The Whole Counsel of God

Wrapping up his third and final missionary journey, Paul takes a farewell tour. Traveling throughout regions where he preached the gospel, he says goodbye to many of the believers he’s poured into over roughly 15 years. One of the most meaningful farewells takes place in Acts 20 with the elders from the church in Ephesus. They travel 63 arduous miles for the opportunity to see Paul one last time in Miletus. The mutual affection between Paul and these believers shines through in the text as they weep, embrace, and pray together for the last time.

In addition to highlighting the tenderness between Paul and the Ephesians, Luke also records Paul’s final reminders and instructions to the church leaders: “testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Acts 20:21, ESV). Although he uses different tactics and approaches depending upon his audience, Paul always emphasizes the same thing: “turning away from sin and turning to Christ by faith.”He also reminds the Ephesian elders that he “did not shrink from declaring to [them] the whole counsel of God.” (Acts 20:27, ESV) He then warns them to be alert, saying “after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.” (Acts 20:29-30, ESV)

Let’s take a closer look at these three significant statements Paul includes in his final remarks to his beloved Ephesian elders:

Repentance and Faith: In the Greek the words repentance and faith are joined together by one article.They go hand in hand. Faith in Jesus prompts us to repent and turn away from sin; obedience is how we show our love for God (John 14:15). Are you ever tempted to focus solely on God’s love and to leave out the discomfort of confessing sin and choosing to repent? While we may not enjoy admitting it, Jesus came to save us from our sin, so turning from it is a crucial element in following Him.

I’ll never forget mentoring a young woman who was caught and arrested for committing a crime. When she told me about it, I responded first by telling her what she’d done was wrong. Surprised, she admitted she’d expected me to reassure her of God’s grace and forgiveness instead of addressing her poor choice. We had a long conversation about the importance of understanding the gravity of our sin so that we can grasp the magnitude of God’s grace. When we skip over confession and repentance, we cheapen Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf.

The Whole Counsel of God: Like Paul, we must be careful to learn and share everything God says to us through His Word. One commentary explains,the whole counsel of God includes some things that are difficult to hear—the fact that we are dead in sin and deserving of God’s wrath (Ephesians 2:1–3) and the fact that we cannot save ourselves through works (Ephesians 2:8–9). The gospel is a call to repentance and faith. Believers will face persecution (John 16:33) and likely be considered foolish. But none of these things can dissuade us…Paul did not share half-truths or only parts of the gospel; rather, he shared all of what God has revealed. We must do the same.”Rather than avoiding portions of Scripture that make us uncomfortable or that feel confusing, we need to seek greater understanding. Grappling with hard topics in prayer, study, and discussion ultimately deepens and matures our faith as we grow in wisdom.

False Teachers (Fierce Wolves): Paul warns the elders that false teachers will infiltrate their ranks and distort the gospel by speaking “twisted things” that will draw some believers away. We, too, must be knowledgeable about Scripture so we can recognize faulty teaching. With the easy access we have to a multitude of teachers online, this is more important than ever. There are many leaders and influencers who mix a little bit of Scripture with a lot of worldly wisdom. False teachers use Christian language in ways that it was never intended. Often, they are winsome, appealing, and compassionate. They make us feel good by avoiding or re-framing truth.

A close friend asked me about an influencer she followed on social media that she found confusing. The influencer was relatable, funny, and reassuring. She claimed to be a Christian but was encouraging her followers to live and think in ways that were contrary to God’s Word. Her vulnerability and appeal to her followers’ emotions was captivating. After I read a book by this influencer, my friend and I had several conversations about the fallacies of her claims. I’m so glad the Spirit nudged her to start a conversation with me and exposed this false teacher’s deception.

If you hear a wildly different interpretation of Scripture that seems to affirm ideas contrary to anything else you’ve learned, don’t be quick to embrace it as truth— search the Scriptures and seek wise, godly people you know and trust for clarification. Peter echoes Paul when he writes: “there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.” (2 Peter 2:1b-2, NIV)

Where are you prone to skipping over the whole counsel of God? Do you tend to focus on what feels good and ignore the harder aspects of our faith? If so, you’re not alone. Take some time to ponder and pray about this. Remember God loves you deeply, wants what’s best for you, and works for your good. Ask the Lord to realign your heart and mind with the truth of His Word. Consider learning more about these issues by reading one of these books:

Live Your Truth (and Other Lies) Exposing Popular Deceptions that Make Us Anxious, Exhausted and Self-Obsessed by Alisa Childers

Live No Lies: Recognize and Resist the Three Enemies that Sabotage Your Peace by John Mark Comer

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Post inspired by Jen Wilkin’s teaching in Acts: The Gospel Goes Out Part 2, Week 7 (Acts 20:1-21:36).

  • 1. Life Application Study Bible, Tyndale/Zondervan, 1991, p. 2004
  • 2. Walvoord and Zuck, Bible Knowledge Commentary, SP Publishers, 1982, p. 4133
  • 3. Got Questions, “The Whole Counsel of God”

Receiving God’s Gifts Requires Action

Do you ever glance at the Bible like a travel brochure–dreaming about the places God could take you but never actually letting Him show you first hand?

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Rolling over on my side, I looked at the clock and groaned. It was three in the morning and I was wide-awake–my mind churning through a series of “what ifs” and unfinished items on my “to do” list. I had one more day to make preparations before my husband and I would be leaving on a trip, but instead of being excited, my stomach was tangled in a knot of stress. Months earlier he came home from work with a glossy brochure depicting white sand beaches and swaying palm trees on the sunny shores of Florida. It looked enticing and wouldn’t cost us a thing, but all of the preparations necessary seemed daunting. As our departure date drew nearer, I felt bad about being away from our kids and worried about all of the responsibilities I was leaving behind. For a fleeting moment, we even considered cancelling the trip, wondering if the stress it was causing was worth it.

Fortunately, wisdom prevailed and we realized our boys would be fine and our responsibilities would still be waiting for us when we returned. I boarded the plane with a backpack full of books, ready to tackle some projects that needed to be accomplished. I’d been putting them off for a while and figured I could be productive while my husband attended morning meetings.

On our first day there I propped my feet on a chair overlooking the ocean and sat with my Bible and journal on my lap.

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As the warm breeze soothed me and I listened to the waves crash on the shore, I prayed and asked God to forgive me.  For months my life had been moving at a frantic pace and I’d been craving rest and refreshment, yet when He provided something far greater than my hopes, I’d almost rejected it. I needed some time to let my soul catch up with me. Instead of jumping in to tackle my projects, I prayed and offered God my precious hours of free time.   I sat and enjoyed His presence, letting His peace wash over me.

Later, as my husband and I relaxed on the beach I realized our trip was a great illustration for our spiritual lives. The Bible makes it clear that God has so much to offer us through His free gift of grace. Still, we have to make the choice to accept it and to invite Him to transform every aspect of our lives. He doesn’t just want us to look at the enticing brochure with pictures of a tropical paradise. He wants us to accept the gift and experience swimming in the warm water of His love and digging our toes into the sand of His grace.

IMG_0425Do you ever glance at the Bible like a travel brochure–dreaming about the places God could take you but never actually letting Him show you first hand? It’s great to study about concepts like love, grace, faith and forgiveness. However, until we begin putting them into practice, they aren’t really affecting us. Take a look at the “Hall of Faith” in Hebrews 11 and you’ll see what I mean. The revered Bible characters listed there showed their faith in God through believing His words and then taking action. There are a lot of verbs in that passage. Heroes of the faith like Abraham, Noah, Moses and Rahab demonstrated that they believed God’s words by following His instructions.

I’ve been thinking about this a lot in light of a passage God keeps bringing to mind. In Ephesians 3:20 the apostle Paul reminds us that God is “able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.” (NIV) I can imagine some pretty big things, so if God’s power can do even more than what I can think of, then I want access to it. I don’t want to just know it’s there– I want to see how He can use it in my life. I don’t want to let the worries of my daily life choke out the opportunities to see God at work. Instead, I want to give my challenges, fears and dreams to Him and trust that He can work through them.

I almost let my worries keep me from an amazing trip with my husband. There is so much I would have missed if we hadn’t gone, and I never would have known it. And the thing that makes me smile most is that God did provide time for me to open every book I brought in my backpack. But instead of being in a frenzy of productivity, I found time to read and study when God prompted me. After being refreshed by Him, I enjoyed working on my projects instead of seeing them as a chore.

It’s funny how often I need to be reminded that when I invite God into my circumstances He makes everything fall into place. He even fills me with joy and peace in the process.

To hear more about this idea, click on the link to hear Jamie Grace’s song “It’s a Beautiful Day.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p79ESf5vDSw