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. kjv

Act 20:28  Take heed unto yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit hath made you bishops, to feed the church of the Lord which he purchased with his own blood. Asv

If it is Jesus’ blood that was shed does this verse not affirm Jesus to be the One God?

Ans. What is usually left out of the discussion, though Shedd mentions this, is that there are an even number of manuscripts that read “Church of the Lord (kyrios) “, and not “Church of God (theos).” The manuscripts are divided evenly here. In the ASV version of the Bible, Acts 20:28 does not contain the reading, “Church of God” but has “Church of the Lord.”

Wee see this translation very early in the wriings of the Church Fathers, such as St. Irenaeus, Against Heresies (Book III, Chapter 14)

“2. But that Paul taught with simplicity what he knew, not only to those who were [employed] with him, but to those that heard him, he does himself make manifest. For when the bishops and presbyters who came from Ephesus and the other cities adjoining had assembled in Miletus, since he was himself hastening to Jerusalem to observe Pentecost, after testifying many things to them, and declaring what must happen to him at Jerusalem, he added: I know that you shall see my face no more. Therefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all. For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. Take heed, therefore, both to yourselves, and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost has placed you as bishops, to rule the Church of the Lord, which He has acquired for Himself through His own blood.”

Samuel Clarke says in his Scripture Doctrine of the Trinity point 538, page 86,

“538. Acts  XX, 28. To feed the Church of God, which He hath purchafed with his own Blood.

In This place, the word, God may be underftood  of Christ, in like manner as in Joh, i, 1 . But many Antient Copies read it, and the moll antient Fathers cite it, The Church of the LORD. Or, if the word, God be underftood to mean the Father; then, his own Blood muft fignify, the Blood of his own  Son. Or elfe, (which feems the molt natural Interpretation of all,) if God in this place fignifies the Father, the following words, hath purchafed with his own Blood may be underftood of Christ, in the fame manner of Speaking that St. John in his first Epistle frequently uses, and particularly i Joh. iii, 5, Ye know that HE was manifested to take away our Sins; and in HIM is no Sin: Where the Words, He, and

Him, muft of neceffity  be referred to Christ, though without any antecedent mention of him, the Father only having been before fpoken of, ver, i, Behold what manner of Love the FATHER hath beftowed upon us, &c. And the fame feems to be the true conftruction of thofe other words, ver, 16, Hereby perceive we the Love of GOD, [fee N° 2.93,] becaufe  …HE (viz. Chrift) laid down his Life for us: Which St Paul expreffes more fully, Rom, v, 8,  GOD commendeth his Love towards us, in that while we were yet Sinners, CHRIST died for us.”