and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The most chilling part of this warning isn't just that false teachers will emerge, but that they will come from within the community itself, disrupting the very bonds of faith and unity. Their goal isn't just to gain followers, but to tear existing disciples away from the truth and from each other, a violent "ripping away" from what they hold dear.
and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.
English Standard Version (ESV)
As Paul bids farewell to the Ephesian elders, he warns them that the greatest danger will not come from outside threats but from within their own community. He foresees that even among them, some will twist the truth and lead believers away after themselves, causing division and harm to the flock. This stark prediction highlights the ever-present struggle for faithfulness and the need for constant vigilance within the church.
Paul’s final words to the Ephesian elders are sobering. He warns them of threats, but not from outside the community.
Paul identifies the most insidious danger as coming from within their own ranks: “from among your own selves will arise men…” This isn't about external enemies trying to infiltrate, but about people who are already part of the community, who have likely sat under apostolic teaching, and who will begin to twist the truth. The commentary highlights how the Pastoral Epistles and other New Testament writings serve as evidence of this painful reality. False teachers often emerge from within the church itself, making their deception all the more dangerous because they appear to be fellow believers.
What exactly are these 'twisted things' Paul warns about, and why are they so effective at causing harm?
The phrase 'speaking twisted things' (or 'perverse things') points to more than just simple mistakes. It signifies a deliberate distortion, a perversion of the truth, and a twisting of God's Word to serve selfish ends. The commentary suggests these teachers used Scripture itself, but in a way that 'twists even the Apostle’s own words into a wrong sense.' Their aim was not to build up the body of Christ, but to draw disciples away from the core teachings and unity of the church, making them dependent on the false teacher instead of Christ. This act of 'drawing away' implies a forceful tearing from what is true and stable.
Ask a follow-up
Why did these emerging false teachers work so hard to draw people away? It wasn't for the good of their followers.
The ultimate goal of those who 'speak twisted things' was 'to draw away the disciples after them.' This wasn't about helping people grow closer to Christ, but about creating a personal following. The commentaries stress that the core characteristic of a false teacher is the desire for disciples to become dependent solely on them. This self-serving ambition leads to schism and division, creating parties within the church. Their 'disciples' were not disciples of Christ in the true sense, but followers attached to the teacher's own agenda, ultimately hindering their spiritual progress and relationship with God.
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.
Paul's warning in Acts 20:30 wasn't a vague prophecy but a direct, experienced-based concern rooted in the reality of early church history, where internal divisions and false teachings were already emerging and would continue to plague believers.
c. 48-49 AD
Council of Jerusalem
A major decision was made regarding the inclusion of Gentiles in the early church without requiring them to adhere to Jewish law. This event set a precedent for Gentile inclusion but also created points of tension later.
c. 50-52 AD
Paul's Ministry in Ephesus
Paul spent an extended period in Ephesus, a major city in Asia Minor. During this time, he established a strong Christian community, which would later be the recipient of his letter to the Ephesians.
c. 62-64 AD
Paul's Imprisonment in Rome
Paul was imprisoned in Rome, which allowed him to write letters (Pastoral Epistles) to leaders like Timothy and Titus. These letters address issues of church leadership, doctrine, and the challenges posed by false teachers.
c. 62-64 AD
Writing of 1 Timothy
In 1 Timothy, Paul warns Timothy about false teachers, including Hymenaeus and Alexander, who were distorting sound doctrine. This reflects the concerns Paul expressed to the Ephesian elders years earlier.
c. 67-68 AD
Writing of 2 Timothy
Paul's final letter, written shortly before his execution, reiterates the danger of false teachers who will 'heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears.' He urges Timothy to remain steadfast.
c. 62 AD— this verse
Paul's Farewell to Ephesian Elders
During this emotionally charged meeting, Paul warned the elders that dangerous wolves, speaking perverse things and drawing disciples away, would arise from within their own ranks.
This passage directly echoes Paul's warning in Acts, describing a future time when people will reject sound doctrine for teachings that cater to their own desires, much like the 'twisted things' Paul foresaw.
1 John 2:19This verse explains that those who leave the fellowship of believers were never truly part of them, offering a theological perspective on the 'drawing away' mentioned in Acts by highlighting the ultimate apostasy of false teachers.
Jude 1:4Jude warns about 'godless people' who have slipped in unnoticed and twist God's grace into wickedness, mirroring Paul's concern about individuals within the church who would subvert the truth for their own gain.
Matthew 7:15Jesus' caution against false prophets who come in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves directly relates to Paul's warning in Acts about deceitful men arising from within to lead others astray.
2 Peter 2:1Peter explicitly states that false prophets arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, directly paralleling the prediction in Acts 20:30.
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…
The most chilling part of this warning isn't just that false teachers will emerge, but that they will come from within the community itself, disrupting the very bonds of faith and unity. Their goal isn't just to gain followers, but to tear existing disciples away from the truth and from each other, a violent "ripping away" from what they hold dear.
As Paul bids farewell to the Ephesian elders, he warns them that the greatest danger will not come from outside threats but from within their own community. He foresees that even among them, some will twist the truth and lead believers away after themselves, causing division and harm to the flock. This stark prediction highlights the ever-present struggle for faithfulness and the need for constant vigilance within the church.
As Paul bids farewell to the Ephesian elders, he warns them that the greatest danger will not come from outside threats but from within their own community. He foresees that even among them, some will twist the truth and lead believers away after themselves, causing division and harm to the flock. This stark prediction highlights the ever-present struggle for faithfulness and the need for constant vigilance within the church.
"and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them." — The most chilling part of this warning isn't just that false teachers will emerge, but that they will come from within the community itself, disrupting the very bonds of faith and unity. Their goal…
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Last reviewed October 2026