Before this disruption by the silversmiths about Paul ministry, he had already decided to go back to Jerusalem by the way of Macedonia and Achaia. His intentions were to encourage the nascent churches he had established in Greece. However, preceding his departure there arose a great disturbance about the Way. As happens sometimes when religion is turned into a commercial activity, merchants were making money from the religious fervor of people. Jesus found this kind of activity in the temple in Jerusalem very upsetting to him, where the courtyard of the temple was turned into a place of making money. Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’” (Matthew 21:12) Even today we find people using Christianity as a way to make money. Commercialism has always been a part of religion. In Ephesus we see the silversmiths tremendously upset that they were losing money because of the spread of Christianity in Asia. The followers of Christ were no longer buying the silver shrines that the silversmiths were making. Paul had exposed the Asians to a God who could not be visualized by an image of any kind. He preached of one God, not many. This ministry of one God, the Creator of all mankind, was hurting the businesses that revolved around serving the goddess Artemis. Ephesus was an important community in that time because the temple of Artemis was there, a beautiful, large worship facility that is considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Now Paul’s monotheist teaching was destroying the commercial activity functioning around that great temple to honor Artemis. He says that gods made by human hands are no gods at all. 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. Of course, these silversmiths were probably not more religious than other worshippers of Artemis, but their livelihood revolved around the people buying shrines and articles that pertained to the worshipping of Artemis. The silversmiths were making a good living because Artemis was very popular in the Greek communities, especially in the rural areas, for she was the goddess of nature, of hunting wild animals, and of protecting chastity. It is easily understandable why Demetrius was upset with Paul and Christianity. Paul and The Way were infringing on the livelihood of these craftsmen. Therefore, Demetrius gathered the craftsmen together and riled them up to oppose this strange religion of The Way. They began to chant, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” With such commotion and shouts, Soon the whole city was in an uproar. Of course angry people are dangerous in a mob. The people seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia. Mob actions are always uncertain, maybe even death might be the result of their anger, so Paul was warned not to go into the theater to reason with these angry people. He was persuaded by some of the prominent officials in the province not to try to reason with this mob at this time. Eventually the mob calms down because the officials in the city did not want to get the Roman legions involved, for they might punish the Ephesians for being so disruptive to the stability of their rule in Asia.
Paul’s wanting to go into the theater to explain the Good News to the Ephesians reveals why Jesus called him. He was willing to go into the fire of commotion, a place where his life might be lost for the Good News. Later we see on his journey back to Jerusalem Paul talking to a few of the leaders of the Ephesians. He reveals his determination to follow Christ regardless of the cost. And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace. (Acts 20:22-24) He will meet a mob in Jerusalem that will cause him to be in chains the rest of his life. He will end his life in imprisonment in Rome. But Paul was commissioned by Jesus, and Jesus did not hide anything in his calling of Paul. Jesus told Paul he would face much adversity in serving him. Paul not only faced deprivation and the hardships of nature in fulfilling his commission, he also faced severe physical abuse by the people: flogging, whipping and stoning. As with the disciples, he counted these hardships and persecution as nothing in comparison to knowing Jesus as his Savior. When the Sanhedrin flogged the disciples they left that scene rejoicing. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah. (Acts 5:40-42) The disciples and Paul went from house to house propagating the Good News in every community, willing to face opposition and even violence for the cause of Christ. They never delivered their message of the Good News with threats or violence: they delivered this message with love and concern for those they were ministering to. In fact, Jesus tells them that when they face hatred and violence from even their own families they are to flee to another area. Even though they are put upon by others, they are to forego violence and revenge. Why? Because revenge and judgment belong in the hands of the Lord, not in the purview of people. “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. (Matthew 10:21-23) Paul was not going to flee from Ephesus, but others convinced him to move onto other areas. If called, you might confront your enemies with words of persuasion, but if not called to do so at that time, you should move onto other areas, spreading the Good News to others. Now those who had been scattered by the persecution that broke out when Stephen was killed traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, spreading the word only among Jews. Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. (Acts 11:19-20) All through the millenniums the Good News has been spread like seeds from a tree blown by the wind. Every nation, every tongue, every race and every ethnic group will eventually hear the redemption message: eternal life through the death and resurrection of Christ the Lord. Some who carry this message to others will die. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful servants. (Psalm 116:15) The martyrs will be honored greatly in heaven. Most Christians will live normal lives, but always fixated on doing the will of God in their daily routines, knowing that every action they do and every word they say is watched by a dark and weary world. Every Christian is a planter, sowing seeds in the soil around them, expecting good results from their efforts in exposing Jesus to others.
Christians should be gracious and loving to others. Jesus tells us to love our enemies, to do good to those who abuse us. This is the nature of God, who tolerated the Jews’ misbehavior through the ages even though they were his treasured ones. From the very beginning we see as Ezekiel 20:8 says, They rebelled against me and would not listen to me; they did not get rid of the vile images they had set their eyes on, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt. Before and in Egypt, they attached themselves to other gods, but God was patient with them. His grace and mercy was his promise to them through his covenant with Abraham, but Abraham’s descendants were obstinate, self-willed and rebellious to God their Creator in their daily lives. In the wilderness, they carried their personal idols in their satchels, revealing their desire not to serve God who delivered them out of captivity. But God was merciful and gracious to them. He gave them Canaan, a place of milk and honey to abide in. But in Canaan, they still lusted after other gods, even though they understood through the law God’s demands on their lives. Instead of serving him, they sought the gods of their ancestors. But God was gracious and loving to them, but finally He expelled them from Canaan, sending them to foreign lands. He always preserved a remnant of the Jewish people because of his covenant with Abraham that he would some day be the father of many nations. This remnant came back to Israel from these many nations with the intention not to serve idols or other gods, but they still needed to know that the law would not redeem their souls to God, for the law was breaking their backs, too hard to obey all the time, and any violation of the law at any time would condemn them to everlasting punishment. Paul is now ministering the Good News and not the law that the chosen could never satisfy. The Good News is that Jesus paid the complete price for the disobedience of mankind. This sacrifice for the sins of people made those who trust in Jesus’ work on the cross right with God. This mystery in the heart of God was so important to Paul that he was willing to give his life for this redemption message. Surely, it took many words to convince Paul not to go into that theater to reason with that mob, to tell another group of angry protestors about his ministry of the Good News that God has planned for their redemption to him the Creator through Jesus Christ the Lord. Paul was filled wth the Holy Spirit. Jesus had told the disciples that He must go away so that He can send the Holy Spirit to them. “But now I am going away to the one who sent me, and not one of you is asking where I am going. Instead, you grieve because of what I’ve told you. But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me. (John 16:5-9) Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to us as an advocate of his work, to convince the world of Jesus Christ's complete work for the salvation of men and women. The human race has always been God’s great love. His plan of redemption for his chosen loved ones has eternally been in his heart. But the darkness of rebellion has ingrained men and women from the very beginning. Jesus tells us explicitly what sin does, how it alienates people from the plan of God which is Jesus: The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me. (John 16:9 NLT) Jesus goes back to his Father God, showing the Father that He has completed the Father’s will: that He alone has paid the price for all the sins of the people. Paul preached that victory; he was willing to go anyplace to tell of the work of the cross. Jesus Christ said the kingdom is near. Dear friends, accept the kingdom of God in your life by fully embracing that efficacious work of Jesus on the cross. IT IS DONE! IT IS FINISHED! AMEN, AMEN!
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