Acts 20:30
and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Paul warns that the greatest danger won't come from outsiders, but from within the community itself. These "twisted things" aren't just minor disagreements; they're deliberate distortions aimed at tearing people away from Christ and His established teaching, seeking to draw followers to themselves rather than to God.
Paul is delivering a farewell address to the elders of Ephesus, having just warned them to guard themselves and the flock from external threats. He then shifts to predict that even within their own community, individuals will emerge who will corrupt the truth. This warning prepares them for the internal dangers and divisions that will challenge the church after his departure.
You might think the biggest threats to God's people come from outside the church walls. But Paul warns of a different, more insidious danger.
Paul, in his heartfelt farewell to the Ephesian elders, delivers a stark warning: 'from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things.' This isn't about external enemies trying to tear down the church, but about people within the community.
Internal Threats
False teachers don't usually announce their deception. They often disguise it, making their corrupted messages hard to distinguish from the real thing.
The phrase 'speaking twisted things' points to a subtle but destructive method used by false teachers. It's not just about saying incorrect things; it's about actively distorting or perverting what is true.
How Truth Gets Twisted
Understand the original words
diestrammenos · Greek Adjective/Participle
Referring to doctrines or teachings that have been perverted, distorted, or turned away from the established truth of the Gospel.
mathētēs · Greek Noun
Students or followers of Christ; those who learn from Him and adhere to His teachings and way of life.
The elders of Ephesus were facing specific, internal threats from within their own ranks, a challenge Paul had foreseen and warned them about, even as he departed.
c. AD 47-48
First Mission Journey
Paul, along with Barnabas, travels through Asia Minor, establishing churches and appointing elders. This is a time of initial growth and foundation for many communities.
c. AD 50-52
Second Mission Journey
Paul visits many of the same churches, including Ephesus, strengthening believers and dealing with early theological issues, laying groundwork for later pastoral letters.
c. AD 52-57
Ministry in Ephesus
Paul spends an extended period in Ephesus, a major Roman city, teaching and evangelizing. This intense ministry lays the foundation for the church he addresses in Acts 20.
c. AD 55-56
First Letter to the Corinthians
Paul addresses divisions, false teachings, and moral issues within the Corinthian church, revealing early challenges to unity and sound doctrine.
c. AD 56
This passage echoes the warning in Acts, stating that people will reject sound doctrine and seek out teachers who tell them what they want to hear, mirroring the 'speaking twisted things' mentioned by Paul.
1 John 2:19This verse directly addresses the idea of 'drawing away disciples,' explaining that those who leave the faith were never truly part of it, highlighting the ultimate origin and consequence of false teachings.
Jude 1:4This passage speaks of 'godless people' who have secretly slipped in, distorting God's grace into sensuality and denying Christ, which aligns with the 'perverse things' and the intent to lead others astray.
Matthew 7:15Jesus warns about false prophets who come disguised as sheep but are inwardly ravenous wolves, a concept that parallels Paul's foresight of internal threats within the church seeking to exploit and divide.
ellicottActs 20:30: "Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them."
(30) Of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things. —The Pastoral Epistles, 2 Peter and Jude, supply but too abundant evidence of the clearness of the Apostle’s prevision. Hymenæus and Alexander and Philetus, saying that the resurrection was past already ( 1Timothy 1:20 ; 2Timothy 2:17 ); evil men and seducers becoming worse and worse ( 2Timothy 3:13 ); resisting th…
pulpitActs 20:30: "Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them."
Verse 30. - And from among for also of, A.V.; the disciples for disciples, A.V. From among your own selves; as opposed to the strangers from Judaea in the preceding verse. So 2 Timothy 4:3, "The time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears" (see, as instances, 2 Timothy 2:17, 18; 2 Ti…
Paul warns that the greatest danger won't come from outsiders, but from within the community itself. These "twisted things" aren't just minor disagreements; they're deliberate distortions aimed at tearing people away from Christ and His established teaching, seeking to draw followers to themselves rather than to God.
Paul is delivering a farewell address to the elders of Ephesus, having just warned them to guard themselves and the flock from external threats. He then shifts to predict that even within their own community, individuals will emerge who will corrupt the truth. This warning prepares them for the internal dangers and divisions that will challenge the church after his departure.
Paul is delivering a farewell address to the elders of Ephesus, having just warned them to guard themselves and the flock from external threats. He then shifts to predict that even within their own community, individuals will emerge who will corrupt the truth. This warning prepares them for the internal dangers and divisions that will challenge the church after his departure.
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Why do false teachers twist the truth? It's not for intellectual debate, but for a very specific, destructive outcome.
The ultimate purpose of these 'twisted things' is clearly stated: 'to draw away the disciples after them.' This highlights the self-centered nature of heresy and schism.
The Pull of False Teachers
Letter to the Ephesians
While debated, many scholars believe Paul wrote this letter from prison, likely around this time, offering profound theological insights and practical instructions for the church in Ephesus.
c. AD 62-64
Pastoral Epistles (1 & 2 Timothy, Titus)
Though the exact dates are debated, these letters, addressed to his companions Timothy and Titus, warn specifically against false teachers arising within the church and offer guidance on combating heresy.
c. AD 62— this verse
Paul's Farewell to Ephesian Elders
During his final visit to the region, Paul meets with the elders of the Ephesian church, offering a poignant farewell and a solemn warning about future dangers from within.
"and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them." — Paul warns that the greatest danger won't come from outsiders, but from within the community itself. These "twisted things" aren't just minor disagreements; they're deliberate distortions aimed at te…
