Acts 20:28 : Church Of Christ Or Of God?

By Bro. Nathan

“Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.” (Acts 20:28) NKJV

“Take heed therefore to yourselves and to all the flock, over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you overseers, to feed the church of Christ which he has purchased with his blood.” (Acts 20:28) Lamsa

Ang Acts 20:28 ay ginagamit ng ilang churches named "Church of Christ" or "Iglesia Ni Cristo" as a proof text para sabihin na "Iglesia Ni Cristo ang name dapat ng true church, therefore kami ang true church" which is wrong in many ways like the following :

1. Wala tayong proper noun sa text ng Acts 20:28 nor sa ibang text with "church of", but what we have ay mga common nouns, so notice—there are no capitalized "church of".

2. Wala tayong sapat na mss evidences for the reading ng "church of Christ"

3. Ang Syriac Peshitta does not even read "church of Christ" o "church of the Messiah"

First, let's go back sa Greek text. ang Nestle Aland 28 edition of the Greek New Testament together with the variant readings sa critical apparatus reads :

προσέχετε ἑαυτοῖς καὶ παντὶ τῷ ποιμνίῳ, ἐν ᾧ ὑμᾶς τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἔθετο ἐπισκόπους ποιμαίνειν τὴν ἐκκλησίαν τοῦ θεοῦ, ἣν περιεποιήσατο διὰ τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ ἰδίου.

28 ⸀ κυριου 𝔓74 A C* D E Ψ 33. 453. 945. 1739. 1891. 2818 gig p syhmg co; Irlat Lcf ¦ κυριου και θεου C3 L 323. 1241 𝔪 ¦ txt א B 614. 1175. 1505 vg sy boms; Cyr ⸆ εαυτω 𝔓41vid D; Irlat ⸂ιδιου αιματος L 323. 614. 1241. 1505 𝔪 ¦ αιματος αυτου Irlat ¦ txt 𝔓41.74 א A B C D E Ψ 33. 945. 1175. 1739. 1891. 2818; Cyr

Ang karamihan ng new testament manuscripts according dito ay "church of God" (έκλεισαν του Θεού) at "church of the Lord" (κυρίου- which shows scribes changing from "God" to "Lord " dahil natatakot sila na baka may dugo ang Dios even though they have nothing to fear with [cf. Jn. 1:1-14; Heb. 2:7-9]). Wala tayo ditong evidences for manuscripts para sa "church of Christ". 

For the Peshitta, it reads :

ܒ݁ܢܰܦ݂ܫܟ݂ܽܘܢ ܘܰܒ݂ܟ݂ܽܠܳܗ ܡܰܪܥܺܝܬ݂ܳܐ ܗܳܝ ܕ݁ܰܐܩܺܝܡܟ݂ܽܘܢ ܒ݁ܳܗ ܪܽܘܚܳܐ ܕ݁ܩܽܘܕ݂ܫܳܐ ܐܶܦ݁ܺܣܩܳܘܦ݁ܶܐ ܕ݁ܬ݂ܶܪܥܽܘܢ ܠܥܺܕ݈݁ܬ݁ܶܗ ܕ݁ܰܐܠܳܗܳܐ ܗܳܝ ܕ݁ܰܩܢܳܗ ܒ݁ܰܕ݂ܡܶܗ

Ang Peshitta reads the phrase ܠܥܕܬܗ ܕܐܠܗܐ ( ‘edta d’eloha) which is rightfully translated as "church of God" at hindi "church of Christ" (edta d' messhia). one reason kung bakit ang version ni Lamsa reads church of Christ ay na Ang ginamit niyang manuscript for his textual basis ay isang Nestorian Manuscript (cf James Murdock Note on his translation of Acts 20:28 pg. 258 1858 Ed.) which means na Isa itong ibang version ng Peshitta but the reading is doubtful based sa readings ng ilang manuscripts ng Peshitta. Ang kanyang ginamit na manuscript ay from the 10th century samantalang ang ibang manuscripts date earlier. So ang reading ng Lamsa mula sa Peshitta itself ay doubtful. 

In conclusion, this does not support the name Game claims ng mga cults like ng INC.