Acts 19:28-41

                                                             Acts 19:28-41

When they heard this they were enraged and were crying out, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” So the city was filled with the confusion, and they rushed together into the theater, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians who were Paul's companions in travel. But when Paul wished to go in among the crowd, the disciples would not let him. And even some of the Asiarchs, who were friends of his, sent to him and were urging him not to venture into the theater. Now some cried out one thing, some another, for the assembly was in confusion, and most of them did not know why they had come together. Some of the crowd prompted Alexander, whom the Jews had put forward. And Alexander, motioning with his hand, wanted to make a defense to the crowd. But when they recognized that he was a Jew, for about two hours they all cried out with one voice, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

And when the town clerk had quieted the crowd, he said, “Men of Ephesus, who is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple keeper of the great Artemis, and of the sacred stone that fell from the sky? Seeing then that these things cannot be denied, you ought to be quiet and do nothing rash. For you have brought these men here who are neither sacrilegious nor blasphemers of our goddess. If therefore Demetrius and the craftsmen with him have a complaint against anyone, the courts are open, and there are proconsuls. Let them bring charges against one another. But if you seek anything further, it shall be settled in the regular assembly.For we really are in danger of being charged with rioting today, since there is no cause that we can give to justify this commotion.” And when he had said these things, he dismissed the assembly.

Wisdom and the ability to trust God in the face of difficult circumstances are vital qualities for all who advance the Gospel to possess.  Taking the message of salvation to new places is inherently dangerous because it requires us to confront the status quo of a society that has lived without God’s Word.  These people already believe something, and this belief has been passed down for generations.  When that belief is confronted, it represents a threat to the society at large.  These threats are not taken lightly.  This passage demonstrates how these situations should be faced.

 

DEMETRIUS PROMOTES CONFUSION: Those who are in the business of “making” gods are going to be threatened by a Gospel that requires belief in only one God.  Demetrius seeks to secure his financial position by making wild accusations that throw everyone into confusion.  There are still enough idol worshipers in Ephesus to take offense at the message of Christ.  When people are confronted with believing a false Gospel, they are going to react very strongly.  It is not an easy thing to be told that your religion is wrong.  It is interesting to see that there are no arguments or proofs that can be put forth to contradict the Gospel.  The only argument that is given is tradition.  “We have always believed this way.”  When people cannot defend their faith, they will likely resort to confusion.  We must not become distracted by the chaos.   

 

PAUL IS PREVENTED FROM CONFRONTATION: Paul wants to go into the crowd and defend himself and take advantage on an opportunity to proclaim the Gospel.  However, the brothers and some of his political friends made sure he didn’t put his life at risk in the middle of a riot.  There are times when it is wise to stay away from confrontation that will be unproductive.  It is important for missionaries to listen to people who are a part of the culture as they know how certain actions will be perceived.  God was protecting Paul through the counsel of new believers.  It is a blessing to see how the Spirit of God works in the lives of people.  We need to be wise and humble as we seek to reach other cultures with the Gospel of Christ.

 

THE CLERK PROHIBITS THE COMMOTION: Alexander tried to calm the crowd but to no avail until the town clerk called for order and told Demetrius that this was no way to make accusations.  The clerk considered the teachings of Paul to simply be a sect that would pass on and posed no threat to the god Artemis.  They myth of the culture was that the god had come down from heaven in the form of a rock.  It is hard to know that happened with a rock from heaven which was likely a meteor that gave birth to this myth.  What is interesting is that the clerk decided that this myth was considered to be beyond question.  The traditions of men will often become mistaken for truth.  We must always be sure to test our traditions against Scripture.

 

APPLICATION: Prepare for confrontation when advancing the Gospel as it will be contradictory to whatever false teachings are already present in the culture.  Be wise about facing persecution.  There is nothing noble about being killed unnecessarily for the cause of Christ.  Listen to the advice of local people and trust the Lord to work through the leaders He has established.