“TAKE HEED THEREFORE UNTO YOURSELVES”
Act 20:27 For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.
Act 20:28 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.
Act 20:29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
Act 20:30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.
Act 20:31 Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.
Act 20:32 And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.
The Apostle Paul gave the disciples exhortation before he was imprisoned in Rome concerning their positions as “overseers” of the church, and their roles as ones who would be establishing other men who would go out and teach and establish others as well. Paul warned the disciples of Satan’s attempt to hinder the message and the messenger, but he also gave them warning to “watch,” and to “take heed” unto themselves. The disciples are told to “take heed” unto themselves, and to the churches that they are establishing, as a ‘self-examination’ of their sonship growth to see where they ‘spiritually stand’ in their sanctified walk as a son “in Christ.” Paul also tells the disciples to “watch, and remember” about the things he for-warned them concerning things that would try to hinder the growth of these saints from taking place.
2Co 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
2Co 13:6 But I trust that ye shall know that we are not reprobates.
2Co 13:7 Now I pray to God that ye do no evil; not that we should appear approved, but that ye should do that which is honest, though we be as reprobates.
2Co 13:8 For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth.
Notice how many times Paul says “I would not that you should be ignorant,” or “know ye not?” or “I beseech you,” within Romans through Galatians? This is because of the beginning foundational doctrine to be understood and appreciated by the son as a ‘first things first’ as he begins to exercise his sanctified position in Christ. And once he progresses on through his sonship curriculum he comes to certain points where he needs to do a ‘self-examination’ of himself (as mentioned earlier) where the son ‘takes a step back’ and looks at himself from a sanctified view point to see how he fares based upon the doctrine that is given to him in God’s word to him.
1Co 16:13 Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.
1Co 16:14 Let all your things be done with charity.
1Co 16:15 I beseech you, brethren, (ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints,)
1Co 16:16 That ye submit yourselves unto such, and to every one that helpeth with us, and laboureth.
First Corinthians 16:13 Paul exhorts the saints to not only “watch” and “stand fast in the faith,” but to also “quit” like men; in other words, he wanted the saints to act as godly men “in Christ.” And by taking a look at the corrective and reproving doctrine found within Romans through Galatians; we will find the things that the saints were involved in, and see the ungodly walk of the saints of Corinth and Galatia, and we see Paul’s reproof, correction, and exhortation towards the saints, to see if we ourselves need to “renew” our minds toward this world, and the things that we hold ‘near and dear’ to ourselves. Moreover, it’s about equipping ourselves with the doctrine that makes a saint aware of the things that the Father values and esteems, and also aware to the things that He finds as an abomination in His sight (whether we do not view them as such) as well.
1Co 10:11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
1Co 10:12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
1Co 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
1Co 10:14 Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.
1Co 10:15 I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say.
However, the reproving, corrective, and exhorting doctrine will only work for us when we become honest with ourselves and come to the realization that we too are no better than the Corinthians, and the “foolish Galatians” in Paul’s day. Even though we are not involved in the same type of idolatry that most were involved in at that time; we ourselves find ourselves entangled with, and given to many things of this earth that act as a form of idolatry in itself. Furthermore, we need to observe how the Corinthians were given to the world and the men that influenced it at that time, and take a look how we ourselves need not to be “conformed to this world.
1Ti 4:15 Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.
1Ti 4:16 Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.
And as the re-proving, corrective, and exhorting doctrine works to produce a ‘godly sorrow’ within a saint, the saint if he responds positively unto to it, will begin to understand and appreciate the things that the Father wants him to value and esteem, and “take heed” unto who he is “in Christ,” and what his godly purpose is according to his sanctified position, and he would also “watch” for any and all things of this world that would work to hinder, or side-track his sonship growth from progressing on. This is the only way he can move on to be what God has called for him to be so that he can eventually work together with the Father in what He is doing.
1Ti 4:14 Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.
1Ti 4:15 Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.
1Ti 4:16 Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.
Timothy was a son who was doctrinally equipped to be able to work with the Father in what He is doing to teach, and establish others whereas they too would do the same. This is why the Apostle Paul exhorts Timothy to “neglect not the gift” (the edifying doctrine that Paul established within Timothy by teaching him the word of God, and his ways “in Christ”) that Paul established within him, and when he gives himself “wholly to them” he will be as an example unto others, just as Paul was unto Timothy. Finally, as Timothy was taking “heed” unto himself, and unto the doctrine; he was able to “save” himself from the things that Paul told him to “watch” for so that he will not be victimized by the satanic plan of evil against us all in this present dispensation of grace.
2Ti 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
2Ti 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
2Ti 4:4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
2Ti 4:5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.
Rod Jones