Acts 19:21-41 - No Small Stir About that Way
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Let’s open our Bible to Acts 19:21-41.
[PRAYER]
[CONTEXT] Acts 19:21 says, “Now after these things were finished...” What things? Well, nearly everything regarding the Apostle Paul’s time in Ephesus, which was quickly coming to a close.
He taught and preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ in that city for quite awhile.
He and others perhaps took that Gospel to other cities in the region during that time so that all of Asia Minor had heard of God’s grace in Jesus Christ.
And God performed extraordinary miracles through Paul, which more and more people heard the message of salvation and believed in Jesus.
But now God has other plans for Paul.
We read about those plans in Acts 19:21-22…
21 Now after these things were finished, Paul purposed in the Spirit to go to Jerusalem after he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.” 22 And having sent into Macedonia two of those who ministered to him, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia for a while.
Here we see Paul the pioneer.
Here we see Paul the pioneer.
His work in Asia Minor coming to an end, Paul planned to take the Gospel to where it had never been preached before.
In his letter to the Romans, Paul said he planned to take the Gospel to Spain by way of Rome (Romans 15:22-26).
As far as Paul knew, the people in Spain had never heard of Jesus.
We also see Paul the unifier.
We also see Paul the unifier.
Paul said he had to get to Rome, and he will eventually arrive there in chains, but before Rome would be Macedonia and Achaia and Jerusalem.
In his letter to the Romans and the Corinthians, Paul said that he was collecting money from the Gentile churches in Macedonia and Achaia to help the poor Jewish church in Jerusalem (Romans 15:22-26; 1 Cor. 16:1-3).
Paul was bringing Gentile Christians and Jewish Christians together.
We also see Paul the delegator.
We also see Paul the delegator.
Paul sent his teammates, Timothy and Erastus, into Macedonia probably to collect the money for those poor believers in Jerusalem.
Paul couldn’t do it all himself, and he discipled men like these by delegating important tasks to them.
And, finally, we see Paul the obedient.
And, finally, we see Paul the obedient.
Paul’s spirit was in agreement with the Holy Spirit that he should make his way to Jerusalem and then Rome, but he stayed in Asia Minor (i.e., Ephesus) for a while longer because as he told the Corinthians…
8 But I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost, 9 because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me.
We meet some of those opponents in the next passage.
[READING - Acts 19:23-27]
23 About that time there occurred no small disturbance concerning the Way. 24 For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, was bringing no little business to the craftsmen; 25 these he gathered together with the workmen of similar trades, and said, “Men, you know that our prosperity depends upon this business. 26 “You see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in almost all of Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away a considerable number of people, saying that gods made with hands are no gods at all. 27 “Not only is there danger that this trade of ours fall into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis be regarded as worthless and that she whom all of Asia and the world worship will even be dethroned from her magnificence.”
[CIT] In Acts 19:23-41, the Gospel of Jesus Christ stirred up a great riot that was calmed by a skillful politician.
[PROP] This passage reminds us that the Lord is always bringing about our rescue even when we aren’t directly involved in it.
[TS] Now, vv. 24-41 breakdown into three SECTIONS: the REJECTION, the RIOT, and the RESOLUTION. Let’s notice each one…
Major Ideas
Major Ideas
THE REJECTION (vv. 24-27)
THE REJECTION (vv. 24-27)
Reason #1: They rejected the Gospel because it affected their wallets (vv. 24-26)
Reason #1: They rejected the Gospel because it affected their wallets (vv. 24-26)
24 For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, was bringing no little business to the craftsmen; 25 these he gathered together with the workmen of similar trades, and said, “Men, you know that our prosperity depends upon this business. 26 “You see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in almost all of Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away a considerable number of people, saying that gods made with hands are no gods at all.
[EXP] Demetrius was a silversmith and seems to have been the leader of the other silversmiths who all made their living making miniature silver keepsakes of the pagan goddess Artemis and her temple.
Every year people would come from all over to worship the great goddess Artemis, and the silversmiths and other tradesmen made good money as a people purchased small reminders of their idolatry in Ephesus.
But as the Gospel of Jesus Christ spread throughout Asia Minor, sales started to dip for these craftsmen.
These was troubling for them because their wealth came from this business.
If Paul kept preaching and people kept believing that gods made with hands were no gods at all, well soon there would be no money in making Artemis trinkets.
So the first and primary reason why Demetrius and the other craftsmen rejected the Gospel is because the Gospel had taken money out of their wallets.
Reasons #2 and #3: They also rejected the Gospel because it affected their work and worship (v. 27).
Reasons #2 and #3: They also rejected the Gospel because it affected their work and worship (v. 27).
27 “Not only is there danger that this trade of ours fall into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis be regarded as worthless and that she whom all of Asia and the world worship will even be dethroned from her magnificence.”
[EXP] There’s no doubt that Demetrius’s primary concern was the money he was losing, but he tried to dress up his greed with more noble concerns.
First, he mentioned the noble work of the craftsmen.
Their work was laborious, skillful, creative, and respected, but it wouldn’t continue to be respected if people kept believing in Jesus and began to see the work of these craftsmen for what it was—the manufacturing of false gods for greedy gain.
Second, Demetrius the noble worship of Artemis.
Ephesus was famous for its temple of Artemis. It was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, but it would become worthless if people kept turning to Jesus and began to see the temple for what it was—the worship-center of a lifeless, false goddess.
If people kept turning to Jesus, they would see Artemis—not as the great goddess or her magnificence—but as the dead, demonic idol that she was.
[ILLUS] A rich young ruler came to Jesus and wanted to follow Him. He bragged about his righteousness since his youth, but when Jesus told him to sell his possessions, give the money to the poor, and follow Him, the rich young ruler went away sad because he had great wealth.
Jesus told His disciples afterward that it was easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
[APP] We don’t really trust in Jesus unless we trust Him as Lord of our entire lives including our wallets.
24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.
Demetrius and these other craftsmen should have learned this lesson and trusted in Jesus.
We should learn this lesson and trust in Jesus.
36 “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?
[ILLUS] A man named Zaccheus was a rich chief tax collector. When he met Jesus, he said, “Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much.”
Jesus said that salvation came to the home of Zaccheus that day.
[APP] If we trust in Him, Jesus changes the way we work and what we worship.
We work as unto the Lord, and we worship Him alone.
We give up the worship of all idols—Artemis, Mammon (i.e., money), and all the rest.
Demetrius, the silversmiths, and the other craftsmen rejected the good news of God’s grace in Jesus because that good news touched their wallets, their work, and their worship.
All they could see was what they were losing.
They failed to see all they would gain by trusting Him.
[TS] We’ve talked about their REJECTION of Jesus, but now let’s think about the RIOT that followed.
THE RIOT (vv. 28-34)
THE RIOT (vv. 28-34)
First, this riot was characterized by rage (v. 28)
First, this riot was characterized by rage (v. 28)
28 When they heard this and were filled with rage, they began crying out, saying, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
[EXP] Different English translations say that these men were full of wrath or boiling with anger. This was a conniption, a fit of violent, nearly uncontrollable anger.
Again, I’ll remind you that the craftsmen were mainly angry about losing some income, but still they covered their greed with a religious veneer, shouting, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
Second, this riot showed the character of the Apostle Paul—both his courage and his wisdom (vv. 29-31)
Second, this riot showed the character of the Apostle Paul—both his courage and his wisdom (vv. 29-31)
29 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. 30 And when Paul wanted to go into the assembly, the disciples would not let him. 31 Also some of the Asiarchs who were friends of his sent to him and repeatedly urged him not to venture into the theater.
[EXP] We’ve already met two of Paul’s teammates in v . 22 (Timothy and Erastus), and now we meet two more (Gaius and Aristarchus) as they are swept away by the angry mob.
Paul courageously wanted to go into the theatre and do what he could to save his friends, but his fellow disciples and some of the leading, wealthy citizens, the Asiarchs, stopped him from doing so.
Paul wisely listened to their advice; his presence in the midst of the mob would have been like throwing gasoline on the fire of its rage.
Finally, this riot was also characterized by confusion (vv. 29, 32-34)
Finally, this riot was also characterized by confusion (vv. 29, 32-34)
29 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.
32 So then, some were shouting one thing and some another, for the assembly was in confusion and the majority did not know for what reason they had come together. 33 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. 34 But when they recognized that he was a Jew, a single outcry arose from them all as they shouted for about two hours, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
[EXP] Notice that v. 29 says that Ephesus was filled with confusion. People were mad and shouting, things were happening quickly, men were dragging some other men into the theatre. Everything was a panicked jumble.
Verse 32 says that some were saying this and some were saying that, but most didn’t know what this sudden, angry gathering was all about.
A Jewish man, Alexander, was somehow singled out to speak. He may have been a Jewish Christian but more likely was a Jewish unbeliever who was chosen to make clear the distinction between the Christians who had supposedly stoked the fires of this riot and the Jews who had nothing to do with it.
But Alexander didn’t even get the change to speak. As soon as the seething mob figured out that he was Jewish, they shouted him down as one voice, yelling for two hours, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
[ILLUS] In 1894, the Baltimore Orioles played the Boston Beaneaters, later known as the Boston RedSox. A dugout-clearing fight broke out between the two teams in the third inning after two players got into it on the field. Somehow the fight soon spread to the stands where someone (either intentionally or accidentally) started a fire that burned Boston’s stadium down along with 107 other Boston buildings.
Anger has a way of spreading especially when blown by the winds of confusion.
[APP] The world may respond to the Gospel we proclaim with anger and/or confusion, but our job is to do what Paul did here—respond with courage tempered by wisdom.
[TS] Well, we’ve seen the REJECTION of Jesus, the RIOT that followed, and now let’s wrap with the RESOLUTION of this whole ordeal.
THE RESOLUTION (vv. 35-41)
THE RESOLUTION (vv. 35-41)
The town clerk was more than just a paper pusher. He was equivalent to what we think of as a mayor. He was the Ephesian politician with influence, and like any good politician he knew how to talk his way out of a problem.
Why does Luke give us this clerk’s word in detail?
It’s because Luke wants other pagan cities who may have a problem with Christians to follow the logic of this Ephesian town clerk.
He made three big points to the mob in hopes of resolving this issue.
First, in order to resolve this issue, the town clerk cited the so-called undeniable facts (vv. 35-37)
First, in order to resolve this issue, the town clerk cited the so-called undeniable facts (vv. 35-37)
35 After quieting the crowd, the town 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? 36 “So, since these are undeniable facts, you ought to keep calm and to do nothing rash. 37 “For you have brought these men here who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of our goddess.
[EXP] One supposedly undeniable fact was that the image of Artemis had fallen from heaven.
This might refer to a meteorite that the Ephesians understood to represent Artemis. (Meteorites represented idols in other ancient cities, so this is a possibility.) Or it might just mean that the Ephesian image of Artemis was thought of as inspired by the gods.
As more people trusted in Jesus, however, they no longer thought of her as the heavenly image; they thought of Jesus as the true image of the invisible God come down out of Heaven.
The other supposedly undeniable fact was that Ephesus was known by everyone as the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis.
One could ask why a goddess so great as Artemis needed guarding, but certainly most everyone in the ancient world who knew anything about Ephesus knew that the temple of Artemis was protected by the city of Ephesus as a treasure.
However, as more and more people embraced the Gospel of Jesus, fewer and fewer people thought of Artemis as great.
The undeniable facts weren’t so undeniable no matter what the town clerk said, but even so the clerk was saying that Paul and these other Christians couldn’t change what people believed about Ephesus and Artemis no matter what they preached.
Secondly, in order to bring about a resolution, the town clerk also cited the legal opportunities (vv. 38-39)
Secondly, in order to bring about a resolution, the town clerk also cited the legal opportunities (vv. 38-39)
38 “So then, if Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a complaint against any man, the courts are in session and proconsuls are available; let them bring charges against one another. 39 “But if you want anything beyond this, it shall be settled in the lawful assembly.
[EXP] Demetrius and his followers could take Paul and these other Christians to court.
That’s one legal opportunity for Demetrius and the other craftsmen.
As the clerk says, “The courts are in session and proconsuls (government officials) are ready to hear your case.”
Another legal opportunity was the legal assembly (and not this riotous mob) that met in the Ephesian theatre regularly and frequently.
If Demetrius and his followers had a complaint against Paul and these other Christians, they could take it to the courts or to the Ephesian assembly when officially in session.
Without saying the words, the town clerk is telling the mob that what they are doing is without warrant and illegal.
And then to finally resolve this issue, the town clerk cited the real danger (vv. 40-41)
And then to finally resolve this issue, the town clerk cited the real danger (vv. 40-41)
40 “For indeed we are in danger of being accused of a riot in connection with today’s events, since there is no real cause for it, and in this connection we will be unable to account for this disorderly gathering.” 41 After saying this he dismissed the assembly.
[EXP] The Roman government did not like riots, and they would come down heavy on a riot like this one in Ephesus because, as the town clerk, said, “There is no real cause for it… and will be unable to account for this disorderly gathering.”
If the mob didn’t disperse, it ran the risk of being squashed by Rome.
The Christians can’t make people believe what they don’t want to believe.
The Christians can be taken to court or complained against in a city council meeting.
Whatever is done to oppose the Christians must be peaceful or Rome may bring down the hammer on us.
Ultimately the persuasive politician’s logic won out, and the assembly was dismissed.
[ILLUS] Jeremiah was a faithful prophet of God who was thrown into a pit for his faithfulness. Probably knee or thigh deep in mud and muck, there was no way for Jeremiah to escape.
He was running out of bread and water.
He might have begged the king for mercy, but the king wasn’t visiting the pit, so there was no opportunity to beg for mercy. But one man—Ebed-melek—did speak up for Jeremiah and soon Jeremiah was rescued.
[APP] People may reject the Gospel we proclaim; they may get angry and confused and seek to do us harm, but even when we can’t (or shouldn’t) defend ourselves we can trust the Lord is bringing about our rescue.
Jeremiah probably didn’t think he’d be rescued by an Ethiopian court official named Ebed-melek, which means the king’s servant, but he was.
Paul and his teammates probably didn’t think they’d be rescued from the Ephesian mob but a smooth-talking politician, but they were.
The Lord may use usual or unusual means, but He is always bringing about a resolution to our crises; He is always bringing about our rescue.
[TS]…
Conclusion
Conclusion
[PRAYER]