessed to give than to receive: it seems they were words often used to his disciples. The opinion of the children of this world, is contrary to this; they are afraid of giving, unless in hope of getting. Clear gain, is with them the most blessed thing that can be; but Christ tell us what is more blessed, more excellent. It makes us more like to God, who gives to all, and receives from none; and to the Lord Jesus, who went about doing good. This mind was in Christ Jesus, may it be in us also. It is good for friends, when they part, to part with prayer. Those who exhort and pray for one another, may have many weeping seasons and painful separations, but they will meet before the throne of God, to part no more. It was a comfort to all, that the presence of Christ both went with him and stayed with them.