Acts 19: 1-20

(Acts 19: 21-41)

 

After these things were ended, Paul purposed in the spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, I must also see Rome.  So he sent into Macedonia two of them that ministered unto him, Timotheus and Erastus; but he himself stayed in Asia for a season.  And the same time there arose no small stir about that way.  For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, which made silver shrines for Diana, brought no small gain unto the craftsmen;  Whom he called together with the workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs, ye know that by this craft we have our wealth.  Moreover ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands:  So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nought; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth.  And when they heard these sayings, they were full of wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians. And the whole city was filled with confusion: and having caught Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul's companions in travel, they rushed with one accord into the theatre.  And when Paul would have entered in unto the people, the disciples suffered him not.  And certain of the chief of Asia, which were his friends, sent unto him, desiring him that he would not adventure himself into the theatre. Some therefore cried one thing, and some another: for the assembly was confused; and the more part knew not wherefore they were come together.  And they drew Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. And Alexander beckoned with the hand, and would have made his defence unto the people.  But when they knew that he was a Jew, all with one voice about the space of two hours cried out, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.  And when the townclerk had appeased the people, he said, Ye men of Ephesus, what man is there that knoweth not how that the city of the Ephesians is a worshipper of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down from Jupiter?  Seeing then that these things cannot be spoken against, ye ought to be quiet, and to do nothing rashly.  For ye have brought hither these men, which are neither robbers of churches, nor yet blasphemers of your goddess. Wherefore if Demetrius, and the craftsmen which are with him, have a matter against any man, the law is open, and there are deputies: let them implead one another.  But if ye enquire any thing concerning other matters, it shall be determined in a lawful assembly. For we are in danger to be called in question for this day's uproar, there being no cause whereby we may give an account of this concourse.  And when he had thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly.

These are the words about the uproar that occurred in Ephesus during Paul's third evangelistic trip.『 After these things were ended, Paul purposed in the spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, I must also see Rome. So he sent into Macedonia two of them that ministered unto him, Timotheus and Erastus; but he himself stayed in Asia for a season. 』 After God had caused Paul's hand to perform amazing powers in Ephesus, the Apostle Paul thought about going to Rome through Greece, now in connection with his future evangelism schedule. Then Timothy and Erasus, who had been working with Paul, were sent to Macedonia, and Paul himself was in Ephesus for a while.

However, that was when a great uproar broke out in Ephesus because of Paul. The reason is that because of the Gospel that Paul preached, Demedrio among the silversmiths who made and sold models of Ademi statues out of silver not only threatened their livelihood and affluent life, but our faith and cities were ignored. It agitated people. Then, people from all over the city of Ephesus captured the two people who had been with Paul and flocked to the theater. Ademi was the mother god of all the goddesses in Asia Minor at the time, and was the guardian deity of Ephesus of fertility and fertility.

When he heard the news, Paul tried to enter the theater, and Paul's disciples and friends dried up Paul. And tens of thousands of people gathered at the theater didn't know why they gathered there. In a word, they were swept away by a stimulating agitation, and without knowing the reason or the meaning. And the crowd in the theater screamed for two hours and managed to scatter by the secretary's persuasion. Soon, the disturbance triggered by one Demedrio's agitation was settled by one of the chief clerks.

Today, many people believe that they can worship idols or become gods themselves. There is evil (idol) in their hearts. You can see God's judgment in the Bible. The reason is because of idols. It is because of idols that God in Noah's day judged all human beings. In Genesis 6:5-7『 And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.  And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. 』

In Ezekiel 16:48-50『 As I live, saith the Lord GOD, Sodom thy sister hath not done, she nor her daughters, as thou hast done, thou and thy daughters.  Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.  And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good. 』

We can see how serious evil is idolatry. If you don't get rid of evil (idol), God will not forgive. To form the kingdom of God on this earth is to remove idols and return to the Word of God. As for people, evil is an idol in the heart. There is no way to get rid of this idol except by dying. So, you must die with Jesus on the cross. Jesus on the cross is a sinner. Those who repent and enter into Jesus on the cross are recognized by God as dead with Jesus. Just as we have to get rid of idols on this earth, we have to get rid of evil from our hearts. Evil is the idol that wants to be like God. If you do not remove evil, you cannot be saved from God.