Acts‬ ‭20:26-27

“Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God.” – Acts‬ ‭20:26-27

Apostle Paul was giving his final message to the elders in Ephesus as he prepared to go to Jerusalem. He already knew, through the testimony of the Holy Spirit, that imprisonment and hardships awaited him there. Paul knew that his time to depart and to be present with the Lord was drawing near. Paul was setting things in order, ensuring that the work of God would continue even after his departure.

For us to understand what Paul means when he says, “I am innocent of the blood of all men,” we must look back to what God told Ezekiel. The Lord made Ezekiel a watchman on the wall, someone who stood alert, ready to warn the people when danger was approaching.

““So you, son of man: I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me. When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you shall surely die!’ and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. Nevertheless if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul.” – Ezekiel‬ ‭33:7-9‬ ‭

If a watchman saw danger coming and said nothing, then he was guilty of what happened when the enemy attacked the city. But if the watchman did warn the people, and they still chose not to listen, then they were responsible for their own decision. The watchman’s responsibility was simply to deliver the message.

In the same way, God appointed Ezekiel to be a watchman to hear His word and deliver it to the people. Ezekiel’s duty was to warn the wicked of God’s coming judgment and call them to turn from their sinful ways. If they refused to repent, they would die in their sins, but Ezekiel would not be held accountable for their decision. He would be innocent of their blood. However, if Ezekiel failed to warn them, he would be held responsible. God said He would require the blood of that person at Ezekiel’s hand.

This is the same message Apostle Paul trying to convey to them when he declared that he was innocent of the blood of all men. He meant, “I have done what God entrusted me to do. I have warned you, for my responsibility is to declare everything that God has given me to speak. Your responsibility is to respond to what God has called you to do.” Paul faithfully carried out his duty and fulfilled his calling as a true watchman of the gospel.

He explained this earlier in Acts when he said:

“how I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house, testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” Acts‬ ‭20:20-21‬ ‭

Now let’s look at what Paul says: “I testify to you this day.” Paul never held back from declaring or testifying to the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to anyone whether Jew or Greek, including the believers in Ephesus. He boldly preached the gospel that has the power to save from the coming wrath of God, because he understood that the world we live in is already under judgment.

Did not Jesus Himself say,

“He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” — John 3:18

We are all guilty before God. From Adam until now, all have sinned and fallen short of His glory (Romans 3:23). Because of our sin, the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men (Romans 1:18). Yet there is only one way to escape that wrath and that through faith in Jesus Christ.

For us to fully grasp what the Apostle Paul is communicating to the elders of Ephesus, we must see that it reflects the same message he faithfully proclaimed wherever he went. We can read an example of this in his preaching to the people of Athens.

“Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”” Acts‬ ‭17:30-31‬ ‭

Here, Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and testified to them about the one true God, the Creator of heaven and earth, Who does not dwell in temples made with hands. He declared that God now commands all people everywhere to repent, because a day of judgment is coming. God will judge the world in righteousness by the Man [the Lord Jesus Christ] whom He has ordained [For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son (John 3:16)].

We all know that there is no other way for any of us to enter the Kingdom of God. Jesus Himself preached this truth when He said, “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture” (John 10:9). And again, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). Why? Because when Jesus died on the cross, He paid the price for our sins, a debt we could never pay ourselves. His death brought life to all who believe, which is why He also said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live” (John 11:25). The Scripture declares, “Even when we were dead in trespasses, [God] made us alive together with Christ” (Ephesians 2:5). When Jesus died, He tore the veil, symbolizing that He removed the separation between us and the Father caused by sin. Now we can boldly come before God’s presence, and that is the greatest gift of all. We all receive reconciliation with the Father. When we have the Father, what else do we need. Our Father in heaven loves us so much, He will not withhold anything that draws us closer to Him: “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32).

Now we can better understand Paul’s words when he said, “For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27). The “whole counsel of God” means proclaiming the full truth of the gospel, the importance of repentance and the invitation to receive the salvation offered through the Lord Jesus Christ. It is the call to turn away from sin and turn to God through faith in Jesus Christ. It is the cry of a sincere and repentant heart that says,

“Father, I am done living for this world that keeps dragging me into sin and destroying me inside. I am turning away from my old life and turning to You. I accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I may be broken, but I will trust You to make me whole.”

Only God can transform our lives, only God can teach us how to live good because only God is good. If we want to learn how to live rightly, we must follow Jesus. If we want to know how to love, we must learn from God. And if we want to learn how to forgive, we must first receive forgiveness from Him. For we are all sinners in need of mercy.

We are all called by God to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, “for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16). You and I are responsible to testify and share this gospel. God has entrusted us, like watchmen, to blow the trumpet and warn others that the wrath of God is coming. Without Jesus, people face eternal separation from God in Hell. But remember our responsibility is to declare the gospel, not to enforce it. In Acts 17, after Paul preached the gospel in Athens, some people hesitated and mocked, but Paul did not force them. He simply departed, knowing he had done his part. Our job is to faithfully proclaim the call of God, and it is up to each person to respond to that call.