An Out-of-Control Mob

About that time there occurred no small disturbance concerning the Way. Acts 19:23

Intro: Barb and I were once treated to a cruise — “In the Footsteps of Paul”

One of the sites on the itinerary was the ruins of ancient Ephesus
– what remains of Ephesus is still impressive today
• we walked wide marble streets lined with public buildings and businesses
• we sat in an outdoor theater, originally built for plays
◦ later it became an arena for gladitorial combat
• though the library was built after the time of Paul,
◦ it represented the city’s prestige, being the third largest in the Roman Empire
• we did not get to see the temple of Artemis — the draw back of sea cruises
◦ but in its day it was the largest building made of solid marble
◦ 127 marble pillars, 60′ tall held up a tile roof
◦ 36 pillars were sculpted and overlaid with gold (ancient coins depict its architectural details)
– archaeological excavations have unearthed:
• inscriptions on coins and the base of statue, delcaring Ephesus role as a neokoros
◦ that is, a guardian city of the goddess Artemis and her image
◦ cities would fight for the privilege of neokoros (important cities were denied)
• small terra cotta replicas of the temple and image have also been found

Ephesus had an ancient and colorful history

There were two different goddesses associated with Artemis

1. The most ancient was Artemis Ephesia
   – she was the “mother of all living things”
   – according to legend, her idol in the temple had fallen from the sky
   • a grotesque caricature of mother hood
   • sculpted not with two breasts, but several rows of breasts
   ◦ as Bruce Larson observed, “She is too ridiculous to be obscene”
2. The Artemis of Greek mythology
   – a hunter, usually depicted with a bow and arrow, dogs and two white stags
   • according to Greek legend, Ephesus was founded by the Amazons–warrior women
   • the Greek Artemis stood for chastity
   ◦ married women were not allowed to enter her temple
   ◦ she protected virgins and watched over mothers during childbirth
   – eventually the two Artemis traditions were fused
   • these myths shaped the daily lives of Ephesians in ways Christians could not avoid
   ◦ in an annual (or seasonal) procession, Artimis’ image was carried around the city
   ◦ the route they took was the via sacra and included several stops to offer oblations
   ◦ women who clothed the idol for the parade won the title “adorners of the goddess”
   • when Paul brought the word of the Lord to Ephesus, he awakened a sleeping monster

Now to the story: Paul was preparing to move on

He was determined to go to Jerursalem and compelled to reach Rome
– but something made him linger in Ephesus — he explains to the Corinthians:

But I will remain in Ephesus until Pentecost; for a wide door for effective service has opened to me, and there are many adversaries. (1 Cor. 16:8-9)

• last week we saw the open door and this week we’ll see his adversaries

There was an artisan in Ephesus named Demetrius – a silversmith
– he made replicas of Artemis’ temple and image
• these souvenirs brought him and other union members a healthy income
• when we hear what happened next, we want to remember,
◦ this came hard on heels of the previous scene (Acts 19:18-19)
◦ Ephesian believers had turned from their cults and destroyed their magic parchments
◦ is it possible that they also got rid of the little shrines that these artisans had made?
– Demetrius began pulling people together
• he reminded them, “Our prosperity is from this trade”
◦ then he struck a note of fear:

You’ve seen for yourselves and heard that not only here in Ephesus, but all over Asia, this Paul has convinced and turned away a considerable number of people, claiming that man-made gods are not gods at all.

• he pointed out what this meant:
◦ their trade was placed in jeopardy
◦ in time, people would lose respect for the temple of Artemis
◦ Artemis herself would become nothing
– “great goddess” was a commonly used title for Artemis
– she who was worshiped the world over, would be dethroned Continue reading →

Miracles and Magic

It happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the upper country and came to Ephesus, and found some disciples. He said to them, “Did your receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said to him, “No, we have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.” And he said, “Into what then were your baptized?” And they said, “Into John’s baptism.” Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus.”
When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying. Acts 19:1-7

Intro: If you didn’t know this already, God isn’t picky when adopting children

God does not look for perfection–or even good “potential”
– Paul told the Corinthian Christians (in effect),
“Look around. Not many of you are geniuses; not many are influential; not many are wealthy or cultured”
• in today’s text we meet some unusual believers and candidates for faith
– verses 1-20 divides neatly into two parts
• first part resolves in verse 10 and the second resolves in verse 20

Paul had just returned to Ephesus

In the previous chapter, Paul was in Ephesus for a brief visit
– they had asked him to stay and this time he does – for three years (Acts 20:31)
• right away, on his return, he found some disciples
• I imagine them hanging out, talking about God, scripture, faith, etc.
◦ but something Paul observed prompted him to ask a question
– Paul had not asked anyone else if they had received the Holy Spirit
• so why did he do it here?
• usually we assume that he noticed a deficiency in their faith
◦ perhaps an obvious missing piece of theology
◦ or a shallowness to their conversation
◦ or maybe it was simply something Paul discerned

He asked, Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?
They answered, No – we haven’t even heard about the Spirit

O course they had heard of the Spirit
– the verb that appears here is the same as in John 9:39

. . . for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

• the disciples Paul met had not heard that the Spirit had been given
◦ this led to Paul’s question about baptism
◦ it was not a mere ritual, but had important associations and meaning
• the problem became clear to Paul when they answered, Into John’s baptism
– remember last week? Apollos was in Ephesus
• and he was also acquainted only with the baptism of John
◦ his teaching was accurate, but not adequate
• perhaps – a popular movement had grown around John in Ephesus
◦ their baptism gave Paul an opportunity to explain the difference
◦ and he did this from John’s own mouth (v. 4 and cf. Mk. 1:8)
◦ it was the difference between a promise given and a promise fulfilled

To be immersed in water is a religious ritual
– to be immersed in the Spirit is to come alive in God (Ro. 6:4)
• it is possible that Paul discerned these disciples were one-dimensional
◦ it is good to know theology, but a deficiency to know only theology
◦ it is good to observe religious rituals, but a deficiency to only observe rituals
◦ the same is true of hospitality, philanthropy, and so on (1 Cor. 13:1-3)
• we can have all this and still Jesus will tell us, You must be born again
– the gift of Jesus is the spiritual dimension of our lives

Their deficiency was immediately remedied

. . . they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus
– this doesn’t look like much on paper Continue reading →

Little Reminders

After these things he left Athens and went to Corinth. And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, having recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. He came to them, and because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and they were working, for by trade they were tent-makers. And he was reasoning in the synagogues every Sabbath and trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.
But when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul began devoting himself completely to the word, solemnly testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. But when they resisted and blasphemed, he shook out his garments and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” Acts 18:1-6

Intro: This chapter is full of people – characters who are named

So, though there are lots of interesting facts about Corinth,
– the emphasis in chapter is social, not geographical
– the hub of all these social interactions is reported in verses 9-10
• so we’ll go there first and see to whom the spokes of the wheel take us

Paul had already abandoned the synagogue in Corinth

And he did not go away quietly, but dramatically
– he shook his robe, as if to remove dust — it was a symbolic gesture
• he was shaking off their blasphemies
◦ or perhaps his responsibility for them, Your blood be upon your own heads!
• Paul then moved his headquarters into a Gentile’s home
– it’s possible he was already making plans to leave Corinth
• that is when he had his nighttime encounter

The Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision . . .
Why do you think Jesus chose to come at night?

– perhaps our waking minds are too active, preoccupied, too full
• when God tries to reach us during the day, he gets a busy signal
• this is why we practice contemplative prayer
◦ to quiet our minds enough to hear God’s gentle whisper
◦ to train ourselves to be focused, open, receptive, responsive
– let’s look at what Jesus said to Paul line by line

Do not be afraid – fear counteracts faith
– fear distracts our minds, creates roadblocks
go on speaking [and he reiterates] do not be silent
– was Paul considering this option? To just keep his mouth shut?
for I am with you – this is all the reason Paul needs
– this is frequently God’s word to his people

Do not fear, for I am with you;
Do not look anxiously about you, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you, surely I will help you,
Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. (Is. 41:10)
So David could pray:
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil, for You are with me . . . (Ps. 23:4)
Paul understood this clearly enough
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? (Ro. 8:31)

no man will attack you in order to harm you
– a promise – Jesus did not say it would be easy or painless
• or even that Paul would not be attacked
• but he would not be harmed so as to stop his work
for I have many people in this city
– this is intriguing – what did Jesus mean?
• “many people here belong to Me”? or “many here will belong to Me”?
• maybe, “many that I can use to keep you safe”
◦ we will soon see an example of this

Paul’s encounter with Jesus was meant to keep him going Continue reading →

Making Gods In Our Own Image

Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was being provoked within him as he was observing the city full of idols. So he was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and in the market place every day with those who happened to be present. Acts 17:16-17

Intro: I think these introductory verses are a beautiful piece of narrative

Beginning with the setting — the intellectual center of the western world
– we follow the apostle as he explores streets of Athens,
• a city glutted with idols and shrines of Greek and Roman gods
• he is up to his neck in Athenian culture
– we’re told how all of this affected Paul
• his spirit, that deepest part of his inner life, was distressed
◦ his agitation was growing, like a fire burning within him
◦ until finally he could not hold back
• on Sabbaths in the synagogue he argued his case with Jews
◦ every other day he was in the market place, talking to anyone who would listen

This is Luke’s introduction to a historic moment
– when the message of Jesus was carried into home of philosophers
• it was never recorded in Roman history, but it is significant for us
• our faith proclaimed in the city where Socrates, Plato and Aristotle taught
– how did Paul respond to this opportunity?

18-21, Paul got a once-in-a-lifetime invitation

Epicurean and Stoic philosophies had been around for about 300 years
– my guess is that they held a special appeal for the pragmatic Romans
• Paul’s public debates came to their attention
• they began to speculate regarding his philosophy
◦ babbler – someone who plagiarized scraps of other teachers’ ideas
◦ strange deities – that is, odd and foreign gods
– they decided they had to hear him for themselves

They brought Paul to the famous Areopagus and let him give his spiel
– v. 21 is an important footnote

Now all the Athenians and the strangers visiting there used to spend their time in nothing other than telling or hearing some new thing.

• this gives us insight into a particular form of idolatry
• these addicts of the avant-garde were not real philosophers
◦ their devotion was not a lifetime of philosophical discipline
◦ rather, it was living up to an image
– it may be our culture’s most common form of idolatry
• the idolatry of our public image and mistaking it for reality

22-28, Paul’s Message: The quest for the Creator God Continue reading →