Acts 20:28

Acts 20:28 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
• New International Version (NIV)Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.

Context of Acts 20:28

26So I want to say this clearly to you today. If any of you have not believed in Jesus, it is not because of me. 27I have told you everything that God wants you to know. You who are leaders should be careful about how you live. Also take care of the group of people that the Holy Spirit has chosen you to lead. Keep them safe like shepherds who take care of their sheep. All the believers belong to God because his Son, Jesus, died for them. He bought them with his blood which poured out on the cross. 29I know that trouble will come to you after I leave. Bad people will come to teach you. They will cause trouble for the believers, like dangerous wild animals that attack sheep. 30Even men from your own group of believers will teach things that are not true. They want to deceive other believers, so that they leave you and join with them.

Acts 20:28 word by word

προσέχετε ἑαυτοῖς καὶ παντὶ τῷ ποιμνίῳ, ἐν ᾧ ὑμᾶς τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἔθετο ἐπισκόπους, ποιμαίνειν τὴν ἐκκλησίαν τοῦ θεοῦ, ἣν περιεποιήσατο διὰ τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ ἰδίου.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Take heedπροσέχωprosechō · to watch outG4337
• thereforeοὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
• unto yourselvesἑαυτοῦheautou · themselfG1438
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• to allπᾶςpas · allG3956
• the flockποίμνιονpoimnion · flockG4168
• overἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• the whichὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• the Holyἅγιοςhagios · holyG40
• Ghostπνεῦμαpneuma · spirit/breath: spiritG4151
• hath madeτίθημιtithēmi · to placeG5087
• youσύsu · youG4771
• overseersἐπίσκοποςepiskopos · overseerG1985
• to feedποιμαίνωpoimainō · to shepherdG4165
• the churchἐκκλησίαekklēsia · assemblyG1577
• of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• he hath purchasedπεριποιέωperipoieomai · to gainG4046
• withδιάdia · through/because ofG1223
• his ownἴδιοςidios · one's own/privateG2398
• bloodαἷμαaima · bloodG129

Cross-references for Acts 20:28

• 2 Chronicles 19:6He said to them, ‘Be careful how you do your job. Remember that you are not being a judge to please men. You are doing it to please the Lord. He will help you to decide what is right.
• Mark 13:9So be careful! People will be against you. They will take you to stand in front of their leaders. They will punish you with whips in their meeting places. They will take you to stand in front of kings and rulers. This will happen because you are my disciples. You will tell them the good news about me.
• Luke 21:34But be careful, and watch how you live. Do not eat or drink too much. Do not waste your time like that. Do not waste time by having troubles in your mind about your life. If you do, that day will surprise you. It will come when you are not looking.
• 1 Corinthians 9:26Because of that, I do not run with no purpose. I do not fight like someone who only hits the air.
• Colossians 4:17Say to Archippus, ‘As you serve the Lord, be careful to finish the work that he gave you to do.’
• 1 Timothy 4:16Think carefully about how you live, and about the message that you teach. Continue to teach God's true message. Then God will save not only you, but also those people who listen to you.
• Hebrews 12:15Remember that God is very kind. Nobody should refuse to let God help them. Make sure that nobody among you causes trouble so that people turn against God. A person who is angry against God is like poison. He spoils many other people's lives so that God does not accept them.
• Acts 20:29I know that trouble will come to you after I leave. Bad people will come to teach you. They will cause trouble for the believers, like dangerous wild animals that attack sheep.
• Isaiah 40:11He takes care of his people, like a shepherd who takes care of his sheep. He picks up the young lambs and he carries them near to his heart. He carefully leads the mother sheep that have lambs.
• Isaiah 63:11Then they remembered past years, when Moses led their ancestors out of Egypt. They said, ‘Where is the Lord now, when we need him? He brought his people safely through the sea, with Moses as their leader. He caused his Holy Spirit to work among them.
• Jeremiah 13:17If you refuse to listen to God's message, I will hide myself and I will weep. Because you are so proud, tears will pour from my eyes. I will cry because the Lord has sent his own people away as prisoners to a foreign land.
• Jeremiah 31:10People of all nations, listen to the Lord's message. Shout it aloud for everyone to hear, even those who live on the coasts far away. Say, ‘The Lord chased Israel's people away, but now he will bring them back. He will take care of them, like a shepherd who takes care of his sheep.’
• Ezekiel 34:31You are my people and I take care of you, as a shepherd takes care of his sheep. You are my people and I am your God. That is what the Almighty Lord says.” ’
• Micah 7:14Rule us and lead us, Lord. You are like a man who leads his sheep. He uses a strong stick to lead them. We are your own special people. We are like a group of sheep that lives by itself in a forest. There is good grass all round them. Let your sheep eat grass in Bashan and Gilead, as they did a long time ago.
• Luke 12:32You are only a small group of people, but do not be afraid. Your Father God has given his kingdom to you. He is happy to do that.
• 1 Peter 5:2Watch over the group of believers that God has given to you. Be like a shepherd that takes care of his sheep. Lead them well because you want to do it. Do not do it just because you have to do it. Do it in the way that God wants for you. Do not be a leader because you want to receive money for yourself. Instead, do it because you want to help people.

Commentaries on Acts 20:28

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 28Made you overseers - , Appointed you bishops; for so we translate the original word in most places where it occurs: but overseers, or inspectors, is much more proper, from , over, and , I look. The persons who examine into the spiritual state of the flock of God, and take care to lead them in and out, and to find them pasture, are termed episcopoi, or superintendents. The office of a bishop is from God; a true pastor only can fulfill this office: it is an…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 28Take heed, therefore - Attend to; be on your guard against the dangers which beset you, and seek to discharge your duty with fidelity. Unto yourselves - To your own piety, opinions, and mode of life. This is the first duty of a minister; for without this all his preaching will be vain. Compare Colossians 4:17; 1 Timothy 4:14. Ministers are beset with unique dangers and temptations, and against them they should be on their guard. In addition to the…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 28-38Verses 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…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 28Paul describes the church as God’s people and God’s flock (a group cared for by a shepherd; compare 1 Peter 2:25; 5:2, 4). In other places, the church is described as: "the body of Christ" (1 Corinthians 12:27; Ephesians 1:23; 4:12; Colossians 1:24); the "bride" of Christ (2 Corinthians 11:2; Revelation 19:7; see Ephesians 5:25–32; "God's temple" (1 Corinthians 3:16; 2 Corinthians 6:16). "a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2828. Take heed ... unto yourselves--Compare 1Ti 3:2-7; 4:16; 6:11. and to all the flock--Compare He 13:17. Observe here how the personal is put before the pastoral care. over ... which the Holy Ghost hath made you--Compare Joh 20:22, 23; Ep 4:8, 11, 12; Re 3:1. (Ac 14:23 shows that the apostle did not mean to exclude human ordination). overseers--or, as the same word is everywhere else rendered in our version, "bishops." The English Version has hardly…Read the comment

Topics related to Acts 20:28

• Atonement
• Bishop
• Blood
• Church
• Elder
• Ephesus
• Holy Spirit
• Jesus Continued
• Jesus, the Christ
• Miletus
• Minister, Christian
• Paul
• Redemption
• Watchfulness

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Holy Ghost
• Appoint
• Bind
• Bishop
• Counsel
• Count
• Course
• Determine

Commentaries on Acts 20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings