Church of God

[Acts 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.
Feed the church of God - or, "the Church of the L-rd." Which of these two readings of the text is the true one, is a question which has divided the best critics: The evidence of manuscripts preponderates in favor of "The L-rd"; some of the most ancient Versions, though not all, so read; and Athanasius, the great champion of the supreme Divinity of Messiah early in the fourth century, says the expression "Church of G-d" is unknown to the Scriptures. Which reading, then, does the internal evidence favor? As "Church of G-d" occurs nine times elsewhere in Paul's writings, and "Church of the L-rd" nowhere, the probability, it is said, is that he used his wonted phraseology here also. But if he did, it is extremely difficult to see how so many early transcribers should have altered it into the quite unusual phrase, "Church of the L-rd"; whereas, if the missionary did use this latter expression, and the historian wrote it so accordingly, it is easy to see how transcribers might, from being so accustomed to the usual phrase, write it "Church of G-d."