Let the Lord Fight Your Battles
After all this had happened, Paul decided to go to Jerusalem, passing through Macedonia and Achaia. "After I have been there," he said, "I must visit Rome also." 22 He sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he stayed in the province of Asia a little longer.
23 About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way. 24 A silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought in a lot of business for the craftsmen there. 25 He called them together, along with the workers in related trades, and said: "You know, my friends, that we receive a good income from this business. 26 And you see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in practically the whole province of Asia. He says that gods made by human hands are no gods at all.
27 There is danger not only that our trade will lose its good name, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited; and the goddess herself, who is worshiped throughout the province of Asia and the world, will be robbed of her divine majesty."
28 When they heard this, they were furious and began shouting: "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" 29 Soon the whole city was in an uproar. The people seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul's traveling companions from Macedonia, and all of them rushed into the theater together. 30 Paul wanted to appear before the crowd, but the disciples would not let him.31 Even some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, sent him a message begging him not to venture into the theater.
32 The assembly was in confusion: Some were shouting one thing, some another. Most of the people did not even know why they were there.33 The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander to the front, and they shouted instructions to him. He motioned for silence in order to make a defense before the people. 34 But when they realized he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison for about two hours: "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!"
35 The city clerk quieted the crowd and said: "Fellow Ephesians, doesn't all the world know that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image, which fell from heaven?36 Therefore, since these facts are undeniable, you ought to calm down and not do anything rash. 37 You have brought these men here, though they have neither robbed temples nor blasphemed our goddess.
38 If, then, Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a grievance against anybody, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. They can press charges. 39 If there is anything further you want to bring up, it must be settled in a legal assembly. 40 As it is, we are in danger of being charged with rioting because of what happened today. In that case we would not be able to account for this commotion, since there is no reason for it."41 After he had said this, he dismissed the assembly (Acts 19:21-41, NIV)
Part II of II
Continued from last week
After all this had happened, Paul decided to go to Jerusalem, passing through Macedonia and Achaia. "After I have been there," he said, "I must visit Rome also." 22 He sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he stayed in the province of Asia a little longer.
23 About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way. 24 A silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought in a lot of business for the craftsmen there. 25 He called them together, along with the workers in related trades, and said: "You know, my friends, that we receive a good income from this business. 26 And you see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in practically the whole province of Asia. He says that gods made by human hands are no gods at all.
27 There is danger not only that our trade will lose its good name, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited; and the goddess herself, who is worshiped throughout the province of Asia and the world, will be robbed of her divine majesty."
28 When they heard this, they were furious and began shouting: "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" 29 Soon the whole city was in an uproar. The people seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul's traveling companions from Macedonia, and all of them rushed into the theater together. 30 Paul wanted to appear before the crowd, but the disciples would not let him.31 Even some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, sent him a message begging him not to venture into the theater.
32 The assembly was in confusion: Some were shouting one thing, some another. Most of the people did not even know why they were there.33 The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander to the front, and they shouted instructions to him. He motioned for silence in order to make a defense before the people. 34 But when they realized he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison for about two hours: "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!"
35 The city clerk quieted the crowd and said: "Fellow Ephesians, doesn't all the world know that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image, which fell from heaven?36 Therefore, since these facts are undeniable, you ought to calm down and not do anything rash. 37 You have brought these men here, though they have neither robbed temples nor blasphemed our goddess.
38 If, then, Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a grievance against anybody, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. They can press charges. 39 If there is anything further you want to bring up, it must be settled in a legal assembly. 40 As it is, we are in danger of being charged with rioting because of what happened today. In that case we would not be able to account for this commotion, since there is no reason for it."41 After he had said this, he dismissed the assembly (Acts 19:21-41, NIV)
Part II of II
Continued from last week
The word spread that Paul's companions were near and easy to get. Gaius and Aristarchus rushed into the Ephesian theatre for execution. The place filled with angry Ephesians shouting for a return back to good old days of Greek religious shows and working hard for happiness. Paul insisted on being on the front line with his friends, but persuaded to remain safe with them.
Mob activity misread the situation that easily took on a life of its own. Luke wrote, "some were shouting one thing, some another. Most of the people did not even know why they were there" There was a cacophony of anger, derision, and confusion.
Alexander tried to speak some sense into the crowd. His Jewish identity made him a target than a voice of reason.
The slogan of "great is Artemis of the Ephesians" was the rally cry of the city.
For two straight hours in the presence of Gaius, Aristarchus, and Alexander, theatre rocked and rolled like a concert. Make Ephesus and Artemis great again was the shout for significance and nostalgic return to the past. There was something comforting about it.
In the midst of the noise and anxiety, the quiet voice of the city clerk entered the center of the theatre. The crowd accepted him as a man of great stature and honor. Maybe he raised his arms to summon the mob to cease the ruckus. He knew his people. He knew their history.
He knew present context of Ephesus. He recited the fame of Ephesus due to the temple's renown in Asia Minor.
With a calm strong voice, he said, "Fellow Ephesians, doesn't all the world know that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image, which fell from heaven?
Therefore, since these facts are undeniable, you ought to calm down and not do anything rash" He needed to bring down the high emotional atmosphere to reason with them. The God no one could see as the best defense of his messengers was using the city clerk.
The clerk defended the messengers of Jesus and chided the crowd they were not doing things in an Ephesian way. He called them back to order and decency. The clerk explained, "You have brought these men here, though they have neither robbed temples nor blasphemed our goddess.
If, then, Demetrius and his fellow artisans have a grievance against anybody, the courts are open and there are proconsuls.
They can press charges. If there was anything further you want to bring up, it must be settled in a legal assembly. As it is, we are in danger of being charged with rioting because of what happened today. In that case we would not be able to account for this commotion, since there is no reason for it."
Paul and his friends did not say one word to defend themselves.
The Holy Spirit worked though the very people in opposition to them. They let the Lord fight the battle for them.
The theatre fell silent. The city clerk told the mob to go home. Maybe the old men and women left first because they took the clerk's words as right.
Some stood up and possibly murmured expletives under their breath. They were ready to take back their city. They were ready to take back their religion.
The clerk sucked the winds of revenge and resentment out of their mob sails. They were not interested in a slow trial.
They wanted quick return to the old way of life. The clerk crushed the idea that swept like a fever – restoring the religious business back before Paul came on the scene.
The Holy Spirit can draft anyone to fight your battles — an enemy who speak in defense of you, an adversary who comes to your rescue or a stranger who gives you a hand up. Paul was surprised the Lord pulled in an unknown city employee to save his friends and himself in the midst of an angry mob. They were scared of losing the one thing that gave them purpose – the temple of Artemis and its benefits.
The Ephesians needed to hear the words of prophet Isaiah, "Come all who are thirsty, come to the waters and you who have no money, come, buy wine and milk, without money without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread and your labor on what does not satisfy. Listen, listen to me and eat what is good… Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near". (Isaiah 55:1-2, 6)
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