Acts 20:30 Meaning and Explanation
“Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The threat will also rise from within: from among their own number men will arise, twisting the truth to draw disciples after themselves.
What Does Acts 20:30 Mean?
The second warning cuts closer than the first: not wolves from outside, but men "of your own selves" — from within the very circle listening on the shore. Their method is twisted speech; their motive, a following of their own; their prize, disciples who belong to Jesus.
The mark of false leadership hides in the last phrase: drawing disciples "after them" — not after Christ. Every true servant points past himself, as John the Baptist did: "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30). The test still keeps churches honest: notice where a teacher's pull leads your eyes. If it is toward a man rather than the Lord, the drawing-away has already begun.
Acts 20:30 in the Original Language
diastrepho (διαστρέφω), 'perverse' -- twisted, bent out of the straight line of truth.
Frequently Asked Questions About Acts 20:30
What does Acts 20:30 mean?
The threat will also rise from within: from among their own number men will arise, twisting the truth to draw disciples after themselves.