Acts 19:21-41
Dear RTB’ers,
Paul’s third missionary journey, at Ephesus. Here we see more people challenging Paul, but this time it’s not the Jews, instead it’s the local Ephesians, led by a silversmith named Demetrius. Surprisingly, even the Jews are considered “enemies” to the locals who worship Artemis/Diana. Paul wants to venture into this riotous crowd, but his disciples and some leading Gentile authorities convince him not to do so. Then a Jew named Alexander wants to speak to the crowd, but he is shouted down. So, one asks, why would this Jew want to speak to the crowd? Was he going to defend the Christians against this pagan crowd? Or was he wanting to further incite the crowd against these Christians? We’ll never know! But the Jews were also not followers of Artemis, so Alexander himself is fully rejected by the crowd. What a strange incident! Finally, reason wins out in the voice of the town clerk and order is restored. This is the second time that a civil authority has “rescued” Paul. Back at Corinth it was Gallio, a proconsul who reasoned against the Jews: “If it were a matter of wrongdoing or vicious crime, O Jews, I would have reason to accept your complaint. But since it is a matter of questions about words and names and your own law, see to it yourselves. I refuse to be a judge of these things.” (Acts 18:14b-15) Paul will have more rescues as we read further.
Blessings!