Act 20:30 Also from among you yourselves will arise men speaking things having been distorted, (lit. distortions of the truth) in order to draw away the disciples after them.
Act 20:31 Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years, night and day I did not cease, with tears, exhorting each one.
Act 20:32 So for the present, brothers, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who have been sanctified.
– Distortions
The wolves which arise from “among us” don’t present an entirely new truth, rather they distort the established truth : bend it out of shape into a hybrid so that they can, in effect, copyright it as their own special truth : truth which has come thru them exclusively. And this is the basis by which people follow them.
– Following men
They are looking for disciples to follow them, to submit to them, so, they have to present something new; a new spin on the Scripture, otherwise, why should people follow them? That’s what the Scripture says here; they are seeking to draw disciples after them – looking for followers.
– Commending people to the Word of God
These are times when many are seeking answers from men. But, we can only commend them to the Word of God, for God has sent His Word to every one individually, and He has appointed one Mediator and Judge, to whom we all must give an account of our life.
God never intended any other “interpreter” for His Word than the Holy Spirit He has sent, and no other Mediator between God and man, than the Man Christ Jesus.
It’s healthy to discuss the Word, and wrong to not be accountable to the Body of Christ, yet, ultimately, each disciple has to stand alone before God and give an account of what they did with the Word of God they received. There will be no theologian, teacher or counselor to “bail them out” on that day; no one to run to for an interpretation of the Bible, to explain it for them.
Many times we are asked for our opinions on a certain scripture or doctrine, yet, ultimately, each individual has to answer directly to Jesus on judgment day for what they did with His Words, which came to them directly. How many Christians will be able to plead, “Lord, I didn’t have a Bible!” ?
(Please, don’t anyone say I’m negating the role of teachers in the Body of Christ, rather, I’m clarifying what Godly teaching of the Word is.)
Ian Vincent 
June 15, 2008 at 3:34 pm
Very good, brother.
June 16, 2008 at 5:22 am
Act 20:31 Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years, night and day I did not cease, with tears, exhorting each one.
This is amazing. Three years, night and day.
June 19, 2008 at 3:49 am
Paul preached Christ crucified, foolishness to our flesh’s reckoning. This is why the Spirit of Jesus, Who is the Holy Spirit of both the Father and His Son, is absolutely essential for men to recieve Truth against our flesh’s desire for ‘knowlege’.
Yes, it is amazing how deceitful sin can be, but it cannot compare with the amazingness of Grace. i.e. the man, Jesus, ‘Emmanuel’, savior of the whole created order of those who ‘know’ Him through the Father’s revealing of Himself through His Son by the work of the Spirit. The triune God of grace!
Bless you bro’, these moments of concious consideration of Truth are like water to our souls.
Tim.