Apr 12, 2015
Acts 19:21-41
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Acts 19:21-22, “When these things were accomplished, 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 those who ministered to him, Timothy and Erastus, but he himself stayed in Asia for a time.”
As we’ve noted Paul is in the midst of his 3rd missionary journey, which (after a quick pass through Galatia and Phrygia) has almost singularly focused on an extended season of ministry in the city of Ephesus. For the last three years (more time than he’s spent in any other city) Paul has invested his heart and soul into the development of this ministry.
Though you could never question his love and admiration for this church (just read his letter to the Ephesians) our text is clear Paul is now sensing it maybe time to move onward.
While the Apostle had clear goals he intended to accomplish in Ephesus (we’ll discuss this in our next study), once “these things were accomplished, Paul purposed in the Spirit” to revisit “Macedonia” (Philippi, Berea, Thessalonica), “Achaia” (Corinth), before sailing “to Jerusalem” where he’d then focus on traveling to “Rome” - his next destination.
In preparing for his departure Luke tells us Paul sent “Timothy and Erastus into Macedonia” while he wrapped up his affairs in Ephesus. Acts 19:23-28, “And about that time there arose a great commotion about the Way. For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Diana, brought no small profit to the craftsmen. He called them together with the workers of similar occupation, and said: “Men, you know that we have our prosperity by this trade. Moreover you see and hear that not only at Ephesus, but throughout almost all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that they are not gods which are made with hands. So not only is this trade of ours in danger of falling into disrepute, but also the temple of the great goddess Diana may be despised and her magnificence destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worship.” Now when they heard this, they were full of wrath and cried out, saying, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians!”
According to our text our antagonist Demetrius was a silversmith in charge of a trade association of “silversmiths who made and sold silver shrines of Diana.” And while these men had made a good living off of the tourism associated with the Temple of Diana, it would now seem their current profits had fallen to dangerously low levels. The market crashed.
As he evaluated the situation Demetrius attributed two sources behind this crisis. We’re told “there arose a great commotion about the Way…” and that “Paul persuaded and turned away many people, saying that they are not gods which are made with hands…”
As a result of preaching of the Gospel in this city filled with immorality and the occult, and to the credit of the power of God working through Paul there now existed within Ephesus a clear and undeniable divide within society at large. A group of people had emerged who defied the status quo. These people were living and operating contrary to the norm.
Even if you didn’t know the particulars, there was simply a “Way” about these people that made them different from everyone else. “The Way” they lived their lives was atypical. Note: This difference was not superficial, but was instead manifested in a real, authentic way.
Keep in mind, Christianity is more than a set of theological ideas, moral principles, or philosophical beliefs. At it’s very core Christianity is fundamentally “The Way!”
Christianity is all about an encounter with Jesus that produces a “Way” of living diametrically opposed to both the carnal tendencies of the world (living for the eternal, not the temporal… Seeking to please God and prefer others over self) and the pious proclivities of the religious (being made right with God verses becoming right with God).
Demetrius’ argument claimed that as a direct result of what God was doing through this group of people “this trade of ours is in danger of falling into disrepute…” He continues by pointing out that if this present trend was allowed to continue unchecked “the temple of the great goddess Diana may be despised and her magnificence destroyed…”
To his credit Demetrius was spot on in his analysis. Because of the preaching of the Gospel and the countless lives that were being transformed, the demand for what they made a living peddling was shrinking. Their customer base was no longer interested in their product.
Acts 19:29-32, “So the whole city was filled with confusion, and rushed into the theater with one accord, having seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians, Paul’s travel companions. And when Paul wanted to go in to the people, the disciples would not allow him. Then some of the officials of Asia, who were his friends, sent to him pleading that he would not venture into the theater. Some therefore cried one thing and some another, for the assembly was confused, and most of them did not know why they had come together.”
As a result of Demetrius stirring up the crowd we’re told “the whole city was filled with confusion…” They “seize Gaius and Aristarchus… Paul’s traveling companions” and proceeded to “rush into the theater (could hold up to 25,000 people) with one accord…”
The scene is so chaotic that Luke tells us “some cried one thing and some another” but “most of the assembly was confused not knowing why they had come together.”
And while the scene was undoubtedly dangerous, we’re told Paul incredibly “wanted to go in to the people” seeing such a gathering as a perfect opportunity to preach the Gospel.
However, not only would “the disciples not allow him,” but “some of the officials of Asia, who were his friends” also “pleaded that he would not venture into the theater.”
Acts 19:33-34, “And they drew Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. And Alexander motioned with his hand, and wanted to make his defense to the people. But when they found out that he was a Jew, all with one voice cried out for about two hours, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians!”
Recognizing how dicey the situation was “the Jews” hoping to avoid getting caught in the crossfire send out “Alexander” to distance the Jewish community from “the Way.”
Note: This man Alexander was not a believer and it would seem became a sort of an enemy of Paul and this church in Ephesus. In 2 Timothy 4:14-15 Paul wrote to Timothy, “Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm. May the Lord repay him according to his works. You also must beware of him, for he has greatly resisted our words.”
Not only did Alexander’s attempt fall flat, but it only served to stir up the nest so much this mob “with one voice cried out for about two hours, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians!”
Acts 19:35-41, “And when the city clerk had quieted the crowd, he said: “Men of Ephesus, what man is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple guardian of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down from Zeus? Therefore, since these things cannot be denied, you ought to be quiet and do nothing rashly. For you have brought these men here who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of your goddess.”
“Therefore, if Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a case against anyone, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. Let them bring charges against one another. But if you have any other inquiry to make, it shall be determined in the lawful assembly. For we are in danger of being called in question for today’s uproar, there being no reason which we may give to account for this disorderly gathering.” And when he had said these things, he dismissed the assembly.”
Understand… “The city clerk” operated like a local mayor for the city of Ephesus. And while we’re not given his name I’d like to point out the way he handles this situation was brilliant.
As a matter of fact, it’s not outlandish to point out the situation this “city clerk” had to handle with this unruly, Ephesian mob is very similar to what many parents face dealing with a temperamental 3 year old or even an emotionally volatile 13 year old. There is a lot we can learn by looking at the way this man handled such an explosive situation!
1. Patience… Before addressing the crowd, the city clerk patiently gave the mob plenty of time to blow off steam. Because they were all emotionally worked up and out of control (with many not even knowing why) the clerk understood any type of reasonable argument or productive conversation would have been impossible.
This is why instead of attempting a dialogue destined for failure he simply waited till their temper-tantrum had subsided before engaging in any form of meaningful conversation.
2. Defuse… Before he seeks to address the issue that created the initial outburst, the clerk goes to great lengths to connect and relate with his audience in order to defuse the emotional component and build a bridge to reason.
“What man is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple guardian of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down from Zeus?”
It’s important to note his first words are not dismissive of their feelings. While unfounded their emotional reaction was real which explains why the clerk seeks to be understanding as to why they had taken things so personally in the first place.
3. Address… Once it’s clear the emotional components of this outburst had been appeased, it is only then that the clerk proceeds to address the facts of the case.
“You ought to be quiet and do nothing rashly. For you have brought these men here who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of your goddess.”
In pointing out that their reaction had been disproportionate to what had actually taken place the clerk is letting them know their response was rather inappropriate.
Paul had never once attacked Diana. Paul was not directly out to hurt them or throw their livelihood into peril. “You’re overreacting and you’re taking this all to personally!”
4. Advise… In order to insure similar outbursts are avoid in the future the city clerk advises the offended party as to the appropriate way to voice their complaint.
“If Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a case against anyone, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. Let them bring charges against one another.”
Now that everyone is processing things reasonable, the clerk exhorts them to reason in future situations. His point was that in Ephesus there were courts designed to arbitrate such matters without all the uproar and fanfare. “I’m not dismissing the way you feel, but there is a right way and wrong way to deal with these type of situations.”
5. Warn… As the clear adult in the room the city clerk does the responsible thing by warning this mob as to the unintended consequences of these type of outbursts.
“If you have any other inquiry to make, it shall be determined in the lawful assembly. For we are in danger of being called in question for today’s uproar, there being no reason which we may give to account for this disorderly gathering.”
Because Rome did not look kindly on riots like the one that had just taken place, Ephesus had a lot of privileges they stood to lose. It’s as though the clerk is reminding them that such an outburst in the future may very well bring about a harsher consequence than the original thing they were upset about.
Before we transition away from Paul’s time in Ephesus, there is one overarching idea that we need to discuss… In response to several, seismic shifts that have been taking place in America over the last 50 years Evangelical Christian leaders have been struggling to find a way to address a culture quickly becoming more secular.
Sadly, despite the best efforts of organizations like the “Christian Coalition,” the Evangelical attempt to curtail the growing influence of progressivism in America through political means has proven largely unsuccessful. One might even say with the Presidency being occupied for 16 of 24 years by cultural liberals the “Culture War” as it was classified has been lost.
I know what I’m going to say might seem controversial, but please hear me out… I’m glad the Evangelical approach to cultural decay through political action failed because it was not only unBiblical, ultimately dangerous, but in the end proved to be nothing more than a distraction away from the only Biblical model that works.
Let me start by explaining why this approach of using politics to influence society failed and why it was ultimately a dangerous idea in the first place…
In a representative government the state (and therefore the law) is designed to simply be a reflection of the majority-will of society. Until recently, since American’s core belief structures concerning social matters was largely Christian and therefore our laws were mostly consistent with Christian principles, the church remained rather apolitical.
However, over the last few decades, this has all changed. Because our laws have shifted noticeably away from Biblical principles many well-intentioned but misguided Christians unsure how to handle this move away from Christian values have engaged in a political battle hoping to save the moral fabric of Traditional America.
What they’ve failed to recognize (and what doomed the effort to begin with) is that they were fighting to maintain laws that simply no longer reflect American society. Many people don’t want to hear it, but Christianity is no longer the largest determiner of American values.
Look at the incredible divide of those who profess to be Catholic, but don’t support the Catholic position on abortion or contraception. Beyond this, according to 2014 Pew Research Poll, in regards to Gay Marriage, 54% support while only 34% oppose.
While I’m not advocating Christians shouldn’t be represented politically or be political, the problem with this reaction (seeing politics as the solution to cultural decay) is threefold:
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Law has never changed a heart and is fundamentally powerless to change society. In actuality, the Bible teaches the law only breeds greater rebellion in the heart of man.
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A political approach that emphasizes the importance of law only serves to undercut the powerful message of grace. The consequence is that polls show that Christians today are known more by what they’re against than what they’re actually for!
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The only political structures that attempt to influence the will of society contrary to the will of that society are known as being totalitarian. We should learn the lesson of history. Though the idea of the “Separation of Church and State” was introduced by our Founding Fathers to protect the church from the intrusion of the state and not the other way around, it is a matter of historical fact that anytime the church has tried to use the state to influence the cultural direction of society the results of been tragic.
One of the unintended consequences of this political approach is that churches bought into this model at the expense of the Biblical one. Copious amounts of time, energy, and resources have been spent in recent years on political advocacy, promoting like-minded candidates, lobbying congress, influencing the courts, getting out the vote (all of which are nobel) without ever stepping back to evaluate the effectiveness of the approach.
Sadly, the only notable results of this merging of the church with politics has been that Evangelicals alienated an entire generation of millennials who don’t like politics, branded Jesus as being Republican, and failed to positively influence the cultural direction of society in any measurable way. If only we had modeled Paul’s ministry in Ephesus!
Notice that, while in Ephesus, never once do we have a record of Paul preaching against the moral ills associated with the grotesque worship of Diana. Paul never goes political. Instead of preaching against vice or advocating for reforms Paul simply preached Jesus!
Don’t overlook the importance of this approach… Because Paul was pro-Jesus as opposed to being anti-Diana he never alienated the audience he had come to reach. As people listened to him speak of Jesus they came to see Diana as being nothing more than a worthless idol on their own. Why? Because they were encountering the true and living God.
Isn’t it true the easiest way to identify a fake is by comparing it with the authentic? For example…The easiest way to convince someone that Taco Bell is pitiful Mexican food is not by spending all your energy railing against Taco Bell… It’s by taking them to Chipotle! Ah, but one taste of the glories of heaven will eliminate any desire for the ills of earth.
Not only is this the most effective evangelical strategy, but it’s the only strategy that actually works. Think of it like this… If Taco Bell was your only exposure to Mexican food you’d lack even the context to imagine there being something better. This is why it’s so important that we (those in the know) carry the Gospel into the world! Don’t wait around for the world to figure it out on their own… They don’t even know they’re missing out!
Aside from the distraction of political games, the messaging of the Church in recent years has proven ineffective because we’ve forgotten this core idea… How do we reach the lost? By debating whether or not a person is born lost, railing against the depravity of their lostness, or whether they should have the right to marry other people equally lost? Do we reach the lost by picketing their lost parades, shunning their lost communities, or refusing to allow that lost group from attending our churches? Do we reach the lost by requiring the lost to first be a different kind of lost before we’ll befriend them or at least be less-lost before we demonstrate kindness? No! No! No! If you want to reach the lost, emulate Paul and preach Jesus for the only meaningful remedy for the lost is to first be found. Nothing else is important!
Please understand… The only thing that can save this world is the very thing that saved you - Jesus! The only thing that can redeem this culture is the very thing that redeemed you - Jesus! The only thing that can transform a human being is the very thing that transformed you - Our only hope is to be found in Jesus!
Demetrius’ accusation is awesome… The fundamentals of Ephesian society were changing, but they were changing because the hearts of the people in Ephesus were changing. America could use a dose of that! Social transformation is and will always be the unintended consequence of individual lives being transformed by the preaching of Jesus!
Paul came and preached Christ. All he did was present to the culture around him something real, something genuine, something authentic, an alternative! And once people got a taste there was nothing Diana could ever offer that’d compare. Ephesus would never be the same.
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