Daily Scripture Reading Acts 19:23 - 20:3
Christianity and evangelicalism have missionaries all over the world. In many ways, we are content to chip away at the fringes of false religions and secularism. Much of our evangelistic efforts are focused on the followers of false religions and those who have been brainwashed into adopting secular worldviews and the immorality that goes along with those philosophies.
Meanwhile, we don’t specifically target the leaders who are pushing and teaching the ideas that are leading people astray. This group of powerful people who are leading individuals astray includes the leaders of radical Islam, those in Hollywood who are producing all the degenerate content being created in our entertainment industry, the professors in secular universities who are teaching secular ideas, and the executives who are practicing immoral business tactics. Furthermore, we don’t target the geographical centers of idolatry and secularism such as Los Angeles, New York, Mecca, Medina, and Beijing.
In contrast, today we will learn in Acts 19 that Paul was not content to chip away at the outer edges of idolatry. Instead, he went to the geographical center of a false religion, and threatened the very existence of that religion.
The 19th chapter of Acts tells us Paul spent two years in Ephesus, with the result that all who lived in Asia, both Jews and Greeks, heard the word of the Lord. Many who practiced magic burned their books, an indication of Paul’s success in turning people away from false gods and evil practices.
Acts 19:23 ¶ Now about that time there occurred no small disturbance concerning the Way.
Acts 19:24 For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, was bringing no little business to the craftsmen;
Notice the financial importance of the idol worship in Ephesus. Many craftsmen depended on idolatry for their livelihood.
Acts 19:25 these he gathered together with the workers of similar trades, and said, “Men, you know that our prosperity is from this business.
Acts 19:26 And you see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in almost all of Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away a considerable crowd, saying that things made with hands are not gods.
Paul’s ministry was so successful he was threatening the businesses that depended on the worship of Artemis.
Acts 19:27 And not only is there danger that this trade of ours fall into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis be considered as worthless and that she, whom all of Asia and the world worship, is even about to be brought down from her majesty.”
Once again, this concern on the part of Demetrius indicates the success Paul was having in his ministry. Before the arrival of Paul, Artemis was established as the great deity in Asia, but Paul effectively persuaded enough people that man-made gods were not gods that Artemis was losing her prominence.
Something else we learn from this verse is that when Paul went to Ephesus, he was going right to the center of idolatry. He was not content to chip away at Artemis worship by staying in surrounding cities where he would not make waves. He deliberately went where he could cause the most upheaval.
In modern America, you can make an argument that entertainment is our god. Much of entertainment is centered in Hollywood and the majority of their movies and television shows are immoral. If a man living today wanted to do what Paul did, he would go to the Los Angeles area and persuade enough people to stop consuming entertainment that the workers in the film industry would feel their livelihood was threatened.
Today, Christianity and evangelicalism have missionaries all over the world. In many ways, we are content to chip away at the fringes of idolatry. We don’t go to the center of false religions like Los Angeles, Mecca, or Medina and do ministry in such a way that we threaten the existence of false religions.
However, since that is what Paul did, perhaps we should be more aggressive and bold. Maybe we should focus our evangelistic efforts on the source of the secular ideas which are damaging our culture and leading people away from truth and into immorality.
Acts 19:28 ¶ When they heard this and were filled with rage, they began crying out, saying, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
Notice the word “rage”. They were not mildly concerned, they were very passionate in their defense of Artemis.
We are seeing a taste of this in modern America. Over the past several decades, the book publishing industry has been pushing books that celebrate degenerate lifestyles. Those books have found their way into school libraries and are being pushed on young children. In recent years many parents have been fighting back and attempting to remove this content from schools, but the authors and publishers of the degenerate content are angry about those efforts to protect children.
Acts 19:29 And the city was filled with the confusion, and they rushed with one accord into the theater, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia.
Acts 19:30 And when Paul wanted to go into the assembly, the disciples would not let him.
Acts 19:31 Also some of the Asiarchs who were friends of his sent to him and repeatedly urged him not to venture into the theater.
The anger was so strong it was not at all safe for Paul to go to the theater.
Acts 19:32 So then, some were shouting one thing and some another, for the meeting was in confusion and the majority did not know for what reason they had come together.
Acts 19:33 And some of the crowd concluded it was Alexander, since the Jews had put him forward; and having motioned with his hand, Alexander was intending to make a defense to the assembly.
Acts 19:34 But when they recognized that he was a Jew, a single cry arose from them all as they shouted for about two hours, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
Take note of the time frame. The crowd changed about Artemis for two hours.
Acts 19:35 Now after calming the crowd, the city clerk said, “Men of Ephesus, what man is there after all who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of the image which fell down from heaven?
Acts 19:36 So, since these are undeniable facts, you ought to keep calm and to do nothing rash.
Acts 19:37 For you have brought these men here who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of our goddess.
Acts 19:38 So then, if Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a complaint against anyone, the courts are in session and proconsuls are available; let them bring charges against one another.
Acts 19:39 But if you want anything beyond this, it shall be settled in the lawful meeting.
Acts 19:40 For indeed we are in danger of being accused of a riot in connection with today’s events, since there is no cause for which we can give as an account for this disorderly gathering.”
Rome wanted law and order. The city clerk was concerned they would be accused of a riot.
Acts 19:41 After saying this he dismissed the meeting.
Acts 20:1 ¶ Now after the uproar had ceased, Paul having summoned and exhorted the disciples, said farewell and left to go to Macedonia.
The riot happened in Ephesus. Paul left Ephesus to go north to Macedonia, an area Paul had visited on previous occasions.
Acts 20:2 And when he had gone through those districts and had given them much exhortation, he came to Greece.
Greece is south of Macedonia. This was also an area he had visited on previous occasions.
Acts 20:3 And there he spent three months, and when a plot was formed against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia.
Don’t miss the word “plot”. The Jews were trying again to kill, or at least silence, Paul.
Instead of sailing to Syria, Paul went back to Macedonia.
Ephesus was the center of the worship of Artemis. Ephesus influenced the religion of many people in surrounding areas. Paul was not content to fly under the radar and do ministry in the surrounding areas. He went to Ephesus, the center of the idolatry, and did ministry in such a way that he threatened the existence of the worship of Artemis.
What are the false religions and secular ideas that are dominant in the culture in which you live?
Who are the sources of those ideas?
What would it look like to be so effective at ministry that the sources of those ideas would feel threatened?
Thanks for visiting Bible Mountain. If you have already joined my email list, thank you and please tell others about Bible Mountain. If you have not joined my email list yet, please do so now. In order to join, go to Bible Mountain dotcom, click on subscribe, and that will take you to a page where you can sign up. Your email address will not be sold nor given away. Once again, thanks for visiting Bible Mountain.
“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”