This is week 3 of the series “Bound and Determined! – Paul’s Farewell Tour”
Introduction
Last week, we focused on the story of Paul’s journey to Troas and his stay there. This week we will be looking at Paul’s admonition to “guard the gate.”
22 “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. 23 I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. 24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.
25 “Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. 26 Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you. 27 For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. 28 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. 29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.
32 “Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 33 I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. 34 You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. 35 In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”
36 When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. 37 They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. 38 What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.”
What is the definition of a “gatekeeper?”
1. One that is in charge of passage through a gate.
2. One who monitors or oversees the actions of others.
3. One who controls access to something, such as information or services: publishers as gatekeepers.
Today, we live in a society that seems to lack of “gatekeepers” and “gatekeeping.” Our newspapers once were “gatekeepers.” Sadly, this is no longer true. Most, but not all have become opinion driven rather than searchers for the truth/facts. Equally disturbing is that some of our churches and church leaders no longer serve as “gatekeepers” of the truths of the Bible. Watering down scripture and also twisting scripture to promote agendas have become commonplace in some churches.
Paul warned us of this beginning in verse 28 – “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. 29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.”
Even then, there was the issue/problem of the distortion of the truth. Paul had experienced this first hand when he made return visits to the churches that he had planted. We find examples in Paul’s letters – 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus – of false teaching, false teachers, and the errors they fostered. In fact, the entire New Testament rings with constant alarm about those who pervert the way of truth. Not surprisingly, then, we find the pastorals addressing teachers on their responsibility to both teach the truth and respond to error.
The following are a few examples:
a survey of Paul’s comments to Timothy and Titus:
“Some have rejected these [faith and good conscience] and so have shipwrecked their faith. Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme” (1 Timothy 1:19-20.
“The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron” (1 Timothy 4:1-2).
“Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers” (1 Timothy 4:15-16).
“What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you–guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us” (2 Timothy 1:13-14).
“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have wandered away from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some” (2 Timothy 2:16-18).
“Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage–with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry” (2 Timothy 4:2-5).
Elders “must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.” (Titus 1:11).
“You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine” (Titus 2:1).
So, we should not be surprised that this has happened in some of our churches today and that his warning is as applicable today as it was then.
Concluding Remarks and Application
Notice the beginning verses – 22 “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. 23 I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. 24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.”
Once again, we see that Paul was “bound and determined” to travel his “farewell tour” and “set the record straight.” He knew full well that this was his last trip and the last time that he would see the church leaders and their followers. He wanted to make sure that he left them in the best possible condition. And one of the conditions was to implore and warn them of false teaching that could creep in. He was in effect telling that it was of the utmost importance to be faithful “gatekeepers”
That holds true for us today. We are the “gatekeepers” – not to keep the Gospel from getting out, but to keep the falsehoods that would harm the Gospel from getting in. And to do that, we must know what the truth is in order to spot the untruths. Stay grounded in the Word of God and be “bound and determined” to be a “gatekeeper” of His Word!
