Lessons From Acts – Lesson 35
We stopped when Paul was deep into what they call the 3rd missionary journey and did a high level look at his journeys so far and saw a very important balance between starting new churches and taking time to teach and encourage Christians in existing churches. If was very clear that both are very important to God.
We are now at the point where Paul is in Ephesus and it was his base of operations for about 2 years. Over those 2 years Paul wrote 1st Cor and then 2nd Cor. and he also wrote the book of Romans during this time.
There is something about that which we have not ever covered. Look at Rom Chapter 1 verse 1.
Rom 1:1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,
Verse 1 makes it clear that Paul wrote Romans. But now look at Rom 16: 22 I Tertius, who wrote this epistle, salute you in the Lord.
That is not another name for Paul that is a different person. Look at verse 27.
Rom 16:27 To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen. (Written to the Romans from Corinthus, and sent by Phebe servant of the church at Cenchrea.)
Written in Corinth and mailed by Phebe from a town that is not too far from Corinth. It says that it was written from Corinth. But Paul never went back to Corinth. And Romans was written during the years that Paul was at Ephesus.
This can be confusing if you don’t understand something about Paul.
At the end of 1 Corinthians 16:21 says The salutation of me Paul with mine own hand. Paul also ends 2 Thes the same. 2 Thes 3:17 The salutation of Paul with mine own hand.
Paul did not pen the bulk of his letters. He sometimes penned the salutation at the end. That means that Paul dictated the letters and others wrote it out.
The question would be why? They did not have ball point pens. It was done the hard way by dipping a writing instrument in a jar of ink. That might last a couple of letters and then dip again. It was slow and hard work. But learn about Paul and you see that he was not lazy.
There had to be another reason Paul did not pen most of his letters. I believe it has to do with Paul’s thorn in the flesh and like many I think that has to do with his poor eyesight.
If you remember Paul actually saw the glorified Lord on the Damascus road. The sight was so powerful that it knocked Paul down and caused Paul to go blind. Paul was blind for days.
Paul did get his sight back, but I am with those who believe that his eyesight was never the same and Paul therefore would have had trouble writing long letters in scrolls.
There is the possibility that it could have been arthritis or something like that, but I think most likely it was Paul’s eyesight that was the problem. After all Paul made tents with his hands.
Whatever the problem was Paul relied on others to put the pen to the scrolls. So Paul dictated the letter of Romans to others during the years at Ephesus and it was put into a nice copy by Tertius and mailed from Corinth.
Because writing would have been very slow. Paul could have even dictated to more than one person making it important to have it all put into one nice copy with all the same handwriting. And this was done in Corinth by Tertius.
And I believe that this would have been done after the Corinthians got the 1st letter and repented and went from being carnal to being spiritual.
As you read your N.T. you will run across this in several of Paul’s books. Paul dictated and others wrote it down for him because of some physical problem that Paul had.
Paul has been very busy in Ephesus during these 2 years and his time there is about over when we stopped in Acts 19:20
Verse 21 says after these things were ended. Because it has been a while we need to remind ourselves of what things it is talking about. So let’s back up to verse 8 and just read to where we stopped.
Acts 19:8 And he went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God.
Acts 19:9 But when divers were hardened, and believed not, but spake evil of that way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, disputing daily in the school of one Tyrannus.
Acts 19:10 And this continued by the space of two years; so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.
Acts 19:11 And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul:
Acts 19:12 So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.
Acts 19:13 Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth.
Acts 19:14 And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so.
Acts 19:15 And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?
Acts 19:16 And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.
Acts 19:17 And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.
Acts 19:18 And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds.
Acts 19:19 Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.
Acts 19:20 So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.
A lot has been going on for 2 years. God has been confirming Paul’s preaching with miracles. People getting saved and then burn the books of their old false religion.
And the word of God has been spreading and very effective in the entire region and for about 2 years. The false religions have been losing and losing and losing and God’s word has been winning again and again for 2 years.
This helps explain the reaction of what we are about to read.
If you only read this next event without any context or any knowledge of what has been going on for 2 years, you could think wow what an overreaction by these people. Such drama queens.
But knowing about the 2 years before this you look at it differently. You understand that this is the result of the cumulative effect of losing for 2 years. Having something happen once is one thing but then it just keeps happening and then again and over and over it does build up and finally you reach an explosion.
All the losing for 2 years builds and builds until boom.
Add to that what we call mob mentality and that fact there are always some people who love to stir up things then you understand what we are about to read.
And both of these 3 things are active and an issue in our world today. 1 Cumulative buildup and 2 mob mentality and 3 people who want to stir the cumulative buildup into an explosion. And we can learn how to handle them from this account in the Bible.
Act 19:21 After these things were ended, 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.
Act 19:22 So he sent into Macedonia two of them that ministered unto him, Timotheus and Erastus; but he himself stayed in Asia for a season.
Act 19:23 And the same time there arose no small stir about that way.
Act 19:24 For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, which made silver shrines for Diana, brought no small gain unto the craftsmen;
Act 19:25 Whom he called together with the workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs, ye know that by this craft we have our wealth.
1st thing we see is that there is usually a ring leader. The emotions from their false religion losing were not created by the ring leader. The ring leader did not create the circumstances or the forces behind the riot.
He is just going to see them and leverage them and exploit them. If Demetrius stood up 2 years before and called for this, the result would have been nothing.
And this is the way things work today. Anytime you have a riot it did not come out of the blue. Forces have been at work before hand to get things to a boiling point and someone will see the boiling point and they will take advantage of it to get the riot going.
And just like in Demetrius’ time, those forces are always evil and not of god. In his day it was their evil false religion. In our day it is the race baiters, alphabet soup people, corrupt politicians, and corrupt media.
The forces that set the stage for riots never are from God and are never from God’s true servants.
When the ring leaders sees that things are ripe for a riot, then they speak out and get it stirred up. And this is the way it is today. It takes someone to leverage and exploit the situation and the bent up emotions.
The second thing we see is that the motives of the ring leader and those that follow them are wrong. In the case of Demetrius it is greed. Money.
Act 19:25 Whom he called together with the workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs, ye know that by this craft we have our wealth.
Those that follow can have the same wrong motive or a different wrong motive. Many that got stirred up by Demetrius also had the motive of greed, but others the motive is a wrong belief in their false religion.
Once it gets going different groups of rioters will join for their own reasons. This is the way it is today. In our day someone starts a race riot, a large group of people will join in. Some because of racial motivation but a lot of them join just for the looting or the thrill of being violent.
Act 19:26 Moreover ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands:
Act 19:27 So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nought; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth.
Act 19:28 And when they heard these sayings, they were full of wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.
After the ring leaders speech, catch it, they were full of wrath. Demetrius did not create that wrath from nothing. He just leveraged and exploited the emotions that had been building up in these people for 2 years.
And notice once the wrath has been ignited, it demands a release. There is no more self-control. There is no holding back, no restraint. They were full of wrath, and cried out. The anger demands expression.
Act 19:29 And the whole city was filled with confusion: and having caught Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul’s companions in travel, they rushed with one accord into the theatre.
The whole city was filled with confusion. Confusion. That is an element with all riots. What happens in riots is fueled by anger. What happens defies logic and goes against the rational mind.
People who are not involved look at what is going on and say this does not make sense and so they are confused. And the people who are involved are not thinking clearly and so they are confused. And some are involved in the Riot for one reason and the next person involved in the Riot is involved for a completely different reason.
So when it says the whole city was filled with confusion that is absolutely true. And notice it was the whole city. Riots affect everyone in the area. They cause issues for those actively rioting and it causes issues for those in the area who are not involved.
Act 19:30 And when Paul would have entered in unto the people, the disciples suffered him not.
Act 19:31 And certain of the chief of Asia, which were his friends, sent unto him, desiring him that he would not adventure himself into the theatre.
This here is wisdom. And not by Paul, but the disciples and his friends. Do not go and try to stop or even reason with Rioters.
Why? They are being fueled and driven by unchecked unhinged unrestrained anger.
You cannot reason with them. And it is worse because of the number of people. Mob mentality is a real thing. A mob fuels itself. Having large numbers of people make the mob emboldened. One person’s anger fuels the next person’s anger, get enough people and mob mentality takes over.
You cannot make a difference. They will not be reasoned with. Ask that one teen who saw a riot going on and grabbed his rifle and went down there. Instead of influencing the mob to stop or consider, he became their target.
He had to shoot several of them in self-defense. And guess what, the riot kept going. And his life was ruined.
The wisdom of these disciples saved Paul. And their wisdom applies today. You as the opposition of what they are rioting against cannot deal with a riot with talking. No logic or reason and no speech is going to get thru to them. Not in the state that they are in while the riot is happening.
Act 19:32 Some therefore cried one thing, and some another: for the assembly was confused; and the more part knew not wherefore they were come together.
Paul preaching the word of God was what built the situation up to this flash point. If Paul went out there it could easily ended in violence.
Someone else is chosen to try to reason with the crowd but that did not work.
Act 19:33 And they drew Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. And Alexander beckoned with the hand, and would have made his defence unto the people.
Act 19:34 But when they knew that he was a Jew, all with one voice about the space of two hours cried out, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.
It did not work because they knew that he was a Jew. It did not work because he was not of their false religion. They simply are not in a state to listen to anyone from the other side of the issue.
Period. The only one that they will listen to is someone on their side. One of their own. And that is what happens next.
Act 19:35 And when the townclerk had appeased the people, he said, Ye men of Ephesus, what man is there that knoweth not how that the city of the Ephesians is a worshipper of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down from Jupiter?
Act 19:36 Seeing then that these things cannot be spoken against, ye ought to be quiet, and to do nothing rashly.
He confirms to them their false belief. You cannot stop a Riot mob mentality by saying anything against why they are rioting. Rioting and mob mentality cannot be reasoned with, what they believe at that moment cannot be changed. They are fueled by anger.
And this man does not try to. In fact he says basically they are right. He says the great goddess Diana. He is agreeing with and speaking their language.
He will get them to disperse, but he uses fear of punishment from Rome.
Act 19:37 For ye have brought hither these men, which are neither robbers of churches, nor yet blasphemers of your goddess.
Act 19:38 Wherefore if Demetrius, and the craftsmen which are with him, have a matter against any man, the law is open, and there are deputies: let them implead one another.
Act 19:39 But if ye enquire any thing concerning other matters, it shall be determined in a lawful assembly.
Act 19:40 For we are in danger to be called in question for this day’s uproar, there being no cause whereby we may give an account of this concourse.
Act 19:41 And when he had thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly.
He tells them that they are in danger for this uproar. And that danger of course is from the Roman government who had zero toleration for trouble. Rome’s attitude was go ahead and believe whatever you want.
That is fine we will tolerate that, what Rome would not tolerate is not paying taxes, or causing any kind of trouble.
It was the fear of punishment from Rome that stopped the riot. The fear of a force stronger than they were, the fear of punishment for their rioting. That is what stopped it.
And that is the only thing that works today as well.
What the democrats did by letting all those riots go and refusing to punish those involved only made it worse. That attitude and reaction only increased the number of riots and made them worse.
The only way to stop a riot is with either the fear of force and punishment which is what stopped this riot in Acts. The other way is with force and punishment.
A riot was starting in L.A. just a few days ago. The ICE officers were prepared and held and the FBI showed up and used force and the riot was stopped before it got very big. Someone paid money to organize more riots, but the National Guard was sent in and the riots stopped.
Fear of punishment by a strong force like Rome or actual force is the only way to stop riots. Individuals can do nothing alone to deal with it.
Paul was stopped with the wisdom of the disciples and his friends.
This account is a hint of what is going to come shortly. It is showing that as great as Paul was he was not perfect, and he is capable of making a mistake.
And we see next that when tensions get to a certain boiling point it is best if the focal point of those tensions is removed from the area.
Give a chance for things to calm down and for reason to return to minds. Others will continue the work successfully. The work of God is bigger than any one man. It was now time for Paul to move on.
Act 20:1 And after the uproar was ceased, Paul called unto him the disciples, and embraced them, and departed for to go into Macedonia.
Act 20:2 And when he had gone over those parts, and had given them much exhortation, he came into Greece,
Act 20:3 And there abode three months. And when the Jews laid wait for him, as he was about to sail into Syria, he purposed to return through Macedonia.
Act 20:4 And there accompanied him into Asia Sopater of Berea; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timotheus; and of Asia, Tychicus and Trophimus.
Act 20:5 These going before tarried for us at Troas.
Act 20:6 And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, and came unto them to Troas in five days; where we abode seven days.
What causes most of our riots today? Evil false religions like Islam. All of the pro Palestine riots and trouble at Harvard for example. It is also the race baiters like the George Floyd Riots, corrupt politicians, and corrupt media.
Those are the focal point groups today.
After Paul who was the focal point was removed the area had peace.
Our country is full of focal point groups who will exploit the situation for riots and I don’t see those cause groups going away or reforming.
However, we now temporarily have agencies that will use force and fear of punishment so as long as that is in place we will have fewer riots and they will be dispelled sooner.
The best long term solution is if more people would get saved and follow the teaching of Jesus.