29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock.
As Paul gives his final words to this group of Jesus-followers he knows that difficult times are ahead for them. He describes them as savage wolves. We occasionally hear stories in the news about a wild animal that has attacked someone. They are fairly rare in this country. The pictures are never pretty. So when Paul uses this image to describe the actions of those who would come and try to destroy their faith, it is a strong message of warning. Those who would try to destroy the faith of these believers are not just making slight modifications to the faith. They are not offering an alternative in a field of equally valid alternatives. No, they are savage wolves bent on ripping to shreds and eating their prey. The destruction of someone’s faith is a violent action. It is deadly. It is painful. It is messy. Those who would destroy faith are messing with eternal matters. So as Paul warns these believers of what is coming, he uses powerful terms in order to awaken them to what is ahead. Notice carefully that Paul does not say they should act this way toward these attackers. There is no place for Christians to become suicide bombers. Even when savage wolves attack we are still sheep and not wolves. Our character in Christ is different than it was before and certainly different than our attackers. Notice also that these savage wolves will be “among you.” You can’t tell they are savage wolves by their outward appearances. They don’t wear t-shirts that say, “I’m a savage wolf, determined to destroy you.” So often their tactics are subtle and clothed in religious words. Paul’s audience faced a much more blatant attack. They made no effort to hide what they were doing. They came and tried to destroy the faith of these believers. Be careful of subtle shifts in the core message of the Gospel. Keep Jesus, His life, death and resurrection at the center of your message. Keep our sinfulness and His righteousness in the forefront.
The Arnold Journey 