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Episode 5 — The Warning
The riot is over.
Paul has left Ephesus.
But before he continues toward Jerusalem, he asks the leaders of the Ephesian church to meet him one final time.
They gather at Miletus.
And Paul gives them a warning.
For nearly three years, he has lived among these people. He has taught them publicly and from house to house. He has served through opposition, trials, and tears.
Now he knows they may never see his face again.
So Paul doesn’t waste his final words.
“Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock.” — Acts 20:28
The church in Ephesus has survived pressure from the synagogue. It has confronted the spiritual world of magic. It has watched thousands of drachmas burn in the streets. It has survived the fury of a city defending Artemis.
But Paul warns them about a different kind of threat.
Wolves are coming.
Some will attack from outside.
Others will rise from among them.
In Episode 5 of Kingdoms Collide, we follow Paul to Miletus for his emotional farewell to the Ephesian elders, and discover the warning that will echo through the next several decades of this church’s history.
In this episode:
- Paul’s final meeting with the Ephesian elders
- What his three years in Ephesus actually cost him
- Why Paul reminds them about his tears
- The responsibility of church leaders to guard themselves and the flock
- Paul’s warning about “fierce wolves”
- The disturbing prediction that some false teachers will arise from within
- Why Paul’s warning becomes essential for understanding what happens next in Ephesus
Paul has spent years building this church.
Now he entrusts it to others.
And before they kneel together, weep, embrace, and say goodbye, he leaves them with a responsibility:
Watch.
Because establishing a church is one battle.
Keeping it faithful is another.
Go Deeper
The Episode 5 Companion Material takes you deeper into Paul’s farewell to the Ephesian elders and the warning of Acts 20.
Explore the passage, its historical setting, Paul’s model of leadership, and what his warning teaches us about protecting both the truth and the people entrusted to the church.
Use it for personal Bible study, family discussion, Sunday school, small groups, or alongside the podcast.
Get the Episode 5 companion material at KingdomsCollide.com.
Join the Journey
Paul leaves.
But the story of Ephesus is far from over.
Years later, the church will face exactly the kind of internal pressure Paul warned them about. And a younger leader named Timothy will be sent into Ephesus to confront it.
The question is no longer whether the wolves will come.
The question is whether the church will recognize them.
Join the email list at KingdomsCollide.com for new episodes, companion resources, and additional material as we continue through forty years of the church at Ephesus.
Main Scripture: Acts 20:17–38
Kingdoms Collide Exploring 40 Years of Church in Ephesus
Six biblical books. Forty years. One church under pressure.