This Quick Facts study explores Acts 20:28 by comparing the original Greek text, Codex Sinaiticus, modern Bible translations, and manuscript evidence. Learn why many translations include footnotes and why careful examination of the text is essential before drawing conclusions.
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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.
Acts 20:28. English Standard Version
What do the Trinitarians scholars believe?
Let us acquaint ourselves with what Trinitarians teach?
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
To feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.—It is clear that the words as they stand in the text are of immense importance, as bearing their witness to the belief of the Apostolic Church at once in the absolute divinity of Christ and in the nature of His redemptive work.
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
20:28-38 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.
Benson Commentary
which he hath purchased with his own blood — How precious is it then in his sight! Here the blood of Christ, the only begotten of the Father, is termed the blood of God; for it is the blood of the WORD, who was in the beginning with God, and was God, John 1:1.
As we have read, most Trinitarians believe Acts 20:28, proves Jesus is GOD.
Because, Trinitarians understand, ONE, important Biblical fact, that GOD Almighty, the Father, has NO blood.
And in this case, Trinitarians for a change, actually believe what Jesus taught, in John 4:24.
And as we know, it was GODs own Son Jesus, who was A MAN, WHO willingly gave His life, and sacrificed His blood, to do His Fathers will.
This is why Trinitarians therefor believe Acts 20:28, proves Jesus is GOD.
But could the Trinitarian claim be correct, that Acts 20:28, proves Jesus is GOD?
Let us examine the Biblical facts and find out the truth.
If we look, we find most translations are the same:
New International Version
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.
New Living Translation
"So guard yourselves and God's people. Feed and shepherd God's flock--his church, purchased with his own blood--over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as elders.
English Standard Version
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.
Berean Study Bible
Keep watch over yourselves and the entire flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which He purchased with His own blood.
Berean Literal Bible
Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has set you overseers, to shepherd the church of God, which He purchased with the own blood.
New American Standard Bible
"Be on guard for yourselves and for 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.
King James Bible
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.
As we clearly see, the popular translations seem to apply that Jesus must be GOD, because the scriptures read: God, which he obtained with his own blood.
The problem.
If correct, the Trinitarian claim and teachings now contradict St Paul’s teachings in: 1 Corinthians 8:4, when St Paul said:
“there is no God but one.”
So we read St Paul saying there is only ONE GOD, even though Trinitarians refuse to admit they CONTRADICT the word of GOD, by declaring in one hand they believe in one GOD, but in their other hand actually teach there are THREE GODS.
And St Paul even goes on to explain precisely who the ONE GOD is, by saying: yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and St Paul goes on to exclude Jesus from being GOD by saying: and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.
1 Corinthians 8:6.
And we do not read a single word by St Paul anywhere in his teachings, saying Jesus is GOD, but he only ever teaches GOD the Father is GOD alone. Completely agreeing with what GOD and His Son have taught countless times in many scriptures throughout the Bible. Isaiah 44:24. Isaiah 45:12. John 17:12. Mark 12:29.
However if we read what Trinitarians teach, like the article on this web site below, we find they teach the opposite, by saying, there ‘ ARE’ scriptures by St Paul teaching Jesus is GOD.
And with their own hands prove more Trinitarian DECEPTIONS.
Let us have a LOOK at their claim.
The church of God (thn ekklhsian tou qeou). The correct text, not "the church of the Lord" or "the church of the Lord and God" (Robertson, Introduction to Textual Criticism of the N.T., p. 189). He purchased (periepoihsato). First aorist middle of peripoiew, old verb to reserve, to preserve (for or by oneself, in the middle). In the N.T. only in Luke John 17:33; Acts 20:28; 1 Timothy 3:13. The substantive peripoihsin (preservation, possession) occurs in 1 Peter 2:9 ("a peculiar people" = a people for a possession) and in Ephesians 1:14. With his own blood (dia tou aimatoß tou idiou). Through the agency of (dia) his own blood. Whose blood? If tou qeou (Aleph B Vulg.) is correct, as it is, then Jesus is here called "God" who shed his own blood for the flock. It will not do to say that Paul did not call Jesus God, for we have Romans 9:5; Colossians 2:9; Titus 2:13 where he does that very thing, besides Colossians 1:15-20; Philippians 2:5-11. (Robertson’s Word Pictures of the New Testament; source; underline emphasis ours)
Notice the Trinitarian saying: It will not do to say that Paul did not call Jesus God, for we have Romans 9:5; Colossians 2:9; Titus 2:13 where he does that very thing, besides Colossians 1:15-20; Philippians 2:5-11.
Now if you follow in my steps, and check out any one of the so called scriptures that this Trinitarian claims by saying: It will not do to say that Paul did not call Jesus God,
A simple examination reveals the truth. Seek and we will find said Jesus. Matthew 7:7.
We simply discover the Trinitarian article above is a PERFECT example of how Trinitarians are NOT revealing the truth, and therefor deceiving people.
I checked every one of the so called scriptures they presented as their proof text, of: Romans 9:5; Colossians 2:9; Titus 2:13, Colossians 1:15-20; Philippians 2:5-11.
And just as I thought, NOT one of the scriptures presented as proof by the Trinitarian, proved St Paul was teaching Jesus was GOD.
I will be writing more about all of the so called scriptures they presented as their proof Trinity texts, in my coming articles.
But for the moment, here is an example.
If you will give me more time, please may I take your extra time and present this important fact.
Let’s just look at the first scripture of Romans 9:5, which they teach and say in this scripture, St Paul was teaching Jesus is GOD.
English Standard Version
To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.
Notice Romans 9:5, how this is yet again another Trinitarian deception, as we clearly read it sounds like St Paul is teaching Jesus is GOD?
Now look at what the scripture actually says in a better translation like the codex sinaiticus?
5 whose are the fathers, and from whom is Christ according to the flesh: who is over all, God blessed for ever, Amen.
Can you notice the simple Trinity deception here?
Lets put the two different scriptures together.
First the false verse: is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.
Now the better verse: whom is Christ according to the flesh: who is over all, God blessed for ever, Amen.
Notice the difference between the two.
The true context has been changed by simply changing, or moving, a few words.
Notice the ENORMOUS deception.
On examination, we discover there are 100s of different scriptures just like this, where the true context has been changed from the original.
However I do not know of a perfect translation, remembering even the 1000s of Manuscripts we translate our Bibles from, have differences between them.
And people who have translated from the manuscripts which have been discovered are also adding to the massive confusion and deception, as we read in the email I received from Dr Peter Toth | Curator, Ancient & Medieval Manuscripts, Western Heritage | The British Library.
I noticed countless mistakes in the English translation of the codex sinaiticus. So I wrote to Dr Peter Toth sending him the image below,
(See his email).
Dear Simon,
Thanks for flagging this up. The English was taken from a publication that purports to be based on Codex Sinaiticus (Henry Tompkins Anderson in The New Testament: translated from the Sinaitic manuscript discovered by Constantine Tischendorf at Mt Sinai (Cincinnati, 1918)) but it actually isn’t. It unfortunately exhibits a lot of mistakes and basically is a re-edition of an English standard New testament omitting many of the peculiar features of the Codex Sinaiticus New Testament in its English version, such as the one you have spotted just now. This is why we published a caveat note on the site describing the online English version as only a “navigational aid” (http://codexsinaiticus.org/en/project/translation.aspx).
I hope this helps.
Kindest regards
Dr Peter Toth | Curator, Ancient & Medieval Manuscripts, Western Heritage | The British Library.
Back to the codex sinaiticus.
So what we discover when examined, there is NOTHING of any kind whatsoever by St Paul saying and teaching: the Christ, who is God over all.
But instead what we in fact read is: Christ according to the flesh: who is over all, God blessed for ever, Amen.
In other words, Jesus is blessed by GOD forever.
Or, could it be as some believe: GOD who is over all, be praised forever?
Always remember Jesus words.
If we SEEK, we find.
And what we find is that there are other translations that have the context in better order as the:
Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)
the Patriarchs are theirs; and from them, as far as his physical descent is concerned, came the Messiah, who is over all. Praised be Adonai for ever! Amen. Romans 9:5.
When inspected, we discover this is the same for every scripture above used by these Trinitarians who use wrongly translated scriptures to prove St Paul taught Jesus was GOD, but on close examination, what we in fact find is every scripture used to prove Jesus is GOD, is taken out of context, or mistranslated , or twisted to make it fit with the Trinitarian position and deception, or the scripture is simply a forgery.
Biblical fact.
There is NOT a single word by St Paul teaching Jesus is GOD, and him CONTRADICTING his own teachings.
On the contrary we find quite the opposite.
Notice what St Paul says in Colossians 1:15?
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
Did you SEE what I did? St Paul does NOT say Jesus is GOD, but that: He (Jesus) is the image of the invisible God.
As Jesus is the image of His
invisible God, He obviously is not that GOD, and cannot be that GOD.
Just as Jesus has always
taught, He is GOD’s literal SON.
The FIRST
man Adam was the image of the invisible God.
And Adam was CREATED by
GOD:
Then God said, “Let us make
man in our image, after our likeness. Genesis 1:26.
The DIVINE difference,
between the man Adam, and Jesus, The Christ.
The first man Adam, sinned.
St Paul tells us:
For as by the one
man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience
the many will be made righteous. Romans 5:19.
The Second Man, Jesus The
Christ was BORN directly from GOD, which is why Jesus is The only BEGOTTEN SON.
Jesus is the FIRST human MAN without sin, to be raised from the dead to eternal life.
GOD’s Son was from heaven, meaning Jesus was from GOD, and not from the earth, who was tested by GOD, and yet never sinned.
St Paul goes on to say:
Thus it is written, “The
first man Adam became a living being, the last Adam became a life-giving
spirit. 1 Corinthians 15:45.
The first man was from the
earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. 1 Corinthians 15:47.
Jesus the Christ is unique,
who has no human father, for Jesus is ONE of a kind, as Jesus was BEGOTTEN, and
BORN, by divine intervention, literally, from His own GOD, making Jesus GODLY,
and GODLIKE, and IDENTICAL to His GOD.
Jesus is the literal SON of
His GOD, proving He cannot be His own GOD, otherwise He would not be GOD’s SON,
and the SON of GOD.
Instead Jesus is devoted to
His Father GOD, as a Father and SON as ONE.
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If we are to agree with the Trinitarians that Jesus is also GOD, we become like the Trinitarians and CONTRADICT St Paul’s teachings and in fact the whole Bible.
Back to: Acts 20:28.
But why does St Paul seem to CONTRADICT his own teachings by saying GOD the Father is the only GOD, but then on the other hand says: God, obtained with his own blood, if GOD is the correct word in Acts 20:28, and is in fact Jesus, as Trinitarians believe?
The simple answer.
Most Trinitarians do not do any research.
Most Trinitarians are proving with their own hands to be truly gullible people, who do not examine the scriptures, but need to take serious lessons from the Berean Jews, instead of their Trinitarian pastors.
When one is a BEREAN JEW, they will search the scriptures and discover what’s true and what’s false.
Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. Acts 17:11.
What we discover is the fact there are many differences in all the manuscripts of Acts 20:28, which have been discovered.
The truth is when we seek we also find there are other better translations that do not teach this scripture is saying Jesus is: God, who obtained with his own blood.
Lets have a LOOK?
NET Bible
Watch out for yourselves and for all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God that he obtained with the blood of his own Son.
Did you see that? God that he obtained with the blood of his own Son.
Now we must also always look at the footnotes, and look what we find when we do?
And clicking on the letter (b)?
It is also interesting to note that the codex sinaiticus has the word saying: GOD, in Greek (See below).
And that also agrees with Bruce Metzger in his A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament, 2nd Edition:
the [United Bible Societies Editorial] Committee judged that the reading Θεοῦ was more likely to have been altered to κυριου than vice versa.
And even though Trinitarians say and believe Acts 20:28, proves Jesus is GOD, in their other hand some are honest and add in their notes showing the differences in other manuscripts as we read in Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers, below.
Conclusion.
It is clear to me at least, St Paul was NOT contradicting his own teachings, but was referring to GOD Almighty and meaning, He GOD, obtained, (purchased) with the blood of his own Son, who is: The Christ.
And this is why St Paul says, to praise GOD:
For you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
1 Corinthians 6:20.
You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men. 1 Corinthians 7:23.
Because GOD Almighty sacrificed His only begotten Son, not to condemn us but save us.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16.
English Standard Version.
The better translations of:
Acts 20:28,
prove yet AGAIN,
ANOTHER Trinitarian DECEPTION.
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I am Simon Brown.
Join me again, where I will continue to reveal many more false translations, proving a Trinity conspiracy.
Thank you for reading my research, I pray it will at least encourage you to be a BEREAN JEW.
Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.
Acts 17:11. NIV.
To watch this video on You Tube click on the image below:
.png "1 Timothy 3:16 – “God Was Manifest in the Flesh” or “He Who”?")
