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Acts 20:24 and the Other Verses of Acts 20:16–38

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“As Moses lifted up the serpent [the serpent made of bronze described in Numbers 21:8–9] in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that whosoever believes in Him will have eternal life, for God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten [uniquely born] Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

“…for by grace you are saved through faith and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not as a result of works, lest any man should boast.”

Above is the content of John 3:14–16 and the content of Ephesians 2:8–9, respectively. Itʼs worthwhile to refrain from receiving the mark referenced in Revelation 13:11–18 and to instead receive eternal life for free by believing that Jesus is the Savior. Before doing any Bible studying and before praying to God the Father, it is useful for a person who has believed in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Savior to try to think of any sins that one might have committed since one last confessed oneʼs known post-salvation sins to God the Father, and if one has indeed committed any, to then silently confess those sins to God the Father—confessing only one time for each sin—in accordance with what is mentioned in 1 John 1:9:

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

This webpage could be periodically updated. If there is a mass disappearance of people professing to be Christians, and if the original author of this webpage is amongst those people disappearing en masse, then it is possible that this webpage will no longer be updated. Also, if there is a mass disappearance of people professing to be Christians, it is worthwhile to consider the possibility that those people have exited from the earth on the occasion known as the Rapture instead of assuming that that mass disappearance involves extraterrestrials abducting those people or involves the annihilation of those people or involves anything else other than the Rapture.

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Also, it is possible that it is worthwhile to print this content in case of time periods involving lack of Internet connectivity.

When studying the Word of God, it is beneficial to keep in mind the content of Hebrews 4:12:

“Indeed, the Word of God is alive and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of the soul and the spirit and of the joints and the marrow and is a critic of thoughts and intents of the heart.”

Note: The heart refers to the mind.

It is also beneficial to keep in mind the content of 2 Timothy 3:16–17 when studying the Word of God:

“All Scripture is God breathed and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God might be mature, having been thoroughly furnished unto all good work.”

It is the responsibility of a pastor-teacher to endeavor to correctly understand the Word of God and then to accurately teach the Word of God, as per the content of 2 Timothy 2:15:

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the Word of Truth.”

A pastor-teacher is a communicator rather than a crutch on which to be leaned. In that regard, a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ should refrain from putting oneʼs trust in and thereby serving as a devoted follower of and thus worshiping a pastor-teacher. Likewise, a believer should refrain from putting oneʼs trust in and thereby serving as a devoted follower of and thus worshiping anyone other than the Trinity [God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit], as per Joshua 24:15, the content of which references Joshua speaking to the Israelites:

If it is disagreeable/bad/evil/wrong/wretchedness/displeasing in your sight to serve/worship Jehovah / Yahweh / I am I am / the existing One, choose for yourselves today whom you serve/worship: whether the gods ['elohiym / false gods] which your fathers have served/worshiped which were beyond the river or the gods ['elohiym / false gods] of the Amorites in whose land you are living. As for me and my house, we serve/worship Jehovah / Yahweh / I am I am / the existing One.

Note: Joshua, the leader of the Israelites after Joshua had been serving as the assistant of Moses while Moses was the leader of the Israelites, set the example for the Israelites. Joshua chose to put his trust in and thereby serve as a devoted follower of and thus worship God the Father rather than Joshua choosing to put his trust in and thereby serve as a devoted follower of and thus worship the lesser of multiple evils amongst multiple choices of 'elohiym [el-oh-HEEM]. The word 'elohiym with a lowercase e can refer to false gods, to angels, or to human rulers or judges. The word 'Elohiym with a capital E refers to the Trinity. The word 'elohiym can also be used to refer to might as in mightiness. In that regard, the use of the word 'elohiym in reference to false gods, to angels, or to human rulers or judges involves the connotation of mightiness in comparison to an average human. When a person puts oneʼs trust in and thereby serves as a devoted follower of and thus worships an angel or human, that angel or human is that personʼs false god. Regarding the foregoing, the content of Joshua 24:15 involves Joshua calling attention to the choices that the Israelites had, and that content involves Joshua permitting the Israelites to make their choices while Joshua led by example with his choice.

The gift of pastor-teacher is for the purpose of each pastor-teacher functioning as a messenger who communicates the Word of God rather than functioning as a priest between the Trinity and mankind. In that regard, the time period that can be referred to as the Church Age started fifty days after the Lord Jesus Christ was resurrected, and all Church Age believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are priests. The Lord Jesus Christ is the High Priest of Church Age believers, and believers should be willing to acknowledge/confess/profess to people the believersʼ faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, as per Hebrews 4:14–15:

Therefore, since we have a great High Priest Who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast the acknowledgment/confession/profession. Indeed, we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One Who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.

Also, the Lord Jesus Christ is the High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek [mel-KIZ-uh-dek], who was the ruler of Salem when Abraham was still named Abram. Melchizedek was both a king and a priest, as per Genesis 14:18, which references Melchizedek greeting Abram:

Then Melchizedek king of Salem has brought out bread and wine, and he is a priest of 'El [AYL] 'Elyown [el-YOHN] / God [focusing on God the Fatherʼs power] Most High.

The Lord Jesus Christ is also both a king and a priest because the Lord is the Priest according to the order of Melchizedek, as per Hebrews 7:14–17:

Indeed, it is evident that our Lord has arisen from Judah, a tribe with reference to which Moses spoke nothing concerning priests. Also, it is still much more evident: that according to the similarity of Melchizedek, Another of a different type of priest arises, Who has become such not on the basis of a law of fleshly command / physical requirement but according to the power of an indestructible life. Indeed, it is attested: “YOU ARE A PRIEST FOREVER, ACCORDING TO THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK.”

Note: The Lord Jesus Christ is from the tribe of Judah. Also, the Lord Jesus Christ is qualified to be a priest because He was resurrected and therefore has an indestructible body. The above content in all capital letters is a reference to Psalm 110:4.

Because a king is royalty, a king who is a priest is a royal priest. In that regard, Church Age believers are royalty because they are members of the Lord Jesus Christʼs family. Therefore, all Church Age believers are royal priests, as per 1 Peter 2:9–10:

However, you are A CHOSEN PEOPLE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR ACQUISITION/PRESERVATION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him Who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light, for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are GODʼS PEOPLE. You had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.

Note: Before the Church Age, Gentiles were not Godʼs people. In the Church Age, both Jewish and Gentile believers are Godʼs people. The content of 1 Peter 2:10 references Hosea 2:23. In that regard, Peter uses references involving Israel in the Old Testament to refer to Church Age believers.

Itʼs the message rather than the messenger that should be the focus of the believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. Put succinctly: itʼs the message rather than the messenger. In that regard, it is beneficial to keep in mind the content of Revelation 22:8–9, which was written by the apostle John, who, in addition to writing The Revelation to John, wrote The Gospel According to John, The First Epistle of John, The Second Epistle of John, and The Third Epistle of John:

I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things, and when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed me these things, but he says* to me, “Do not do that. I am a fellow servant of yours and of your brethren the prophets and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.”

*Note: The word says is in the Greek historical present tense. By means of the Greek historical present tense, past action or future action can be described from the perspective of someone seeing the action as it occurs.

Regarding messages, believers should use the Word of God to examine what is being communicated. That is what the Bereans who are mentioned in Acts 17:10–12 did:

The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, who, when they arrived, went into the synagogue of the Jews. Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, who received the word with all eagerness / readiness of mind, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. Therefore, many of them believed, and not a few prominent Greek women and men.

Note: The phrase not a few means “quite a few.”

Today, the return of the Lord Jesus Christ to meet believers in the Lord Jesus Christ in the clouds on the occasion of the Rapture is one day closer than it was yesterday. The Rapture involves both deceased and living believers in the Lord Jesus Christ meeting the Lord in the clouds in the atmosphere of the earth, receiving glorified immortal resurrection bodies similar to the Lord Jesus Christʼs glorified resurrection body, and going to Heaven with those resurrection bodies. Before the Rapture occurs, deceased believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are in Heaven without glorified bodies. While it is possible that the Rapture will occur on the day of the Feast of Trumpets / Yom Teruah [yahm tuh-ROO-uh or yohm tuh-ROO-uh]—which is what some people call Rosh Hashanah and which some people celebrate for two days—the next occurrence of which will possibly be during August, September, or October of 2026, it is worthwhile for believers in the Lord Jesus Christ to get into the habit of being prepared every day for the return of the Lord, just in case the Rapture will occur on a day other than the day of the Feast of Trumpets / Yom Teruah. Furthermore, it is worthwhile to be in the habit of being prepared for the Rapture so that if it does occur on the day of the Feast of Trumpets / Yom Teruah, one can be prepared for that day because of already being in the habit of being prepared. Examples of being prepared for the Rapture include applying the content of 1 John 1:9 whenever one sins, being unselfish, and whenever circumstances are such that an opportunity arises, sharing the gospel—the good news that believing that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Savior Who was judged on the cross for the sins of humanity is the means by which a person is able to have eternal life. Regarding sharing the gospel, one could also have a written or printed message containing the gospel with that written or printed message located somewhere where it could be easily noticed so that if a person or people were to read or hear that written or printed message either before or after the Rapture occurs, that person or people would thereby read or hear the gospel by means of that written or printed message.

Regarding information about the Rapture, it is beneficial to keep in mind the content of 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 and 1 Corinthians 15:51–52:

1 Thessalonians 4:13–18

Now we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope, for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again—and we do indeed believe that Jesus died and rose again—so also God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus. Indeed, this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive who remain until the coming of the Lord will not precede those who have fallen asleep, for the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout of command, with a voice of an archangel and with a trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive who remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore, comfort one another with these words.

1 Corinthians 15:51–52

Behold, I tell you a mystery: we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet, for a trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed.

After the Rapture will be the seven-year Tribulation. The believers who will be alive on the earth when the Rapture occurs will escape the Tribulation. 1 Thessalonians 5:1–11 covers that topic. In that regard, in the book 1 Thessalonians, the content of 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 is immediately followed by the content of 1 Thessalonians 5:1–11.

1 Thessalonians 5:1–11

Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you, for you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord is coming just like a thief in the night. While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape. However, you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief, for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; therefore, let us not sleep as others, but let us be alert and sober. Indeed, those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night. However, since we are of day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and benevolence/goodwill, and as a helmet, the hope / absolute confidence of deliverance, for God has not destined us for wrath but for obtaining deliverance through our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. Therefore, comfort one another and edify one another, just as you also are doing.

Note: In this context, the day of the Lord is the time period that consists of the Rapture, the seven years of the Tribulation, and the Second Advent. In that regard, deliverance from the Tribulation is the deliverance in this context. Also, unspecified is who will be saying “Peace and safety!” In this context, sleeping refers to a lack of alertness. The alertness in this context involves being ready for the Rapture. In order to be ready for the Rapture, a believer needs to be filled with the power of God the Holy Spirit and to pay attention for historical trends such as people saying “Peace and safety!” and for historical trends that match the pattern of the world being on the brink of tremendous calamities like those that will occur during the Tribulation. Regarding being filled with the power of God the Holy Spirit, once a believer commits a sin after salvation, that believer is no longer filled with the power of God the Holy Spirit and is out of fellowship with the Trinity. After that believer has confessed/acknowledged to God the Father all of that believerʼs known unconfessed post-salvation sins, fellowship with the Trinity and the filling with the power of the Holy Spirit are restored. The procedure for confessing/acknowledging to God the Father all of oneʼs known unconfessed post-salvation sins is mentioned in 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Fellowship with God the Father and God the Son is mentioned in 1 John 1. Being out of fellowship with God the Holy Spirit is referenced in Ephesians 4:30. In that regard, when a believer sins, that believer grieves the Holy Spirit. Losing the filling of the power of God the Holy Spirit is referenced in 1 Thessalonians 5:19. In that regard, when a believer sins, the power of God the Holy Spirit is quenched in that believer. After a believer has confessed/acknowledged to God the Father all of that believerʼs known unconfessed post-salvation sins, that believer is then filled with the power of God the Holy Spirit again and in fellowship with the Trinity again.

The verse of the day for May 27th is Acts 20:24. The title of the book Acts is also known as “The Acts of the Apostles.” At the time that Acts was written, Jerusalem was under the control of the Roman Empire. The capital city of the Roman Empire was the city Rome. The word Rome can be used to refer to the city Rome, to the kingdom of which that city was the capital, to the republic of which that city was the capital, or to the empire of which that city was the capital. The settlement that became the city Rome was founded in the 700s B.C. Rome eventually became a kingdom. That kingdom is known as the Roman Kingdom. Then Rome became a republic. That republic is known as the Roman Republic. After that, Rome became an empire. That empire is known as the Roman Empire. The Lord Jesus Christ was born during the time of the Roman Empire.

For broad geographical context, below is a link to a map that shows the location of the capital city Rome. Jerusalem is also on the map. At the time that Acts was written, Jerusalem was within the Roman province of Judea [joo-DEE-uh or joo-DAY-uh]. The word Judea can also be spelled Judaea or Judæa. The character æ is a ligature [LIG-uh-chuhr or LIG-uh-choor] of a and e. Before the Romans conquered the region known as Judea, the name of the country of the Jewish people was Judah. The inhabitants of Judah can be referred to as Judahites [JOO-duh-ights]. The inhabitants of Judea can be referred to as Judeans [joo-DEE-uhnz or joo-DAY-uhnz].

https://NETBible.org/media/images/constable/45Rom-1.jpg

Below is a link to a map of the apostle Paulʼs third missionary journey. On that map is the Roman province Asia, which was the western end of Asia Minor rather than the continent. The Roman province Asia is located in grid coordinates D1 and D2. Also, Ephesus and Miletus are both located in grid coordinate D2.

https://Classic.NET.Bible.org/images/maps/jp3.jpg

If the above link is inaccessible, the below link can be tried instead.

https://NETBible.org/media/images/maps/jp3.jpg

Because it is useful to study verses that share the same context, below is content related to Acts 20:16–38.

Note: In the content of Acts 20:16, the Day of Pentecost [PEN-tih-kahst] is referenced. With regard to the Day of Pentecost, below is a synopsis of human history as categorized into time periods known as dispensations. In the below synopsis, there is the term hypostatic union [high-PUH-stat-ick YOON-yuhn]. This refers to the Lord Jesus Christ being 100% Deity and 100% humanity. The English word hypostatic is derived from the Koine [KOI-nay] Greek word ὑπόστασις [pronounced hoo-PAH-stah-sees and transliterated as hypostasis]. After the Lord Jesus Christ was judged for the sins of humanity, His body was in the grave for three days and three nights. He was then resurrected, and He was on the earth for forty days after He was resurrected. He then ascended to Heaven, and ten days after that, the Day of Pentecost [PEN-tih-kahst] occurred. The Day of Pentecost was the beginning of the Church Age. The word Pentecost is derived from the Koine Greek word πεντηκοστή [pronounced pen-tay-kah-STAY and transliterated as pentēkostē]. That word is derived from the Koine Greek word πεντήκοντα [pronounced pen-TAY-kahn-tah and transliterated as pentēkonta], which means “fifty.” Therefore, the word Pentecost is derived from the fact that that day occurred fifty days after the Lord was resurrected. In that regard, the Church Age began fifty days after the Lord was resurrected. The Church Age will end with the Rapture. The Rapture involves both deceased and living believers in the Lord Jesus Christ meeting the Lord in the clouds in the atmosphere of the earth, receiving glorified immortal resurrection bodies similar to the Lord Jesus Christʼs glorified resurrection body, and going to Heaven with those resurrection bodies. Before the Rapture occurs, deceased believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are in Heaven without glorified bodies. Absent from the Bible is anything specifically indicating the precise date and time when the Rapture will occur, although it is possible that the Rapture will occur on the day of the Feast of Trumpets / Yom Teruah [yahm tuh-ROO-uh or yohm tuh-ROO-uh]—which is what some people call Rosh Hashanah and which some people celebrate for two days—the next occurrence of which will possibly be during August, September, or October of 2026.

Dispensation	Start	Ending or Interruption

Age of the Gentiles	Adam	The Age of the Gentiles ended with the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt.

Age of Israel	Exodus	The Age of Israel was interrupted on the Day of Pentecost.

Age of the Hypostatic Union (part of the Age of Israel)	First Advent of Christ	The Age of the Hypostatic Union ended with the Ascension of Christ.

Church Age	Day of Pentecost	The Church Age will end with the Rapture of the Church.

Tribulation (Age of Israel resumed)	Rapture	The Tribulation will end with the Second Advent of Christ.

Millennium	Second Advent	The 1,000-year Millennium will end with the Great White Throne Judgment of unbelievers.

Eternal State	Great White Throne Judgment	The Eternal State will be never-ending.

Regarding the word judgment, the proper way to spell that word is without an e between the dg and the m. In that regard, the e of the root word judge is dropped when the suffix ment is added to that root word. The formation of the word judgment is shown below.

judge −e +ment

= judg +ment

= judgment

Another way to categorize human history is by means of civilizations. Civilizations begin only with believers. Regarding the timing of civilizations and dispensations, the first civilization began with Adam and ended on the occasion of the Great Flood (also known as the Flood). That civilization is known as the antediluvian civilization and the predulivian civilization. In that regard, the prefixes ante and pre mean “before.” Also, there are various spellings of the adjectives that refer to the time before the Flood. Those spellings include antediluvian, ante-diluvian, prediluvian, and pre-diluvian.

After the Flood, there were only eight believers on the earth: Noah, his wife, their three sons, and their sonsʼ wives. With the removal of the unbelievers from the earth on the occasion of the Flood, a new civilization was started. That civilization is known as the postdiluvian civilization (also known as the postdiluvial civilization). Regarding the terminology, the prefix post means “after,” and the adjectives diluvian and diluvial mean “having to do with a flood.” Also, there are various spellings of the adjectives that refer to the time after the Flood. Those spellings include postdiluvian, post-diluvian, postdiluvial, and post-diluvial. The postdiluvian civilization will end on the occasion of the Second Advent of the Lord Jesus Christ. On the occasion of the Second Advent, the Lord will remove all unbelievers from the earth. Their removal will be by means of physical death just as the removal of all unbelievers was by means of physical death on the occasion of the Flood. This is called the Baptism of Fire, which is either a metaphorical description because fire can be used to represent judgment or a literal reference to the use of fire in the judgment of unbelievers on the occasion of the Second Advent. The Baptism of Fire is referenced in Matthew 3:11–12; Luke 3:15–17; and 2 Thessalonians 1:7–9.

Just as a new civilization started after the Flood, so also a new civilization will start after the Baptism of Fire. That civilization is called the Millennium. The Millennium is both a civilization and a dispensation. The Eternal State is also both a civilization and a dispensation.

Acts 20:16

Indeed, Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus so that he would not have to spend time in Asia, for he was hurrying to be in Jerusalem, if possible, on the Day of Pentecost.

Note: At the moment described in Acts 20:16, Paulʼs emotions were dominating his thinking. Rather than Paul making a decision based on the Word of God in Paulʼs thinking, Paul made a decision based on his emotions. In that regard, Paulʼs decision to travel to Jerusalem was an incorrect decision motivated by his emotions rather than a correct decision motivated by the Word of God in Paulʼs thinking.

Paulʼs duty at that time was to minister in Gentile regions rather than to his fellow Jews in Jerusalem. By traveling to Jerusalem in order to try to minister to his fellow Jews there, Paul got himself outside the geographic will of God the Father. In that regard, Paul was doing a right thing (trying to minister) in a wrong way (refraining from ministering to the people at locations where God the Father wanted Paul to minister and instead trying to minister to people at a location where God the Father did not want Paul to minister). A right thing must be done in a right way. Below is a list of right and wrong things.

A right thing done in a wrong way is wrong.

A wrong thing done in a right way is wrong.

A wrong thing done in a wrong way is wrong.

A right thing done in a right way is right.

Acts 20:17

From Miletus, he sent to Ephesus and called to him the pastor-elders / old men of the Church.

Note: The elders were the pastors of various churches in Ephesus. Regarding the Koine Greek word translated as “pastor-elders / old men” in this verse, that Koine Greek word is an adjective that is used as a noun. That Koine Greek adjective is πρεσβυτέρους [pronounced pres-boo-TEH-roos and transliterated as presbyterous]. That adjective is an inflected form of the root word πρεσβύτερος [pronounced pres-BOO-teh-rahs and transliterated as presbyteros]. The Koine Greek word presbyterous is a plural form of the root word presbyteros. If the word presbyterous as used in Acts 20:17 were to refer to anything other than pastors, then the content of this verse would be indicating that Paul was excluding pastors from the meeting. In that regard, it would be illogical to exclude pastors from that meeting and to instead include people other than pastors at that meeting. Therefore, it is logical to conclude that the word presbyterous as used in Acts 20:17 refers to pastors.

Koine Greek words referring to different functions of a man who has the gift of pastor-teacher are listed below. Regarding the below, it is important to note that the authority of a pastor is within the scope of teaching rather than within the scope of trying to force people to make certain decisions. Trying to force people to make certain decisions is spiritual bullying. Rather than being a spiritual bully, a pastor needs to be grace-oriented. With an attitude of grace orientation, a pastor must communicate the Word of God so that people can be well-informed when they use their volition (free will) to make the decisions that they make. In that regard, a pastor must respect the free will of others to make their own decisions without any coercion whatsoever. Making clear the truth and permitting others to make their own decisions about whether or not to make use of the truth is a manifestation of a grace-oriented ministry.

• πρεσβύτερος [pronounced pres-BOO-teh-rahs and transliterated as presbyteros]: elder / old man from the standpoint of rank and authority rather than age. The word presbyteros is the title of the pastor-teacher as the man in charge of the congregation. In that regard, the word presbyteros emphasizes the rank of the pastor as the authority of the congregation. Regarding elders, there is nothing in the New Testament indicating that Church Age believers should have a hierarchical structure other than a pastor having the authority to communicate to a congregation and to oversee the administration of the congregation. In that regard, there is an absence of anything in the New Testament indicating that there should be a hierarchy of authority or rank in a congregation.

• ἐπίσκοπος [pronounced eh-PEE-skah-pahs and transliterated as episkopos]: overseer. This is a word of authority that emphasizes the function of leadership of a pastor as the overseer of the administration of the congregation. Each pastor oversees the congregation to which he communicates. This is the functional title of the pastor-teacher that emphasizes work and function. The English word bishop is derived from the Greek word episkopos.

• οἰκονόμος [pronounced oi-kah-NAH-mahs and transliterated as oikonomos]: steward, an administrator with authority. The board of deacons or any other administrative board is subordinated to the pastor, who is the steward of the congregation. Deacons function in administration under the authority of the steward. In that regard, the function of deacons is to help the pastor with administrative tasks.

• ποιμήν [pronounced poi-MAYN and transliterated as poimēn]: pastor / shepherd. The word poimēn refers to shepherding in the sense of helping the members of the congregation—who metaphorically are sheep—to refrain from straying. In that regard, the word poimēn refers to the spiritual gift of pastor-teacher.

• διδάσκαλος [pronounced dee-DAH-skah-lahs and transliterated as didaskalos]: teacher. The word didaskalos refers to feeding the Word of God to the congregation. This word can be combined with poimēn to form poimēn-didaskalos, which can be translated as “pastor-teacher.”

• διάκονος [pronounced dee-AH-kah-nahss and transliterated as diakonos]: minister. The word diakonos is used in the sense of the pastorʼs authority, communication of the Word of God, and policy-making. The word diakonos can also be used to refer to administrators. In that regard, the English word deacon is derived from the Greek word diakonos. The men who are deacons are the administrative staff of the congregation. One of the spiritual gifts is the gift of administration. That spiritual gift facilitates the running of the day-to-day activities of the congregation so that the pastor can have time to study and teach.

Content in Acts 20 involves the use of some of the above words to refer to pastor-teachers. In Acts 20:17, pastors of various churches in Ephesus are referenced as being elders / old men. In Acts 20:28, those same pastors are referenced as being overseers, and they are each commanded by the apostle Paul to shepherd each pastorʼs flock, which is a sheep-related metaphor referring to the congregation for which each pastor was responsible.

Regarding the word Church with a capital C in Acts 20:17, the Koine Greek word translated as “Church” in this verse is ἐκκλησίας [pronounced ek-klay-SEE-ahs and transliterated as ekklēsias]. That noun is an inflected form of the root word ἐκκλησία [pronounced ek-klay-SEE-ah and transliterated as ekklēsia]. In addition to being used to refer to a collection of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, the word ekklēsia can be used to refer to an assembly of people. For the sake of clarity when referring to Church Age believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, the word church with a lowercase c can be used to refer to a specific collection of Church Age believers rather than to all Church Age believers collectively, and the word Church with a capital C can be used to refer to all Church Age believers collectively.

The usage of ekklēsias in the context of the content of Acts 20:17 refers to all Church Age believers collectively rather than to a specific congregation of Church Age believers. In that regard, the content of Acts 20:17 involves believers of multiple congregations. Because the content of Acts 20:17 involves believers of multiple congregations, the usage of the word ekklēsias must refer to all Church Age believers collectively rather than to a specific congregation of Church Age believers. In that regard, the usage of presbyterous in Acts 20:17 refers to pastors from more than one congregation.

Regarding elders, there is nothing in the New Testament indicating that Church Age believers should have a hierarchical structure other than a pastor having the authority to communicate to a congregation and to oversee the administration of the congregation. In that regard, there is an absence of anything in the New Testament indicating that there should be a hierarchy of authority or rank in a congregation. A hierarchy in a congregation results in people trying to lord themselves over others. In that regard, there are churches that are involved in a tradition involving having a hierarchical structure and the referring to members of the hierarchical structure of those churches as priests instead of the referring to all Church Age believers in the Lord Jesus Christ as priests. In the Church Age, all believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are royal priests. In that regard, the content of Hebrews 4:14–15 indicates that the Lord Jesus Christ is the High Priest of all Church Age believers. Regarding the word royal, the content of Hebrews 5:10 indicates that the Lord Jesus Christ is a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek [mel-KIZ-uh-dek], who was the ruler of Salem when Abraham was still named Abram. Melchizedek was both a king and a priest; therefore, the Lord Jesus Christ is also both a king and a priest. Because a king is royalty, a king who is a priest is a royal priest. Church Age believers are royalty because they are members of the Lord Jesus Christʼs family. In that regard, the content of 1 Peter 2:9 indicates that Church Age believers are royal priests. Below is content related to 1 Peter 2:9–10.

1 Peter 2:9

Note: In 1 Peter 2:9, Peter uses references involving Israel in the Old Testament to refer to Church Age believers. Ancient Israel had had the responsibility of sharing with the world the good news that the means of receiving eternal life is—for those who believed before the Lord Jesus Christʼs public ministry was revealed—by means of believing that God the Son would take the form of the One sinless Human Who would be judged for the sins of humanity, that the means of receiving eternal life is—for those who believed after the Lord Jesus Christʼs public ministry was revealed and before the Lord Jesus Christ was judged on the cross for the sins of humanity—by means of believing that the Lord Jesus Christ is that sinless Human Who would be judged for the sins of humanity, and that the means of receiving eternal life is—for those who believe after the Lord Jesus Christ was judged on the cross for the sins of humanity—by means of believing that Jesus Christ is that sinless Human Who was judged for the sins of humanity. An insufficient number of Israelites fulfilled that good-news-sharing responsibility. Consequently, that responsibility has been given to nations that are outside the land of Israel. This status will continue until the Church Age ends with the Rapture. After the Rapture, the very end of the Age of Israel will occur during the seven-year Tribulation, which will begin with the Rapture, end with the Second Advent of the Lord, and then be followed by the 1,000-year Millennial reign of the Lord on the earth.

In the content of 1 Peter 2:9, Peter calls attention to the fact that during the Church Age, all believers, regardless of whether they are Jews or Gentiles, have the duty of presenting the gospel (the good news of faith alone in Jesus Christ alone for eternal life) to unbelievers. In that regard, 1 Peter 2:9 indicates that all Church Age believers are priests. The phrase CHOSEN PEOPLE is found in Isaiah 43:20. The phrase PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR ACQUISITION/PRESERVATION refers to Exodus 19:5–6.

1 Peter 2:10

for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are GODʼS PEOPLE. You had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.

Note: In this verse, Peter refers to the fact that during the Age of Israel, Gentiles were not Godʼs people. In the Church Age, both Jewish and Gentile believers are Godʼs people. This verse references Hosea 2:23. As with 1 Peter 2:9, in 1 Peter 2:10, Peter uses references involving Israel in the Old Testament to refer to Church Age believers.

A church that is involved in the use of the word priest in a way other than to refer to all Church Age believers is a church that empowers people who falsely claim that they exclusively are priests when the New Testament indicates that all believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are priests. In that regard, people in such churches can become enslaved to the people who falsely claim that they exclusively are priests. Also, a church that is involved in the use of the word father in a way other than to refer to a man in authority within the scope of a family is a church that empowers such people who are referred to as fathers. In that regard, people in such churches can become enslaved to such people who are referred to as fathers.

Except when referring to a man in authority within the scope of a family, a pastor-teacher should never be referred to as a father. In that regard, below is content related to Matthew 23:9. The book Matthew was written by the apostle Matthew. In the below content, the words of the Lord Jesus Christ are in red.

Matthew 23:9

“Do not call anyone on earth your father, for One is your Father, He Who is in Heaven.

Note: In the context of Matthew 23, rather than the word father in Matthew 23:9 referring to a man in authority within the scope of a family, the word father in Matthew 23:9 instead refers to a man in authority within the scope of worshiping the Trinity. With regard to worshipping the Trinity, the scope of the authority of a pastor is limited to teaching; therefore, the title father within the scope of worshiping the Trinity should be avoided in reference to a pastor, just as the title father within the scope of worshiping the Trinity should be avoided in reference to anyone except God the Father.

Also, it is important to note that the authority of a pastor is within the scope of teaching rather than within the scope of trying to force people to make certain decisions. Trying to force people to make certain decisions is spiritual bullying. Rather than being a spiritual bully, a pastor needs to be grace-oriented. With an attitude of grace orientation, a pastor must communicate the Word of God so that people can be well-informed when they use their volition (free will) to make the decisions that they make. In that regard, a pastor must respect the free will of others to make their own decisions without any coercion whatsoever. Making clear the truth and permitting others to make their own decisions about whether or not to make use of the truth is a manifestation of a grace-oriented ministry.

Regarding communication gifts, while some believers in the Lord Jesus Christ had the gift of apostle before the Canon of Scripture was completed and some believers had the gift of prophecy before the Canon of Scripture was completed, now that the Canon of Scripture has been completed, no believers in the Lord Jesus Christ have those gifts. Now that the Canon of Scripture has been completed, the Word of God is revealed in the Canon of Scripture rather than by any information from outside the Canon of Scripture; therefore, the gift of apostle and the gift of prophet are unnecessary. In contrast, evangelists and pastor-teachers share information that is in the Canon of Scripture; therefore, those gifts are still necessary.

The content of 1 Corinthians 13:8–10 covers the topic of the gift of prophecy ending before the Canon of Scripture was completed. In that regard, below is content related to 1 Corinthians 13:8–10.

1 Corinthians 13:8

Benevolence/goodwill [agapē (ah-GAH-pay) (ἀγάπη)] never fails, but if prophecies, they will be done away; if tongues, they will cease; if knowledge, it will be done away.

Note: As with the content of 1 Corinthians 13:2, the content of 1 Corinthians 13:8 refers to spiritual gifts that stopped being available once the Bible was completed. As mentioned in the notes for 1 Corinthians 13:1, the Bible was completed within a century after the Lord Jesus Christ was judged on the cross for the sins of humanity.

1 Corinthians 13:9

Indeed, we know in part and we prophesy in part,

1 Corinthians 13:10

but when the complete/perfect comes, the partial will be done away.

Note: In 1 Corinthians 13:10, the adjective that is translated as “complete/perfect” refers to the Bible. In that regard, in 1 Corinthians 13:10, the Koine Greek adjective that is translated as “complete/perfect” is in the neuter gender. That adjective is τέλειον [pronounced TEH-lay-ahn and transliterated as teleion]. That adjective is an inflected form of the root word τέλειος [pronounced TEH-lay-ahs and transliterated as teleios]. Koine Greek has three genders: masculine, feminine, and neuter. The Lord Jesus Christ is a male; therefore, an adjective that refers to Him would be in the masculine gender. The neuter gender refers to a thing. In 1 Corinthians 13:10, the thing to which the adjective that is translated as “complete/perfect” refers is the completed Canon of Scripture—in other words, the Bible. In that regard, the content of 1 Corinthians 13:10 indicates that supernatural spiritual gifts stopped being available once the Canon of Scripture was completed. The Canon of Scripture was completed in the 1st century A.D. Also, the phrase the partial indicates that those spiritual gifts only revealed a portion of the Word of God that the Bible reveals.

Regarding the matter of teaching the Word of God, it is important to remember the principle mentioned in 1 Timothy 2:12. In that regard, the gift of evangelism and the gift of pastor-teacher are only given to male believers. The content of 1 Timothy 2:11–14 covers that topic. In that regard, below is content related to 1 Timothy 2:11–14.

1 Timothy 2:11

A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness,

Note: The context of 1 Timothy 2:11 involves the teaching of the Word of God. One should refrain from applying that verse to contexts other than the teaching of the Word of God.

1 Timothy 2:12

but I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet,

Note: As with the content of verse 11, the context of 1 Timothy 2:12 involves the teaching of the Word of God. One should refrain from applying that verse to contexts other than the teaching of the Word of God.

1 Timothy 2:13

for it was Adam who was first formed, then Eve,

1 Timothy 2:14

and it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman, being deceived, has come into transgression.

Regarding the gifts of apostle, evangelism, and pastor-teacher being given to males only, absent from the Bible is anything indicating that a believer who has a gift that attracts attention will receive more blessings than a believer who lacks a gift that attracts attention. In that regard, God the Fatherʼs plan involves the blessing of humble, non-attention-getting, helping-others, servant-minded believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. Such believers, while frequently unnoticed by much of the other people in the world, can be noticed by the angels, and such believers are certainly noticed by the Trinity. Worth noticing about such believers is their contrast with the characteristics of Satan, who is arrogant, seeks approbation, cares nothing about others, and is self-serving. It is possible that the blessing that unselfish believers will experience will occur only after they go to Heaven rather than before they go to Heaven.

Regarding being servant-minded, Mary, the mother of the Lord Jesus Christʼs humanity, referred to herself as a servant. In that regard, below is content related to Luke 1:38.

Luke 1:38

Then Mary said, “Behold the female bondservant of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your statement.” Then the angel departed from her.

Note: Mary willingly accepted what the angel Gabriel stated to her regarding God the Fatherʼs plan for her life. Unspecified in the Bible is how Gabriel traveled when he departed.

The content of Luke 1:48 also involves Mary referring to herself as a servant. The content of that verse is part of the same sentence as the content of Luke 1:46–47 and the same sentence as the content of Luke 1:49–50. In that regard, below is content related to Luke 1:46–50.

Luke 1:46

Then Mary said, “My soul declares great / magnifies / praises / extols the Lord,

Note: The content of Luke 1:46–55 is known as the Magnificat [mag-NIFF-ih-kat or mag-NIFF-ih-kaht or mahn-YIFF-ih-kaht]. The English word Magnificat is derived from the Latin verb magnificat [mahn-YIFF-ih-kaht]. That word is found in a Latin translation of Luke 1:46. That translation is called the Latin Vulgate [VUHL-gate] or simply the Vulgate. The Latin Vulgate translation is believed to have been composed from A.D. 382 through A.D. 405. Below is the content of Luke 1:46 in Latin. Below that content is a pronunciation guide for the content.

et ait Maria magnificat anima mea Dominum

[EHT AH-it mah-REE-ah mahn-YIFF-ih-kaht AH-nih-mah MEH-ah DAH-mee-noom]

Prior to the writing of the Latin Vulgate, the content of Luke 1:46 was written in Koine Greek. In that regard, the Koine Greek verb that is translated into Latin as “magnificat” and translated into English as “declares great / magnifies / praises / extols” in Luke 1:46 is μεγαλύνει [pronounced meh-gah-LOO-nay and transliterated as megalynei]. That verb is an inflected form of the root word μεγαλύνω [pronounced meh-gah-LOO-noh and transliterated as megalynō].

Luke 1:47

and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior

Note: In Luke 1:47, the word spirit refers to Maryʼs human spirit. At the moment of salvation, each believer in the Lord Jesus Christ receives a human spirit, which is a believerʼs essence that involves thinking of Bible doctrine—in other words, thinking that involves the Word of God. An unbeliever lacks a human spirit. In contrast with a human spirit, a soul is a personʼs essence that involves thinking in general. Each unbeliever has a body and soul; therefore, unbelievers are dichotomous [digh-KAHT-uh-muhs]. Each believer has a body, soul, and human spirit; therefore, believers are trichotomous [trigh-KAHT-uh-muhs].

The phrase God my Savior in the content of Luke 1:47 refers to God the Father. While the Lord Jesus Christ—Who is God the Son—is often the focus of the word Savior because He took on the form of a human and was judged on the cross for the sins of humanity, God the Father is referenced with the word Savior in Luke 1:47 because God the Father is the Member of the Trinity Who planned that the opportunity for eternal salvation would be made available.

The content of Luke 1:47 indicates that Mary needed to be saved. If Mary had been conceived sinless—in other words, without a sinful nature—then she would not have needed to be saved. The sinful nature can be referred to as the old sin nature (OSN). In that regard, every human except the Lord Jesus Christ has acquired an old sin nature, and each humanʼs old sin nature is in the body of that human. The old sin nature, which is referenced in Ephesians 4:22 with the term old man, can also be referred to as the sin nature. It is also referenced using the word flesh in Ephesians 2:3 and Galatians 5:16. The content of Romans 6:6 associates the sin nature with peopleʼs bodies, and the content of Romans 7:17–18 references the sin nature being in peopleʼs bodies. Adam and Ishshah [ish-SHAW] (the name of Eve before Adam renamed her Eve) were created without old sin natures, and they acquired old sin natures when they sinned. All other human beings have been conceived. Only the Lord Jesus Christ was conceived without an old sin nature. All the other humans that were conceived have been conceived with old sin natures. Likewise, all humans in the future will be conceived, and the conceiving of each of them will involve each of them receiving an old sin nature at the moment that each of them will be conceived.

The fact that Mary needed to be saved indicates that Mary was conceived with an old sin nature. In that regard, members of the hierarchy of the Roman Church have expressed a false notion involving the conception of Mary occurring without Mary being tainted by sin. That false notion involving immaculate conception is proven to be false by the content of Luke 1:47.

Luke 1:48

because He has had regard for the humble state of His female bondservant. Indeed, behold, from this time on, all generations will count me blessed

Note: In the content of Luke 1:48, Mary refers to herself as a female bondservant rather than as the queen of heaven. In that regard, absent from the Bible is anything referring to Mary as the queen of heaven. Also, all of the Bible verses that reference the queen of heaven do that referencing with a negative connotation. In that regard, the term queen of heaven is found in Jeremiah 7:18; Jeremiah 44:17; Jeremiah 44:18; Jeremiah 44:19; and Jeremiah 44:25. Below is a link related to the term queen of heaven.

https://www.BLBClassic.org/search/translationResults.cfm?Criteria=queen+of+heaven&t=NASB95

Below is a link related to the term queen of the heavens, which is a more literal translation that is in the content of Youngʼs Literal Translation (YLT). The Youngʼs Literal Translation, which is a very literal translation of the Bible, was produced in the late 1800s by the Scottish publisher Robert Young. The tenses of the verbs in the YLT version are sometimes different than the tenses of the verbs in some other English translations. In that regard, the YLT version is more literal, and some other translations involve more paraphrasing.

https://www.BLBClassic.org/search/translationResults.cfm?Criteria=queen+of+the+heavens&t=YLT

Luke 1:49

because the Mighty One has done great things for me. Also, holy is His name,

Luke 1:50

and His mercy is unto generations and generations toward those who fear/respect/revere/reverence Him.

Note: Biblical passages that are related to this verse include Exodus 20:6; Exodus 34:6–7; Psalm 31:19 ; Psalm 85:9; and Psalm 147:10–11.

The content of John 2:1–5 covers the topic of the Lord Jesus Christ referring to Mary as woman. Mary then responded positively to the authority of the Lord. In that regard, below is content related to John 2:1–5. In the below content, the words of the Lord Jesus Christ are in red.

John 2:1

On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there,

John 2:2

and both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding.

John 2:3

When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus says to Him, “They have no wine.”

John 2:4

Then Jesus says to her, “What to Me and to you, woman? My hour has not yet come.”

John 2:5

His mother says to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.”

Note: The content of John 2:1–5 references the Lord Jesus Christ referring to Mary with the word woman rather than any wording involving the Lord indicating Mary having a higher rank than the Lord. Furthermore, Maryʼs response to the Lord involved Mary being subordinate to the authority of the Lord. In addition, the Lordʼs use of the word woman involved an absence of any reference to a goddess or the queen of heaven.

Absent from the Bible is anything referring to Mary as the queen of heaven. In that regard, an example of Israelites refraining from regularly obeying the Word of God involves Israelites who were judged for worshiping false gods, including the queen of heaven (also known as the queen of the heavens). That topic is covered in Jeremiah 44. Rather than expressing gratitude to God the Father, some Israelites expressed gratitude to the queen of heaven. Those Israelites rejected God the Father and chose paganism instead. In that regard, any Christian church involved in worshiping the queen of heaven either is involved in syncretism [SING-krih-tihz-uhm or SING-kruh-tihz-uhm], which is the mixing of false notions with principles of the Word of God, or is a pagan entity masquerading as Christianity. In the Bible, all of the references to the queen of heaven involve a negative connotation. In that regard, the phrase queen of the heavens is found in Jeremiah 7:18; Jeremiah 44:17; Jeremiah 44:18; Jeremiah 44:19; and Jeremiah 44:25. Regarding Jeremiah 7:18, below is content related to Jeremiah 7:11–20.

Jeremiah 7:11

“Has this House, which has been called by My name, become a den of robbers in your sight? Behold, I, even I, have seen,”—a declaration of Jehovah / Yahweh / I am I am / the existing One.

Note: In this verse, the word House refers to the Temple. In that regard, the Temple referenced in this verse is the Temple that King Solomon, the third king of Israel, had had built. That Temple can also be called the First Temple or Solomonʼs Temple.

Jeremiah 7:12

“However, go now to My place which was in Shiloh, where I had made My name dwell at the first, and see what I have done to it because of the wickedness of My people Israel.

Jeremiah 7:13

“Now, because you have done all these things,”—a declaration of Jehovah / Yahweh / I am I am / the existing One, “and I speak to you, rising up early and speaking, but you have not heard, listened to, and obeyed, and I call you, but you have not answered,

Note: In this verse, the uses of a present tense in the phrase I speak and the phrase I call are references to what has occurred in the past. Such uses of a present tense have a rhetorical effect. In that regard, using a verb in a present tense to refer to the past can help a reader or hearer of the Word of God imagine past events as though the reader or hearer is watching those events as they occur.

Jeremiah 7:14

therefore, I have done to the House which has been called by My name, in which you trust, and to the place which I have given you and your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh.

Note: The use of the perfect tense in the phrase I have done to the House is a reference to the future. The perfect tense in this verse has a rhetorical effect. In that regard, why would verbs in the perfect tense be used to refer to what will happen in the future? Doing so in reference to something being indicated can communicate that what will occur in the future is 100% certain to happen and that because it is 100% certain to happen, it is as though it has happened already.

Jeremiah 7:15

“I have cast you out of My sight, as I have cast out all your brothers, all the offspring/seed/descendants of Ephraim.

Note: Regarding the word Ephraim in this verse, after King Solomon died, Israel was split into two nations. Ten tribes formed the Northern Kingdom, which kept the name Israel and is also known as Ephraim. Two tribes formed the Southern Kingdom, which is also known as Judah. The twelve tribes of Israel are listed as follows, in order of birth of the sons of Jacob: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin. The ten tribes of the Northern Kingdom are Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, and Joseph. Also, the tribe of Joseph is subdivided into the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh. In that regard, Joseph has a double portion. In some parts of the Bible, the tribe of Ephraim is referred to as the tribe of Joseph. The two tribes of the Southern Kingdom are Judah and Benjamin. The content of Jeremiah 7:15 is addressed to Judahites.

Jeremiah 7:16

“As for you, do not pray for this people, and do not lift up cry or prayer for them, and do not intercede with Me, for I do not hear you.

Note: The content of Jeremiah 7:16 is addressed to Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 7:17

“Do you not see what they are doing in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?

Jeremiah 7:18

“The sons gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead dough to make cakes for the queen of the heavens, and they pour out drink offerings to other gods in order to provoke Me to anger.

Note: The word anger in this verse is an anthropopathism [an-thruh-poh-PATH-iz-uhm]. An anthropopathism is a term that describes the Members of the Trinity using human characteristics in order to help understand the essence of the Trinity. The Members of the Trinity donʼt literally become angry; the usage of the word anger helps human beings understand the wrath of God the Father.

The Hebrew word translated “gods” with a lowercase g in Jeremiah 7:18 is אלֹהִים [pronounced el-oh-HEEM and can be transliterated in this context as 'elohiym], which is an inflected form of the root word אֱלֹהִים [pronounced el-oh-HEEM and can be transliterated in this context as 'elohiym]. Depending on the context, אֱלֹהִים could refer to false gods, to angels, to human rulers or judges, or to the Godhead [i.e., the Trinity]. When referring to the Godhead, אֱלֹהִים is transliterated as 'Elohiym with a capital E. The usage of 'elohiym in Jeremiah 7:18 refers to false gods.

Jeremiah 7:19

“Do they provoke Me to anger?”—a declaration of Jehovah / Yahweh / I am I am / the existing One. “Is it not themselves, to the shame of their own faces?”

Jeremiah 7:20

Therefore, thus has said 'Adonay [add-oh-NIGH] Jehovah / 'Adonay Yahweh / Lord I am I am / Lord the existing One: “Behold, My anger and My wrath are poured out on this place, on man and on beast and on the trees of the field and on the fruit of the ground, and it has burned and is not quenched.”

Note: The use of the perfect tense in the phrase it has burned is a reference to the future, and that usage of the perfect tense communicates that what will occur in the future is 100% certain to happen and that because it is 100% certain to happen, it is as though it has happened already. The use of the present tense in the phrase is not quenched is also a reference to the future, and that usage of the present tense can help a reader or hearer of the Word of God imagine what is described as though the reader or hearer is watching what is described as it occurs.

Regarding Jeremiah 44:17; Jeremiah 44:18; Jeremiah 44:19; and Jeremiah 44:25, below is content related to Jeremiah 44:15–30.

Jeremiah 44:15

Then all the men who are aware that their wives are burning incense/sacrifices to other gods, along with all the women who are standing by, a large assembly, and all the people who are living in Pathros in the land of Egypt, respond to Jeremiah, saying,

Note: The Hebrew word translated “gods” with a lowercase g in Jeremiah 44:15 is אלֹהִים [pronounced el-oh-HEEM and can be transliterated in this context as 'elohiym], which is an inflected form of the root word אֱלֹהִים [pronounced el-oh-HEEM and can be transliterated in this context as 'elohiym]. Depending on the context, אֱלֹהִים could refer to false gods, to angels, to human rulers or judges, or to the Godhead [i.e., the Trinity]. When referring to the Godhead, אֱלֹהִים is transliterated as 'Elohiym with a capital E. The usage of 'elohiym in Jeremiah 44:15 refers to false gods.

Jeremiah 44:16

“As for the word that you have spoken to us in the name of Jehovah / Yahweh / I am I am / the existing One, we are not listening to you!

Jeremiah 44:17

“However, rather we certainly do every word that has come out of our mouths, so as to burn incense/sacrifices to the queen of the heavens and pour out drink offerings to her, just as we ourselves, our forefathers, our kings, and our princes have done in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, for then we have plenty of bread and are well off and have seen no evil/calamity/harm/trouble.

Note: In this verse, the uses of a present tense in the phrase we have plenty of bread and the phrase are well off are references to what has occurred in the past. Such uses of a present tense have a rhetorical effect. In that regard, using a verb in a present tense to refer to the past can help a reader or hearer of the Word of God imagine past events as though the reader or hearer is watching those events as they occur.

Jeremiah 44:18

“However, since we have stopped burning incense/sacrifices to the queen of the heavens and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have lacked everything and have been consumed by the sword and by famine,

Jeremiah 44:19

“and when we are burning incense/sacrifices to the queen of the heavens and pouring out drink offerings to her, is it without our husbands that we have made for her cakes to make an image of her and to pour out drink offerings to her?”

Jeremiah 44:20

Then Jeremiah says to all the people, to the men and women—even to all the people who are answering him—saying,

Jeremiah 44:21

“As for the smoking incense / sacrifices that you have burned in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, you and your forefathers, your kings and your princes, and the people of the land, has not Jehovah / Yahweh / I am I am / the existing One remembered them, and does it not come into His heart?

Note: The heart refers to the mind.

Jeremiah 44:22

“Therefore, Jehovah / Yahweh / I am I am / the existing One is no longer able to endure it because of the evil of your deeds, because of the abominations which you have committed. Therefore, your land becomes a ruin, an object of horror and a curse, without an inhabitant, as it is this day.

Jeremiah 44:23

“Because you have burned incense/sacrifices and have sinned against Jehovah / Yahweh / I am I am / the existing One and have not heard, listened to, and obeyed the voice of Jehovah / Yahweh / I am I am / the existing One nor walked in His law, His statutes, and His testimonies, this calamity has therefore befallen you, as it has this day.”

Jeremiah 44:24

Then Jeremiah says to all the people, including all the women, “Hear, listen to, and obey the word of Jehovah / Yahweh / I am I am / the existing One, all Judah who are in the land of Egypt,

Jeremiah 44:25

thus has said Jehovah / Yahweh / I am I am / the existing One of hosts, the 'Elohiym [el-oh-HEEM] / Godhead of Israel, saying, ‘As for you and your wives, you speak with your mouths, and you have it fulfilled with your hands, saying, “We certainly perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn incense/sacrifices to the queen of the heavens and to pour out drink offerings to her.” You certainly establish your vows, and you certainly perform your vows!’

Jeremiah 44:26

“Therefore, hear, listen to, and obey the word of Jehovah / Yahweh / I am I am / the existing One, all Judah who are living in the land of Egypt: ‘Behold, I have sworn by My great name,’ says Jehovah / Yahweh / I am I am / the existing One, ‘never is My name invoked again by the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, “As 'Adonay [add-oh-NIGH] Jehovah / 'Adonay Yahweh / Lord I am I am / Lord the existing One lives.”

Jeremiah 44:27

‘Behold, I am watching over them for harm and not for good, and all the men of Judah who are in the land of Egypt have been consumed by the sword and by famine until they are completely gone.

Note: The use of the perfect tense in the phrase have been consumed is a reference to the future, and that usage of the perfect tense communicates that what will occur in the future is 100% certain to happen and that because it is 100% certain to happen, it is as though it has happened already.

Jeremiah 44:28

‘Those who escape the sword return out of the land of Egypt to the land of Judah few in number. Then all the remnant of Judah who go to the land of Egypt to reside there have known whose word stands, Mine or theirs.

Jeremiah 44:29

‘This is the sign to you,’—a declaration of Jehovah / Yahweh / I am I am / the existing One, ‘that I am punishing you in this place, so that you may know that My words surely stand against you for harm.’

Jeremiah 44:30

“Thus has said Jehovah / Yahweh / I am I am / the existing One: ‘Behold, I am giving over Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt to the hand of his enemies, to the hand of those who seek his life, just as I have given over Zedekiah king of Judah to the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, his enemy and who is seeking his life.’”

The content of Jeremiah 7:11–20 and Jeremiah 44:15–30 clearly indicates that the queen of heaven involves a negative connotation. In that regard, a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ should refrain from being associated with a church that is involved in anything like that which is referenced in Jeremiah 7:11–20 and Jeremiah 44:15–30. Also, a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ should refrain from being associated with a church that is involved in having an exclusive caste of priests instead of calling attention to the fact that the content of 1 Peter 2:9 indicates that all Church Age believers are royal priests. In addition, a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ should refrain from being associated with a church that is involved in referring to one or men as father except when referring to a man in authority within the scope of a family.

Regarding the matter of the queen of heaven, the idolization of Mary is similar to the idolization of the false goddess Ishtar [ISH-tahr] and the similar false goddesses. For example, the Babylonians and Assyrians worshiped Ishtar. This false goddess is similar to the Aphrodite [af-ruh-DIGH-tee] / Cytherea [sith-uh-REE-uh] worshiped by the Greeks and the Venus worshiped by the Romans. A similar false goddess worshiped by the Phoenicians, Syrians, and Canaanites is named Astarte [uh-STAHR-tee]. That false goddess is also known by the names Ashtaroth [ASH-tah-rohth], Astaroth, Asharoth, Asherah, and Ashtoreth. In some of the English translations of the Bible, the word Asherah is used to refer to an idol representing the false goddess named Ashtaroth, and the word Asherim is used to refer to multiple idols representing that false goddess. Regarding the foregoing, there has been a common thread in false-goddess worship, and that thread has continued for thousands of years and in various cultures. In that regard, the content of Ecclesiastes 1:9 indicates that there is nothing new under the sun. That thread of false-goddess worship is one of many methods that Satan has used to deceive people throughout human history. The organization that is based in Vatican City is involved in that thread of false-goddess worship, and that thread is connected to ancient Babylon. In that regard, it is possible that the organization that is based in Vatican City is a modern-day version of Babylon.

Regarding people claiming to have had visions of Mary, fallen angels are con artists. Fallen angels are also known as demons. Like the human villains in Scooby-Doo cartoons, fallen angels pretend to be things other than what the fallen angels really are: manipulative narcissists. Ways in which fallen angels could be like human villains in Scooby-Doo cartoons include the fallen angels pretending to be ghosts, good spirits, gods, and extraterrestrial visitors other than what the fallen angels really are (including pretending to be ancient human astronauts or other human spacefarers). Also, fallen angels pretend to be good angels, as per the content of 2 Corinthians 11:14–15. In addition, fallen angels might have access to advanced technology that enables the fallen angels to produce realistic-looking images like holograms. Also, fallen angels might have access to advanced technology that enables the fallen angels to cause people to have hallucinations. Regardless of the means by which fallen angels can do deceptions, it is possible that fallen angels can make people believe that they are seeing Mary. In that regard, it is worthwhile for a believer to apply the content of Acts 17:10–12 with regard to the matter of people claiming to have seen a vision of Mary. The content of Acts 17:10–12 covers the Bereans using the Word of God to examine what was being communicated. Below is content related to Acts 17:10–12.

Acts 17:10–12

Note: The phrase not a few means “quite a few.”

Absent from the Bible is anything indicating that people should pray to Mary. Instead, the content of the Bible indicates that people should pray to God the Father. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself indicated that people should pray to God the Father. In that regard, below is content related to Luke 11:1–2. The words of the Lord Jesus Christ are in red.

Note: In Luke 11:1, the Lord Jesus Christ is the Person to Whom the pronoun He refers.

Luke 11:1

It happened that while He was praying in a certain place, after He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples.”

Note: John the Baptist is the John referenced in this verse.

Luke 11:2

Then He said to them, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come [later manuscripts contain added phrases from Matthew 6:9–13 for the purpose of making the two passages closely similar].

Note: The Lord Jesus Christ Himself said that prayers must be addressed to God the Father.

The content of Acts 20:17 is repeated below for reference.

Acts 20:17

From Miletus, he sent to Ephesus and called to him the pastor-elders / old men of the Church.

Acts 20:18

Then when they had come to him, he said to them, “You yourselves know, from the first day that I set foot in Asia, how I was with you the whole time,

Acts 20:19

serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials which came upon me by the plots of the Jews,

Note: Rather than all Jews plotting against Paul. some Jews were plotting against him.

Acts 20:20

how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly and in houses,

Note: In this verse, the pronoun you refers to at least the pastor-elders of Ephesus and possibly to other believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. In that regard, Paul was indicating that he had been sharing the Word of God with believers. Also, he taught them both publicly and in houses. Unspecified in this verse and the surrounding verses is whether Paulʼs teaching of them publicly was done indoors, outdoors, or both.

Acts 20:21

solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance / change of mind toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Note: Paul had shared with both Jews and Gentiles the gospel (the good news of faith alone in Jesus Christ alone for eternal life).

Acts 20:22

“Also now, behold, bound by the Spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there,

Note: Unspecified in this verse and the surrounding verses is what Paul meant when he referred to being bound by God the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, unspecified in this verse and the surrounding verses is whether Paul correctly surmised that God the Holy Spirit was binding Paul. Regardless of what Paul meant and regardless of whether Paul correctly surmised that God the Holy Spirit was binding Paul, Paul recognized that he was unaware about what would happen to Paul in Jerusalem.

Acts 20:23

except that the Holy Spirit solemnly testifies to me in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions await me.

Note: Unspecified in this verse and the surrounding verses is in what way or ways God the Holy Spirit was testifying to Paul. Regardless of in what way or ways that God the Holy Spirit was testifying to Paul, Paul was receiving messages in multiple cities. Those messages involved the communication that Paul would experience suffering in Jerusalem if Paul were to go there.

Acts 20:24

“However, I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God.

Note: In spite of the warnings that Paul had been receiving, he erroneously concluded that he should go to Jerusalem. As mentioned in the notes for verse 16, Paul was being governed by his emotions at this time. In that regard, while Paul tried to be unselfish by being willing to experience physical death as a result of sharing the gospel to people in Jerusalem, Paul was trying to have a ministry at a location other than where God the Father wanted Paul to be. In that regard, Paul was doing a wrong thing in a right way. As mentioned in the notes for verse 16, a wrong thing done in a right way is wrong.

Acts 20:25

“Also now, behold, I know that all of you, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, will no longer see my face.

Note: Unspecified in this verse and the surrounding verses is what in particular Paul meant when he said that he was preaching the kingdom. In that regard, the word kingdom can be used to refer to eternal life, and the word kingdom can also be used to refer to the Lord Jesus Christʼs 1,000-year Millennial reign.

Acts 20:26

“Therefore, I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men.

Note: Unspecified in this verse and the surrounding verses is what in particular Paul meant with regard to Paul being innocent of the blood of all men. Regardless of what in particular Paul meant, he must have been referring to his actions after having believed in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Savior because when Paul was an unbeliever, he had persecuted Christians.

Acts 20:27

“Indeed, I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God.

Note: Paul shared the Word of God with believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Acts 20:28

“Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to feed the church of God which He purchased with the blood of His Own.

Note: Each pastor oversees the congregation to which he communicates. In that regard, it is important to note that the authority of a pastor is within the scope of teaching rather than within the scope of trying to force people to make certain decisions. Trying to force people to make certain decisions is spiritual bullying. Rather than being a spiritual bully, a pastor needs to be grace-oriented. With an attitude of grace orientation, a pastor must communicate the Word of God so that people can be well-informed when they use their volition (free will) to make the decisions that they make. In that regard, a pastor must respect the free will of others to make their own decisions without any coercion whatsoever. Making clear the truth and permitting others to make their own decisions about whether or not to make use of the truth is a manifestation of a grace-oriented ministry.

In this verse, feeding refers to communicating the Word of God. Also, the Lord Jesus Christ is to Whom the phrase the blood of His Own refers. In that regard, the word blood is a metaphorical reference to the Lord Jesus Christ being judged on the cross for the sins of humanity.

Acts 20:29

“I know that after my departure, grievous wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock,

Note: In this verse, the reference to wolves is a metaphorical reference to people who communicate false ideas. Paul called attention to the fact that such people are like wolves that prey upon sheep.

Acts 20:30

and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.

Note: Paul indicated that there would be false communicators who are believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. In that regard, unspecified in this verse and the surrounding verses is whether the usage of the phrase from among in this verse refers to the wolf-like predatory people being from among believers in general or from among the congregations of the believers to whom Paul was speaking on the occasion described in this verse.

Acts 20:31

“Therefore, be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears.

Note: Paul indicated that his communication had been motivated by unselfish concern for the believers to whom he had been communicating. Such unselfish concern for believers contrasts with the selfish predation that is done by wolf-like people. In that regard, Paul called attention to the fact that a believer must be on the alert for predatory people.

With regard to being alert, levels of alertness can be categorized in terms of a mindset color code that involves four colors. The mindset color code describes states of awareness. The mindset color code can be utilized for matters outside oneself; for example, the color code can be applied to both physical dangers and also to the dangers of stumbling blocks that can lead a Christian to sin. Also, the color code can be utilized introspectively with regard to the temptations that can originate from oneʼs old sin nature (OSN). Every human except the Lord Jesus Christ has acquired an old sin nature, and each humanʼs old sin nature is in the body of that human. The old sin nature, which is referenced in Ephesians 4:22 with the term old man, can also be referred to as the sin nature. It is also referenced using the word flesh in Ephesians 2:3 and Galatians 5:16. The content of Romans 6:6 associates the sin nature with peopleʼs bodies, and the content of Romans 7:17–18 references the sin nature being in peopleʼs bodies. Adam and Ishshah [ish-SHAW] (the name of Eve before Adam renamed her Eve) were created without old sin natures, and they acquired old sin natures when they sinned. All other human beings have been conceived. Only the Lord Jesus Christ was conceived without an old sin nature. All the other humans that were conceived have been conceived with old sin natures. Likewise, all humans in the future will be conceived, and the conceiving of each of them will involve each of them receiving an old sin nature at the moment that each of them will be conceived. Below are the conditions of alertness of the mindset color code and descriptions of them.

Condition White:	Unaware and unprepared, one is totally oblivious to what is going on.

Condition Yellow:	Relaxed alert—no specific threat is detected, but one is “taking in” surrounding info—the mindset in which one is aware that one might have to deal with danger today.

Condition Orange:	Specific alert—something is not quite right and has oneʼs attention. It might be something having to be dealt with right now. One gets mentally prepared to act, just in case.

Condition Red:	The potential danger of Condition Orange is determined to be a real danger. It is definitely something having to be dealt with right now. One acts immediately.

Acts 20:32

“Also now, I deposit you to God and to the Word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

Note: Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are the people referenced by the phrase those who are sanctified. Also, the usage of the verb deposit in this verse involves entrusting the one who receives the deposit with the responsibility of protecting what is deposited. In the context of this verse and the preceding verses, Paul was indicating to the pastors to whom Paul was communicating that Paul trusted that God the Father would protect those believers from the false ideas of predatory people and that the means by which God the Father would provide that protection was by means of the Word of God in the thinking of the pastors to whom Paul was communicating. Also, Paul was indicating that the Word of God edifies the thinking of a believer—in other words, the learning of the Word of God results in the building up of a bulwark of information that helps protect a believerʼs thinking from false ideas. In addition, Paul was indicating that learning the Word of God contributes to a believer receiving an inheritance—in other words, eternal rewards. Of course, after learning the Word of God, a believer needs to obey the Word of God.

In order to learn and obey the Word of God, a believer needs to be in fellowship with the Trinity and thereby filled with the power of God the Holy Spirit. In that regard, once a believer commits a sin after salvation, that believer is no longer filled with the power of God the Holy Spirit and is out of fellowship with the Trinity. After that believer has confessed/acknowledged to God the Father all of that believerʼs known unconfessed post-salvation sins, fellowship with the Trinity and the filling with the power of the Holy Spirit are restored. The procedure for confessing/acknowledging to God the Father all of oneʼs known unconfessed post-salvation sins is mentioned in 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” After a believer has confessed/acknowledged to God the Father all of that believerʼs known unconfessed post-salvation sins, that believer is then filled with the power of God the Holy Spirit again, in fellowship with the Trinity again, and ready to learn and obey the Word of God again.

Acts 20:33

“The silver or gold or garments of no one did I covet / lust for / desire

Note: Rather than Paul being motivated by the possibility of acquiring material wealth, Paul was motivated by unselfish concern for the believers to whom he had been communicating.

Acts 20:34

“You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my needs and to the men who were with me.

Note: Unspecified in this verse and the surrounding verses is for how long Paul ministered to his needs and to the men who were with him. Also, unspecified in this verse and the surrounding verses is what in particular that ministering involved. Regardless of the particulars, Paul was indicating that his actions revealed that he had refrained from being motivated by the possibility of acquiring material wealth.

Acts 20:35

“In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner, you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

Note: Believers who are unselfish will receive eternal rewards for the occasions on which they are unselfish. With regard to being unselfish, doing a right thing in a right way is unselfish. In contrast, doing a right think in a wrong way is selfish. In that regard, giving with a wrong motivation or wrong motivations is selfish and is therefore wrong.

Acts 20:36

When he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all.

Note: By praying, Paul submitted to the authority of God the Father. In that regard, all prayer should be addressed to God the Father.

Acts 20:37

Then great weeping of all occurred, and having fallen upon the neck of Paul, they were kissing him,

Note: Falling on the neck of someone refers to hugging the person with the arms near the neck of the one being hugged. The pastors were overcome by their emotions.

Acts 20:38

grieving especially over the word which he had spoken, that they would not see his face again, and they were accompanying him to the ship.

Note: Paulʼs emotion-driven decision that was in conflict with God the Fatherʼs geographic will for Paul resulted in unnecessary sorrow for the pastors whom Paul gathered together. That situation illustrates that allowing oneʼs emotions to govern oneʼs thinking is selfish. On the occasions when a believer is being selfish, that believer misses out regarding the receiving of eternal rewards that that believer would have otherwise received had that believer been unselfish on those occasions.

In order to be unselfish, a believer needs to be filled with the power of God the Holy Spirit. In that regard, once a believer commits a sin after salvation, that believer is no longer filled with the power of God the Holy Spirit and is out of fellowship with the Trinity. After that believer has confessed/acknowledged to God the Father all of that believerʼs known unconfessed post-salvation sins, fellowship with the Trinity and the filling with the power of the Holy Spirit are restored. The procedure for confessing/acknowledging to God the Father all of oneʼs known unconfessed post-salvation sins is mentioned in 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” After a believer has confessed/acknowledged to God the Father all of that believerʼs known unconfessed post-salvation sins, that believer is then filled with the power of God the Holy Spirit again, in fellowship with the Trinity again, and ready to learn and obey the Word of God again.

Sincerely,

John