Acts 19:21-41
21 Now after these events Paul resolved in the Spirit to pass through Macedonia and Achaia and go to Jerusalem, saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.” 22 And having sent into Macedonia two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia for a while.
23 About that time there arose no little disturbance concerning the Way. 24 For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought no little business to the craftsmen. 25 These he gathered together, with the workmen in similar trades, and said, “Men, you know that from this business we have our wealth. 26 And you see and hear that not only in Ephesus but in almost all of Asia this Paul has persuaded and turned away a great many people, saying that gods made with hands are not gods. 27 And there is danger not only that this trade of ours may come into disrepute but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis may be counted as nothing, and that she may even be deposed from her magnificence, she whom all Asia and the world worship.”
28 When they heard this they were enraged and were crying out, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” 29 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. 30 But when Paul wished to go in among the crowd, the disciples would not let him. 31 And even some of the Asiarchs, who were friends of his, sent to him and were urging him not to venture into the theater. 32 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. 33 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. 34 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!”
35 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? 36 Seeing then that these things cannot be denied, you ought to be quiet and do nothing rash. 37 For you have brought these men here who are neither sacrilegious nor blasphemers of our goddess. 38 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. 39 But if you seek anything further, it shall be settled in the regular assembly. 40 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.” 41 And when he had said these things, he dismissed the assembly.
Reflection
Again we see that Paul’s gospel ministry poses a threat to the evil desires of those who love darkness. In Thessalonica, Paul and Silas were beaten and imprisoned because they had delivered a slave girl from an evil spirit that made her valuable to her greedy owners (Acts 16:16–24). Here in Ephesus, a similar riot breaks out because the financial success of those who made shrines to false gods was threatened by the gospel of the kingdom.
The gospel of Jesus Christ is both inclusive and exclusive. It is inclusive in the sense that King Jesus welcomes anyone who is willing to put their trust in him and receive the fullness of God’s forgiveness and grace. It is exclusive in the sense that Jesus will not share his throne with false gods. Anyone who wants Christ may have him, so long as they want him and no other.
Revelation 12:1-6
12: And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. 2 She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth. 3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems. 4 His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it. 5 She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne, 6 and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days.
Reflection
In Revelation 11:1–14 we saw two witnesses proclaiming the gospel throughout all of church history. In 12:1–13:10, we see another symbolic description of the same thing, this time with the image of a woman and her offspring being protected from a dragon.
The woman (12:1) seems to be a sign of the one who brought forth (1) Jesus in particular (vv. 4–6) and (2) the people of God in general (v. 17). As with the witnesses in chapter 11, the 1,260 days of nourishment symbolize a time during which the woman and her child(ren) are spiritually sheltered from the dragon (v. 6; cf. 11:3). Once again, the work of God’s people will continue throughout church history until our mission is complete; even the Devil himself cannot prevent it.
Psalm 148:13
13 Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his majesty is above earth and heaven.
Jesus will accept any who want him exclusively, but he refuses to receive worship alongside false gods. Ask God to give you a loyal heart and a passion to see others give their worship to Christ alone.